DOCSLIB.ORG

Reducing Bullying: Meeting the Challenge

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reducing Bullying: Meeting the Challenge REDUCING BULLYING: MEETING THE CHALLENGE “Everyday, over 52 million children attend 114,000 schools in the United States, and when combined with the 6 million adults working in schools, almost one-fifth of the population in the U.S. are to be found in schools on any given week” (Huang et al. 2005, p.623.) INTRODUCTION Bullying in schools is a frequent and serious problem that is often a precursor of aggressive and violent behavior. Schools, in concert with parents and community members, can significantly reduce bullying behavior. This section of the Website is designed to provide practical guidelines on how to reduce and prevent bullying behaviors. The practical "how to" guidelines are presented in six dropdown MENUS. FAQ’S FREQUENTLY ASKED QESTIONS MENU I offers INFORMATION ABOUT BULLYING MENU II highlights THE CRITICAL ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL IN BULLY REDUCTION PROGRAMS MENU III describes ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES OF BULLYING MENU IV describes SCHOOL-WIDE POLICIES AND PRACTICES MENU V considers SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE BULLYING MENU VI provides ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT BULLYING A list of Specific Topics in the form of Frequently Asked Questions are also provided, so you can immediately look up answers to specific questions. Before we consider the specific practical suggestions a brief historical perspective on bullying interventions and a consideration of the general lessons learned from these past interventions will be presented. We conclude this introduction with a checklist of the key components of a bully prevention program, so one can see where specific practical suggestions fit into the "big picture." BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE The first major anti-bullying intervention program in schools was conducted in Bergen, Norway in 1983 by Dan Olweus. This program was introduced following three suicide deaths of boys ages 10 to 14 year-old, who had each been severely bullied by their peers. In the initial Olweus intervention program there was a reduction of up to 50% in bullying behavior. This change was maintained after two years of the intervention. There was no displacement from bullying at school to bullying on the way to and from the school. Moreover, the results revealed more positive pupil relationships and a significant drop in rates of vandalism, theft and truancy. Since 1983, bullying prevention programs have been implemented in 11 countries and on three continents. We can now ask: a) What are the lessons that have been learned from these many anti-bullying interventions that my school can benefit from? b) What are the core elements of a bullying prevention program and how can we implement and evaluate such interventions? LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT A BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM Lesson 1. While there is considerable evidence of success in the actions of schools against bullying, the level of success varies greatly between schools. Those schools that did the most, achieved the most. Lesson 2. The leadership by the principal or head teacher and administrative commitment are critical to the success of a bully reduction program. Consider the following observations offered by leading researchers in anti-bullying: “A principal can influence the staff’s attitudes and behavior by putting anti-bullying work in the school’s official agenda, initiating plenary meetings with staff and parents, and providing clear guidelines about the organization of the supervisory system during break periods. It is important that the principal allocate time and financial resources to such activities” (Dan Olweus, 2004, p. 32.) “ We believe that without the commitment of the leadership and staff, the anti-bullying program would not get off the ground” (Pepler, 2004, p. 126 - leading Canadian researcher on bullying.) “A necessary prerequisite to the effective implementation of a 2 Bullying Prevention Program is the commitment of the school administrator (principal) and a majority of school staff to addressing problems associated with bullying” (Limber et al, 2004, p. 66 researcher who brought Olweus’ anti-bullying program to the U.S.) “Administrative commitment to the classroom meeting concept proved particularly crucial in our middle schools, as the principal needed to approve changes to the students’ schedules and creatively encourage teachers to hold such meetings” (Limber et al, 2004, p. 69.) “As would be expected, the principal’s involvement was pivotal to the success of the project’s implementation, particularly the whole-school activities. The promising gains in policy implementation initiatives were made in intervention schools where the principals attended the training and were actively involved in their whole-school committee” (Cross et al, 2004, p 199 – researcher who created the Friendly Schools project in Australia.) In short, bullying prevention programs are unlikely to be effective without the commitment and investment of the principal. Lesson 3. “Successful school-based interventions for bullying depend on teachers and principals to create a climate that discourages bullying and encourages peer processes that support and include vulnerable children. Teachers should label bullying behavior, not the person. Identify the problem as bullying behavior and avoid labeling children and youth as “bullies and victims.” These labels limit how they think about themselves and how others think of them.” (Pepler et al, 2004, p.311.) Lesson 4. “Only with consistent sustained effort (at least two years of intervention) is the