Bullying

Bullying is a form of aggressive behaviour in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions. The bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to cause the bullying.

introduction
Bullying is aggressive behaviour that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is a repeated behaviour and can be physical, verbal, or relational. hile boys may bully others using more physical means! girls often bully others by social e"clusion. Bullying has been part of school, and even workplaces, for years. #ore recently, though, technology and social media have created a new venue for bullying that has e"panded its reach. $yber bullying is bullying that happens online and via cell phones. ebsites like %acebook, #y&pace, Tumblr and %ormspring allow kids to send hurtful, ongoing messages to other children '( hours a day. &ome sites, such as Tumblr and %ormspring allow messages to be left anonymously. )reventing and stopping bullying involves a commitment to creating a safe environment where children can thrive, socially and academically, without being afraid. *)* recommends that teachers, parents and students take the following actions to address bullying.

Teachers and school administrators

Be knowledgeable and observant

Teachers and administrators need to be aware that although bullying generally happens in areas such as the bathroom, playground, crowded hallways, and school buses as well as via cell phones and computers +where supervision is limited or absent,, it must be taken seriously. Teachers and administrators should emphasi-e that telling is not tattling. If a teacher observes bullying in a classroom, he.she needs to immediately intervene to stop it, record the incident and inform the appropriate school administrators so the incident can be investigated. /aving a joint meeting with the bullied student and the student who is bullying is not recommended 0 it is embarrassing and very intimidating for the student that is being bullied.

Involve students and parents

&tudents and parents need to be a part of the solution and involved in safety teams and antibullying task forces. &tudents can inform adults about what is really going on and also teach adults about new technologies that kids are using to bully. )arents, teachers, and school administrators can help students engage in positive behaviour and teach them skills so that they know how to intervene when bullying occurs. 1lder students can serve as mentors and inform younger students about safe practices on the Internet.

Set positive expectations about behavior for students and adults

&chools and classrooms must offer students a safe learning environment. Teachers and coaches need to e"plicitly remind students that bullying is not accepted in school and such behaviours will have conse2uences. $reating an anti3bullying document and having both the student and the parents.guardians sign and return it to the school office helps students understand the seriousness of bullying. *lso, for students who have a hard time adjusting or finding friends, teachers and administrators can facilitate friendships or provide jobs for the student to do during lunch and recess so that children do not feel isolated or in danger of becoming targets for bullying.

President Obama & the First Lad at the !hite "ouse #onference on Bull ing Prevention
If there4s one goal of this conference, it4s to dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It4s not. That4s how the )resident the first3ever hite /ouse $onference on Bullying )revention during the opening session of the day3long summit. *nd judging by the attention, passion, and intense interest that the issue

has generated over the past few days, it4s a sentiment that millions of *mericans share, and hopefully all of this discussion will help those who want to break unfortunate traditions to reali-e they4re not strange or alone. The )resident was joined by %irst 5ady #ichelle 1bama on stage, who gave her own opening remarks6 So as parents, we know we need to make a real effort to be engaged in our childrens lives, to listen to them and be there for them when they need us. We need to get involved in their schools and in their activities so that we know what theyre up to, both in and out of the classroom. And when something is wrong, we need to speak up, and we need to take action. Thats just what ac!ui "night did. Shes a mom from #oore, $klahoma, whos here with us today. We got a chance to spend some time with her before. %ut when her child was bullied, she got together with other parents and planned community meetings where parents and students could share their stories. They also held meetings for the public to raise awareness about bullying. And theyve been meeting with the school board and superintendent to discuss steps that they can take to keep their kids safe. %ut parents arent the only ones who have a responsibility. We all need to play a role && as teachers, coaches, as faith leaders, elected officials, and anyone whos involved in our childrens lives. And that doesnt just mean working to change our kids behaviour and recogni'e and reward kids who are already doing the right thing. (t means thinking about our own behaviour as adults as well. The )resident spoke not only as the host of the $onference, but as a father and as somebody who remembers his own childhood well6 As adults, we all remember what it was like to see kids picked on in the hallways or in the schoolyard. And ( have to say, with big ears and the name that ( have, ( wasnt immune. )*aughter.+ ( didnt emerge unscathed. %ut because its something that happens a lot, and its something thats always been around, sometimes weve turned a blind eye to the problem. Weve said, ,"ids will be kids.- And so sometimes we overlook the real damage that bullying can do, especially when young people face harassment day after day, week after week. So consider these statistics. A third of middle school and high school students have reported being bullied during the school year. Almost . million students have said they were pushed, shoved, tripped, even spit on. (ts also more likely to affect kids that are seen as different, whether its because of the colour of their skin, the clothes they wear, the disability they may have, or se/ual orientation. And bullying has been shown to lead to absences and poor performance in the classroom. And that alone should give us pause, since no child should be afraid to go to school in this country. Today, bullying doesnt even end at the school bell && it can follow our children from the hallways to their cell phones to their computer screens. And in recent months, a series of tragedies has drawn attention to just how devastating bullying can be. We have just been heartbroken by the stories of young people who endured harassment and ridicule day after day at school, and who ultimately took their own lives. These were kids brimming with promise && kids like Try 0ield, kids like 1arl Walker&2oover && who should have felt nothing but e/citement for the future. (nstead, they felt like they had nowhere to turn, as if they had no escape from taunting and bullying that made school something they feared. ( want to recogni'e Tys mom and dad who are here today3 1arls mother and sister who are here today. Theyve shown incredible courage as advocates against bullying in memory of the

