BULLYING

1. BULLYING Sandra LewAllen Michigan State University CEP 841-730 July 27, 2009

2. Bullying interferes with education, self esteem and self worth, and produces an air of anxiety and fear in learning environments. The effects of bullying continues long after school is over including depression and suicide. Bullying has become an epidemic in the United States. To address this situation, schools must utilize and implement programs to eradicate this form of violence and restore a safe educational environment for all. Problem Statement

3. Bullying is defined as • “Behaviors and actions that are verbal, physical and/or anti-social, such as exclusion, gossip and non-verbal body language. It can occur at school or in transit between school and home.” (Special Education Definitions, 2009) • “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, 2008) • “Bullying is generally defined as an intentional act that causes harm to others, and may involve verbal harassment, verbal or non-verbal threats, physical assault, stalking, or other methods of coercion such as manipulation, blackmail, or extortion. It is aggressive behavior that intends to hurt, threaten or frighten another person. An imbalance of power between the aggressor and the victim is often involved. Bullying occurs in a variety of contexts, such as schools, workplaces, political or military settings, and others.” (US Legal Definitions, 2007)

4. Elements Associated with Bullying Most experts will agree that bullying has three distinct components. When behavior presents itself in the following manner, it is considered to be bullying. • The behavior must be intended to cause harm. • The behavior must be repetitive. • The behavior must have a marked discrepancy of power between the bully and the victim be it physical, social or other. (Jacobsen & Bauman, 2007)

5. Three Types of Bullying • Physical Aggression – Any attempt at causing pain and making it appear that it was unintentional • Relational Aggression – Purposefully isolating others by use of gossip, rumors, and omitting classmates from activities that change peer groups • Verbal Aggression – Negative use of words including, but not limited to, name calling, teasing, and threats (Jacobsen & Bauman, 2007)

6. Nine Ways of Bullying • Verbal • Social Exclusion and Isolation • Physical • Lie and False Rumors • Sexual • Racial • Threatening • Cyber • Having items taken or damaged (Olweus, 2008)

7. Nine Ways of Bullying Explained Verbal: name calling, derogatory remarks, laughing at, nagging Social: purposely excluding and isolating individuals Physical: any sort of harm through and not limited to kicking, hitting, spitting, fighting, shoving Lies and Rumors: spreading untruths to humiliate, embarrass or belittle Sexual: Physical or non-physical harassment based on a person’s gender or sexuality Racial: Physical or non-physical harassment based on a person’s ethnicity and/or race Threatening: Forcing or threatening an individual to do something they don’t want to do Cyber: Utilizing the internet and or cell phones to bully Stealing or Damaging: Taking items or damaging belongings of victims (Olweus, 2008) (Field, 1999)

8. Bullying Statistic, Facts, and Incidence in the United States • Half of all school age children are bullied at some time • At least 10% are bullied on a regular basis • Boys engage in physical intimidation or threats • Boys do not discriminate by gender • Girls engage in verbal intimidation • By age 23 children who were bullied were likely to be depressed • 50% of school bullies engage in criminal activities as adults • Grades 4 – 8 incur most of the bullying • An 8 year old bully has a 3 times chance of engaging in criminal activity as an adult • The outcome of bullying can lead to suicide for the victim (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2008) (Olweus 2004)

9. One third of all American school children are bullied one time per month • Six in ten school children watch someone being bullied every day • 3.2 million school age children in grades 6-10 are victims of bullying (Jessup, 2009)

10. Special Needs Students Especially vulnerable are students with special needs and/or disabilities. Studies indicate that these students are at risk of being bullied. • LD students have a higher risk of becoming victims to bullies. • ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) students are not only bullied but also bully others. • Students with physical conditions (cerebral palsy, spina bifida etc.) are usually verbally bullied by others. • Obese students experience verbal, relational, and physical bullying by others. • Students who stutter report experiencing bullying at least one time per week. • Insulin dependent diabetic students are at risk for bullying. (U.S. Department of Education, 2006)

11. About the Bullies Research by psychologists Kenneth Dodge and John Cole has shown two types of aggression that bullies display. Reactive aggression is impulsive and emotional. The reactive bully is on the lookout for trouble as he feels threatened. Proactive aggression is controlled, non-aggressive, and measured. Coercion and/or domination are his goals. Characteristics of Bullies: Need to feel power and control, get satisfaction is seeing others suffer at their hand or that of others, exhibit no empathy, defend their violence by claiming to be provoked, defiant and oppositional, are products of homes where physical punishment is administered, come from homes that lack warmth and accepts fighting as a means to settling issues, exhibit antisocial behavior and do not follow rules. (Fried & Fried, 1996) (Batsche & Knoff, 1994) • Fried, Seullen, A.D.T.R., Fried, Paula, Ph.D., Bulllies and Victims, M. Evans and Co., New York, 1996

