Olweus Bullying Prevention Program - Bullying 101: What do we know?

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program - Bullying 101: What do we know?
Marlene Snyder, Ph.D. Clemson University © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

© Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Overview: Session 1 What do we know about bullying? State laws and policies A dozen key findings about bullying What do we know about relational aggression/ gender differences? A word about cyber bullying? Best Practices in prevention & intervention in the school environment: Exploring the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Number of State Laws Related to Bullying
2009 Printout of slides used during the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program 3-Day Training of Trainers Number of State Laws Related to Bullying In prepping for the training, looking at the many applicants & high level of interest in BP, we were reminded how attention to bullying has changed so dramatically in the last several years. One place is in the state legislatures. In 1999 (year of Columbine shootings), there were no state laws related to bullying. Numbers grew dramatically after 1999, & there currently (as of 2008) are 33 such laws on the books. © 2009 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group

State Laws on Bullying The shaded states have bullying laws.
2009 Printout of slides used during the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program 3-Day Training of Trainers State Laws on Bullying The shaded states have bullying laws. Note that the laws vary dramatically in their provisions & definitions. At TOT Part II, we’ll talk in more detail about these & related legal trends—including an increase in law suits related to bullying. © 2009 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group

Bullying in the News Lexis/Nexis Citations
2009 Printout of slides used during the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program 3-Day Training of Trainers Bullying in the News Lexis/Nexis Citations What about bullying in the news? We conducted a search of Lexis/Nexis database, using terms “bullying” & “schools”… School bullying was in the headlines twice as often in 1999 as in the previous year, & jumped dramatically in 2001. It has remained quite high since. March scan of the Lexis/Nexis db (used terms “school bullying & United States”; # newspaper, wire, & news media transcripts in Eng). Prior to 1996, virtually nothing about Bullying in US news ( #s still infrequent but represent an > over previous yrs, possibly related to coverage of earlier school shootings/bullying-related suicides). In 1999 (post-Columbine), citations >2dbl & have remained high since NOTE: the figures shown here for 2008 re based just on first 2 months of this year!! Not counted/shown here, but interesting side note is that the way bullying appears in the media has changed dramatically—e.g. since 2003/04 with > internet use in by general public—now have scads of blogs & internet resources addressing bullying. Increased awareness has led to common use of the term “bully” to refer to politicians, prominent individuals, businesses and even to our nation’s relationships in the world. Raised consciousness also a double-edged sword: non-professional & popular press materials still far outweigh the scholarly. Too much is both confusing & inaccurate—promoting myths about what bullying is, who is involved, & what strategies are most effective in responding to it. © 2009 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group

Research on Bullying PsychInfo Searches
2009 Printout of slides used during the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program 3-Day Training of Trainers Research on Bullying PsychInfo Searches We took a peek at research citations—to see if researchers are keeping pace w/ or even helping to raise attention to bullying. In PsychInfo (APA database) search of research (journals, books, dissertations, electronic publications, etc.) using “bully” or “bullying” as search terms, there has been a dramatic increase in research on bullying over the last 15 years. In publications were identified. By 2000 (one year post-Columbine)—94 publications. In such publications. © 2009 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group

What do you know about bullying behavior? Quiz

The second notes (correctly) that bullying can leave lasting scars.
(c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

What is the Olweus Definition of 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 et al., 2007 It is important to begin with a common understanding of what bullying is—and what it isn’t. Dan Olweus defines bullying as… [See Slide] See SWG, p. xii; TG, p. 11 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

In everyday language…… “Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself.” In somewhat simpler language, bullying, (see slide)… © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

3 Key Components of Bullying
Aggressive behavior Typically involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time Involves an imbalance of power or strength COME BACK TO WORK ON NOTES HERE The definition of bullying has three major components: (see slide) What differentiates bullying from other forms of aggression is that there is an imbalance of power or strength between the child who is bullying and the child who is being bullied. Sometimes this imbalance in power or strength is physical, but frequently it is emotional or verbal. So, a child who is being bullied may have a difficult time defending himself or herself physically, verbally, emotionally… See SWG, p. xii; TG, pp © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Direct Bullying Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting… Taunting, name-calling, degrading comments Threatening, obscene gestures Adults are perhaps most familiar with direct forms of bullying among children. Common examples include…[See Slide]. See: TG, pp SWG CD-ROM Document #1, pp 5-6 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Indirect Bullying Getting another person to assault someone Spreading rumors Social isolation Cyber-bullying Note that bullying can also be more subtle, or indirect in nature. “Cyber bullying” (bullying through use of , messages on websites, text messages) is a new frontier for bullying, which can be particularly difficult for schools to discover and address. Refer to: Teacher Guide, pp SWG CD-ROM Document #1, pp 5-6 NOTE: Throughout the materials and the training, we try to be careful to avoid using the terms “bully” and “victim” as much as possible when describing student who bully or who are bullied by others. This is done intentionally, as we want to avoid labels and rather focus on behavior. We encourage this practice in schools as well. (See TG p. xii) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