sons and the brother that theyve lost. And so were so proud of them and were grateful to them for being here today. )Applause.+ 4o family should have to go through what these families have gone through. 4o child should feel that alone. Weve got to make sure our young people know that if theyre in trouble, there are caring adults who can help and young adults that can help3 that even if theyre having a tough time, theyre going to get through it, and theres a whole world full of possibility waiting for them. We also have to make sure were doing everything we can so that no child is in that position in the first place. And this is a responsibility we all share && a responsibility we have to teach all children the 5olden 6ule7 We should treat others the way we want to be treated.

Beware of cyberbullying
Online bull ing doesn$t necessaril harm oung people% $yberbullying among preteens and teens has increased dramatically in recent years as young people spend more time sociali-ing online, according to the &econd 7outh Internet &afety &urvey. $yberbullying includes sending hurtful or threatening e3mails or instant messages, spreading rumors or posting embarrassing photos of others. 8ot all students feel distress when they9re victims of such online bullying, say the researchers. They found that only :; percent of those bullied said such incidents made them very upset or afraid. Bullying was most likely to cause worry when it involved offline contact or an adult harasser. That distress can have an impact offline, the researchers found. 7oung people who are victims of cyberbullying are more likely to report social problems and interpersonal victimi-ation. Being victimi-ed also increases their chances of harassing peers online themselves. The research also revealed that <; percent of cyberbullying victims spoke up about their harassment to friends, parents or other authority figures. That disclosure provides an opportunity for parents and others to ask whether the child is struggling socially or e"periencing communication problems with peers. They can then work with the child to find ways to prevent future incidents.

&top office bullying

Several strategies can help prevent workplace bull ing% Bullying in the workplace can lead to increased absenteeism, employee turnover, even lawsuits. /ere4s how employers can reduce aggressive behavior among employees6 Foster improved communication skills. In a =epartment of >eterans *ffairs +>*, pilot program, for instance, psychologists and others taught employees how to communicate more effectively. The program used a techni2ue called $ollaborative *ction In2uiry. The approach encourages groups to collect data about a problem, then cycle through stages of action and reflection. *fter the training, employees reported less aggression and more satisfaction. Teach employees to understand each other. The ?amsey $ounty, #inn., government uses several strategies to teach employees how to avoid misunderstandings. In one e"ercise, for instance, small groups of co3workers rate how violent they think various behaviours are. 1ne person might think kicking a wall is a healthy way to relieve anger, while another thinks it9s a violent act. The discussion helps employees see each other9s perspectives. Identify root causes. *t one >* centre, for instance, the underlying problems were favoritism and union employees9 feelings that upper management wasn9t hearing their concerns. )sychologists urged the union and management to nominate a group of employees to serve on an action team to address the problems. *fter analy-ing findings from an employee survey, the team developed a program called @%lake3off %ridays.@ 1n %ridays, a manager invites a randomly selected group of employees to a meeting where they can ask 2uestions, bring up concerns or just chat. * follow3up survey revealed that bullying and other aggressive behaviour decreased as a result. )roductivity also increased. Establish a policy of respect. * policy that defines bullying is also important. ?amsey $ounty states its anti3bullying policy on posters and in its employee manual.

