Bullying Among Children & Youth :(c) 2005 Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now! Bullying Among Children & Youth [WORDS HURT the HEART] [BILL J. BOND NASSP Principal for Safe Schools]


Overview of the Workshop :Overview of the Workshop What is known about the nature and prevalence of bullying? Why be concerned about bullying? How are schools addressing bullying? What works and doesn’t work in bullying prevention and intervention? HRSA’s National Bullying Prevention Campaign


Bullying… :Bullying… Is aggressive behavior that intends to cause harm or distress.HUMILIATION Usually is repeated over time. Occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power or strength.


Direct Bullying :Direct Bullying Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting… Taunting, teasing, racial slurs, verbal harassment Threatening, obscene gestures


Indirect Bullying :Indirect Bullying Getting another person to bully someone for you Spreading rumors Deliberately excluding someone from a group or activity Cyber-bullying


How common is bullying? :How common is bullying? Nansel et al. (2001): national sample of 15,600 students in grades 6-10 19% bullied others ”sometimes” or more often 9% bullied others weekly 17% were bullied “sometimes” or more often 8% were bullied weekly 6% reported bullying and being bullied “sometimes” or more often


Gender Differences in Bullying :Gender Differences in Bullying Most studies find that boys bully more than do girls Boys report being bullied by boys; girls report being bullied by boys and girls Boys are more likely than girls to be physically bullied by their peers Girls are more likely to be bullied through rumor-spreading, sexual comments, social exclusion


Conditions Surrounding Bullying :Conditions Surrounding Bullying Children usually are bullied by one child or a small group Common locations: playground, classroom, lunchroom, halls, bathrooms Bullying is more common at school than on the way to/from school


Children Who Bully are More Likely to: :Children Who Bully are More Likely to: Get into frequent fights Be injured in a fight Steal, vandalize property Drink alcohol Smoke Be truant, drop out of school Report poorer academic achievement Perceive a negative climate at school Carry a weapon


Longitudinal Study of Children who Bullied (Olweus, 1993) :Longitudinal Study of Children who Bullied (Olweus, 1993) 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one conviction by age 24. 40% had three or more convictions. Bullies were 4 times as likely as peers to have multiple convictions.


Children who are bullied have: :Children who are bullied have: Lower self esteem Higher rates of depression Higher absenteeism rates More suicidal ideation


Health Consequences of Bullying (Fekkes et al., 2003) :Health Consequences of Bullying (Fekkes et al., 2003) Bullied Not bullied Headache 16% 6% Sleep problems 42% 23% Abdominal pain 17% 9% Feeling tense 20% 9% Anxiety 28% 10% Feeling unhappy 23% 5% Depression scale moderate indication 49% 16% strong indication 16% 2%


Common Characteristics of Bully/Victims :Common Characteristics of Bully/Victims Hyperactive, have difficulty concentrating Quick-tempered, try to fight back if provoked May be bullied by many children Try to bully younger, weaker children


Concern About Bully/Victims :Concern About Bully/Victims Display the social-emotional problems of victimized children AND the behavioral problems of children who bully (Nansel et al., 2003) Poor relationships with classmates Lonely Poorer academic achievement Higher rates of smoking and alcohol use More frequent fighting


Concern About Bully/Victims(cont.) :Concern About Bully/Victims(cont.) Peer Ratings Who do children most want to avoid? bully/victims Teacher Ratings Who is least popular? bully/victims Who has the most conduct problems? bully/victims Who is seen as the most disengaged from school? bully/victims


Safe School Initiative Report (2002) :Safe School Initiative Report (2002) US Secret Service and US Dept. of Education Studied 37 incidents of targeted school violence, involving 41 attackers (1974-2000) 3/4 of attackers felt persecuted, bullied prior to the incident 1/3 of attackers characterized as “loners” 1/4 socialized with students who were disliked by most mainstream students Many had considered suicide


Reporting of Bullying to School Staff :Reporting of Bullying to School Staff Many do not report being bullied. Older children and boys are less likely to report victimization. Why don’t children report? 2/3 of victims felt that staff responded poorly 6% believed that staff responded very well. (Hoover et al., 1992)


Adults’ Responsiveness to Bullying :Adults’ Responsiveness to Bullying Adults overestimate their effectiveness in identifying bullying and intervening. Many children question the commitment of teachers and administrators to stopping bullying 35% believed teachers were interested in stopping bullying 25% believed administrators were interested in stopping bullying (Harris et al., 2002).


Kids Who Observe :Kids Who Observe What do you usually do when you see a student being bullied? 38% Nothing, because it’s none of my business 27% I don’t do anything, but I think I should help 35% I try to help him or her


What Are Schools Doing To Address Bullying? :What Are Schools Doing To Address Bullying? Awareness-raising efforts Reporting, tracking Zero tolerance (student exclusion) Social skills training for victims of bullying Individual & group treatment for children who bully/children who are bullied Mediation, conflict resolution programs Curricular approaches to bullying prevention Comprehensive approaches


Common “Misdirections” in Bullying Prevention and Intervention :Common “Misdirections” in Bullying Prevention and Intervention Zero tolerance (student exclusion) Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation Group treatment for children who bully Simple, short-term solutions


What works in bullying prevention? :What works in bullying prevention? What is required to reduce bullying in schools is nothing less than a change in the school climate and in norms for behavior. This requires a comprehensive, school-wide effort involving the entire school community


Slide 23:www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov


Campaign Goals :Campaign Goals Raise awareness about bullying Prevent and reduce bullying behaviors Identify appropriate interventions for “tweens” and other target audiences Foster and enhance linkages among partners


Resources Used for the Campaign’s Development :Resources Used for the Campaign’s Development Review of existing research on bullying Focus groups & in-depth interviews with tweens, teens, adults Input from Youth Expert Panel Input from Steering Committee of Partner Organizations


Campaign Partners :Campaign Partners Over 60 public, not-for-profit groups, & government agencies Represent fields of: Education, health, mental health, law enforcement, youth development, faith-based communities Responsibilities: Advise Campaign’s development Provide feedback on Campaign products Disseminate Campaign’s results


Campaign’s Launch :Campaign’s Launch


TV, Radio, and Print Public Service Announcements for Tweens :TV, Radio, and Print Public Service Announcements for Tweens


Slide 29:PSAs For Adults


Interactive Website :Interactive Website www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov Animated Serial Comic Games, polls for tweens Advice for tweens Resource Kit for adults Links to partner groups and activities


Animated Serial Comic :Animated Serial Comic Twelve 2-minute episodes Entertaining cast of characters Model positive behaviors Interactive


Resource Kit :Resource Kit More than 20 tip sheets/fact sheets Database of existing bullying prevention resources Bullying prevention programs Books, videos, other resources Available on the web (stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov) or in hard copy via HRSA Helpline (1-888-ASK-HRSA)


Communications Kit :Communications Kit Provides bullying prevention communication materials to be used by local communities Components: PSAs for radio and TV Print PSAs Posters


Bullying Prevention Posters :Bullying Prevention Posters


Campaign Brochure :Campaign Brochure


National Teleconference :National Teleconference 90-minute teleconference held in the spring of 2004. www.mchcom.com Sponsored by the Health Resources & Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools Participants discussed the nature of bullying and effective bullying prevention and intervention strategies. Included 6-8-minute video workshops for Educators Health professionals Mental health professionals Youth organizations Law enforcement officials