BULLYING AND VICTIMIZATION IN OVERSEAS MIDDLE SCHOOLS Kent M. Blakeney, PhD International School of Dakar

Nearly four lectures….. In four countries!

This Presentation Definitions Types of Bullying and Victimization Results of Overseas Middle School Questionnaires What you and you school can do

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Three Parts Repetition Intent to cause harm Power difference

Definition from US Department of Health and Human Services Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying involves: Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same the person over and over by the same person or group Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves

Theoretical Framework Hierarchy Leaders and followers Individuals find their niche Once order is established, individuals do not want to disrupt it Social Dominance Theory

Traditional vs. Cyber TraditionalCyber At school24 hours a day, 7 days a week Face to faceAnonymous Involves people in immediate area Can be spread to lots of people Peaks in Middle school Peaks at end of MS, beginning of HS

Traditional Bullying and Victimization Physical- Hitting, kicking, shoving, etc. Verbal- Using words to bully Relational- Spreading rumors, talking behind someone’s back, exclusion

Cyber Bullying and Victimization Verbal- Using electronic media to bully someone directly Relational- Using electronic media to spread rumors, talk about someone, or exclude Inclusion with Media- Sending the victim unwanted photos, video, etc. Exclusion with Media- Sending unwanted photos, video, etc. about the victim

What research tells us…. Bullies Range from 6% to 13% Males -physical bullies (loner) Females- relational bullies (work in small groups) Tolerance to violence; anger management Depression Differing popularity Poor behaviors- physical and mental Target “weaker” students Decreases with age- peaks in MS

What research tells us…. Victims 8% to 54% More likely to be male Physically small, weak, or out of shape Depressed or do not enjoy school Few friends Not in good academic standing Relational and verbal more than physical

What research tells us….. Cyberbullies 4% to 34% More likely to be traditional bullies More likely to be male Cybervictims 4 to 50% About half do not know who is bullying them Older females

What research tells us Location 29%- Classrooms 29%- Hallways or lockers 23% Lunch room or recess area 19% in gym

Olweus Bullying Circle

Overseas Bullying and Victimization Questionnaire Developed in 2012 for my PhD dissertation Data from 8 Middle Schools in 7 countries Baseline data for overseas schools Hypothesized that HCNs would be bullies Hypothesized that Expats would be victims

General Responses ConstructPercentage Traditional Bully19% Victim7% Cyber Bully5% Victim1%

OVERSEAS SCHOOL RESEARCH Differences with Gender ItemMale (N=424)Female(N=422) Trends Traditional Bully Traditional Victim Cyber Bully Cyber Victim

OVERSEAS SCHOOL RESEARCH Differences with Grade Item6 th (N=275)7 th (N=304)8 th (N=253) Trends Traditional Bully Traditional Victim Cyber Bully Cyber Victim

OVERSEAS SCHOOL RESEARCH Differences with National Status Host Country (N=330)Expat (N=507) Trends Traditional Bully Traditional Victim Cyber Bully Cyber Victim

OVERSEAS SCHOOL RESEARCH Differences with Years at School 1 st (N=174) 2 nd (N=160) 3 rd (N=107) 4 th (N=74) 5 or more (N=331) Trends Traditional Bully Traditional Victim Cyber Bully Cyber Victim

Overseas Student Responses LocationPercent Hallways and Lockers43% Playground27% Classrooms22% Cafeteria16% Bathroom14% Gym12% Other Location11%

Major Findings 38% Witnessed bullying in last two months Where? Hallways/Lockers, Playground, Classroom, Cafeteria Traditional Bullying and Victimization occurs approximately 4 times as much as Cyber Bullying and Victimization

Major Findings Males are more likely to be physical bullies and victims; females more relational bullies and victims 6 th graders more likely to be victims 8 th graders more likely to be bullies HCN’s more likely to be traditional and cyber bullies. Expats were more likely to be traditional victims Bullying and victimization “center” around students in their 3 rd year.

What to do? Prevention Working with Teachers and Counselors Parents and Students All information found on

Prevention Measure levels at your school Create or revise school conduct code and procedures to follow if bullying occurs Implement Bullying Prevention Program Set up ways students can tell adults what is happening confidentially Set up more/better ways to monitor students outside class time

Working with Teachers & Counselors Follow through with support staff and teachers on all incidences Work with victims AND bullies regularly then follow-up Intervene immediately-every time Get information from everyone you can Talk to students separately- remember, they are not equals

Students Victims Do not blame yourself Get help, tell someone Tell them to stop, walk way, find a safe place, stick with others you trust, make new friends Avoid risky websites Bullies Identify what you are doing and stop Get help from counselors, teachers, parents Apologize and move forward

Parents Find positive ways to respond Monitor computers/handys Be persistent Talk to adults at school

Developing a School-Wide Policy ComponentBest Practice Definition Incorporating the definition Policy All components clearly stated to all stakeholders Notice Parents, students, and teachers- Student Code of Conduct and consequences Reporting Immunity and requirement for reporting Investigation Protocols for reporting each incident Consequences Continuum of consequences from punitive measures to remedial interventions

Contact Kent Blakeney Link to more materials, The Overseas School Bullying and Victimization Survey, and other resources at Please do not copy, distribute, or use without contacting me for permission.