Writing

Using the article we discussed on « Bullying », please read the following introductions
and notice which work best for you and why.

Read the introductions below and determine which one best introduces the article we
read in class.

Then, write your own introduction. Take time to create an attention grabbing ‘hook’, a
relevant and clear thesis statement and include (brief) examples or points that you will
discuss in your essay.
1.
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was year six and my classmate had tripped me in the
stairwell, again. This time wasn’t like the other times. This time I lost my balance and fell down
the stairs, breaking my shoulder and my left ankle. Even after this violent outcome, I didn’t
mention the reason I had fallen to anyone. I was ashamed, embarrassed and scared of what
would happen if I said anything. For years I had suffered the effects of attacks, both subtle and
obvious, with words and with actions and for years I had kept quiet and just hoped that it would
all go away, one day. I don’t think, at the time, I would have considered it bullying. I thought that
it was normal and I just had to get through it, but as time went on, I became a different person.
Sad, paranoid, scared and introverted. The typical results of repeated harassment. Looking
back now, I can see the various forms that bullying can take. I can also understand the extreme
results it can have on the victim; the feeling of being trapped, of being frustrated and of not
wanting to go on. I wonder now, thinking back at those moments and feelings, if anything
could’ve been done to ease the situation. Could the school have done something to stop the
bullying that was so rampant within the building? And, I think that if there was some sort of
intervention from the school then most definitely, my situation, and the situation of many others,
would have been very different.
2.
« To seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable) ». This is how
bullying is defined in the Oxford dictionary. While the action of bullying is certainly one that
causes harm and intimidation, how the damage is done can vary greatly. Not only can bullying
take many different forms, but the results of consistent and repeated bullying can have serious
to severe effects on the victim. As most bullying can occur within the school environment, It is
important that schools begin to take responsibility and educate students on the severity and
consequences of bullying. In order to do that, we must identify and understand each of the types
of bullying in order to help our schools implement measures and programs to combat and
prevent bullying and heal the damage that it creates.
3.
Fifteen percent of school children in Switzerland say that they have been the victims of bullying
at some point in their education. Likewise, eighty-seven percent of those some students
surveyed have said that they have regularly witnessed bullying occur at school. The ways that
bullies harass, tease or taunt their victims varies greatly. There is physical, verbal and
exclusionary practices but their is also cyberbullying which can have equally harmful and long-
lasting effects as well as a cyber footprint that long outlasts the bullying itself. Studies have
shown that there are things that can be done, notably within the educational system, to prevent
bullying and reduce the impact it may have on it’s victims.
4.
Bullying is both harmful and mean. It can hurt victims physically, emotionally and make them
severely depressed or even worse. People are bullied for many different reasons and in many
ways. Bullying most often happens with young children or teenagers. It can occur in schools,
outside of school or even online with cyberbullying. Because victims and bullies are most often
young people, we look to schools to solve this problem. But before we can solve this problem,
we need to understand the ways bullying happen and then what schools can do to help.

Which introduction works the best for you and why?

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Your introduction

Hook________________________________________________________________________
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Thesis statement
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Points to include
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Introduction
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Conclusion
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Bullying: Body

One common form of bullying can be physical harm. Some examples of physical bullying
include hitting, pushing, and stealing or destroying possessions of others. While severe injuries
might be quickly discovered and lead to immediate and serious consequences, minor physical
abuse is frequent. Besides physical damage, the psychological effects of this form of bullying is
also very serious, due to the feelings of humiliation, intimidation and lack of security.

Verbal bullying involves insults, threats and may happen alone but can also be accompanied by
physical abuse. Verbal bullying includes things such as name-calling, humiliating remarks and
making threats towards someone. Very often bullies will use these kinds of tactics when they
have an audience of peers and observers are embarrassed, ashamed or even frightened to
confront the bully or stand up for the victim. Many are worried that themselves may be the next
victim and will often go along with the bully, even joining in on the abuse in order not to avoid
being a victim themselves.

A third form of bullying is far less obvious, but just as common, especially in school and social
settings. Intentional exclusion is considered to be a form of social aggression and may occur by
leaving someone out of a group, activity or community. Other forms of this kind of exclusion
includes spreading rumors, names and stories about someone so that they are eventually
rejected and isolated from others. Young women and girls are more than 17% more likely to
suffer from these bullying tactics than their male counterparts and the psychological and social
consequences as profound as they can have traumatic results on the self-worth, identity and
value of victims and their own importance. The effects of such abuse can lead to severe
humiliation, isolation and, in extreme cases, suicide.
These kinds of abuse can happen in person, but also through text messages, social media, or
through other online platforms (cyberbullying). There have been many situations where kids are
bullied through a number of social media sites and they don’t even know the identity of the bully.
In fact, in 2018, nearly one third of people under twenty claim they have been victims of
cyberbullying. Those who have been bullied are 2.3 times more likely to develop suicidal or
self- harm behavior, according to researchers at Oxford University.

Students most often report reasons for being bullied include physical appearance,
race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, and/or sexual orientation. About 55% of LGBTQ
students say they have been victims of bullying while only 33% say they had alerted an adult,
often citing the shame of opening up to someone else and the fear of repercussions from the
perpetrator.

Some protective strategies against bullying include both school and social support for teens and
children. Kids that have social and family support are much less likely to suffer from the effects
of bullying and young people who develop empathy and social awareness are less likely to bully
others. In addition, schools that provide anti-bullying programs for their students can reduce
bullying and it’s effects by nearly 30% and those which have counseling services for students
have even more success in the fight against bullies.
Intro.

Bullying causes serious and, at times, irreparable damage to victims. Young people who are
bullied are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic
achievement, and dropping out of school and often experience feelings of extreme isolation
because others may avoid them due to associated stigma. There are multiple forms of bullying
that need to be considered, especially by teachers and other adults who work with children and
adolescents.

Concl

In conclusion, bullying can take many forms and is present in many facets in the daily lives of
young people today, including real time (at school, for example) and online via social media
sites. The effects of physical, verbal and exclusionary bullying can be both severe and long-
lasting as the abuse is very often both constant and systematic for many victims. Knowing not
only of the serious (and in some cases, deadly) consequences of bullying, but also of the
positives effects of anti-bullying programs, it is vital that schools and families work together to
provide young people with a community that is sensitive and supportive and tough on bullying.

Logical order
Clarity of meaning
Precise and correct form of words
Agreement of subject and verbs
Agreement of verb tenses
Agreement of pronouns
Parallelism of groups of words
No errors in grammar
No errors in punctuation
No errors in spelling
Shame- honte Curse words- gros mots Chicanos- les mexicains

Border- frontière Threat- menace misguiding- malavisé

Overwhelming- écrasante broaden- Élargir demean- dévaloriser