BULLYING = PEER ABUSE Bullying is a form of victimization (or peer abuse) and shares some characteristics (repetitive nature, power imbalance) with other forms of victimization: domestic violence & child maltreatment It also is important to consider what bullying ISN’T. As noted earlier, bullying isn’t a form of conflict, which implies that the two parties are on more or less equal footing. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Similarities in Forms of Abuse…
Domestic violence Child abuse Sexual harassment Bullying All involve imbalance of power; All are often repeated over time; Often, the perpetrator blames the victim for their bad behavior; The victim may blame him or herself for the abuse, if it is not stopped. Bullying shares a number of characteristics with other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual harassment… © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

How has society reacted to abuse? (Stan Davis, 2006)
1. Through denial (“It’s not important;” “He didn’t mean it.”) 2. By blaming the victim or asking the victim to solve the problem (“You should wear different clothes;” “He just does it because he knows it bothers you;” “Just laugh it off;” “Try to avoid them.”) 3. And through comprehensive prevention/ intervention including training, consequences, helping abusers change, positive peer pressure, and support for targets.

What Roles Do Students Play In
Bullying Situations? G Start the bullying and take an active part A Students who bully Defenders of the victim Student Who Is Bullied Dislike the bullying, help or try to help the victim Take an active part, but do not start the bullying B Followers H The one who is exposed Supporters Support the bullying, but do not take an active part C Possible Defenders F Passive Supporters Dislike the bullying and think they ought to help, but don’t do it D Like the bullying, but do not display open support Disengaged Onlookers E TG, p. 24 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 Watch what happens, don’t take a stand

Group Mechanisms in Bullying
Social contagion Weakening inhibitions against aggression A decreased sense of individual responsibility Gradual changes in the view of the victim As the Bullying Circle illustrates, bullying is usually a group phenomenon, even though some individuals play a much more active part than othrs. This helps to explain why ordinarily social and nonaggressive students participate in bullying now and then. Here are some of the group mechanisms at work (See Slide): 1. Social contagion: Some student may participate in bullying if the student(s) who take the lead are popular and admired. The bullying behavior may become “contagious” and may spread to others—particularly those who are insecure and want to assert themselves in the group. 2. Weakening normal inhibitions against aggression: If bullying isn’t stopped, students who bully may be viewed as “winners” and others who normally would see bullying as wrong may join in, since they are not getting the message from adults and peers that bullying is unacceptable. Decreased sense of individual responsibility: If there are several students participating in bullying, each may feel less responsible or guilty. Psychologists refer to this as “diffusion of responsibility.” Changes in the view of the victim: If a child is repeatedly bullied (and if the bullying is not addressed), he or she may become almost “dehumanized” and viewed y others as worthless—one who “asks” to be bullied. All of these group mechanisms can reduce feelings of guilt and remorse. It is critical to counteract these group mechanisms and increase ALL students’ feelings of responsibility for what happens in their peer group. See: TG, pp © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Social Cruelty © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

In schools… bullying is a serious psychological problem …… responsible for widespread suffering and pain among children and equally widespread apprehension, concern and anxiety among parents.” Borg (1998) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Key Findings About Bullying
1. Many children are involved in bullying situations, and most are quite concerned about it. Research about bullying has increased dramatically in recent years. We know much more about the behavior than we did several years ago. We will try to summarize much of this research in 12 key findings (take-home messages) about bullying, beginning with one that will probably seem obvious to many of us… © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Prevalence of Bullying
Nansel et al. (2001): national sample of 15,600 students in grades 6-10 19% bullied others “sometimes” or more often 9% bullied others weekly 17% were bullied “sometimes” or more often 8% were bullied weekly 6% reported bullying and being bullied “sometimes” or more often A 2001 nationally representative study of more than 15,000 6th-10th graders in the United States found that: Nearly 20% admitted to bullying others “sometimes” or more often within a school semester, and 9% bullied others once a week or more often; 17% said that they had been bullied “sometimes” or more often, and were bullied at least once per week. 6% of the total sample said that they bullied AND had been bullied “sometimes” or more often. Note: This study used an anonymous, self-report questionnaire. Citation: Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simmons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Cyber Bullying Kowalski et al. (2005)
Study of 3,767 children from grade 6-8 Frequency of Being Cyber Bullied: 25% of girls and 11% of boys had been cyber bullied at least once. Frequency of Cyber Bullying Others: 13% of girls and 9% of boys had cyber bullied someone else at least once. Another emerging concern is cyber bullying among children and youth. As children and youth rely more and more on cyber technologies to communicate with their peer group, cyber bullying has become a new arena for bullying. There currently is very little research on the topic. Kowalski and colleagues (2005) recently conducted a study involving 3700 middle school students and found that one quarter of girls, and 11% of boys had been cyber bullied at least once within a semester (7% of girls and 4% of boys had been cyber bullied 2-3 times a month or more), and 13% of girls and 9% of boys had cyber bullied someone else (2% of girls and 1% of boys had cyber bullied others 2-3 times a month or more). Citation: Kowalski, R., Limber, S. P., Scheck, A., Redfearn, M., Allen, J., Calloway, A., Farris, J., Finnegan, K., Keith, M., Kerr, S., Singer, L., Spearman, J., Tripp, L., & Vernon, L. (2005, August). Electronic bullying among school-aged children and youth. Poser presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

