Childhood Bullying:

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Childhood Bullying What We Know and Can
Do Stuart Green, DMH, LCSW Behavioral Scientist,
Overlook Hospital/Atlantic Health Associate
Director, Overlook Family Medicine Clinical
Instructor of Family Medicine, UMDNJ NJ
Coalition for Bullying Awareness and
Prevention www.njbullying.org [phone]
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Olweus
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Traditional view 'boys will be boys', 'girls are
mean' inevitable, the nature of children 'rite
of passage growth experience, strengthening
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• Modern view bullying is created by adults
• adult modeling of bullying behavior
• acceptance of bullying as normal
• inaction when bullying occurs
• exposing children to social systems in which
  bullying is implicitly accepted.

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• DEFINITION OF BULLYING
• A child is being bullied when
• he or she is exposed repeatedly to negative acts
  by another child
• there is an intention to harm
• there is an imbalance of power so that the child
  who is being bullied has a difficult time
  defending himself or herself.

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• Bullying may involve either
• direct actions (e.g., hitting, shoving, kicking,
  taunting, teasing, name-calling)
• indirect actions (e.g., avoiding, social
  exclusion, spreading rumors).

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Teasing/Normal Conflict Bullying
Variability in roles (negative acts in both directions) Always the same target
Primary goal is not to harm. Intent to harm
Playful or limited in extent, because participants equal in power Harmful, directed at vulnerabilities, negative acts increase with targets distress
Relationship valued for mutual benefit, concern for other Seeking power, control or material gain as primary motive for relationship
Remorseful, takes responsibility, makes effort to address problem No remorse, blames victim, discounts targets point of view

Modified from schwablearning.org orig. Bullying at School, D. Olweus





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• Prevalence
• most common serious problem of the school-age
  child
• wide world range
• middle school years peak period
• prevalence 100

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• All students affected
• (the Bullying Circle)
• as bullying or bullied
• as bystanders (active, passive, activated)
• feel afraid, powerless, guilty, diminished
  empathy
• tension, numbing, fears of openness and
  self-expression

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• Gender differences
• boys more likely to bully (girls, boys)
• in girls, 'relational aggression' more common
  (manipulating relationships for negative effects
  on a peer) (boys also engage in this)
• boys more likely to be bullied by boys than
  girls.

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• Children who bully are more likely to
• use alcohol and tobacco
• have lower academic achievement
• have aggression and anti-social behavior,
• including criminality
• be less empathic
• be more impulsive
• have individual or family problems
• have authoritarian parents
• BUT

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• But most children who bully
• have good self-esteem
• adequate academic performance
• good social skills
• and are often popular
• (including with adults)

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• Bully/Victims
• A small number of children both bully and are
  bullied.
• And tend to have more problems
• (to begin with, and as a result.)

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• Characteristics targeted for bullying (not the
  cause)
• gender identify and expression (GLBTQ)
• obesity
• less strength, athleticism
• shortness
• learning differences
• special health needs
• obesity
• shyness, emotional expressiveness

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• Characteristics targeted for bullying
• (not the cause)
• poverty
• family problems
• being new in a school
• cultural or racial minority
• being or being perceived as gay
• Any perceived difference.
• Any child may be bullied.

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• Children bullied are more likely to be
• 'passive
• cautious
• sensitive
• insecure
• less assertive
• less strong
• more victimized or maltreated in the community
  or family
• more isolated, lonely, less buffered (friends)

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• BUT
• These characteristics may also be
• consequences of bullying
• isolation
• loneliness
• no buffer (friends)

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• AND ...
• These characteristics are
• developmentally normal
• or difficult to change
• and children without these characteristics are
  also bullied

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HARM SPECULATIONS

• Garbarino - teen pregnancy as a 'side-effect'
• bullying a key negative impact on schools
• 'white flight'/inhibited adult-risk-taking

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Another speculation about harm

• Bullying more harmful than more recognized forms
  of violence (e.g., sexual harassment or assault,
  other criminal assault) because less
  societal/consensual recognition as
  wrongful/harmful. Victims internalize this and
  (therefore) are more likely to blame themselves
  (whats wrong with me that they treat me this
  way), and other may (innocently) support
  self-blaming.

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But Here's What The Evidence Already Shows And
Suggests There is strong evidence that
bullying is remarkably harmful in the following
ways
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'Added injury' In children already suffering
or at risk from a wide range of illnesses,
conditions and characteristics, bullying
increases their vulnerability and suffering.
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'A source of problems' - Children may not
have developed certain problems or developed the
problems as severely if bullying had not
occurred.
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• 'A sign of problems'
• indicates that other serious problems are present
  

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Added Injury (associated conditions) academic
performance accidents and injury adolescent
HR-QOL adult workplace bullying alcohol/tobacco
and other drug use animal abuse anxiety Asperger's
(and other dev dis)
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(associated conditions) binge eating
disorder body dysmorphic disorder cancer childhood
eczema chronic abdominal pain cleft lip and
palate common health symptoms and doctor visits
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(associated conditions) depression diabetes
self-management feeling unsafe at school IBD
lack of help-seeking and self-identification in
hard-of-hearing youth learning differences
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(associated conditions) low body satisfaction
(after controlling for actual body weight), low
self-esteem, negative attitudes toward
parents/family obesity physical
activity (including in youth who are
obese) psychological health in incarcerated
youth stuttering
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A source of problems? anxiety/depression dysfunct
ional voiding (secondary enuresis,
encopresis) obesity recurrent abdominal
pain suicide weapon-carrying and school shootings
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• WHAT TO DO
• Dan Olweus (Whole School Model)
• school the most common site
• change the culture of schools
• involve all adults (then children)

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WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO?

