Ainsley Boudreau and Anne MacCleave Carlton University, Ottawa, May 24, 2009 Adolescents’ Willingness to Seek Help for Three Types of Bullying

Background 160,000 students miss school everyday to avoid being bullied (Sheras & Tippins, 2002) 160,000 students miss school everyday to avoid being bullied (Sheras & Tippins, 2002) Help-Seeking is a key feature of anti- bullying interventions Help-Seeking is a key feature of anti- bullying interventions Little is known about help-seeking for bullying Little is known about help-seeking for bullying

Types of Bullying Physical bullying: Physical bullying: - Being hit, bitten, pushed, hair pulled - Being hit, bitten, pushed, hair pulled - The most widely known type of bullying Verbal bullying: Verbal bullying: - Name-calling, sexist, racist comments, cruel jokes about appearance, disabilities, ideosyncrasies - Difficult to detect, happens quickly with no evidence Relational bullying: Relational bullying: - Being excluded from social group, being gossiped about, direct or indirect messages of not being welcome - Complex and difficult to distinguish

Rationale Lack of literature about willingness to seek help with respect to: Lack of literature about willingness to seek help with respect to: - Gender - School location (urban/rural) - Recent bullying - Past help-seeking

Research Questions 1. Does willingness to seek help for physical, verbal or relational bullying vary by gender, recent experience and choice of helper? 1. Does willingness to seek help for physical, verbal or relational bullying vary by gender, recent experience and choice of helper? 2. For those who had a recent experience with a bullying problem, does willingness to seek help for physical, verbal or relational bullying vary by gender, previous help-seeking and choice of helper? 2. For those who had a recent experience with a bullying problem, does willingness to seek help for physical, verbal or relational bullying vary by gender, previous help-seeking and choice of helper? 3. Is there a relationship between family structure, grade level, school location and choice of helper in a physical, verbal or relational bullying situation? 3. Is there a relationship between family structure, grade level, school location and choice of helper in a physical, verbal or relational bullying situation?

Participants 169 adolescents 169 adolescents Grades 7-9 in Maritime Regional School Board (A pseudonym) Grades 7-9 in Maritime Regional School Board (A pseudonym) N=101 urban; N=68 rural N=101 urban; N=68 rural N=88 girls; N=81 boys N=88 girls; N=81 boys

Measures 1.) Demographics 2.) Willingness to Seek Help (Ayers et al., 2000) 3.) Recent Experience with Bullying/Previous Help-Seeking

Procedure Ethics review boards Ethics review boards Letters of consent Letters of consent Remove those students for whom consent had been granted from their classroom Remove those students for whom consent had been granted from their classroom Community resource list Community resource list

Sample Characteristics Return rate for rural schools = 39% Return rate for rural schools = 39% Return rate for urban schools = 45% Return rate for urban schools = 45% years of age years of age 64 in Grade 7, 42 in Grade 8, 64 in Grade 7, 42 in Grade 8, 63 in Grade 9 63 in Grade 9 Majority (66%) living with their biological parents Majority (66%) living with their biological parents

Incidence of Bullying and Help-Seeking Experienced during past school year: Experienced during past school year: verbal bullying = 42%, relational bullying = 32% physical bullying=23% verbal bullying = 42%, relational bullying = 32% physical bullying=23% Prevalence of bullying increased between 12-14, decreased by 15. [parallel for help-seeking] Prevalence of bullying increased between 12-14, decreased by 15. [parallel for help-seeking] Sought help half or less than half of the time Sought help half or less than half of the time Girls more willing to seek help Girls more willing to seek help Helper preferences: Helper preferences: 1) peer; 2) parents; 3) teachers 1) peer; 2) parents; 3) teachers

Research Question 1 Gender x Recent Experience X Helper Gender x Recent Experience X Helper All Bullying Types: All Bullying Types: Main Effects: Gender Main Effects: Gender Interaction: Helper x Gender Interaction: Helper x Gender Physical and Relational Bullying: Physical and Relational Bullying: Main Effects: Helper Main Effects: Helper

Research Question 2 Gender x Past Help-Seeking x Helper Gender x Past Help-Seeking x Helper All Bullying Types: All Bullying Types: Interaction: Helper x Gender Interaction: Helper x Gender Physical and Relational Bullying: Physical and Relational Bullying: Main Effect: Helper Main Effect: Helper Verbal Bullying: Verbal Bullying: Main Effect: Previous Help-Seeking Main Effect: Previous Help-Seeking

Research Question 3 Verbal and Relational Bullying: Verbal and Relational Bullying: Main Effect of Family Structure Main Effect of Family Structure Verbal Bullying: Verbal Bullying: Main Effect of School Location Main Effect of School Location

Discussion Type of Problem Type of Problem Key factor in willingness to seek help Key factor in willingness to seek help Verbal bullying-key type of bullying Verbal bullying-key type of bullying Gender Gender Well established factor in help-seeking Well established factor in help-seeking Results consistent with past research Results consistent with past research Social norms Social norms

Discussion (Cont.) Choice of helper Key factor in help-seeking Key factor in help-seeking Preferences do not apply to verbal bullying Preferences do not apply to verbal bullying Gender differences explained by gender Gender differences explained by gender norms in peer socialization norms in peer socialization Helper choice and gender combined very influential! Helper choice and gender combined very influential!

Discussion (Cont.) Recent Experience Recent Experience Did not influence help-seeking Did not influence help-seeking Previous Help-Seeking Previous Help-Seeking Differences between youths’ hypothetical and actual help-seeking Differences between youths’ hypothetical and actual help-seeking Nature of anti-bullying programs Nature of anti-bullying programs Verbal bullying key for future help-seeking Verbal bullying key for future help-seeking

Discussion (cont.) School Location: Rural schools conducive to help-seeking from teachers for bullying problems School Location: Rural schools conducive to help-seeking from teachers for bullying problems Family Structure: Presence of father conducive to help-seeking Family Structure: Presence of father conducive to help-seeking

Implications Increase help-seeking, especially from teachers Increase help-seeking, especially from teachers Information dissemination Information dissemination Modify bullying programs Modify bullying programs Role of professional staff (counselors, school psychologists) is critical Role of professional staff (counselors, school psychologists) is critical

Limitations Limitations Adolescent perspective Adolescent perspective Hypothetical responses Hypothetical responses Future Research Future Research Replicate with differing groups of youth Replicate with differing groups of youth Cyber bullying Cyber bullying The experience of help-seeking The experience of help-seeking Reasons for reluctance to use teacher helpers Reasons for reluctance to use teacher helpers

Conclusion Contributed to an under explored research area Contributed to an under explored research area Some similar findings: gender Some similar findings: gender New findings: role of father, rural communities, helper and gender, and verbal bullying New findings: role of father, rural communities, helper and gender, and verbal bullying Overall, help-seeking for bullying complex Overall, help-seeking for bullying complex