2. There are similarities and differences among boys and girls in their experiences of bullying. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Frequency of Self-Reported Bullying Among Boys & Girls
Nansel et al. study (2001) of 15,686 6th-10th graders. Boys were 2x as likely as girls to report bullying others: “sometimes” or more. “once a week” or more often. The largest study of bullying behaviors among American children in grades 6-10 (Nansel at al., 2001) found that boys were about twice as likely as girls to say that they had bullied others “sometimes” or more often. Boys were more than 2x as likely to say that they bullied others once a week or more often. Citation: Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simmons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Gender & Bullying Similarities: Both boys and girls engage in frequent verbal bullying. Girls and boys engage in relational bullying. Differences: Most studies indicate that boys bully more than girls. Boys are more likely to be physically bullied. Girls are more likely to be bullied through social exclusion, rumor-spreading, cyber bullying, and sexual comments. Boys are bullied primarily by boys; girls are bullied by boys and girls. What do we know about gender similarities and differences in bullying? The most frequent type of bullying reported by boys and girls typically is verbal bullying. Research also shows that both girls and boys engage in relational bullying (which targets relationships to cause harm). However, we also know that there are differences in how boys and girls are bullied… Most (although not all) self-report studies indicate that boys bully more than girls (see next slide). Boys are more likely than girls to report being physically bullied (Nansel et al., 2001) and girls are more likely than boys to report being bullied through social exclusion, rumor-spreading, sexual comments (Nansel et al., 2001), and cyber bullying (Kowalski & Limber, 2005). Importantly, although boys are bullied mostly by other boys, girls are bullied both by boys and girls. Citations: Kowalski, R., Limber, S. P., Scheck, A., Redfearn, M., Allen, J., Calloway, A., Farris, J., Finnegan, K., Keith, M., Kerr, S., Singer, L., Spearman, J., Tripp, L., & Vernon, L. (2005, August). Electronic bullying among school-aged children and youth. Poser presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC. Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simmons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Relational Bullying Damage reputations or social standing with peers and/or Use threats or loss of relationships to manipulate peers. BULLYING You may have heard the terms, “relational bullying,” “relational aggression,” or “social bullying.” What is relational bullying? Often it is indirect (e.g., spreading gossip, social exclusion, friendship manipulation). However, relational bullying may also be direct or it may combine direct and indirect strategies (e.g., taunting another child in order to belittle him/her in front of peers). © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Girl’s Fears About Bullying
2003 Harris poll of 2,279 girls ages 8-17 years The biggest fear cited was being teased or made fun of (41% of tweens) 2x as often as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, war 15x as often as dying/death of loved one 30x as often as school grades Citation: © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Bullying & Girls Intimacy is central to girls’ friendships Girls rely heavily on their best friends for love and support Girls attempt to control and undermine other girls Girls often cast as victims/ but also bully others © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age
Colleagues at Clemson University – Presentation from International Bullying Prevention Association Conference Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age Robin Kowalski, Ph.D. Susan Limber, Ph.D. Patti Agatston, Ph.D. Blackwell Publishing © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Cyber Bullying Kowalski & Limber (2005)
Methods of cyber bullying Instant messaging: 67% (8th graders more) Chat rooms: 25% 24% Website: 24% Text messaging: 15% (8th graders more) Common means of cyberbullying included instant messaging, s, and websites (including blogs). © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Cyber Bullying “What makes cyber bullying so dangerous…is that anyone can practice it without having to confront the victim. You don’t have to be strong or fast, simply equipped with a cell phone or computer and a willingness to terrorize.” (King, 2006) In the recent surge of interest and media attention devoted to cyber bullying, a number of people have weighed in with comments about cyber bullying. Among them are the following very descriptive comments about cyber bullying. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber 32

