Bullying: A Growing Epidemic in Today’s Youth

✦ Take out a piece of paper ✦ Write down something you have done that you are not proud of ✦ Fold your piece of paper in half twice ✦ What you write down will not be revealed

How do you feel right now having another person holding your piece of paper? These are the same feelings victims of bullying feel everyday...

Bullying “...when one person attacks the self-concept of the other person in order to hurt the other person psychologically.” (qtd. in Stewart, 423)

Facts About Bullying ✦ 30% (5 million) of United States elementary and middle school students are bullied ✦ 3 0% (5 million) of United States elementary and middle school students are bullied ✦ 8 1% of urban middle school students engage in at least one act of bullying per month % of urban students miss 1 day of school per month because of a fear to attend school due to the threat of physical or verbal violence qtd. in Stewart, 423

How People Bully ✦ Verbal Aggression ✦ Physical Aggression ✦ Verbal Aggression ✦ Physical Aggression

Verbal Aggression Exchange of messages ‣ Character attacks ‣ Teasing ‣ Competence attacks ‣ Background ‣ Physical Appearance ‣ Ridicule ‣ Threats ‣ Profanity ‣ Nonverbal Emblems Exchange of messages ‣ Character attacks ‣ Teasing ‣ Competence attacks ‣ Background ‣ Physical Appearance ‣ Ridicule ‣ Threats ‣ Profanity ‣ Nonverbal Emblems

Verbal vs. Physical ✦ Verbal aggression leads to physical aggression when there exists a lack of skills to deal with normal conflicts ✦ Physical aggression among adolescents is a consequence of high verbal aggression ✦ Verbal aggression leads to physical aggression when there exists a lack of skills to deal with normal conflicts ✦ Physical aggression among adolescents is a consequence of high verbal aggression

Male Aggression ✦ Nansel (2001) - Boys more often identified themselves as bullies and victims ✦ Roberto & Finucane (1997) - 7th and 8th grade boys more argumentative and verbally aggressive than girls ✦ Ralphie’s FightRalphie’s Fight ✦ Nansel (2001) - Boys more often identified themselves as bullies and victims ✦ Roberto & Finucane (1997) - 7th and 8th grade boys more argumentative and verbally aggressive than girls ✦ Ralphie’s FightRalphie’s Fight

Female Aggression ✦ Relational Aggression - use of friendship as a weapon ‣ “If you don’t do this, I won’t be your friend.” ✦ Social Aggression - damage to social status, reputationSocial Aggression ‣ Gossip, rumors ‣ Girls turn to this aggression when feel relationship is being jeopardized ✦ Indirect Aggression - “just kidding,” “no offense” ‣ Intent, Impact, and Negative Body Language ‣ People can still feel hurt even if you didn’t mean it ✦ Relational Aggression - use of friendship as a weapon ‣ “If you don’t do this, I won’t be your friend.” ✦ Social Aggression - damage to social status, reputationSocial Aggression ‣ Gossip, rumors ‣ Girls turn to this aggression when feel relationship is being jeopardized ✦ Indirect Aggression - “just kidding,” “no offense” ‣ Intent, Impact, and Negative Body Language ‣ People can still feel hurt even if you didn’t mean it

Why People Bully ✦ Bullying is a reciprocal action ✦ Bullies are sometimes victims themselvesthemselves ✦ Bullies have high self-esteem ‣ It is when this self-esteem is threatened that bullying occurs ✦ Bullying is a reciprocal action ✦ Bullies are sometimes victims themselvesthemselves ✦ Bullies have high self-esteem ‣ It is when this self-esteem is threatened that bullying occurs

Cyberbullying Are you a Cyberbully? Let’s find out... Are you a Cyberbully? Let’s find out...

Cyberbullying ✦ How cyberbullying occurs ✦ Effect on victims ‣ Drop in grades ‣ Low self-esteem ‣ Change in interests ‣ Depression ‣ SuicideSuicide ✦ How cyberbullying occurs ✦ Effect on victims ‣ Drop in grades ‣ Low self-esteem ‣ Change in interests ‣ Depression ‣ SuicideSuicide

Bullying Prevention ✦ Zero tolerance ✦ Conflict Resolution ‣ “I Messages” ✦ ‘Without a Trace’‘Without a Trace’ ✦ Zero tolerance ✦ Conflict Resolution ‣ “I Messages” ✦ ‘Without a Trace’‘Without a Trace’

Bullying & Communication ✦ Self-Disclosure ‣ Less likely to self-disclose if victim of bullying ‣ Bullies high self-esteem leads them to self- disclose ✦ Spiral of Silence ‣ Bullies views become ‘dominant’ ‣ Victims remain silent due to fear of isolation ✦ Self-Disclosure ‣ Less likely to self-disclose if victim of bullying ‣ Bullies high self-esteem leads them to self- disclose ✦ Spiral of Silence ‣ Bullies views become ‘dominant’ ‣ Victims remain silent due to fear of isolation

Probes ✦ What was done in your middle school or high school to combat bullying? ✦ How would you respond to the person who says that young people need to develop thick skins in order to prepare for the “real world” and that bullying seldom hurts anyone seriously? ✦ Personal Experience - Interviews ✦ What was done in your middle school or high school to combat bullying? ✦ How would you respond to the person who says that young people need to develop thick skins in order to prepare for the “real world” and that bullying seldom hurts anyone seriously? ✦ Personal Experience - Interviews

Analysis/Criticism ✦ Test/Research/Findings ‣ Verbal aggression leads to physical ‣ <1% difference among verbal aggression between race, gender, age, school size, income ‣ Poor performance in school and social influence are factors most related to verbal aggression ‣ Media has modest influence on verbal aggression ‣ Violent music plays a bigger role than television/movies ✦ Test/Research/Findings ‣ Verbal aggression leads to physical ‣ <1% difference among verbal aggression between race, gender, age, school size, income ‣ Poor performance in school and social influence are factors most related to verbal aggression ‣ Media has modest influence on verbal aggression ‣ Violent music plays a bigger role than television/movies

Analysis/Criticism ✦ Verbal aggression prevention needs to be focused on greater in schools ✦ Female to female programs ✦ Research did not cover cyberbullying ✦ Questions? ✦ Verbal aggression prevention needs to be focused on greater in schools ✦ Female to female programs ✦ Research did not cover cyberbullying ✦ Questions?