• Change School Climate (preparatory)
• positive relations and shared understanding
  between staff
• increase positive staff-student interactions
• not favor some groups over others (diverse
  clubs)
• staff-student/community 'match'
  (complementary diversity)
• character education (social-emotional learning)
• clear/consensus expectations ('how we do things
  here')

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Bullying Prevention Program School-Wide Administ
rative support Coordinating group/staff
discussions/training Anonymous survey (pre-,
mid-, post-) Anonymous reporting system Proactive
effort to identify all incidents/relationships Sup
ervise high-risk areas (schoolyard, lunchroom,
school bus, team activities, locker room,
cyberspace) Consistent rules and
sanctions (well-known to students, staff,
parents, community)
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Bullying Prevention Program Classroom Clear,
consistent rules Regular meetings Collaborative
learning (jigsaw Aronson) Curriculum
integration (all subjects) Proactive work on
relationships Parent involvement
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Bullying Prevention Program Individual Meeting
with each child bullied and parent
(regret/apology, take responsbility,
absolve) Meeting with each child who bullied (4
questions what you did, harm it did, your
problem, next time?) and call parent Consequences
(reasonable, invariable, escalating)
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• Key adult actions
• statements, rules, modeling and consequences
  which clearly convey to children, especially at
  school, that bullying is wrong
• an atmosphere of warmth, acceptance and support
  for diverse individual strengths.

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• Systemic approach works
• reduces bullying incidents dramatically in 1st
  year
• improvements in subsequent years
• shown to reduce bullying substantially in
  well-done intervention studies in many different
  countries, including the U.S.

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Be clear about what doesnt work Zero tolerance
or 3 strikes Social skills training/psychothera
py as primary modalities Peer mediation and
conflict resolution One-shot (e.g., assemblies)
or short-term interventions.
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What can parents do about bullying?

• Good relations/communication with children.
• Inform yourself.
• Expect/ ask/ demand adequate school action.
• Expect/ ask/ demand that owners of social
  networking sites and internet providers address
  bullying.
• Ask your child how children treat other
  children at school (and how your child is
  treated) listening is more important than
  advice.

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What can parents do about bullying?

• When you hear children speak badly of another
  child, gently express discomfort, and empathy
  for the scorned child.
• Be present at your child's school don't wait to
  be invited, ask to volunteer.
• Take action with other concerned parents.
• Meet (as a group) with school leaders ask
  specifically about schools approach.

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What can parents do about bullying?

• Never ignore bullying, don't walk by if you
  can't intervene directly, report it.
• Support bullied kids in every possible way.
• Seek legal advice and government support.
• Don't accept leaders who bully, including
  teachers speak out, insist on change.
• Consider changing schools, if possible, as a
  last resort.

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What Can Social Workers Do?

• Screen for bullying involvement, consider
  bullying as a factor or even cause of presenting
  problems.
• Proactive identification of at-risk children,
  creative support through school culture and
  preventive counseling.
• Call on the school for corrective action,
  emphasize support for child/family.
• Have a bullying-aware office/school.
• Address negative leaders.
• Creatively support at-risk kids.
• As community leaders, expect schools to address
  bullying, raise parental expectations.
• Be clear about what works and doesnt work

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OLWEUS Our moral obligation to help bullied
children.
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• NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness and
  Prevention
• www.njbullying.org, [phone]
• Stan Davis Schools Where Everyone Belongs
  www.stopbullyingnow.com)
• www.stopbullyingworld.com
• www.stopbullyingnow.org (HRSA)

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Cyberbullying

• Stuart Green
• NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness and
  Prevention
• www.njbullying.org, [phone]
• (primary source Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats,
  Nancy Willard)

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Why Cyberbullying?

• Schools/parents ask about it.
• Intense media focus novelty/new threat
• Fears of tech, shift of power (to kids, experts)
• Association with violence/cultural toxicity
• Tragedies Missouri Lakeland, FL
• Fastest growing form of bullying (and beyond
  school)