Traditional Bullying versus Cyber Bullying Shares three general characteristics: aggressiveness, power imbalance, and repetitiveness The enemy you know… Accessibility Punitive fears Bystanders Disinhibition Importantly, a power imbalance may be somewhat different in cyber space than it is in a face-to-face interaction. Because of the nature of cyber space (and particularly the anonymity it may present, something we will return to below), a child who might wield little power over a victim face-to-face may wield a great deal of power (and fear) in cyber space. More specifically, there is power in being anonymous, in assuming a false identity, in having the ability to spread rumors and lies to a wide audience, and in being able to harass a victim anywhere and any time. Furthermore, although typically bullying is defined as not occurring once or twice, but as being a repeated behavior, the picture becomes a bit murky in cyber space. A single act (e.g., a nasty or an inflammatory text message) may be forwarded to hundreds or thousands of children over a period of time. From a victim’s perspective, he or she may feel repeatedly bullied. To say nothing of the fact that the victim may re-read the or text message himself or herself multiple times, again leading to the feeling of being bullied repeatedly. Even though there was only one initial act, it was perpetrated over people and time. Although certainly, as their names and this brief discussion imply, traditional bullying and cyber bullying share features in common, they also clearly differ in important ways from one another. The Enemy You Know… As bad as the thug in the school yard may be, at least he or she is a known entity. He or she can be readily identified, and potentially avoided. The cyber bully, on the other hand, is often anonymous. Thus, the victim is left wondering if the cyber bully is a single person or a group of people. Is it a girl or a boy? Is it a friend or an enemy? A stranger or an acquaintance? Someone older or younger? Someone from school or elsewhere? Accessibility Most children who use traditional ways of bullying, terrorize their victims at school, on the school bus, or walking to and from school. Although bullying also may happen elsewhere in the community, there usually is a circumscribed period of time during which traditional bullies have access to their victims. (And at the very least, most children who are bullied by peers can find respite at home, unless they also are bullied by siblings.) Children who cyber bully, on the other hand, can wreak havoc 24/7. Punitive Fears One way in which traditional bullies wield their power is by threatening their victims if they tell anyone or if they fail to bring money or perform certain tasks. Thus, victims of traditional bullying may be most fearful of the bullying escalating if they tell someone about their victimization. Although fears of retribution also accompany cyber bullying, the fear of having computer and phone privileges revoked is even greater for many victims of cyber bullying. For many parents who hear that their child is a victim of electronic violence, this is the most logical first step. However, given that the computer and cellular phone are key elements of the child’s social life, to revoke technology privileges is to punish the victim (Again!). Bystanders Most traditional bullying episodes occur in the presence of other people who assume the role of bystanders or witnesses. Although some of these bystanders may egg on the bully or defend the victim, most stand by and simply witness the event. Their presence, however silent, still speaks volumes to both the victim and the perpetrator. To the perpetrator, the bystander’s silence comes across as support; to the victim, the mere presence of the bystander amplifies an already painful and humiliating situation. With cyber bullying, bystanders play a slightly different role and may be willing or unwilling bystanders. The role that a bystander plays also depends on the medium by which the cyber bullying occurs. In chat rooms, for example, a bystander could simply witness an exchange between a victim and a perpetrator or he or she could join in on the electronic bullying. In other instances, a cyber bully may use the screen name of an unassuming “bystander” to bully someone else, creating a cyber bullying by proxy scenario.. Although empirical data is needed to support or refute this statement, we would venture to guess that bystanders to cyber bullying are more likely to eventually take part in the cyber bullying themselves than are bystanders of traditional bullying. First of all, cyber bullying does not require any physical capabilities that traditional bullying might necessitate. In other words, size doesn’t matter in cyber bullying; the smallest child could easily join in cyber bullying others. Second, as mentioned at other points throughout the book, the anonymity associated with the Internet and the tendency to forget the human side of the target of cyber bullying make it easier to join in on cyber bullying than traditional bullying. The Phenomenon of Disinhibition The anonymity afforded by the Internet can lead people to pursue behaviors further than they might otherwise be willing to do. When they cannot be identified, people will often say and do things that they would not do if their identity were known, a phenomenon known as disinhibition. Ironically, it is their very anonymity that allows some individuals to bully at all. Children and youth who are smaller and physically weaker than many of their peers could never bully others at school for the simple reason that they would be outsized. Yet, with electronic communications, they can hide behind an assumed identity and wreak havoc. Because cyber bullying occurs via technology as opposed to via face-to-face interactions, perpetrators cannot see the emotional reactions of their victim. In many face-to-face interactions, people will modulate their behavior when they see the effect that their behavior is having on others (e.g., nervousness, increased anxiety, etc.). When we cannot see that person’s emotional reactions, however, as is the case with cyber technologies, there is no emotional meter that serves to temper our behaviors. The inability to read the emotional reaction of the other also extends from victim to perpetrator as well. There are no contextual cues for the victim to use to interpret the messages that they are receiving. In face-to-face interactions, victims can scan the faces of potential bullies or individuals they perceive to be hurting their feelings for signs that a tease is really just a tease. Teases that are accompanied by winks, smiles, or the like convey information to the target regarding the prosocial nature of a tease. When communicating electronically, however, targets cannot see the faces of the perpetrator. Thus, they have no means of “reading” the intentions of the perpetrator through nonverbal behaviors. With the exception of emoticons (e.g., smiley faces), , for example, is devoid of nonverbal communication. As noted by Justin Kruger and his colleagues (2005, p. 926), “this limitation is likely to be fertile ground for miscommunication and, in particular, a lack of awareness of that miscommunication.” Online study and cyber bullying – my own © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber 33

How can parents, educators, and community members work together to prevent cyber bullying? (Teen responses) Set age-appropriate guidelines. Teach us how to deal with on line conflict and bullying. Monitor our use of the internet. Supervision/not snoopervision. Watch for warning signs. Don’t blame the victim. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

3. Bullying is more common among elementary and middle school children than high school youth. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Victimization Rates Nansel et al. (2001)
These are results from Nansel and colleagues (2001), who administered a survey to 15,686 students in grades 6-10 (nationally representative sample). Citation: Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simmons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Rates of Bully Victimization in 2003 (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2005) Similarly, we see decreases in self-reported rates of bully victimization (percentage that had been bullied in previous 6 months) from the Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey from 6th through 12th grades. Citation: DeVoe, J.F., Peter, K., Noonan, M., Snyder, T.D., and Baum, K. (2005). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: (NCES 2006–001/NCJ ). U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Bullying Rates Nansel et al. (2001)
When examining self-reports of bullying others, one sees a somewhat different pattern, with a peak in or around 8th grade. Why the different age trends for self-reported bullying and self-reported victimization? There is not a one-to-one correspondence between children who bully and children who are bullied. Children tend to bully either those in their own grades or children younger than them. Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simmons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

