2003
In April 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold became the shooters from Littleton, CO who awakened America to the emotional world of teen alienation. Social isolation and bullying have been around as long as there have been schools. But within the past decade, the psychological consequences for the bully as well as for the bullied have come into focus. Columbine and other examples of school-related social violence have drawn a national response. Parents and educators are no longer willing to accept an environment that fosters bullying. Recognizing this, researchers have sought to illuminate the problem and make recommendations. The conclusion is that a safer and more open school can be created, if concerted steps by parents, school officials and community leaders are taken to address this serious issue. A leading researcher, Dr. Dan Olweus, defined bullying this way: a student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in a survey of over 15,000 students in grades 6 through 10 found that 29.9% of the students reported moderate or frequent involvement in bullying; 10% report being bullied “sometimes” or “weekly”, 13% had bullied others, and 6% had both bullied others and been bullied themselves (Journal of the American Medical Association 285:2094, 2001). Among the U.S. student population of 55 million, the highest incidence is found in grades 6-8.
The fundamental reality of this type of behavior is a real or perceived imbalance of power that allows one or a group of students to prey on another. In this sense, bullying fits into the realm that includes date violence, spousal abuse, homophobia and other hate crimes. There are 3 forms of bullying: physical (hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing, taking away personal belongings), verbal (taunting, teasing, name calling, threatening), and psychological (spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, or engaging in social exclusion, extortion or intimidation). The recognition of the dynamics of this behavior has formed the basis of many recent TV shows and popular films. Interestingly, boys and girls have different styles of bullying. Males tend to use physical and verbal forms, whereas girls tend to use verbal taunts, insults and spreading rumors as their most common expressions. Psychologically, bullying impacts both the victim and the abuser in the short- and long-term. Victims are often timid and physically weaker than peers. They describe loneliness, difficulty making and keeping friends and failure to make social and emotional adjustments to the situation. They suffer from public humiliation, insecurity and a loss of selfesteem that carries over into adulthood. The adult manifestations may include depression and even more serious mental health problems. Bullies, on the other hand, tend to be confident, have average or above average self-esteem, and lack empathy for their victims. Long-term, the aggression they direct at others in school is often translated into a higher risk of criminal behavior in adulthood. The substantial rate of teen suicide may have its roots in bullying, too. In Ohio, 1 in 4 students have contemplated suicide and 1 in 10 have attempted it (Youth Risk Behavior Survey; for more information see www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs).
A Few Myths “Bullying is just part of growing up…” It isn’t. Adults don’t tolerate it at work and children shouldn’t have to at school either. “If you hit back, you won’t get bullied again…” It may work in the movies, but it may make things worse. “Only victims get bullied…”Although some children are more likely to be a victim (those with a disability, those from different cultures or practices), most are without an obvious reason. Sometimes the bullies have been bullied themselves.
Fall
Sch l Health Update
Bullying in Schools
“There’s no bullying problem in our school…”Although you may be lucky, it’s more likely that the problem exists but is being ignored.
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More Spice than Sugar Bullying Girls Are More Subtle Than Boys Originally, research showed that girls weren’t bullies. That was because the definition and the data characterized a boy’s more physical aggressiveness. But recently, strong research shows that girls can be just as aggressive, but in a more subtle way. Girls use verbal means – such as spreading rumors, writing nasty notes, ridiculing, excluding and ostracizing selected victims as a means of control. This behavior, termed “relational aggression”, uses the weapons of social manipulation on a battleground of personal relationships. Young females, who typically form tight “friendship dyads” within their peer groups, use verbal bullying not only to protect and maintain their relationships against the intrusion of others, but also to reject and isolate others. This form of bullying is less direct and more socially sophisticated than that attributed to boys. It reflects methods that strike directly at the goals that are most important for developing females – social relationships. The victims, isolated from strong friendships and peer relations, may suffer long-term maladjustments as a consequence. The research shows that these behaviors, rooted in elementary school, become more common, more subtle and more damaging between middle- and high-school years. Counteracting this type of bullying requires a much more involved and attentive school staff, ready to intervene quickly to break up and redirect the verbal aggression against a target girl.
What Adults Can Do for a Child Who’s Being Bullied • • • •
Ask about it. Often, due to shame or fear, a victimized child doesn’t alert an adult. Signs: sudden school phobia, lack of friends, torn clothing, missing personal belongings, fearfulness and anxiety. Contact school authorities immediately. The school and the child’s parents should ensure safety for the victim both toand-from school as well as during school hours. School administration should outline consequences for the bully, and institute ongoing monitoring. They should also engage the bully’s parents in the interventions. Develop the social network of the child. Participation in group activities can integrate the child in the social life of the school and encourage positive friendships. Cite individual cases of bullying as a means to encourage anti-bullying policies in school. Part of this effort should include education of parents, teachers and students about the poisonous effects of bullying on the school.
