Bullying
What is Bullying?
"A person is bullied when he
or she is exposed, repeatedly
and over time, to negative
actions on the part of one or
more other persons, and he
or she has difficulty
defending himself or herself”
(Olweus)
Takes place
more than once
Involves an
imbalance of
power between
bully and victim
Intentional
Bullying
is:
Types of Bullying
Verbal
Emotional
Teasing, name-calling,
mocking, taunting,
put-downs
Isolation, rejection,
ignoring spreading
rumors, manipulating
Harassment
Threats, extortion,
racial, ethnic, religious,
homophobic, and sexual
taunting
Physical
Both bodily and
property damage
Electronic
Bullying that takes place
over the Internet or
phone
Gender Differences
More likely to engage in relational
aggression – spreading rumors, exclusion,
persuading others to reject victim
Experience sexual bullying more than boys
(ex; rumors spread about sexual activity,
being called derogatory sexual names)
More likely to engage in physical bullying, be
accepting of bully, and be both the bully and
the victim
Electronic Bullying
Forms of electronic bullying:
Sending
mean, vulgar,
or
threatening
messages
Tricking
someone into
revealing
personal
information
Spreading
lies and
rumors
Electronic
bullying
can
involve:
Pretending to
be someone
else
Posting
private,
sensitive
information
Intentionally
excluding
someone from
an online
group
Statistics about bullying
POLL EVERYWHERE!!!
1 out of every 10 students who drop out of school do so
because of bullying (Oklahoma Health Dept, 2001)
8 in 10 students (both males and females) report that
they have experienced some type of sexual harassment
(AAUW, 2001)
Attitudes/Misperceptions
Bullying can
mistakenly be
excused
• I t was just a joke…
• The child is just sensitive…
• “Girls are just mean at that age”
it can be seen as a
part of growing up
Bullying is just
another form of
conflict
The victim is at
fault and/or brings
the bullying upon
self
• “Drama is just part of middle
school”
• “I went through it and survived,
it’s no big deal”
• Boys will be boys”
• That child could avoid the bully.
Bully Victimization Participants
Bully
Victim
Bystander
Bully
Attitudes:
Positive
attitudes
toward
aggression
Values power
and rewards
received from
bullying
Behaviors:
Considerations:
Low threshold
for frustration
Can be both a
bully and a
victim
Aggressive to
peers,
teachers and
family
Mistakenly
believed to
have poor selfesteem
Easily provoked
May have poor
role models at
home
Possible victim
of abuse or
neglect
Bystander
Can be both
supporters or
defenders
Afraid to speak
up, face
rejection by
peers, or be next
target of bully
Can be a strong
force in
neutralizing
power of bully
Victims
Passive/Submissive
Victim
• Majority of bullying victims
• Insecure
• Socially-isolated
• Lonely
• Physically weaker
• Poor social skills
Provocative Victim
• More likely to alienate teachers and peers
• Usually bullied by large group (e.g., class)
• Exhibit hyperactive and impulsive behaviors
Potential Effects of Bullying
Bystander
•Fear
•Anxiety
Victim
Bully
•Delinquency
•Increased chance for incarceration
•Drug and alcohol abuse
•Truancy
•Dropout
•Weapons possession
•Anxiety
•Loneliness
•Low self-esteem
•Depression
•Physical manifestations of stress
•Social withdrawal
•Alcohol and drug abuse
•Death (including suicide)
•Poor academic performance
•Truancy/Dropout
Warning Signs a Child is Being Bullied
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Change in mood or behavior
Appears depressed, sad, or
angry
Expresses safety concerns
Academic decline
Deficits in peer relationships
Alcohol or drug use
Lost or damaged belongings
Frequent injuries or damages
to clothing
Excessive clinginess
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Spending time with younger
students
Avoiding recess
Arriving late or right before
bell rings
Appears to be alone most of
time
Frequent absences or
requests to see nurse
Lack of focus/concentration
Not eating lunch
What Can Schools Do?
By the South Carolina Safe Schools Climate Act, schools must
address bullying. This law mandates that all schools adopt a
policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying at
school.
In addition, this Act states that any “school employee, students,
or volunteer who witnesses, or has reliable information that a
student has been subject to harassment, intimidation, or
bullying shall report the incident to the appropriate school
official.”
Bullying Prevention Programs
Research supports school-wide, comprehensive prevention programs as the
most effective means of reducing bullying behaviors.
Examples of effective school-wide prevention programs:
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program:
http://www.olweus.org/public/index.page
Bully Busters : http://www.researchpress.com/product/item/6517/
Bully Proofing Your School:
http://www.creatingcaringcommunities.org/
Bully Safe USA: http://www.bullysafeusa.com
Operation Respect: http://www.operationrespect.org
Steps to Respect: ttp://www.cfchildren.org/programs/str/Overview/
Role of Teachers
Research shows that teachers are
one of the most important
components of bullying
prevention
Schools that reduce bullying,
regardless if there is a
comprehensive prevention
program have teachers that are
committed to ending bullying
behavior, recognize the signs
and symptoms of bullying, and
know how to safeguard
students against it.
What Teachers Can Do
Know and follow school policy
• Report bullying incidents to administrators
• Post and discuss classroom rules (including guidelines
about bullying)
• Implement immediate consequences for bullying
behavior
• Reward inclusive behavior
• Closely supervise areas where bullying is likely to occur
(hallways, bathrooms, etc.)
•
What Teachers Can Do
Incorporate anti-bullying themes into instruction
• Bully Box for anonymously reporting bully behavior
• Keep a log of bullying incidents
• Make clear to students that reporting bullying and
tattling are two different things
• Work collaboratively with the school counselor
• Be a role model – this includes never using sarcasm,
intimidation, or embarrassment as a classroom
management strategy
•
If You See a Student Being Bullied:
•
Stop the behavior immediately
•
Investigate to determine appropriate response
•
Bully
•
•
Bystanders
•
•
Rather than accusing the bully of bullying behavior ask these questions:
What did you do? What was inappropriate about that? What is the rule
the covers this behavior? Who did you hurt? What were you trying to
accomplish? The next time that is your goal how will you accomplish this
without hurting another student? What are you going to do for the person
you hurt?
Offer guidance on how to appropriately respond, intervene, and get help
in the future
Victim
•
Support in a way that does not embarrass them, allows them to keep
dignity, and makes them feel safe from retaliation
Best Practices to Help a Victim
Follow school policy
• Tell them to not resort to violence
• Teach strategies for anger management
• Instruct them to tell an adult and talk about it
• Teach them to be assertive, not aggressive
• Convey the importance of safety first
• Notify parents
• Refer to school counselor where appropriate
•
What Not to Do to Help a Victim
Confuse bullying with conflict
• Use peer mediation
• Can empower bully and make victim feel worse
• Research does not suggest this is an effective
intervention
• Instruct bully, victim, or bystander to do something
that involves skills they don’t posses
• E.g., Suggesting a bystander sticks up for others
when they do not know how to---Instead teach
them how to
•