Bullying
Alexandra Uscilla, M.S
Cassandra Murphy, M.A., L.M.H.C
What is Bullying?
•
Unwanted aggressive behavior
•
Power imbalance (observed or perceived)
•
Repetition of behaviors or high likelihood or repetition
(stopbullying.gov)
Types of Bullying
Verbal
Physical
Damage to Property
Social/Relational
(stopbullying.gov)
Bullying can be…
Direct
Face to Face
Verbal
Insults, teasing,
put downs, name
calling, threats
Psychological
Rolling eyes,
dirty looks,
uttering threat
Physical
Shoves, pushes,
hitting, spitting,
damage to
property
Bullying can be…
Indirect
Behind someone’s back
Exclusion
Leaving someone
out
Gossip
Spreading
rumors
Relational Aggression
Telling people not to be
friends with the victim,
embarrassing someone
in public on purpose
The Bullying Circle
DEFENDER/WITNESS
Dislikes the bullying,
actively resists, stands up
to bully, or speaks out
against the bullying
BULLY
Plans and/or starts the
bullying and takes an active
part
TARGETS
FOLLOWER/HENCHMAN
Takes an active part, but
does not start the bullying
ACTIVE SUPPORTER
Supports the bullying and
seeks social or material
gain
The ones who are
bullied
PASSIVE SUPPORTER
Likes the bullying but does not
show open support
POTENTIAL WITNESSES
Oppose the bullying, know they
ought to help, but do not act
DISENGAGED ONLOOKER
Observer; “none of my
business”; turn away
Statistics
•
Lack of data in elementary schools
•
Growing awareness of the problem of bullying, which may
lead to some beliefs that it is increasing.
•
Research suggests that the rate of bullying has decreased
•
It still remains a prevalent and serious problem in schools
(stopbullying.gov)
Children with Disabilities
•
60% of students with disabilities report being bullied compared to
25% of all students
•
Bullying further enhances academic challenges
•
Bullying based on a student’s disability may be considered
harassment
•
http://www.pacer.org/publications/bullypdf/BP-16.pdf
Bullying in Elementary Schools
MYTH
FACT
A Bully is one person
Bullying is a process-not a
person.
It is controllable by the school
and its members and by the
community surrounding it
(Twemlow & Sacco, 2013)
MYTH
All bullies are loners and have
no friends
(Twemlow & Sacco, 2013)
FACT
There are actually many different
types of bullies.
Some kids bully others because they
too have been bullied
Some kids bully to climb the social
ladder
Some kids bully people simply
because they can
MYTH
Bullies struggle with self-esteem
FACT
Some of the most aggressive kids
are also confident and socially
successful.
Bullying helps them gain more
attention, have a wider social circle
and maintain power at school.
Remember Classmate context**
(Twemlow & Sacco, 2013)
MYTH
Kids are bullied because they
have a victim personality.
FACT
Kids are bullied because the bully
made a choice to target them.
The blame and
responsibility for the
bullying falls on the
bully, not the target.
(Twemlow & Sacco, 2013)
MYTH
Kids who are bullied need to
learn how to handle the
situation on their own.
FACT
Kids cannot always handle bullying
situations on their own.
Parent communication increases
coping and resiliency.
(Twemlow & Sacco, 2013)
MYTH
My children would tell me if
they were being bullied.
FACT
Kids often keep silent about
bullying.
It is very important that parents
and teachers are able to spot the
signs of bullying.
(Twemlow & Sacco, 2013)
Where/When Do Kids Bully?
•
88% of bullying episodes occurred in the presence of peers
•
Bus
•
Hallways
•
Cafeteria
•
Playground
•
Bathroom
•
Classroom context plays an important role in the occurrence of school
bullying
Victim Warning Signs
•
Unexplainable injuries
•
Missing personal items
•
Somatic complaints
•
Change in eating habits
•
Difficulty sleeping or frequent
nightmares
•
Loss of interest in school, friends,
and social situations
•
Feelings of helplessness or
decreased self esteem
•
Self-destructive behaviors:
running away, harming
themselves
Signs a Child is Bullying Others
•
Get into physical or verbal fights
•
Have friends who bully others
•
Are increasingly aggressive
•
Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
•
Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
•
Blame others for their problems
•
Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
•
Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity
Information Gap
•
Unignorable risk factor
•
Parents of victims tend to be unaware that their child was bullied/
inaccurate regarding their children’s bullying experiences
•
Most parents rated the frequency of bullying incidents to be lesser
than what their children actually had experienced
•
This parental unawareness is the rule, rather than an exception
(Matsunaga, 2009)
What does
Tootin’ Hills
do to prevent
Bullying?