4. Bullying can seriously effect children who are targeted. Myth: Bullying isn’t serious—it’s just a matter of “kids being kids.” Or “Being bullied makes you a stronger person.” © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Short-term Effects of Being Bullied
Lower self-esteem Depression & anxiety Absenteeism & school achievement Thoughts of suicide Illness Bullying may seriously affect the psychosocial functioning, academic work, and the health of children who are targeted. Bully victimization has been found to be related to lower self-esteem, higher rates of depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Victims are more likely to report wanting to avoid attending school and actually have higher school absenteeism rates (See Rigby, 1996). A recent study (Eisenberg et al., 2003) found that those students who were most frequently bullied by their peers were more likely than others to report disliking school. They also received the lowest grades. These findings suggest that children who avoid attending school may miss out on the benefits of school connectedness and educational advancement. And finally, a study by Buhs and colleagues (2006) found that early peer exclusion (in kindergarten) leads to a decrease in classroom participation in children, which in turn leads to lowered academic achievement in 5th grade. Bullied children also report more suicidal ideation than their non-bullied peers. For example, in a study of Australian school children, those who reported being bullied at least once a week were twice as likely as their peers to “wish they were dead” or admit to having a recurring idea of taking their own life (Rigby, 1996). Suicide is a relatively rare event, but quite a number of cases have been linked to persistent bullying. Suicidal ideation and depression appear to be more common among children experiencing indirect bullying (e.g., being ignored) than direct bullying (van der Wal et al., 2003). Finally, recent studies also indicate that children who are frequently bullied report a variety health problems. Sample citations: Buhs, E. S., Ladd, G.W., Herald, S. L. (2006). Peer exclusion and victimization: Processes that mediate the relation between peer group rejection and children’s classroom engagement and achievement? Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 1-13 Eisenberg, M. E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Perry, C. (2003). Journal of School Health, 73, Kochenderfer, B. J., & Ladd, G. W. (1996). Peer victimization: Cause or consequence of school maladjustment? Child Development, 67, Rigby, K. (1996). Bullying in schools: And what to do about it. Briston, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Van der Wal, M. F., de Wit, C. A. M., & Hirasing, R. A. (2003). Psychosocial health among young victims and offenders of direct and indirect bullying. Pediatrics, 111, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Health Consequences of Bullying (Fekkes et al., 2004)
Bullied Not bullied Headache 16% 6% Sleep problems 42% 23% Abdominal pain 17% 9% Feeling tense 20% 9% Anxiety 28% 10% Feeling unhappy 23% 5% Depression scale moderate indication 49% 16% strong indication 16% 2% For example, in recent study of Dutch school children (ages 9-12) researchers found that bullied children (i.e., children who were bullied a few times a month or more), were more likely than their non-bullied peers to experience a whole host of physical ailments. They were, for example: nearly 3x as likely as their non-bullied peers to experience headaches, 2x as likely to have problems sleeping, abdominal pain, and to feel tense 3x as likely to feel anxious Nearly 5x as likely to feel unhappy, and Much more likely to be depressed Citation: Fekkes, M., Pijpers, F. I. M., & Verloove-VanHorick, S. P. (2004). Bullying behavior and associations with psychosomatic complaints and depression in victims. Journal of Pediatrics, 144, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Impact of Bullying on School Engagement & Student Academic Achievement Bullied children are more likely to: Want to avoid going to school (Kochenderfer & Ladd, 1996) Have higher absenteeism rates (Rigby, 1996; Smith et al, 2004) Say they dislike school; receive lower grades (Eisenberg et al., 2003) Several studies have focused on the effects of bullying on school engagement and academic achievement. Citations: Eisenberg, M. E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Perry, C. (2003). Journal of School Health, 73, Kochenderfer, B. J., & Ladd, G. W. (1996). Peer victimization: Cause or consequence of school maladjustment? Child Development, 67, Rigby, K. (1996). Bullying in schools: And what to do about it. Briston, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Smith, P. K., Talamelli, L., Cowie, H., Naylor, P., & Chauhan, P. (2004). Profiles of non-victims, escaped victims, continuing victims and new victims of school bullying (2004). British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Buhs et al. (2006) Study of Peer Exclusion & Victimization and Academic Achievement Peer Exclusion Peer Abuse Achievement Decrease Classroom Participation School Avoidance Peer Rejection Kindergarten th Grade Early peer rejection in kindergarten is associated with peer exclusion and peer abuse in grades K-5. Peer exclusion leads to a decrease in classroom participation, which in turn leads to a decrease in achievement Peer abuse leads to an increase in school avoidance (but not directly to decreases in achievement) In this longitudinal study of 380 Kindergarten through 5th graders, researchers found that: Early peer rejection in kindergarten (e.g., “How much do you like to hang out with ____”) is associated with peer exclusion in grades K-5 (e.g., excluded from activities) and peer abuse (e.g., picked on; others say bad things about). Peer exclusion leads to a decrease in classroom participation (e.g., follows teacher directions; seeks challenges; accepts responsibility for a task), which in turn leads to a decrease in achievement (on the Wide Range Achievement Test). Peer abuse leads to an increase in school avoidance (although this is not directly related to achievement). Citation: Buhs, E. S., Ladd, G.W., Herald, S. L. (2006). Peer exclusion and victimization: Processes that mediate the relation between peer group rejection and children’s classroom engagement and achievement? Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 1-13 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Conclusions from Buhs et al. (2006)
“Peers’ sustained acts of exclusion, although perhaps not as visibly harmful as verbal or physical forms of abuse, may be particularly detrimental to children’s participation, foster disengagement from learning activities, and thus, have a greater impact than peer abuse (name calling & physical abuse) on their progress in the academic domain” (p. 11). © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Long-Term Effects of Bullying
Lower self-esteem Higher rates of depression May drop out of school – or not continue with higher education Olweus’ research has found that for some individuals, bullying can persist into adulthood. Adults who were bullied as children are more likely to have lower self-esteem and higher rates of depression. Citation: Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at School: What we Know and What We Can Do. Cambridge: Blackwell) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