incidence of bullying and related behaviors likely to be reduced. It takes more than six (6) months to effect change in bullying problems in elementary schools” ( Pepler et al, 2004.) Lesson 5. Anti-bullying efforts cannot be separated from the core tasks of effective teaching. Engaging teachers with good classroom management skills have less problems with students’ bullying behaviors. Academic progress increases when schools work to improve the quality of teachers’ classroom management and positive behavior discipline techniques. High student engagement reduces bullying opportunities. Lesson 6. “It is difficult at this stage to identify the crucial elements in the anti-bullying programs or to say which programs are most effective. Most of the programs to counter bullying have resulted in a degree of success, at least on some outcome measures. This is encouraging” (Rigby, Smith & Pepler, 2004, p. 2.) Lesson 7. “There is a greater likelihood of success of anti-bullying intervention programs at younger primary grades (e.g. kindergarten to grade 4) than with older middle and secondary students. Changes in anti-bullying attitudes and group norms are more 3 common in younger students. They are more likely to respect the authority of teachers. Research on the stability of victim and bully status suggests that few pupils enter into stable roles before 8 to 9 years old.” (Rigby et al, 2004.) Lesson 8. “At this stage in the development and refinement of bullying interventions, the research is not at the point where we can reliably point to specific elements of interventions that are known to be the active and essential elements associated with change” (Pepler, 2004, p. 313.) Lesson 9. Hazler and Carney (2006) propose that effective bullying prevention programs should a) involve diverse groups in the planning and implementation of the program; b) increase initial awareness by bringing the problem of bullying to the surface and foster empathy by focusing student and staff attention on the feelings of all participants in bullying; c) implement policies that nurture pro-social behavior d) skill development in which perpertrators, victims and bystanders are targeted with a wide array of social skills training; e) continuing involvement that keeps the issues, changes, problems and necessary actions alive for ongoing discussion; f) assessment of progress and adjustment of efforts. Lesson 10. There are no "magic bullets, nor quick fixes". True success requires extensive co- ordinated and sustainable efforts. A successful anti-bullying program is an ongoing, rather than a one-time only program. With these lessons in mind, we can consider what are the core elements of any anti-bullying program. All too often bully reduction programs are implemented in a short-term fashion, with some staff members enthusiastically advocating one aspect of the intervention (e.g.; use of role- playing and videotaping of students in high risk settings, or changes in supervision patterns, or implementation of a school wide anti-bullying curriculum.) How many of the following core elements does your school implement? A CHECKLIST OF KEY COMPONENTS OF A BULLY PREVENTION PROGRAM A. At the Principal’s Administrative Level 1. Familiarize administrators and school staff with specific schools laws and school district policies relevant to school violence, bullying and sexual harassment. Enforceable legislation that clearly defines that every student has the right to a safe school environment. 2. Demonstrate leadership commitment to reduce bullying and sexual harassment as serious school violence issues by providing resources and training, as well as reducing barriers to anti-bullying interventions. 4 3. Establish a school safety committee of six to eight (6-8) key personnel (e.g., school administrators, preferably principal or assistant principal, teachers representing different grade levels, school staff such as bus drivers, recess monitors, parents and community members) who meet regularly. The committee considers ways to
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Naturalistic Observations of Peer Interventions in Bullying D
    Naturalistic Observations of Peer Interventions in Bullying D. Lynn Hawkins, Debra J. Pepler, York University and Wendy M. Craig, Queen’s University Abstract This study examined peer intervention in bullying using naturalistic observations on school playgrounds. The sample comprised 58 children (37 boys and 21 girls) in Grades 1 to 6 who were observed to intervene in bullying. Peers were present during 88% of bullying episodes and intervened in 19%. In 47% of the episodes, peers inter- vened aggressively. Interventions directed toward the bully were more likely to be aggressive, whereas interventions directed toward the victim or the bully-victim dyad were more likely to be nonaggressive. The majority (57%) of interventions were effec- tive in stopping bullying. Boys were more likely to intervene when the bully and victim were male and girls when the bully and victim were female. The implications for anti- bullying interventions are discussed. Keywords: Bullying; Peer Intervention; Gender Differences In the present study, we examined peer interventions in bullying using naturalistic observations on the school playground. Bullying is a form of aggressive behaviour in which the child who is bullying has more power than the victim and repeatedly uses this power aggressively to cause distress to the victim through physical and/or verbal behaviours (Besag, 1989; Olweus, 1991, Pepler, Craig, & O’Connell, 1999). Research from various parts of the world suggests that between 10% to 23% of school children are involved in bullying as either victims and/or bullies (Besag, 1989; Charach, Pepler, & Ziegler, 1995; Olweus, 1991, 1993; Pepler et al., 1993; Roland, 1989; Yates & Smith, 1989).