Tootin’ Hills
Safe School Climate Plan
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Caring
• Integrity
School Wide Supports
• Responsive
Classrooms:
 This technique is a research and
evidenced based approach to
education.
 It is associated with greater teacher
effectiveness, higher student
achievement, and improved school
climate.
Responsive Classroom Steps
•
Morning Meeting
•
Positive Approach to Discipline:
 Moving from punishment to prevention (first six weeks of school is
critical to set the tone for the school year.)
•
Positive Teacher Language:
 Choices, clearly outlining expected behavior
Extension to Responsive
Classroom
•
Ways to get students invested in their community:
•
Book Buddies
•
Lunch Buddies
•
Bus Buddies
•
Morning Announcements
•
Cafeteria Helpers
•
Flag Hoisting Team
Prevention at Home
•
Start Early:
•
-As early as preschool, coach your child on what not to do: hitting,
pushing, teasing, or being unkind.
•
-Work on instilling empathy. Ask: “How do you think that made Sally
feel?” Or, have the child draw a picture of the incident.
•
-Teach your child what to do- kindness, empathy, and turn taking skills.
•
-An important skill to teach is how to react to an unkind event.
•
- “May I please have some water.” vs. “Don’t do that to me.”
•
-Role play what to do: get an adult, say “stop”, or move away.
•
-CRUCIAL: Teach your child how not to be a bystander. Research site
POSITIVE COMMUNICATION
Kids seeking support from families and peers
What else can you do?
•
If your child is bullied:
•
Take a detailed account of the event
•
Make an appointment for face to face meeting with the principal
•
Create a plan and follow-up
•
Ask for school mental health involvement
Resources for Children
•
Simon's Hook: A Story About Teases and Put-Downs by Karen
Burnett
•
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomi de Paola
•
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
•
Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain by Trevor Romain
•
Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet: How to Deal With
•
Bullies by Catherine DePino and Bonnie Matthews
•
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/kab/
Resources for Parents
Apps
•
Knowbullying
•
GoGoStat's Parental Guidance
Websites
•
http://www.stompoutbullying.org/
•
http://www.stopbullying.gov
•
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/students-with-disabilities/
By WORKING TOGETHER…
WE CAN BUILD A COMMUNITY OF RESPECT
References
•
Farrington, D. P., & Ttofi, M. M. (2009). School-based programs to reduce bullying and victimization. Campbell
Systemic Reviews, 6.
•
Hertzog, Julie. "PACER Center - National Bullying Prevention Center." PACER Center - Assistance for Children
with Disabilities, Teen Bullying, Parent Programs. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015
•
Matsunaga, M. (2009). Parents don’t (always) know their children have been bullied: child-parent discrepancy on
bullying and family-level profile of communication standards. Human Communication Research (35), 221–247.
•
Menard, S., Grotpeter, J., Gianola, D., O’Neal, M. (2008). Olweus, D. (2005). “A Useful Evaluation Design, and
Effects of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.” Psychology, Crime, and Law 11, (4), 389–402.
•
Ross. S. W., & Horner, R.H. (2009). Bully prevention in positive behavior support. Journal of Applied Behavior
Analysis. 42, 747-759.
•
Twemlow, S. W., & Sacco,F. C. (2013). Bullying Is Everywhere: Ten Universal Truths About Bullying As A Social
Process In Schools & Communities. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: A Topical Journal for Mental Health Professionals 33
(2), 73-89
•
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Bullying Definition and Statistics. Retrieved from:
Stopbullying.gov.
•
Verlinden, M., Veenstra, R., Ringoot, AP., Jansen, PW., Hofman, A., Jaddoe, VW., Verbulst, FC., & Tiemeier, H.
(2014). Detecting bullying in early elementary school with a computerized peer-nomination instrument.
Psychological Assessment, (2), 628-641