Documenting the Realities : The What, Where, How, When, and Who of Bullying

Documenting the Realities:

The What, Where, How, When, and Who of Bullying

Jessica Murphy, Fay Lamarra, Elizabeth Navarrete

WHAT IS BULLYING?Verbal taunts/threatsProperty damage/theftWritten messagesRumor spreadingSocial exclusionCyber-bullyingSexual harassment

- VERBAL- PHYSICAL- RELATIONAL

WHAT DOES BULLYING CAUSE?Psychological effectsEffects on educationEffects on drug and alcohol consumptionSchool danger increase

HOW OFTEN DOES BULLYING HAPPEN?Studies give different results

Average of 1 in 3 students have been bullied

10-15% of youth claim to have been bullied on a regular basis

23% of elementary school children say they are bullied 1-3 times a month

2/3rd of teens report that they have been verbally or physically harassed or assaulted

WHERE?Most bullying occurs at school

Usually in places with little or no adult supervision (such as hallways & playgrounds)

44% of middle schools reported bullying problems, compared to 20% of elementary & high schools

Bullying increases from elementary school, peaks in middle school, and lowers slightly in high school

Students in grades 8-11 reported that sexual harassment could occur anywhere in school, but mostly in the classroom, hallways, gym, or play area

Students can be targeted by bullies for any perceived or actual

trait, such as:

physical appearance & clothinggender or sexual orientationrace/ethnicityphysical abilityintellectual abilityfamily's income levelfamily's religion

WHO?Girls* Boys*

usually bully other girls more likely to be perpetrators & targets of physical

aggressionusually use verbal & relational bullying more likely to sexually bully/harass other studentsmore likely to be targets of sexualbullying/harassment more likely to be called racial/

ethnic insultsmore likely to be calledgender-based insults boys who appear “weak”

considered easy targetsmore likely to report feeling unsafe in school more likely to carry weapons

to schoolgirls in middle school who mature early are bullied *studies did not include data for students who might

identify as a gender “other” than girl or boy

WHO? Cont.10% of middle/high school students have had a

hate term used against them

Targets for bullying are usually students with few friends, few social skills, or those who are considered to be outsiders or “different” in some way

Students with ADD or ADHD are more likely to be both bullies & targets

Latino/a students are more likely than white or black students to experience race-based harassment

WHO? Cont.7 in 10 students frequently hear “gay” used as an

insult to mean stupid, weak, or “uncool”19% of boys have been called “gay” by their peers

Students who are openly LGBT report more bullying & harassmentMany are targeted because other students perceive

them to be gay, not because they actually are gay8 in 10 LGBT students have been harassed in school; 1

in 5 assaulted at school1 in 3 LGBT youths have attempted suicide; 4 times

higher than the rate for other youths

“Bullying is just a kid thing…they’ll grow out of it”

What can all this bullying result in?

although bullying declines slightly in high school, criminal incidents increase rape, assault with/without a weapon, robbery/theft,

vandalism60% of boys who persistently bullied others in school

had a criminal conviction by age 24U.S. Department of Education found that in 3/4ths of

student school shootings, the shooter acted out of anger/revenge for being bullied, harassed, or ostracized in school

REACTIONS TO BULLIESIs this a serious problem?What do students think of this?What do teachers think of this?Bystanders

HOW MUCH DO WE NOT KNOW?Between 1/3rd & ½ of bullying cases go

unreportedDo students report bullying?Who reports least often?What is the school’s view?Gap between teachers knowledge & student’s

opinionInstances of bullying have increased since

the 90s, but in reality only the awareness & documentation of bullying has increased

CONCLUSIONSWhere it happensWho it targetsResultsPsychologicalCriminalDocumentation & research

REFERENCES Orpinas & Horne, Bullying Prevention, 2006

Murray Thomas, What schools Ban and Why, 2008

BullyingStatistics.org

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

How-to-stop-bullying.com

Center for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey

American Association of University Women

U.S. Department of Education

Itgetsbetter.org

Stopbullying.gov

GLSEN, From Teasing to Torment, 2005