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

2. 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)

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Prevention: What We Know
Psychologist Dr. Dan Olweus – Clemson University Bullying Prevention Program
Developed initial program in 1982 due to 3 Norwegian boys 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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)