Using each of the five systems in Bronfenbrenner’s theory, describe how a child’senvironment (including family, school, and community) might predispose the child tobullying.

The environment within which a child grows tends to have an effect on how a child
builds a relationship. Bronfenbrenner’s theory states that a child’s development is based on his or
her interaction with environmental systems (Mossler, 2014). The theory outlines five systems,
and the first one is the microsystem, which refers to an environment of people and places that an
individual deal with or interacts with on a daily basis. These include parents. Children who do
not enjoy a close relationship with their parents and who experience any form of abuse, physical,
emotional or verbal from their parents tend to be predisposed to bullying. These children are
used to being in a harsh environment, and since their parents do not support them, even when
bullied, they will survive the hard times on their own without reporting the incidents.
The mesosystem comprises of interactions between the different parts of an individual’s
microsystem. The mesosystem is where a child’s different parts of the microsystem do not
function independently; they assert influence on each other because they are interlinked. As they
influence each other, they indirectly affect a child. For instance, the relationship between a
parent and a child’s teacher has an indirect impact on the child. If the relationship between the
parent and the teacher is not good, then the teacher may bully a child, by venting his or her
frustrations on the child. A child will be protected from bullying even from other children if the
relationship between the teacher and the parent is good.

The exosystem refers to a setting where the child is not actively engaged but is still
affected. Such includes decisions that a child is not part of the decision-making process, but the
outcome of the decision affects him or her directly. For example, if a parent decides to quit his
job, gets a promotion, or takes a child to study at a school away from home, the child is not
involved in the process of making decisions, but the outcome of the decision directly affects a
child. For instance, a child who studies away from home might be prone to bullying because he
or she will not have parents near him or her to provide the necessary support.
Macrosystem entails traditions, laws, norms, and beliefs that could affect a child. For
instance, in regions where women are not allowed to drive, a girl who is found driving could be
predisposed to bullying. Also, in society’s that believe in male-dominance, girls might be bullied
by boys in school. The last category is the chronosystem, which shows the historical and social
contexts within which other systems operate. For example, poverty and other social problems
such as homelessness could affect a child and predispose him or her to bullying.
One current statistic on the factors influencing school bullying behaviors. Does this statistic
seem to follow the same trend supported by Bronfenbrenner’s theory? If not, explain how
it challenges the theory.
19 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls are bullied at school (National Bullying
Prevention Center, 2019). There is a higher percentage of girls who are bullied compared to
boys. Bullied students reported being bullied at school, inside the classroom, on the school
grounds, cafeteria, bus, and in the locker room. These trends follow the same trend as that
explained by Bronfenbrenner’s theory. More girls are bullied because of beliefs that men or boys
are more superior hence making girls more vulnerable to bullying. Bullying also takes place in
school further, showing the predisposition that the learning environment has on bullying.

Provide a unique solution to reduce or completely end bullying.
One of the most effective solutions to end bullying is changing the environment within
which a child grows and making it favorable. According to Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the
environment with which a child interacts affects how he or she grows, can make him or her a
bully or vulnerable to bullying. Thus, ensuring that children grow up in a conducive and peaceful
environment where aggression is not entertained ensures that they do not grow up into bullies.
Further, showing children parental love and care safeguards the child from bullying and other
violent behavior.

References

Mossler, R. A. (2014). Child and adolescent development (2nd ed). Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
National Bullying Prevention Center. (2019). Bullying Statistics. Retrieved 25 November 2019,
from https://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/stats.asp