What is it? What causes it? What can be done to prevent it?

Bullying Defined Unwanted behavior among school age children Involves a real or perceived power imbalance Repetition over time (makes it different from a single mean act)

Types of Bullying Verbal Social/Relational Physical Teasing, name calling , taunting Inappropriate sexual comments Threatening physical harm Social/Relational Purposefully excluding someone Telling others not to befriend a classmate Embarrassing someone in public Physical Hitting, kicking, pinching, tripping, pushing

When Asked Why: Can’t regulate emotions Makes me feel stronger In control Jealousy Rewarded lunch money, status, popularity

Why Do Children Bully? (continued) Many possible reasons: Lacking in attention; wanting more attention Desire to be part of a group Relishes seeing another in pain Exposure to violent movies, TV shows Learned behaviors from family members

Bullying Facts (Center for Disease Control, Bullying Surveillance Among Youth, 2014) Directly effects ability to learn. One in three students are bullied Bystanders can be powerful allies/enablers Bullying is not a “rite of passage” that must be endured Many students believe that adults fail to adequately intervene

Bullying Facts - continued Anyone can bully; anyone can be bullied Bullying is a behavior, not an identity Labeling can have detrimental effects Limits student’s ability to change Students may have multiple roles at times: both the victim and the perpetrator Students need to be held accountable for their behavior but also empowered to change that behavior Empowerment to change is more effective than punitive punishment Strength bombardment

Why Do Children Bully? Not about resolving conflict, but about CONTROL Children continue to bully if they realize it’s hurtful Bullies feel satisfied by feelings of power and control Bully assumes more power than the target It does not usually occur between evenly matched peers Bullying has been correlated with Anxiety Depression Poor self image Suicide ideation

Data on the Risks of Bullying Suicide: targets of bullying between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider it Over 14 % of high school students considered suicide, 7 % have attempted British study: at least half of suicides related to bullying. 10 to 14 year old girls are at higher risk 160,000 kids stay home from school, fear of bullying

Cyberbullying: An Emerging Problem Bullying using electronic devices Cell phones, Computers & Tablets Via social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites

Cyberbullying Facts Cyberbullying prevention and response: Expert perspectives, cyberbullying research center. Can happen 24/7 Messages can be posted anonymously Deleting inappropriate or harassing messages, texts and pictures is extremely difficult once posted About one out of every four teens has experienced cyberbullying; one out of six has done it to others Adolescent girls are just as likely, if not more likely than boys, to experience cyberbullying

Cyberbullying - continued As in bullying, it’s related to low self- esteem, suicidal ideation, anger, frustration Can be related to school problems, anti- social behavior, substance use & delinquency Those who bully at school generally bully on-line as well (and vice-versa) Cyber bullying is occurring more frequently

Prevention: What We Know Psychologist Dr. Dan Olweus – Clemson University Bullying Prevention Program Developed initial program in 1982 due to 3 Norwegian boys 10-14 committing suicide Program based on behavior modification with 2500 students Decreased bullying activity by 50% over 2 years Program included a survey to determine extent of problem An educational conference with all parties Increased supervision A coordinating group On-going discussions/meetings Curriculum focused on character development and conflict resolution

Prevention Efforts: Summary Best results when students, parents and community are all involved Immediate intervention with non-corporal sanctions Establish programs that emphasize early identification of students with behavioral concerns Provide prosocial skills instruction building character and empathy providing social and emotional development skills conflict management skills Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Treatment of choice for individual therapy Tackle destructive thinking; confront issues of self worth

Preventing Bullying With Emotional Intelligence (EI) (RULER) RECOGNIZE emotions in self and others UNDERSTAND the causes of emotions and consequences for thinking and behavior LABEL emotions with a sophisticated vocabulary EXPRESS emotions in socially appropriate ways REGULATE emotions effectively EI can be integrated into the curriculum Adults need training, also

Prevent Cyberbullying Be clear about what sites they can visit and what they are permitted to do when online. How to be safe online Be smart about what they post or text Don’t share anything hurtful or embarrassing - to themselves or others Think about who will see the info and pictures they post Keep passwords safe; don’t share them Understand and build on school’s technology policies

More Preventive Measures Consider installing parental control filtering software or monitoring programs (do not rely solely on this) Ask for passwords, but tell them you’ll only use them in case of emergency Ask to “friend” or “follow” your kids on social media sites or ask another trusted adult to do so Encourage them to tell you immediately if they, or someone they know, is being cyberbullied

Primary Sources & References Cyberbullying Research Center.com Stopbullying.gov WebMD, Depression Guide Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Youth Suicide Prevention Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Clemson University – Bullying Prevention Program Matt Dickinson, The Independent Newspaper (2010)