5. Children who bully are more likely to be engaged in other antisocial, violent, or troubling behavior. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Children Who Bully are More Likely to:
Get into frequent fights Be injured in a fight Steal, vandalize property Drink alcohol Smoke Be truant, drop out of school Report poorer academic achievement Perceive a negative climate at school Carry a weapon Frequent or persistent bullying behavior commonly is considered part of a conduct-disordered behavior pattern. Researchers have found bullying behavior to be related to other antisocial, violent, or troubling behaviors. They are more likely than their non-bullying peers to… Sample Citations: Byrne, B. J. (1994). Bullies and victims in school settings with reference to some Dublin schools. Irish Journal of Psychology, 15, Cunningham, P. B., Henggeler, S. W., Limber, S. P., Melton, G. B., & Nation, M. A. (2000). Patterns and correlates of gun ownership among nonmetropolitan and rural middle school students. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29, Nansel et al. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M. D., Haynie, D. L., Ruan, W. J., & Scheidt, P. C. (2003). Relationships between bullying and violence among US youth. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 157, Olweus (1993). Victimization by peers: Antecedents and long-term outcomes. In K. H. Rubin & J. B. Asendorf (Eds.), Social withdrawal, inhibition, and shyness (pp ). © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Longitudinal Study of Children who Bullied Others (Olweus, 1993)
60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one conviction by age 24. 40% had three or more convictions. Bullies were 4 times as likely as peers to have multiple convictions. Finally, bullying behavior also may be an indicator that boys are at risk for engaging in later criminal behaviors. In a longitudinal study in Norway, 60% of boys who were identified as bullies in middle school had at least one conviction by the age of 24, and 35-40% had three or more convictions. So, children who bullied were three to four times as likely as their non-bullying peers to have multiple convictions by their early 20s. (Olweus, 1993). Citation: Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. NY: Blackwell. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Bullying Behaviors to Criminal Behaviors
Assault Ostracism, Defamation of Character Extortion Denial of Civil Liberties Hate Crimes – Intolerance of Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

6. There is no single “profile” of a child who bullies (or a child who is bullied)…but research has identified characteristics common to many of these children. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

“Passive Victims” Tend To..
Be quiet, cautious,& sensitive Lack confidence Be physically weaker than peers (boys) Physically mature earlier (girls) Be afraid of getting hurt Find it easier to associate with adults than with peers There are two different categories of victimized children. One group is commonly referred to as “passive victims” while the other is referred to as “provocative victims” or “bully victims” (see Teacher Handbook, chapter 3). There is no single pattern of behavior among children who are bullied, but research does indicate that passive victims of bullying are more likely than other children to have certain characteristics… (review them) It is important to note that some characteristics of passive victims may be seen as both contributing factors (“causes”) as well as consequences of victimization. For example, if a child feels insecure, his or her behavior may signal to others that he or she is an “easy target” for bullying. Here, the child’s insecurity may be viewed as contributing to the abuse. However, a child who is bullied regularly also is likely to have his or her confidence further shaken by the bullying experienced. So, in this sense, insecurity may also be a consequence of bullying. In noting that particular behaviors of children may contribute to bullying, one must be very careful not to blame the victim. No children deserve to be bullied, and they are not responsible for the bullying they receive. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Common Characteristics of Bully/Victims (“Provocative”)
Hyperactive, restless, have difficulty concentrating Hot-tempered, attempt to fight or answer back when they feel attacked or insulted Clumsy and immature Most research suggests that bully/victims or provocative victims comprise a smaller group than passive victims. (Recall that Nansel et al., [2001] found that 11% of children in grades 6-10 were “only” bullied (a.k.a. “passive victims”) while 6% both bullied and were bullied (a.k.a. bully/victim). (See Teacher Handbook, chapter 3, for information about characteristics of bully/victims.) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