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Bullying?
    What Is Bullying? Here are some definitions, according to the experts... “I define bullying or victimization in the following general way: A student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is ex- posed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students.” —Dan Olweus, Bullying at School (Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1993), p. 9. “Bullying among children is commonly defined as intentional, repeated hurtful acts, words, or other behavior, such as name- calling, threatening and/or shunning committed by one or more children against another. These negative acts are not intention- ally provoked by the victims, and for such acts to be defined as bullying, an imbalance in real or perceived power must exist between the bully and the victim. Bullying may be physical, verbal, emotional or sexual in nature.” —“Preventing Bullying: A Manual for Schools and Communities,” U.S. Department of Education: p. 1. Bullying has these characteristics... 1. ”Intent to harm—the perpetrator finds pleasure in the taunting and continues even when the victim’s distress is obvious. 2. Intensity and duration—the teasing continues over a long period of time and the degree of taunting is damaging to the self-esteem of the victim. 3. Power of the abuser—the abuser maintains power because of age, strength, size, and/or gender. 4. Vulnerability of the victim—the victim is more sensitive to teasing, cannot adequately defend him or herself, and has physical or psychological qualities that make him or her more prone to vulnerability. 5. Lack of support—the victim feels isolated and exposed.
    [Show full text]
  • Effectiveness of School-Based Programs to Reduce Bullying: a Systematic and Meta-Analytic Review
    J Exp Criminol (2011) 7:27–56 DOI 10.1007/s11292-010-9109-1 Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: a systematic and meta-analytic review Maria M. Ttofi & David P. Farrington Published online: 16 September 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 Abstract This article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs in schools. Studies were included if they evaluated the effects of an anti-bullying program by comparing an intervention group who received the program with a control group who did not. Four types of research design were included: a) randomized experiments, b) intervention-control comparisons with before-and-after measures of bullying, c) other intervention- control comparisons, and d) age-cohort designs. Both published and unpublished reports were included. All volumes of 35 journals from 1983 up to the end of May 2009 were hand-searched, as were 18 electronic databases. Reports in languages other than English were also included. A total of 622 reports concerned with bullying prevention were found, and 89 of these reports (describing 53 different program evaluations) were included in our review. Of the 53 different program evaluations, 44 provided data that permitted the calculation of an effect size for bullying or victimization. The meta-analysis of these 44 evaluations showed that, overall, school-based anti-bullying programs are effective: on average, bullying decreased by 20–23% and victimization decreased by 17–20%. Program elements and intervention components that were associated with a decrease in bullying and victimization were identified, based on feedback from researchers about the coding of 40 out of 44 programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullying, School Exclusion and Literacy
    Bullying, School Exclusion And Literacy Canadian Public Health Association May 16, 2003 Funded by Human Resources Development Canada National Literacy Secretariat. Discussion Paper Bullying, School Exclusion and Literacy CPHA Discussion Paper Table of Contents Executive Summary 4 1. Introduction 7 What is Bullying? 7 What is Literacy? 7 What is School Engagement/Exclusion? 9 The Bullying – School Exclusion – Literacy Link 9 A Social Ecological Perspective 11 Figure 1: Social Ecological Model of Bullying, School Exclusion and Literacy 12 2. Experiences of Bullying in Canadian Children 13 How Much Bullying and Victimization is there? 13 Who is Involved? Victims, Bullies and Victim-Bullies 14 Risk Factors 16 Figure 2: Schools as Communities Perspective 23 Consequences of Bullying and Victimization 24 3. Literacy Skills of Canadian Youth 26 How Do Canadian Students Perform on Literacy Tests? 26 Literacy Risk Factors 26 Teaching for Multiple Literacies and Intelligences 27 Figure 3: Learning Pathways and School Experience 28 4. School Exclusion and Canadian Children and Youth 29 How many Suspensions and Expulsions are there? 29 How Many Students Drop Out? 29 Risk Factors 30 5. Next Steps 31 6. Appendix A: NLSCY Bullying Data 33 Table 1: NLSCY Cycle 3 Bullying Behaviour by Age of Children 33 Table 2: NLSCY Cycle 3 Bullying Behaviour by PMK’s Highest Level of Schooling Obtained and Gender of Child 34 Table 3: NLSCY Cycle 3 Comparisons of Mean Reading and Math Scores by Gender of Child and Bullying Behaviour 35 Appendix B: Multiple Intelligences Description 36 7. Sources 37 8. End Notes 46 2 Bullying, School Exclusion and Literacy CPHA Discussion Paper Acknowledgements Canadian Public Health Association would like to express its appreciation to the authors, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Overcome Bullying at School? – the Adult Survivors' Perspective
