Bullying

1
Bullying

• Dr. Amy Milsom
• amilsom_at_clemson.edu
• Jennifer Berry
• jenberry33_at_gmail.com

2
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)

3

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

4
Types of Bullying
5
Gender Differences
6
Electronic Bullying

• Forms of electronic bullying
• Text messages
• Emails
• Facebook posts/statuses/messages
• Gaming (griefing)
• Online videos

• 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

7
Statistics

• 1/3 of students report being bullying victims
  (Crime Indicators of School Safety, 2009)
• 33 of students report being a victim of cyber
  bullying (www.cyberbullying.us)
• 55 of 8-12 year olds and 68 of 12-15 year olds
  say bullying is a big problem in their schools
  (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• 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)
• 30 of gay youth were threatened or injured due
  to their sexual orientation in 2001 (National
  Mental Health Association)
• 80 of students with disabilities report being
  bullied (U.S. Dept. of Ed)

8
Attitudes/Misperceptions

• Bullying can mistakenly be excused
• because it can be seen as a part of
• growing up
• I went through it and survived, its no big
  deal
• Boys will be boys
• Girls are just mean at that age
• Drama is just part of middle school
• Bullying is just another form of conflict
• The victim is at fault and/or brings the
• bullying upon self

9
Bully Victimization Participants
10
Bully

• Low threshold for frustration
• Aggressive not only to peers but to teachers and
  family as well
• Positive attitudes toward aggression
• Easily provoked
• Can be both a bully and a victim depending on the
  circumstance
• Values power and rewards received from bullying
• Mistakenly believed to have poor self-esteem
  Often bullies will have just as high or higher
  self-esteem than non-bullies
• May have poor role models at home
• Possible victim of abuse or neglect

11
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

12
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 (ex class)
• Exhibit hyperactive and impulsive behaviors
• Many are diagnosed with ADHD

13
Potential Effects of Bullying

• Bully
• Delinquency
• Increased chance for incarceration
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Truancy
• Dropout
• Weapons possession

• Bystander
• Fear
• Anxiety

• Victim
• Anxiety
• Loneliness
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Physical manifestations of stress
• Social withdrawal
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Death (including suicide)
• Poor academic performance
• Truancy/Dropout

14
Warning Signs a child is being bullied

• Change in mood or behavior
• Appears depressed, sad, or angry
• Safety concerns
• Academic concerns
• 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

15
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.

16
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/pro
  duct/item/6517/
• Bully Proofing Your School http//www.creating
  caringcommunities.org/
• Bully Safe USA http//www.bullysafeusa.com
• Operation Respect http//www.operationrespect.o
  rg
• Steps to Respect http//www.cfchildren.org/pro
  grams/str/overview/

17
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.

18
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.)

19
What teachers can do, continued

• 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

20
If you see a student being bullied

• Stop 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

21
Best Practices to help a victim

• DO
• 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

22
Best Practices, Continued

• Do Not
• 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 dont posses
• Ex Suggesting a bystander sticks up for others
  when they do not know how to---Instead teach them
  how to