It9s not enough just to have a policy, however. Amployers must take disciplinary action against any violations, say psychologists.

Bull ing& !hat Parents' (eachers #an )o to Stop It

Questions for bullying expert Susan Swearer, PhD Reporters/editors/producers Note The following feature was produced by the *merican )sychological *ssociation. %eel free to use it in its entirety or in part! we only re2uest that you credit *)* as the source. e also have a photograph of the researcher available to reprint, as well as other e"perts on this topic. Susan Swearer, PhD, is an associate professor of School Psychology at the University of Nebras a ! "incoln #UN"$ in the Department of %ducational Psychology& She is also the co'director of the Nebras a (nternship )onsortium in Professional Psychology* co'director of the+ullying ,esearch Networ and was recently a visiting associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, -arvard .edical School& Dr& Swearer is a licensed psychologist in the )hild and /dolescent Therapy )linic at UN", and is a consultant to National School 0iolence Prevention (nitiative, The )enter for .ental -ealth Services, the U&S& Department of -ealth and -uman Services, and the 1ffice of 2uvenile 2ustice and Delin3uency Prevention Technical /ssistance )onsultant Pool& She has presented do4ens of eynotes and wor shops on bullying across the United States& Dr& Swearer is co'editor of the recently published boo , 5+ullying in /merican Schools6 / Social' %cological Perspective on Prevention and (ntervention7 #899:* "awrence %rlbaum /ssociates$, one of the authors of 5+ullying Prevention and (ntervention6 ,ealistic Strategies for Schools7 #899;* <uilford Press$, co'editor of the 5-andboo of +ullying in Schools6 /n (nternational Perspective7 #89=9* ,outledge$, co'editor of 5+ullying in North /merican Schools7 #in press, ,outledge$ and is on the editorial review boards for 5School Psychology ,eview,7 52ournal of /nxiety Disorders,7 52ournal of School Psychology,7 and the 52ournal of School 0iolence&7 She has written more than >9 professional publications on the topics of bullying and mental health issues& !"!. The ne#s of late seems to be filled #ith terrible stories about youngsters being bullied$ even to the point of suicide. %as bullying become more prevalent or more severe$ or is this a case of over&reporting by the media' (r. )#earer. e don4t know if bullying has become more prevalent or more severe in recent years. e don4t have national, longitudinal data that can answer this 2uestion. hat we do know is that bullying is a problem that reaches into the culture, community, school, peer groups and families. The e"tent of the problem will vary across different communities and schools. In some schools, physical bullying might be particularly prevalent, whereas in another school, cyber3bullying might be particularly prevalent. In some schools, there may be a lot of bullying and in other schools, there may be very little bullying. The media are reporting cases where students commit suicide as a result of being bullied because these cases are so tragic and in some cases, have resulted in lawsuits against the bullies and the schools. e should remember that =r. =an 1lweus, the 8orwegian researcher who started studying bullying in the early BC;Ds, did so partly as a result of three boys, ages BD to B(, who committed suicide in BC;' as a result of being bullied. &adly, this is not a new problem. !"!. If a parent or teacher suspects a child is being bullied$ #hat are the most effective steps he/she should take to protect the victim' (r. )#earer. )arents and teachers #E&T intervene when they see bullying take place. %irst, they must tell the student+s, who are doing the bullying to stop. They need to document what they saw and keep records of the bullying behaviors. >ictims need to feel that they have a support network of kids and adults. /elp the student who is being bullied feel connected to school and home. &tudents who are also being bullied might benefit from individual or group therapy in order to create a place where they can e"press their feelings openly. !"!. *ho is more at risk for suicide if bullied' In other #ords$ are there personality traits or markers that parents and teachers should look for #hen they kno# a child is being bullied' (r. )#earer. There really is no profile of a student who is more at risk for suicide as a result of bullying. In the book +ullycide in /merica +compiled by Brenda /igh, published by FB& )ublishing Inc. in 'DDG,, mothers of children who have committed suicide as a result of being bullied share their stories. Their stories are all different, yet the commonality is that the bullying their children endured resulted in suicide. e do know that there is a connection between being bullied and depression, and we know that depression is a risk factor for attempting suicide. Therefore, parents and educators should look for signs that a child is e"periencing symptoms of depression. !"!. +ou have been conducting research on a program called ,Target Bullying Ecologically Based "revention and Intervention for )chools- that looks at bullying and victimi.ation in