    International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences November 2012, Vol. 2, No. 11 ISSN: 2222-6990 How to Overcome Bullying at School? – The Adult Survivors’ Perspective Sanna Hoisko Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, Finland Satu Uusiautti Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, Finland Kaarina Määttä Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, Finland Abstract Bullying is a phenomenon that concerns many people, not just the victim and the bully. In this study, the focus is on the perceptions and experiences of victims of bullying. The purpose of this research is to find out—from the adult survivors’ perspective—how victims of bullying have survived and what kinds of coping methods they have used. A qualitative research approach was selected to study this serious phenomenon and to acquire survivors’ perceptions and experiences. The data were collected from open internet forums where people can write anonymously. Altogether, the data consisted of 190 messages written by 142 pseudonyms. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Coping methods and strategies were eventually categorized into the following categories: Cognitive, Emotional, Social, Creative, Physiological, and Spiritual coping methods. The perspective researchers took on bullying was fundamentally a phenomenon of bullying at school and was discussed by grounding on the ideas derived from positive psychology. The fundamental question is how to make school a positive institution that would not only prevent bullying but also increase children’s well-being. Keywords: Bullying, Coping, Positive coping strategies, Positive psychology Introduction Bullying is an unfortunate part of humanity: it occurs in the human relationships and therefore, also at school.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullying in US Schools: 2019 Status Report
    Bullying in U.S. Schools 2019 STATUS REPORT Assessed using data collected from the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire™ Harlan Luxenberg, MA, Professional Data Analysts Susan P. Limber, PhD, Clemson University Dan Olweus, PhD, Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Norway Published by Hazelden Publishing, 2019 ©2019 by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. All rights reserved. BULLYING IN U.S. SCHOOLS: 2019 STATUS REPORT Bullying in U.S. Schools: Report Purpose This report updates the 2013 Status Report (Luxenberg, Limber, and Olweus 2014) and reflects the status of bullying around the United States during the 2015–2019 school years (August 1, 2014, through June 30, 2019). The researchers and organizations who created the previous report updated this report, including Harlan Luxenberg and Sara Richter at Professional Data Analysts; Susan P. Limber, PhD, at Clemson University; Dan Olweus, PhD, at Uni Health, University of Bergen, Norway; and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Using data collected from the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire (OBQ), a representative sample was created based on more than 245,000 questionnaires administered to students at schools that intended to, but We hope that this had not yet implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, an report helps teachers, internationally respected anti-bullying program. The same questionnaire items were asked of all students in grades administrators, parents, three through twelve across the United States. This consistency of questions policymakers, and across grades and regions provides a rare opportunity to view a snapshot of concerned citizens bullying behavior in our nation’s schools, based on the reports of children and youth themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • Validation of the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) in a Sample of Greek Teachers
    Psychology, 2015, 6, 63-74 Published Online January 2015 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/psych http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/psych.2015.61007 Validation of the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) in a Sample of Greek Teachers Kakoulakis Charilaos1, Galanakis Michael2, Bakoula-Tzoumaka Chryssa3, Darvyri Panagiota1, Chrousos P. George1,4*, Darviri Christina1*# 1Postgraduate Course Science of Stress and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece 2Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, Greece 3First Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Aglaia Kyriakou, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece 4First Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Aghia Sofia, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece Email: #[email protected] Received 30 December 2014; accepted 18 January 2015; published 23 January 2015 Copyright © 2015 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Abstract Workplace bullying/mobbing is a globally recognized problem. In numerous studies executed in Europe and North America, workplace bulling/mobbing is associated with psychological, psycho- somatic, and behavioral effects on the individual, while it causes severe side-effects on the profes- sional environment. Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-22) has been widely used by re- searchers to assess the phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of NAQ-22 in a sample of 265 primary and secondary school teachers. The teachers filled the NAQ-22, DASS-21, PSS, and Self-Esteem Questionnaires anonymously. Reliability and va- lidity indexes of the tool were satisfactory (Cronbach’s α = 0.915).