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CYBERBULLYING
Electronic/digital A 'better' way (for
violence) o wider potential 'audience' o anonym
ity o easier, safer (for those bullying) o
no escape (for the bullied) o no adults. New
but growing (bigger than 'offline'?)
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Cyberbullying is Bullying Imbalance of
Power Pattern of Negative Acts (Intent to
Harm) Negative Acts Direct and
Indirect Bullying Direct (e.g.) Hitting,
comments to targeted person Indirect (e.g.)
Exclusion, spreading a rumor Cyberbullying
Direct (e.g.) Email to targeted person Indirect
(e.g.) Sending a photo to others
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CYBERBULLYING
Different than offline o more
bully/victims o more girls o self-harm
'support' Same as it ever was o bullied
offline and online o still mostly school-based
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Evolving Definitions Cyberbullying Sending or
posting harmful material or engaging in other
forms of social aggression using the Internet or
other digital technologies. Cyberthreats
Sending or posting direct threats or distressing
material that raises concerns that the person may
be considering committing an act of violence
against others or self.
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Cyber Internet, phone, pda/smartphone, IM,
chat, email, discussion board, blogs, v(b)logs,
text messaging, online games, peer to peer
networking, online matchmaking Includes text,
photos, drawings, videos, audio and combos.
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Specific CyberB Types Flaming Harassment
Denigration (harmful postings) Impersonation Outi
ng/Trickery (hidden group communication) Exclusion
(list removal/ blocking) Cyberstalking (unwanted
online involvement) Cyberthreats (blackmail,
assault, suicide threat)
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• Necessary Conditions
• No adult presence (except exploitive)
• Adults not aware (e.g., 70 teens say parents
  dont check), or not adequately computer literate
• Youth believe computer use private (diff. from
  tv)
• Huge s (22 have website, 41 million MySpace)
• Special appeal to troubled youth (e.g., ED,
  suicide, hate groups, gangs, self-harm sites)
• Internet addiction (avoids feelings/challenges,
  impairs other activity)

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• How Common?
• (for bullying, min. 10 - studies report wide
  range)
• Pew 07 32
• forwarding/posting private message 15
• spreading a rumor 13
• threatening message 13
• posting a photo w/o permission 6
• Most experts believe CyberB increasing faster
  than offline forms, exceeding offline B in
  incidents.

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B/CyberB Comparisons I Small percentage of
bullied children also bully. However, in CyberB,
20 of bullied youth also bully (retaliated?).
Many offline bullied youth (70) also bullied
online. Most CyberB relats school-based and most
incidents experienced at school. (Limber and
Kowalski 06) (Media Awareness Canada
05) (Fight Crime/Invest in Kids 06)
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B/CyberB Comparisons II Most Bs are boys.
CyberB involves more girls (boys still
majority?) CyberB retaliatory for offline
(school) bullying. Gender identity and
expression major targeted offline. Different for
cyberB? CyberB suicide (self-harm) support
unique
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• B/CyberB Comparisons III
• Ability to gather more bystanders, quickly.
• Easier activity (not requiring physical
  presence, less time, energy)
• Increased anonymity, one effect of which is to
  increase ability of lower status or power youth
  to bully, possibly enlarging bully/victim class.
• Target cant escape bullying at home.

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• What B and CyberB Have in Common
• Imbalance of power, pattern of negative acts,
  intent to hurt.
• Most targets are (or become) lower status
• Important role of bystanders
• High prevalence (most common violence)
• School relations (building-based, offline)
  most frequently
• Sexual harassment a common form
• Dont trust parents to hear/react in appropriate
  (restrained) manner
• Dont trust school staff to understand/respond
  appropriately.
• Adults inadequately protective/involved.

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What can schools do about cyberbullying?

• Include cyberbullying in all anti-bullying
  programs/materials.
• Monitor computer/device use, restrict access/use.
  
• Establish an electronic anonymous reporting
  mechanism.
• Train staff and educate students.
• Accept that cyberbullying is a school
  responsibility.

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• What can parents do?
• Good relations and communication.
• Keep computer in public place.
• Obtain school supervision and intervention
  (expect/ask/demand)
• Trust better than over-investigation (e.g.,
  keyboard programs), though this may be needed (if
  problem already exists).

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General Internet Use Golden Rules for
Kids (Willard 07) Be Kind Online Online
Persons Are Real What You Do Reflects on
You Think First (am I being kind?) What would
parent think? Am I violating a contract? Could
I do this in real world? What if I werent
invisible? Online active has real-world
impact. You leave cyberfootprints.
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• Adults are Responsible (Willard 07)
• Go after youtube, myspace, facebook owners. Use
  government (e.g., regulation) and media
  (exposure) as tools. (Site/Provider terms of
  use agreements typically limit harmful
  speech.)
• Most sites require stated age 13/older to
  register, but no meaningful enforcement/limits
  (children dont have official ID) or parental
  permission. (COPPA (Childrens Online Privacy
  Protection Act) limits info sites can obtain from
  children under 13, and requires parent approval
  for registration. www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/k
  idzprivacy).
• Many teens use multiple user names and log-ins,
  and sites dont address this issue.
• Review of postings is promised but very
  sporadic, relying mainly on a complaint process.

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While much of this activity is occurring
off-campus, the impact on the well-being of
students and the school climate can be
significant. schools can and must - employ
(strategies) to address these serious concerns.
(Willard, Cyberbullying, 2007, p. 2)
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New (Limited) Knowledge Cyberbullying and
Cyberthreats, Nancy E. Willard, Research Press,
2007. http//cyberbully.org Pew Internet and
American Life Project. www.pewinternet.org www.me
dia-awareness.ca www.fightcrime.org
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www.njbullying.org [phone]