Bullying Prevention Tim G. Smith Director of Outreach Center for the School of the Future Utah State University.

Bullying Prevention

Tim G. Smith

Director of Outreach

Center for the School of the Future

Utah State University

“Being bullied is not just an unpleasant rite of passage through childhood. It’s a public health problem that merits attention. People who are bullied as children

are more likely to suffer from depression and low self esteem, well into adulthood, and the bullies

themselves are more likely to engage in criminal behavior later in life”(Duane Alexander, Director,

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Bullying Defined

The Definition

“Bullying occurs when a student or group of students targets an individual repeatedly

over time, using physical or psychological aggression to dominate the victim (Hoover

& Oliver, 1996; Rigby, 1995; USDOE, 1998).”

Bullying Defined

“A student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part

of one or more students” (Elliot, 2002)

Bullying Defined

Bullying at Large

• Bullying in families

• Bullying in the workplace

• Bullying in society

• Bullying in schools

Some Data

• 1 in 10 students in grades 4-6 are bullied regularly

• 90% middle school students report observing bullying while 80% claim they have been victims

• 16,000 students miss school every day due to fear of bullies (Lee, 1993)

Some Data

Bullying is a symptom of a much larger problem of

antisocial behavior

• Recurrent violations of socially prescribed patterns of behavior

• Hostility, aggression, defiance, willingness to violate rules

• Aversive to others• Deviation from accepted

rules and expected standards

• Deviance across a range of settings

Antisocial Behavior

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• Involves more boys than girls• Early antisocial behavior predicts adolescent

delinquency• Antisocial behavior persisting beyond third

grade is chronic problem• Antisocial children are at risk for long term

problems• 70% of youth identified as antisocial are

arrested within 3 yrs. of leaving school

Antisocial Behavior Facts and Findings

Trends

• Teenage violence has more than doubled in the past ten years (Gegax & Bai, 1999)

• Each year between 2,500 and 3,000 teenagers are arrested and charged in the death of others teenagers and adults.

• Between 1985 and 1994 the arrests fo 10-17 year-old children and youth for homicide, rape, robbery, and assault increased by 70% (Walsh, 1997).

• In a single month, one in nine of the nation’s high school students brought a weapon to school (Burke, 1998).

Some Causes

Role of the Media

• By the time children start school, they will have seen over 8,000 murders on television and over 100,000 violent acts. By the time they graduate from high school, these numbers will double (American Academy of Child and Adolescents Psychiatry, 1995)

• Lyrics from Michael Mather , best known as Eminem, talk about sticking nails through eyelids and slitting parents’ throats.

• Children have access to video games like Doom, Diablo, and Kingpin, which advertises “multiplayer gang bang death” and “see the damage done including exit wounds”

Role of the Media

• Media has led to increased desensitization to violence and victims of violence (American Psychological Association, 1993).

• Youth accept violence as a way to solve problems (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1995)

• Increased aggressiveness and antisocial behavior.

• Teenage life is defined by the media.• Increased fear of becoming a victim• Increased appetite for more violence.

Role of the Family

• Children increasingly live in dysfunctional families• Abused children grow up impulsive, aggressive, antisocial,

and lacking in empathy and sensitivity to the people and world around them.

• Over half of today’s teenagers have lived through their parents’ divorce and reside with a single parent or divide their time between two households.

• Sixty-three percent of teenagers live in households where both parents work outside the home.

• Among all the issues adolescents rank as their top concerns, the number one issue is loneliness. (Stevenson & Schneider)

Role of the Family

• Family history with problem behavior• Family management problems• Family conflict• Favorable parental attitudes or involvement in

problem behavior• Family members don't spend much time together• Lack of parental supervision• Lack of clear expectations, limits and consequences

Role of the Community

• Alcohol and other drugs readily available• Laws and ordinances are unclear or inconsistently enforced• Norms are unclear• Residents feel little sense of "connection" to community• Neighborhood disorganization• High mobility• Extreme economic deprivation• Lack of strong social institutions• Lack of monitoring youths' activities• Inadequate media portrayals

