Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Bullying 101 What do
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program - Bullying 101: What do we know? Marlene Snyder, Ph. D. Clemson University 864 -710 -4562 nobully@clemson. edu © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Overview: Session 1 n n 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 3
State Laws on Bullying 4
Bullying in the News Lexis/Nexis Citations 5
Research on Bullying Psych. Info Searches 6
What do you know about bullying behavior? Quiz
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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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. ” © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
3 Key Components of Bullying 1. 2. 3. Aggressive behavior Typically involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time Involves an imbalance of power or strength © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Direct Bullying n n n Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting… Taunting, name-calling, degrading comments Threatening, obscene gestures © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Indirect Bullying Getting another person to assault someone n Spreading rumors n Social isolation n Cyber-bullying n © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
BULLYING = PEER ABUSE © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
1. How has society reacted to abuse? (Stan Davis, 2006) 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? A Start the bullying and take an active part Take an active part, but do not start the bullying B Students who bully Defenders of the victim Student Who Is Bullied Followers G Dislike the bullying, help or try to help the victim H The one who is exposed Support the bullying, but do not take an active part C Like the bullying, but do not display open support TG, p. 24 Supporters D Possible Defenders Passive Supporters Disengaged Onlookers E © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 Watch what happens, don’t take a stand F Dislike the bullying and think they ought to help, but don’t do it
Group Mechanisms in Bullying Social contagion n Weakening inhibitions against aggression n A decreased sense of individual responsibility n Gradual changes in the view of the victim n © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Prevalence of Bullying n Nansel et al. (2001): national sample of 15, 600 students in grades 6 -10 – 19% bullied others “sometimes” or more often n 9% bullied others weekly – 17% were bullied “sometimes” or more often n 8% were bullied weekly – 6% reported bullying and being bullied “sometimes” or more often © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Cyber Bullying Kowalski et al. (2005) n n 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. n Frequency of Cyber Bullying Others: – 13% of girls and 9% of boys had cyber bullied someone else at least once. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 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 6 th-10 th graders. • Boys were 2 x as likely as girls to report bullying others: • “sometimes” or more. • “once a week” or more often. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Gender & Bullying n Similarities: – Both boys and girls engage in frequent verbal bullying. – Girls and boys engage in relational bullying. n 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. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Relational Bullying n n Damage reputations or social standing with peers and/or Use threats or loss of relationships to manipulate peers. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007 BULLYING
Girl’s Fears About Bullying n n 2003 Harris poll of 2, 279 girls ages 817 years The biggest fear cited was being teased or made fun of (41% of tweens) – 2 x as often as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, war – 15 x as often as dying/death of loved one – 30 x as often as school grades © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Bullying & Girls n n 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
Colleagues at Clemson University – Presentation from International Bullying Prevention Association Conference Cyber in the Bullying: Bullying Digital Age Robin Kowalski, Ph. D. Susan Limber, Ph. D. Patti Agatston, Ph. D. Blackwell Publishing © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Cyber Bullying Kowalski & Limber (2005) n Methods of cyber bullying – Instant messaging: 67% (8 th graders more) – Chat rooms: 25% – E-mail: 24% – Website: 24% – Text messaging: 15% (8 th graders more) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Traditional Bullying versus Cyber Bullying Shares three general characteristics: aggressiveness, power imbalance, and repetitiveness The enemy you know… Accessibility Punitive fears Bystanders Disinhibition © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
How can parents, educators, and community members work together to prevent cyber bullying? (Teen responses) n n n 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
Key Findings About Bullying 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) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Rates of Bully Victimization in 2003 (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2005) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Bullying Rates Nansel et al. (2001) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 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 n n n Lower self-esteem Depression & anxiety Absenteeism & school achievement Thoughts of suicide Illness © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Health Consequences of Bullying (Fekkes et al. , 2004) Headache Sleep problems Abdominal pain Feeling tense Anxiety Feeling unhappy Depression scale moderate indication strong indication Bullied 16% 42% 17% 20% 28% 23% Not bullied 6% 23% 9% 9% 10% 5% 49% 16% 2% © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Impact of Bullying on School Engagement & Student Academic Achievement n Bullied children are more likely to: – Want to avoid going to school Ladd, 1996) (Kochenderfer & – Have higher absenteeism rates Smith et al, 2004) (Rigby, 1996; – Say they dislike school; receive lower grades (Eisenberg et al. , 2003) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Buhs et al. (2006) Study of Peer Exclusion & Victimization and Academic Achievement Peer Rejection Classroom Participation Peer Exclusion Peer Abuse Kindergarten Achievement Decrease School Avoidance 5 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) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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
Long-Term Effects of Bullying n n n Lower self-esteem Higher rates of depression May drop out of school – or not continue with higher education © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 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: n n n n n 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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Longitudinal Study of Children who Bullied Others (Olweus, 1993) n n n 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. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Bullying Behaviors to Criminal Behaviors Assault n Ostracism, Defamation of Character n Extortion n Denial of Civil Liberties n Hate Crimes – Intolerance of Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation n © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 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. . n n n 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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Common Characteristics of Bully/Victims (“Provocative”) n n n Hyperactive, restless, have difficulty concentrating Hot-tempered, attempt to fight or answer back when they feel attacked or insulted Clumsy and immature © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
The Bully/Victim or “Provocative Victim” n n Has difficulty reading social signals. Often is actively disliked by adults, including their teacher. n May have reading/writing problems. n May try to bully weaker students. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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”. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 7. There are particular reasons to be concerned about bully-victims. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Concern About Bully/Victims n 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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Juvonen et al. (2003) Study of 2, 000 children in Los Angeles Schools n Peer Ratings – Who do children most want to avoid: bully/victims n 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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Attitudes of Bully/Victims © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Safe School Initiative Report (2002) n n US Secret Service and US Dept. of Education Studied 37 incidents of targeted school violence, involving 41 attackers (1974 -2000) – 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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
© Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 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? A Start the bullying and take an active part Take an active part, but do not start the bullying B Students who bully Defenders of the victim Student Who Is Bullied Followers G Dislike the bullying, help or try to help the victim V The one who is exposed Support the bullying, but do not take an active part C Like the bullying, but do not display open support TG, p. 24 Supporters D Possible Defenders Passive Supporters Disengaged Onlookers F Dislike the bullying and think they ought to help, but don’t do it E 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? n 38% Nothing, because it’s none of my business n 27% I don’t do anything, but I think I should help n 35% I try to help him or her © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 9. Bullying can occur anywhere— even where adults are present. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Common Bullying Locations n n n n 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
Key Findings About Bullying 10. Many children don’t report bullying experiences to adults. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Reporting of Bullying to School Staff n n n 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) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 11. 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 n 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) © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Students’ Perceptions of Adult Concerns About Bullying n Study of 9 th 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 © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Key Findings About Bullying 12. Bullying isn’t just an issue between children. Adults also bully children. © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
Bullying of Students by Teachers Olweus (2005) n 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
Teachers Who Bully Students Mc. Evoy (2005) n n n 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
Bullying Prevention is …. n n n n 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
Don’t Laugh at Me © Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2007
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