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What to Do for a Child Who’s a Bully
Deal with the problem early to prevent later, ingrained behaviors. Talk with the child about the behavior and make clear that parents and school will not tolerate any future incidences. Outline the consequences for the child if they continue to bully others in the school. Use the school administration, the child’s teachers and the parents to form a communication network. Praise non-aggressive behavior that solves conflict non-violently. Eliminate role models who demonstrate aggressive behavior around the child. This is an important point to raise with the bullying child’s parents. Role models may also include a stream of violent TV, video games, or printed material. Consider psychological counseling to assist the child in developing socially acceptable interactions with peers.
✓ Quick Tips “What if I’m Being Bullied…”
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✓ TELL SOMEONE
✓ Keep a diary of what is happening
✓ Don’t accept it
✓ Don’t give up if it takes time
✓ Practice what you wish to say
✓ Ask your parents to visit the school
A School Campaign Against Bullying • Create an awareness of the problem of bullying in school. Classroom discussions, school newsletter articles, formation of a school conference, parent-teacher communication, and even an anonymous survey in the school can be used to stimulate interest in the topic. • Set up a phone-in line for students to call if they have or discover a problem situation. • Improve supervision at times when the children arrive for school, are on the playground, in the cafeteria, or are preparing to leave the school. Involve bus drivers in the discussions to monitor travel time closely. • Define and publicize consequences for bullying and deliver those consequences immediately and fully for failure to comply with the rules. Ask teachers to post classroom guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable behavior toward others. Students can help define a “Class Code of Conduct”. Develop positive social means for conflict resolution between students – a policy of no tolerance for physical abuse, verbal name-calling or put-downs is best underscored by frequent praise for pro-social behaviors in the classroom. Awards for the classes displaying the most courtesy and friendliness to each other may help involve all the students. Incidences of bullying should be followed by serious talks with the bully, with the victim and with the parents of each.
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Prevention Techniques: • • • • • •
A curriculum that promotes communication, friendship and personal assertiveness Communication lines within the school and between the school and home Treat bullying as a serious problem Avoid an atmosphere of competitiveness; instead emphasize and reward cooperation and teamwork Enlist popular classmates to help alleviate the isolation and stigma of victims Emphasize social skill-building and personal values as a means of improving the quality of school life Implementation of anti-bullying policies takes time and may increase the school’s work load at least initially.
Helping Kids Deal with Anger Anger has 3 components. The emotional state is a feeling that occurs when a goal is blocked or needs are frustrated. There are several types of stress-producing situation in the classroom that may precipitate anger, such as conflict over possessions, physical assault, verbal exchanges, rejection, issues surrounding compliance with rules or commands. The second component of anger is the expression. Some children make a face, cry, sulk or talk about a problem, but do so without confronting the child who is source of their emotion. Others actively resist by physical or verbal means or seek out adult intervention. At this step the anger can be channeled either into a socially acceptable or an unacceptable path. The third component is understanding, interpreting and evaluating the emotion. Regulation of anger depends on understanding the emotion. This requires guidance from parents, teachers and peers. Memory of prior emotion-reaction strategies often dictates a child’s reaction to frustration. Talking about emotions helps young children understand and label their angry impulses. This sets the stage for self-regulation when expressing anger. There are several things teachers can do to encourage their student’s self-regulation. • Create a safe climate for students to acknowledge any and all their feelings within clear but flexible boundaries • Model responsible adult anger management • Actively work with children to develop self-regulatory skills for controlling anger • Encourage children to label and describe their angry feelings • Discuss anger-arousing situations and interactions • Utilize books and stories to illustrate the types of reactions to emotions • Communicate with parents to encourage consistency of message
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School Health Update Easing the Teasing Children tease for many reasons – • Attention • Imitation • Feelings of superiority or power • Peer acceptance • Misunderstandings • Media and other influences Need Help in Your School? Some Resources: The Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management www.state.oh.us/cdr Communities in Schools www.cisnet.org National Center for Conflict Resolution Education www.nccre.org Kent State University, Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence www.dept.kent.edu/violence
Contents Bullying in Schools
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A Few Myths
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Bullying Girls
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What to Do?
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Quick Tips
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School Campaigns
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Prevention Techniques 3 Dealing With Anger
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Easing the Teasing
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Additional Resources
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Sponsored By: The School Health Committee of The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics 6641 N. High Street, Suite 200 Worthington, Ohio 43085 The American Lung Association The American Cancer Society
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