Role of the School

• Lack of clear expectations, both academic and behavioral

• Lack of commitment or sense of belonging at school

• Academic failure• Parents and community members not actively

involved• Punitive environment

High Risk Environments

• Poverty• Dysfunctional families• Childhood abuse• Failure to bond with adults or

develop positive relationships with adults

• Exposure to media violence• School failure and school problems

Warning Signs

Toddler and Preschool

• Has many temper tantrums in a single day, or several lasting more than 15 minutes, and often cannot be calmed by parents, family members, or other caregivers

• Has many aggressive outbursts, often for no reason• Is extremely active, impulsive, and fearless• Consistently refuses to follow directions and listen to

adults• Does not seem attached to parents• Frequently watches violence on television, engages in play

that has violent themes, or is cruel toward other children

Elementary Child

• Has trouble paying attention and concentrating• Often disrupts classroom activities• Does poorly in school• Frequently gets into fights with other children in

school• Reacts to disappointments, criticism, or teasing

with extreme and intense anger, blame, or revenge

• Watches many violent television shows and movies or plays a lot of violent video games

Elementary Child

• Has few friends and is often rejected by other children because of behavior

• Makes friends with other children known to be unruly or aggressive

• Consistently does not listen to adults• Is not sensitive to the feelings of others• Is cruel or violent toward pets or other

animals

Preteen and Adolescent

• Consistently does not listen to authority figures• Pays not attention to the feelings or rights of

others• Mistreats people and seems to rely on physical

violence or threats of violence to solve problems• Often expresses the feeling that life has treated

him or her unfairly• Does poorly in school and often skips classes• Misses school frequently for unidentifiable

reason

Preteen and Adolescent

• Gets suspended from or drops out of school

• Joins a gang, gets involved in fighting, stealing, or destroying property

• Drinks alcohol and/or uses inhalants or drugs

The Solutions

Recent research has shown that the riskrisk of youth developing patterns of various types of antisocial behavior, including the use of alcohol and other drugs, aggressive and violent behavior, and gang activity, can be lessened by developing certain protective protective assets and skills. assets and skills.

These include social and self-management skills, academic proficiency including reading, and improved relationships with family members and school personnel (Gardner & Resnick, 1996; Hawkins & Catalano, 1992; Schorr, 1988; West, Young, Mitchem & Calderella, 1998).

Prevention and Intervention

vs. Detention

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Child can’t read

Teach

Child can’t behave

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Child can’t read

Punish

Avoid, escape,aggression

Child can’t behave

Punish

Avoid, escape,aggression

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Family Protective Factors

• Close family relationships• Consistency of parenting• Copes with stress in a positive way• Education is valued, encouraged, and parents are

involved• Share family responsibilities, including chores and

decision making• Family members are nurturing and support each other • Clear expectations, limits and consequences

Community Protective Factors

• Community service opportunities available for youth• Laws and ordinances are consistently enforced• Informal social control • Opportunities exist for community involvement• Positive relationships with other adults encouraged• Strong religious or social composition• Resources (housing, healthcare, childcare, jobs, recreation,

etc.) are available• Neighbors share responsibility for monitoring youth

School Protective Factors

• Communicates high academic and behavioral expectations

• Encourages goal-setting, academic achievement and positive social development

• Positive attitudes toward school

• Fosters active involvement of students, parents and community members

PRINCIPLES

Clear, consistent expectations and consequences

Positive adult relationshipsTeaching emphasis

A. Academic SkillsB. Social SkillsC. Self-management Skills

Recognition for appropriate behavior

Parent Support

1. Student achievement related to parent support is not limited to the early years, but is significant at all ages and grade levels.

2. Children of involved parents achieve more, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents’ education level.

3. Children of involved parents have higher grades, test scores and better attendance, and they are more likely to graduate from high school and have greater enrollments in post-secondary education.

Parent Support

4. When it comes to student behavior, children of involved parents exhibit more positive attitudes and behavior.

5. Children of involved parents have fewer instances of alcohol use, violence, and antisocial behavior.

Helping the Victim

The Parentq Teach and provide strategies for appropriately

avoiding and escaping situations.q Develop strong relationships with adults so they

feel comfortable in talking.The Schoolq Don’t turn a blind eye to bullyingq Listen to parents concernsq Train students on what to do if they observe

bullying.