12. About the Victims There are two types of victims according to Dan Olweus and David Perry, PhD. Low- aggressive or passive victims do nothing to request bully’s behavior . Additionally, they do nothing to defend themselves once the onslaught begins. High-aggressive or provocative victims create an atmosphere of trouble by teasing and being irritating to others without realizing. These victims lack social cues. Often times they will fight back. They are also mistaken for bullies as they tend to initiate confrontation and end up losing. Characteristics of Victims: Anxious, insecure, cautious, socially isolated, lack of friends, deficient in social skills, are close to their parents or guardians, tendency toward physical weakness. (Fried & Fried, 1996) (Batsche & Knoff, 1994)

13. In July, 2009 the United States Congress recognized this crisis as a national epidemic and is now considering a “Safe Schools Improvement Act” after hearing from teachers, psychologists, and students. Sirdeaner Walker, a parent of an eleven year old who committed suicide after being bullied, stated to congress that “school bullying is a national crisis and we need a national solution to deal with it.” (Jessup, 2009)

14. Implications for Schools There are several detrimental affects bullying has on the entire school community. The success of the school is compromised when the climate does not afford a safe learning environment for its students, teachers, or staff. When schools are infected with bullying they are likely to suffer the following symptoms. • Fear and disrespect between all parties • Learning is hard • Insecurity pervades the student body • Students hate attending • Students feel uncared for by teachers and staff who have little control over the situation (Olweus, 2001)

15. Applications for Schools: “Kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” anonymous The first step toward creating a bully free school is to recognize the severity of the problem plaguing our nation. At minimum, we owe every child a safe learning environment. There are many well established anti-bullying programs for schools. The key element of each is the important role the UPSTANDER (those who address the behavior either openly or circuitously) plays by empowerment. The best program for your school is the one that is enforced and practiced by everyone; students, teachers, parents, staff.

16. Characteristics of successful programs According to Richard Hazler and JoLynn Carney of Pennsylvania State University, an anti-bully program should contain the following elements; • Socioecologic perspective • Isolation Reduction • Emphatic Involvement • Building Awareness • Policy Development • Assessment, Adjusting, Recycling • Skill Development • Ongoing Action(Jimerson & Furlong, 2006)

17. Characteristics Explained Socioecological perspective – Recognizes the need that many individuals reaching outside the school and into the community are necessary to establish and sustain an anti-bullying program. The grander the number of participants, the greater the success of the program. Isolation Reduction - By eliminating the isolation victims gain confidence in numbers, are open to discussion ,ideas, beliefs, and feelings. Eliminating the ‘down time’ when most behaviors occur reduces the isolation. Emphatic Involvement – When individuals are taught through emotional awareness techniques to be empathetic toward others, they understand and are more likely to become involved in stopping bullying behaviors. Films, videos and testimonies have been helpful in teaching empathy. Building Awareness – Encouraging students to become involved begins by generating consciousness. The students are then more apt to assist in developing an anti-bullying program. Policy Development – The written rules of any anti-bullying program. The policies that are established by students, teachers, parents and staff clearly define what is acceptable and not acceptable in the classroom, school, and community. Assessment, Adjusting, Recycling – Any program is only successful if it continues to evolve by means of assessment, adjusting and recycling. Open dialog, objective assessments and feedback by all parties is crucial to the success of a program. Skill Development – Ample time and effort must be allowed to develop skills needed to execute an anti-bullying program. Ongoing Action – The continual and ongoing action between skill development and assessment, adjusting and recycling. (Jimerson & Furlong, 2006)

18. Example of Anti-Bullying CodeWood Oaks Community Schools ANTI-BULLYING CODE developed by students • You have the right to be treated with respect, kindness and trust. • You have the right to be accepted and included in the Wood Oaks community. • You have the right to say no when you are not comfortable with a situation. • You have the right not to have your physical space violated. • You have the right to know that your personal property will not be damaged or taken by your peers. • WE SOLVE PROBLEMS PRODUCTIVELY BY STOPPING, THINKING, AND DISCUSSING OUR ACTIONS. (p.28) • (Hillsberg & Spak, 2006)