The Bully/Victim or “Provocative Victim”
Has difficulty reading social signals. Often is actively disliked by adults, including their teacher. May have reading/writing problems. May try to bully weaker students. Note that recent research suggests that there is particular reason to be concerned about bully-victims, as they frequently display not only the social-emotional problems of victimized children (report poorer relationships with classmates, feeling lonely) but also the behavioral problems of bullies (poorer academic achievement, higher rates of smoking alcohol use, more frequent fighting) (see Nansel et al., 2003). A recent (2002) retrospective study by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education ( examined of all incidents of targeted school violence between 1974 and (By targeted, researchers focused on incidents where the school was deliberately selected as the location for the attack and wasn’t simply a random site of opportunity.) Drawing on information from investigative, school, court, and mental health records, researchers found that: ¾ of the attackers felt persecuted, bullied prior to the incident 1/3 were characterized (either by others or themselves) as “loners” ¼ socialized with students who were disliked by most mainstream students or were considered to be part of a “fringe” group These and other authors have speculated that this small group of violent children represent “bully/victims” or “provocative victims.” It is important to remember, however, that bully/victims represent a small group (a smaller group than “passive victims,”, who are not likely to become violent toward others) and that violent outbursts such as the ones detailed in the Secret Service report are relatively rare. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Children Who Bully Myth: Children who bully are outcasts or loners with few social skills. Reality: Children who bully are not socially isolated. Usually they have peers who support them. They may even be known as the “popular kids”. Children who bully usually do not lack friends. In fact, some research finds that they have larger friendship networks than other children. Importantly, they usually have at least a small group of friends who support and encourage their bullying behavior. They also generally have more leadership skills than victims of bullying or children not involved in bullying (see e.g., Sutten et al., 1999). Citations: Juvonen, J. Graham, S., & Schuster, M. A. (2003). Bullying among young adolescents: The strong, the weak, and the troubled. Pediatrics, 112, Sutton, J. Smith, P. K., & Swettenham, J. (1999). Social cognition and bullying: Social inadequacy or skilled manipulation? British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Concern About Bully/Victims
Display the social-emotional problems of victimized children AND the behavioral problems of children who bully (Nansel et al.) Poor relationships with classmates Lonely Poorer academic achievement Higher rates of smoking alcohol use More frequent fighting Recent research suggests that there is particular reason to be concerned about bully-victims, as they frequently display not only the social-emotional problems of victimized children but also the behavioral problems of bullies. Citation: Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simmons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Juvonen et al. (2003) Study of 2,000 children in Los Angeles Schools
Peer Ratings Who do children most want to avoid: bully/victims Teacher Ratings Who is least popular: bully/victims and victims Who has the most conduct problems: bully/victims Who is seen as the most disengaged from school? bully/victims In a study of 6th graders in Los Angeles schools, Juvonen and colleagues (2003) assessed self-reports of psychological distress, peer-ratings, and teacher ratings of students who were categorized based on peer nominations as “bullies,” “bully/victims,” “borderline,” or “uninvolved.” The bully-victims were the most troubled group of the four. They were identified by their peers as the children who were most avoided. Teachers rated bully-victims as being low in popularity, high in conduct problems and high in school disengagement. Citation: Juvonen, J. Graham, S., & Schuster, M. A. (2003). Bullying among young adolescents: The strong, the weak, and the troubled. Pediatrics, 112, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Safe School Initiative Report (2002)
US Secret Service and US Dept. of Education Studied 37 incidents of targeted school violence, involving 41 attackers ( ) 3/4 of attackers felt persecuted, bullied prior to the incident 1/3 of attackers characterized as “loners” 1/4 socialized with students who were disliked by most mainstream students Many had considered suicide Several years ago, the US Secret Service, together with the US Department of Education, conducted a study of all incidents of targeted school violence between 1974 and (The term “targeted school violence” indicates that the school was deliberately selected as the location for the attack and wasn’t merely a random site of opportunity.) Drawing on information from investigative, school, court, and mental health records, researchers found that: ¾ of the attackers felt persecuted, bullied prior to the incident 1/3 were characterized (either by others or themselves) as “loners” ¼ socialized with students who were disliked by most mainstream students or were considered to be part of a “fringe” group Although there are some limitations of retrospective studies such as this one, the data are fairly compelling in raising our concern about a relatively small group of students who are bullied by their peers. Some have speculated that these children may be bully-victims. Citation: Vossekuil, B., Fein, R. A., Reddy, M., Borum, R., & Modzeleski, W. (2002). The final report and findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the prevention of school attacks in the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools Program and U.S. Secret Service, National Threat Assessment Center. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

8. Most children who observe bullying believe that they should get involved to stop it. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

