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 Bullying is: Intentional Takes place more than once Involves an imbalance of power between bully and victim

Types of Bullying Electronic Harassment Emotional Verbal Physical Teasing, name-calling, mocking, taunting, put-downs Emotional Isolation, rejection, ignoring spreading rumors, manipulating Physical Both bodily and property damage Harassment Threats, extortion, racial, ethnic, religious, homophobic, and sexual taunting 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 Electronic bullying can involve: Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages Posting private, sensitive information Intentionally excluding someone from an online group Pretending to be someone else Spreading lies and rumors Tricking someone into revealing personal information

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… it can be seen as a part of growing up “Girls are just mean at that age” “Drama is just part of middle school” Bullying is just another form of conflict “I went through it and survived, it’s no big deal” Boys will be boys” The victim is at fault and/or brings the bullying upon self That child could avoid the bully.

Bully Victimization Participants Bystander Victim

Bully Attitudes: Behaviors: Considerations: Positive attitudes toward aggression Values power and rewards received from bullying Behaviors: Low threshold for frustration Aggressive to peers, teachers and family Easily provoked Considerations: Can be both a bully and a victim Mistakenly believed to have poor self-esteem 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

Passive/Submissive Victim 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 Loneliness Low self-esteem Depression Physical manifestations of stress Social withdrawal Alcohol and drug abuse Death (including suicide) Poor academic performance Truancy/Dropout Bully Delinquency Increased chance for incarceration Drug and alcohol abuse Truancy Dropout Weapons possession

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 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? Bystanders 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