19. Established Anti Bullying Programs There are many well established programs that assist schools and communities in their efforts to eradicate bullying and its devastating effects on students. Listed below are a few nationally recognized programs that utilize the characteristics of successful programs. • http://www.bullybust.org/ A student led community effort to reduce bullying in schools. • http://www.jaybanks.com/home/programs/anti-bullying-program/ A credentialed instructor, Jay Banks delivers this specially designed program (and recommended in-service) to educate and equip children with a five-point strategy • http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/ Acomprehensive, school-wide program designed for use in elementary, middle, or junior high schools. Its goals are to reduce and prevent bullying problems among school children and to improve peer relations at school. • http://www.bullies2buddies.com/ Teaches people how to handle problems on their own, without getting anyone in trouble. Furthermore, it teaches the true practice of the Golden Rule–the universal rule of morality, and of Freedom of Speech, the foundation of democracy. • http://www.olweus.org/public/index.page A proven program for bullying prevention created by author and research professor of psychology, Dan Olweus.

20. National Groups Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Marlene Snyder, PhDResearch Associate, Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life, Clemson University Phone: 864-710-4562Fax: 406-862-8971 E-mail: nobully@clemson.edu National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1 800 273 –TALK (8255) Bully Stoppers.Com Tom Letson,MA LPC LCADC  (732) 547-2603) School Safety Program Hotline Stop Bullying Now Report school crimes from anywhere in the U.S. 24/7 http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/ 1 800 78 CRIME U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Resources

21. Summary The severity by which our nation is plagued by bullying has grown to epidemic proportions. Research shows the lasting effects bullying has on its victims long after formal schooling is over. Studies reveal that a young victim of bullying still feels the effects at 23 years of age evidenced by depression. At age 23, sixty percent of bullies have been convicted of a crime. In severe cases of bullying, helpless victims turn to suicide. Schools that are not free of bullies cannot provide a safe learning environment for its students. The right of every child to a good education is denied. The complexity of bullying is recognized as a violent social issue. There are many approaches and strategies to help schools and communities deal with these issues. The program that best suits an individual school and community is one where students, parents, teachers, and staff participate fully, are open to exchanges of ideas, and are willing to invest the time and effort knowing results are not instantaneous. Choosing an established and well researched program is more likely to yield results for the students, teachers, parents, school, and community.

22. "I imagined he'd be doing his homework or playing his video games. Instead, I found him hanging by an extension cord tied around his neck.“ Sirdeaner Walker, mother of 11 year old son, Carl, who was bullied by his peers

24. We have the power to affect a change…

25. References American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, (May, 2008). Bullying. Facts for Families, 80, Retrieved July 20, 2009, from http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying Batsche, G.M., & Knoff, H.M. (1994). Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools. School Psychology Review, 23, 165-174. Field, E. (1999). Bully Busting. Sydney, Australia: Finch Publishing. Fried, S., & Fried, P. (1996). Bullies and Victims. New York: M. Evans and Company, Inc. Garbarino, J., & deLara, E. (2002). And Words Can Hurt Forever. New York: The Free Press. Hillsberg, C., & Spak, H. (2006). , Supporting Students in Safe Environments. Middle School Journal, 28. Jacobsen, K.E., & Bauman, S. (2007). Bullying in Schools: School Counselors' Responses to Three Types of Bullying Incidents . American School Counselor Association-Professional School Counseling,11,1-2. Jessop, J. (2009, July). Retrieved July 25, 2009, The Christian Broadcasting Network Web site: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/July/School-Bullying-Statistics-Prompt-Action-in-DC/

26. Jimerson, S. , & Furlong, M. (Eds.). (2006). The handbook of school violence and school safety. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Olweus, D. (2001). Peer harassment: A critical analysis and some important issues. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized. New York: The Guilford Press. Olweus, D. (2004). What we know and what we can do. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers. Olweus, D. (2008). What is bullying. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from Olweus Bully Prevention Program Web site: http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying_prevention_program.page Special Education Definitions, (2009). Special Education Definitions. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from Partner's Resource Network Web site: http://definitions.uslegal.com/b/bullying/ U.S. Department of Education, (2006). Bullying Among Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Needs. Retrieved July 27, 2009, from Stop Bullying Now - Take a stand, lend a hand Web site: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/HHS_PSA/pdfs/SBN_Tip_24.pdf US Legal Definitions, (2007). Bullying Law and Legal Definition. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from US Legal Definitions Web site: http://definitions.uslegal.com/b/bullying/