middle&school&aged youth. +our findings suggest there are certain psychological and social conditions that fuel bullying. *hat are they and #hat are the best interventions to stop the cycle' (r. )#earer. I have been conducting research on bullying since BCC; and during this time, I have become increasingly convinced that bullying is a social3ecological problem that has to be understood from the perspective that individual, family, peer group, school, community, and societal factors all influence whether or not bullying occurs. The 2uestion that I ask students, parents and educators is6 hat are the conditions in your school +family, community, that allow bullying to occurH The answers to that 2uestion are then the areas to address for intervention. e write about how to do this in our book +ullying Prevention and (ntervention6 ,ealistic Strategies for Schools +by &usan &wearer, =orothy Aspelage and &cott 8apolitano, published in 'DDC by Iuilford )ress,. Interventions should be based on evidence. &ince bullying will vary across schools and communities, each school in this country ought to be collecting comprehensive data on bullying e"periences. Then, schools can use their own data to design effective interventions in order to change the conditions that are fueling the bullying in their own school and community. !"!. From your research$ #hat can you tell us about #ho becomes a bully' !re there different types of bullies' !nd if someone is a bully as a child$ ho# likely is it that he or she #ill continue to bully into adulthood' (r. )#earer. If we conceptuali-e bullying from a social3ecological perspective, there is no way to profile a bully. If the conditions in the environment are supportive of bullying, then almost anyone can bully. In fact, the mother of a daughter who committed suicide after being bullied once told me that the girls who bullied her daughter were just regular kids. The conditions in their small town and small school were breeding grounds for bullying. #y research has also looked at the dynamic between bullying and victimi-ation. In one study, we found that kids who were bullied at home by siblings and.or relatives were more likely to bully at school. &o, you can see that the dynamic is comple" and crosses all areas in which we all function J in our community, family and schools. e do know that if left untreated, children who learn that bullying is an effective way to get what they want are likely to continue bullying behavior into adulthood. Thus, it is critical to intervene and stop the bullying during the school3 age years. !"!. %o# is the gro#th of social media$ such as Facebook and my)pace$ affecting bullying' (r. )#earer. Technology has definitely impacted bullying. hat used to be a face3to3face encounter that occurred in specific locations is now able to occur '( hours a day, seven days a week. Technology 0computers, cell phones and social networking sites 33 are all conditions that allow bullying to occur. 1ne way to protect our children is to limit and.or monitor their use of this technology. I ask parents, ould you let your B'3year3old daughter walk alone down a dark alleyH 1bviously, the answer is no. The follow3up 2uestion is, Then why would you let your B'3year3old daughter be on the computer or be te"ting unmonitoredH )arents and kids don4t reali-e the negative side to technology and social networking sites. !"!. !re there any other trends you/re seeing through your research that you/d like the public to kno# about' (r. )#earer. I really want the public to be aware of the link between mental health issues and bullying. *s a licensed psychologist in the $hild and *dolescent Therapy $linic at the Eniversity of 8ebraska J 5incoln, I and my colleagues have seen an increase in referrals for bullying3related behaviors. hether students are involved as bullies, victims, bully3victims +someone who is bullied and who also bullies others, or bystanders, we know that in many cases, depression and an"iety may be co3occurring problems. I always assess for depression and an"iety when I4m working with youth who are involved in bullying. Bullying is a mental health problem. The /merican Psychological /ssociation, in ?ashington, D&)&, is the largest scientific and professional organi4ation representing psychology in the United States and is the world@s largest association of psychologists& /P/@s membership includes more than =>8,999 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students& Through its divisions in >: subfields of psychology and affiliations with A9 state, territorial and )anadian provincial associations, /P/ wor s to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare&

Source7

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/bullying.aspx#