    [Show full text]
  • Front Matter Template
    Copyright by Kurt Alan Gore 2007 The Dissertation Committee for Kurt Alan Gore certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Social Integration and Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression: School Context, Friendship Groups, and Romantic Relations Committee: Robert Crosnoe, Supervisor R. Kelly Raley Debra Umberson Shannon Cavanagh Elizabeth Vandewater Social Integration and Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression: School Context, Friendship Groups, and Romantic Relations by Kurt Alan Gore, B.S.; M.Ed.; M.S. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August 2007 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my grandparents, Cleo and Dee Gore, with all my love. Acknowledgements A Latin proverb reminds us that if the wind will not serve, take to the oars. This dissertation is definitely the product of much rowing. But thankfully, I was not the only one on the ship. I am indebted to so many at The University of Texas and The Population Research Center for their support and guidance. I would like to give special thanks to all of my wonderful committee members, Robert Crosnoe, Kelly Raley, Debra Umberson, Shannon Cavanagh, and Elizabeth Vandewater, who were always available to offer assistance. I would also especially like to thank Kelly Raley for the outstanding methodological instruction I received as her NICHD trainee. Furthermore, I cannot thank Robert Crosnoe enough for his tireless mentorship. Without his direction and motivation, the completion of this dissertation would have been impossible.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullying Prevention Grade 7
    CARFLEO•ICE/OCCB•CCC•EOCCC•NOCCC Family Life Education Supplementary Resources 2007 Bullying Prevention Grade 7 UNIT OVERVIEW Duration: Activating Prior Knowledge mini lessons; 4 Main Lessons Lesson Titles 1) Activating Prior Knowledge a) Mini Lessons 2) Each One Created in God’s Image 3) The Biblical Norms 4) Diversity 5) On Human Dignity BACKGROUND FOR THE TEACHER Part A: Universal Perspectives The Bullying Phenomenon Is On the Rise The earliest research into bullying was conducted in Norway in the early 1990’s by Dan Olweus who described the phenomenon of bullying as “intentional, repeated, hurtful acts of aggression, characterized by a real or perceived power imbalance, committed by one or more persons against another.”1 There is a growing body of international research, supported by rather alarming statistics that reveal bullying as a significant problem amongst school-aged children, despite educator’s best efforts to combat it. Boys typically get involved in overt and physical bullying tactics, while girls tend to engage in more subtle, indirect attacks, aimed at disrupting friendships or isolating peers. Name-calling, malicious rumours, gossip, and social alienation are common forms of emotional or psychological bullying.2 Bullying is a unique and insidious form of violence In 2005, the Government of Ontario’s Safe School Action Plan defined bullying as “a dynamic of unhealthy interaction. It is a form of repeated aggression used from a position of power. It can be physical, verbal or social.”3 Bullying has also been described as “a multi-dimensional construct and occurs when one experiences repeated attacks, over time, by one or more individuals who systematically abuse their power.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullying in Schools
    Bullying in schools Bullying in schools: How successful can interventions be? is the first com- parative account of the major intervention projects against school bully- ing that have been carried out by educationalists and researchers since the 1980s, across Europe, North America, and Australasia. Bullying in schools has become an international focus for concern. It can adversely affect pupils and in extreme cases lead to suicide. Schools can take action to reduce bullying and several programmes are available but do they work? In fact, success rates have been very varied. This book sur- veys thirteen studies and eleven countries. Working on the principle that we can learn from both successes and failures, it examines the processes as well as the outcomes, and critically assesses the likely reasons for success or failure. With contributions from leading researchers in the field, Bullying in schools is