What Roles Do Students Play In
Bullying Situations? G Start the bullying and take an active part A Students who bully Defenders of the victim Student Who Is Bullied Dislike the bullying, help or try to help the victim Take an active part, but do not start the bullying B Followers V The one who is exposed Supporters Support the bullying, but do not take an active part C Possible Defenders F Passive Supporters Dislike the bullying and think they ought to help, but don’t do it D Like the bullying, but do not display open support Disengaged Onlookers E TG, p. 24 Watch what happens, don’t take a stand © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Kids Who Observe Bullying (Study by Melton et al., 1998)
What do you usually do when you see a student being bullied? 38% Nothing, because it’s none of my business 27% I don’t do anything, but I think I should help 35% I try to help him or her Although adults are critically important actors, they aren’t the only potential intervenors in bullying incidents. Children themselves, can play important roles in addressing the bullying that they witness or observe. Most bullying incidents don’t just involve two children—a child who bullies and his or her victim. In most cases, other children are at least AWARE of bullying that occurs. How do children typically react? In a study of 4th-6th graders in SC, children reported the following when asked “what do you usually do when you see a student being bullied?” The good news is that the majority at least feel that they should help out. Citation: Melton et al. (1998). Violence among rural youth. Final report to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Common Bullying Locations
Classroom (with and with or without teacher present) Hallways/stairwells Playground/athletic fields Cafeteria Restrooms Gym/gym locker rooms Bus/bus stop © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Reporting of Bullying to School Staff
Many do not report being bullied. Older children and boys are less likely to report victimization. Why don’t children report? 2/3 of victims felt that staff responded poorly 6% believed that staff responded very well. (Hoover et al., 1992) Unfortunately, despite the high prevalence of bullying and the harm that it may cause, substantial numbers of children indicate that they report their victimization--at least not to adults at school or to their parents (Limber, 2002). Reporting of bullying varies by age and gender. Older children and boys are particularly unlikely to report their victimization (Melton et al., 1998; Rivers & Smith, 1994; Whitney & Smith, 1993). Why don’t children report their experiences to adults? Children’s reluctance to report bullying experiences to school staff may reflect a lack of confidence in their teachers’ (and other school authorities’) handling of bullying incidents and reports. For example, in a survey of high school students in the U.S., two-thirds of those who had been bullied believed that school personnel responded poorly to bullying incidents at school, and only 6% felt that school staff handled these problems very well (Hoover et al., 1992). Sample Citations: Hoover, J. H., Oliver, R., & Hazler, R. J. (1992). Bullying: Perceptions of adolescent victims in the Midwestern USA. School Psychology International, 13, 5-16. Limber, S. P. (2002). Addressing youth bullying behaviors. In M. Fleming & K. T. Owey (Eds.), Proceedings of the Educational Forum on Adolescent Health: Youth Bullying (pp. 5-16). Chicago: American Medical Association. Available online: . Melton, G. B., Limber, S. P., Cunningham, P., Osgood, D. W., Chambers, J., Flerx, V., Henggeler, S., & Nation, M. (1988). Violence among rural youth. Final report to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Rivers, I., & Smith, P. K. (1994). Types of bullying behavior and their correlates. Aggressive Behavior, 20, Whitney, I., & Smith, P. K. (1993). A survey of the nature and extent of bullying in junior/middle and secondary schools. Educational Research, 35, 3-25. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Adults are not as responsive to bullying as we should be (and as children want us to be). © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Adults’ Responsiveness to Bullying
Adults overestimate their effectiveness in identifying bullying and intervening. 70% of teachers believed that adults intervene almost all the time 25% of students agreed (Charach et al., 1995) Because many children don’t report their experiences, it is incumbent on adults and other students to be vigilant and responsive to bullying. Unfortunately, adults within the school environment dramatically overestimate their effectiveness in identifying and intervening in bullying situations. Seventy percent of teachers in one study (Charach et al., 1995) believed that teachers intervene “almost always” in bullying situations, while only 25% of the students agreed with their assessment. These findings suggest that teachers are simply unaware of much of the bullying that occurs around them (likely because much of the bullying is difficult to detect and because children frequently are reluctant to report bullying to adults). Citation: Charach, A., Pepler, D. J., & Zieler, S. (1995). Bullying at school: A Canadian perspective. Education Canada, 35, © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Students’ Perceptions of Adult Concerns About Bullying
Study of 9th grade students (Harris et al., 2002): 35% believed their teachers were interested in trying to stop bullying (25% for administrators) 44% did not know if their teachers were interested 21% felt teachers were NOT interested What is perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that many children also question the commitment of teachers and administrators to stopping bullying. For example, in a study of 9th grade students (Harris et al., 2002), only 35% believed that their teachers were interested in trying to stop bullying. Forty-four percent reported that they did not know if their teachers were interested in stopping bullying, and 21% felt that their teachers were not interested. Even fewer students (25%) believed that administrators at their school were interested in stopping bullying. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Bullying of Students by Teachers Olweus (2005)
Examples from students: She calls me mean names (idiot, baby) Tries to make a fool of me Uses sarcasm, different treatment than other students He’s sarcastic, embarrasses us if we don’t understand new material right away. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Teachers Who Bully Students McEvoy (2005)
Conducted focus group and administered a questionnaire to 236 high school and college students. “Do you think most students in your hs would agree on which teachers bullied students? (93% yes) 2/3 identified 1-3 teachers 89% had taught 5+ years Could teachers bully without getting into trouble? (77% yes) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 (c) 2007 Agatston, Kowlaski & Limber

Bullying Prevention is …. A Human Rights Issue A Public Health Issue - Physical & Mental Health Social and Emotional Learning Ethical Character and Academic Education Creating a Safe & Welcoming Climate for Learning – Violence Prevention Participation in Democracy Delinquency Prevention Suicide Prevention © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program - Bullying 101: What do we know?

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