Media Guidelines for Bullying Prevention

1. Media Guidelines for Bullying Prevention James Wright, LCPC Public Health Advisor, SAMHSA Dan Reidenberg, PSYD Executive Director, SAVE

2. Teens’ brains make them morevulnerable to suicide Misconceptions about teen suicide abound, said Dr. Barry N. Feldman, Director of Psychiatric Programs in Public Safety at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a suicide prevention expert. “Neither bullying, pressure to succeed in sports or academics, nor minority sexual orientation can cause suicide, he says, but are among a number of possible risk factors. If you focus too much on just bullying or sexual orientation, you take your eye off the underlying vulnerability a kid may have,” Feldman says. Jan Brogan, Globe Correspondent, 3/10/14

3. Development of Best Practices • Literature review • “Searches revealed almost no existing research reports on the specific topic of what effect media coverage of bullying might have on the public.” • 1 journal article, 1 book (2003), proceedings from 2006 international online conference • Stakeholder interviews • Bullying prevention, media, suicide and youth experts • Misinformation, what to do/not to do, how to get this out • Media analysis • Review of bullying reports in the mainstream media and blogs • Coverage characteristics, content of 337 articles over 8 months • Participants • Panel of experts from multiple fields

4. Video Clip #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTCEYAyBYjQ

5. Olweus Definition • According to OBPP, an individual is being bullied when he or she is the target of • Aggressive behavior by another student or students (for example, when others say mean things, deliberately and • Systematically ignore someone, physically hurt others, spread negative rumors, or do other hurtful things), when • A power imbalance exists between the individuals involved, and when the bullying behavior usually happens more than once. • All three conditions must be present for the actions to constitute bullying behavior.

6. Definition • Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.  • In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include: • An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people. • Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once. • Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

7. Definition of Bullying The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines bullying as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm. Bullying can occur in-person and through technology. Electronic aggression or cyber-bullying is bullying that happens through email, chat rooms, instant message, a website, text message, or social media.

8. Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center Most agree that an act is defined as bullying when: • The behavior hurts or harms another person physically or emotionally. • The targets have difficulty stopping the behavior directed at them, and struggle to defend themselves. • Many definitions include a statement about the ”imbalance of power”, described as when the student with the bullying behavior has more “power”, either physically, socially, or emotionally, such as a higher social status, is physically larger or emotionally intimidating. • A basic guideline for your child is this: Let the child know that if the behavior [of another student] hurts or harms them, either emotionally or physically, it’s bullying.

9. Emily Bazelon - NYT • The definition of bullying adopted by psychologists is physical or verbal abuse, repeated over time, and involving a power imbalance. • In other words, it’s about one person with more social status lording it over another person, over and over again, to make them miserable.

10. Media • Main means of mass communication • Television • Radio • Internet • Newspapers Goal was to create guidelines for safe and accurate reporting to help reduce impact of reported bullying behavior

11. Best Practices • Question which stories about bullying to run • Does it meet the definition of bullying? • How will this coverage affect the children and families involved? • Does the story reflect reality? • Will this coverage help audiences better understand how they can contribute to preventing bullying?

12. Best Practices • Get the entire, balanced story and present it accurately • Try to talk to everyone involved • State the facts • Cover bullying as a public health issue • Remember that bullying affects people’s lives and emotions

13. Best Practices • Use knowledgeable sources and reputable resources • Find an expert • Use verified statistics and research-based facts • Include information that many stories miss • Information about those who bully • Effects of bullying • Specific ways for individuals to help

14. Best Practices • Use nuanced, accurate journalism to make the world safer for kids • Give practical advice on how to prevent bullying • Highlight successful bullying prevention activities • Discuss new prevention research • Point to prevention resources • Stress the positive actions, reactions, and interventions taking place

15. What to Avoid Overstating the problem Stating or implying the bullying caused a suicide Oversimplifying issues related to a bullying incident Using under-qualified sources Blaming/criminalizing those who bully Sensationalizing Excluding prevention information and resources

16. Video Clip #2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKWKhI9uRSY

17. Learn More @ • http://www.stopbullying.gov/news/media/index.html • Specific examples for media • http://www.stopbullying.gov/news/media/avoid/index.html

18. Community Causal Relationships • Positive Engagement • Builds community and engages many • Results in positive outcomes • Policies • Safety • Increases awareness • Mental health • Suicide prevention • Helps in grieving process • Negative Engagement • Enrages others • Results in negative outcomes • Nothing is done • Wrong issues are addressed • Increases shame, blame, labels • Creates tension • Misses underlying issues contributing to the bullying

19. Things to Remember • School climate influences an array of MEB health outcomes for young people and can be a factor that promotes positive health or has negative health consequences. • Students with MEB health disorders are at much higher risk for an array of problems: academic failure, school drop out, absenteeism and tardiness, and disruption of the learning environment. • Media and the use of social media can directly impact the school climate, either positively or negatively

20. Things to Remember • There’s a difference between causation and correlation • Most research demonstrates that bullying is a risk factor for many outcomes but is not the only “cause” • Not all who experience or engage in bullying will have these outcomes • http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html • Not everyone who has these outcomes was bullied

21. Q & A • James Wright • James.wright@samhsa.hhs.gov • 240-276-1854 • Dan Reidenberg • dreidenberg@save.org • 612-741-1354

22. References Gladden RM, Vivolo-Kantor AM, Hamburger ME, Lumpkin CD. Bullying Surveillance Among Youths: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0. Atlanta, GA; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Education; 2013. David-Ferdon C, Hertz MF. Electronic media and youth violence: A CDC issue brief for researchers. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2009. Available from www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Electronic_Aggression_Researcher_Brief-a.pdf CDC.gov; Stopbullying.gov