an important addition to the current debate on tackling school bullying. . is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He is the editor of Violence in schools: The response in Europe (2003) and co-editor of several other books on bullying in schools, including The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective (1999). is Professor of Psychology at York University, Toronto, Canada, and Senior Research Associate at the Hospital for Sick Chil- dren. She is co-editor of The development and treatment of childhood aggres- sion and the recent volume The development and treatment of girlhood aggression. is Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Psychology at the School of Education, University of South Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Présentation Powerpoint
    Lycée D’Alembert Paris FRANCE School to school strategic partnership 2018 - 1 - AT01 - KA229 - 039251 Let’s Stop Bullying Together C2 - Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils Define, identify and recognize bullying and bullying behaviours in EU schools STOP BULLYING 17/02/2019 – 23/02/2019 IES Joaquin Turina (Spain) https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=67&v=HVXJZjJf5Rc Swatted Artiste : Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis Bullying : Bullying is defined as repeated violence that can be verbal, physical or psychological. This violence is also found in the school. It is the act of one or more pupils against a victim who can’t defend himself. When a child is insulted, threatened, beaten, shoved, or receives repetitive messages, this is called bullying. It is a phenomenon of violence « …when the child is exposed repeatedly and in the long term to negative actions by one or more students "(Dan Olweus, 1999) » Verbal bullying Nonverbal (insults, mockery, bullying(grimaces, taunts) obscene gestures Psychological This school violence = bullying(spread of rumors, bullying isolation process) Cyberbullying (on social networks) Sexuel bullying Physical bullying (touching without (blows, threats). consent) The framework of school harassment School bullying is (almost) The stalker needs always a group witnesses, laughs, phenomenon. spectators. Harassment is hardly visible by adults as it occurs outside of their presence. Characteristics of school bullying: Repetition: violence is repeated, reproduced, reiterated over a long period of time making the infernal child's life for days and days. The relationship of domination is imposed insincerely. There is an abuse of power, a power takeover from one child to another.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullying Prevention 2008-Bp-01
    NAtionAL Crime Prevention CENTRE Building the Evidence – BULLYING PREVENTION 2008-BP-01 The implications of bullying can also be very serious for Bullying Prevention: many victims. For example, male victims of bullying are five times more likely to be depressed and girls are over three NAture AND EXtent OF times more likely to be depressed than their male and female classmates (Kaltiala-Heino et al., 1999; Hawker & Boulton, Bullying in CANADA 2000). Male and female victims of bullying are more likely to exhibit symptoms of suicide (Kaltiala-Heino et al., 1999). Moreover, research suggests that the effects of bullying do What is Bullying? not disappear with time. For example, the Journal of the Bullying is characterized by acts of intentional harm, American Medical Association reports that “individuals repeated over-time, in a relationship where an imbal- formerly bullied were found to have higher levels of ance of power exists. It includes physical actions depression and poorer self-esteem at the age of 23, despite (punching, kicking, biting), verbal actions (threats, the fact that, as adults, they were no more harassed or name calling, insults, racial or sexual comments), and socially isolated than comparison adults” (Olweus, 1994, social exclusion1 (spreading rumours, ignoring, gos- as cited in Fox et al., 2003: 8). siping, excluding) (Pepler & Craig, 2000; Ma, Stewin & Bullying behaviour during childhood is closely associated Mah, 2001). Boys tend to be more likely to bully and with future anti-social behaviour in adolescence and adult- be bullied, usually in the form of a physical attack and hood. Children who bully may turn into adolescents who exhibition of aggressive behaviour.
    [Show full text]