School bullying – What it is and Why it hurts
The image of the class bully lording over weaker students goes back as far as the one-room schoolhouse. The class bully hasn't disappeared from our schools' classrooms, playgrounds, hallways, bathrooms, cafeterias, stairways, and school buses. In fact, children today have to put up with not only physical and verbal threats and intimidations, but also new forms of bullying. These new forms include spreading rumors through e-mails and cell phones, or using the Internet to cause distress.
Today's children aren't any more likely than their parents to place an encounter with a bully among their fondest memories of childhood. Those who argue otherwise might try explaining why so many adults can instantly recall not just the first, but also the last names of the individuals involved in childhood bullying incidents.
Bullying is repeated physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological attacks or intimidation.
At one time, school bullying may have been viewed as a "rite of passage" that built "character." Today, however, it's no longer regarded as just something that happens during playground routines. Educators, health and mental health practitioners, parents, and community members are realizing that it is a serious problem that can lead to more severe long-term problems for individuals and communities. Some experts believe that bullying should be considered a special form of child abuse-sometimes called "peer abuse," the cruelty of children to each other.ref
Federal researchers have found that bullying is related to more serious forms of violence-both for the victims and for the bullies-including frequent fighting and the carrying of weapons. Bullying is also associated with a higher risk of substance abuse.ref
Not all aggressive behavior among children and youth should be considered "bullying." Bullying is generally defined as repeated physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological attacks or intimidation by one individual who is perceived as being physically or psychologically stronger than another. In a general sense, 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 other students.ref
How serious is the problem? Many students fail to report bullying to teachers and other adults, making bullying an underreported problem. As researchers probe more deeply into what goes on among school-aged children, however, alarming statistics are surfacing:
· According to the results of a nationwide survey funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, ref bullying affects nearly one out of every three U.S. children in grades 6-10.
· One third of high school students polled about issues related to school size said their schools had serious problems with bullying.ref
· A review of 1999 data collected by the Federal government on school safety among 12- to 18-year-old students found that approximately 36 percent of students reported seeing hate-related graffiti at school.ref
· Fifty-five percent of 8- to 11-year-olds and 68 percent of 12- to 15-year-olds say bullying is a big problem.ref
· A nationwide survey highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 6.6 percent of students in grades 9-12 had missed at least one day of school during the 30 days preceding the survey because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.ref
· A survey by the American Association of University Women found that although students today are likely to be aware of school sexual harassment policies, 8 in 10 students -- both boys and girls -- said they experienced some type of sexual harassment in school. The results were the same among urban, suburban, or rural schools.ref
There are signs that bullying is on the rise. According to the National Education Association (NEA), in recent years, "bullying has become more lethal and has occurred more frequently" than in the previous two decades.ref The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has called bullying "the most common form of violence in society".ref
Groups such as the NEA, NASP, American Medical Association, and the American Bar Association have launched major initiatives to draw attention to the issue. Partly in response to several highly publicized school shootings across the country in recent years, several State legislatures have passed laws requiring schools to adopt antibullying policies.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has launched a major antibullying effort using prime-time television, public service messages, and bullying educational materials to bring the message directly to the children, parents, and schools affected by these issues. Involved agencies include SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Adults have a responsibility to understand-and intervene-when antisocial behavior crosses the line and becomes bullying used to gain control or power over another individual. Intervention also means empowering children, particularly the victims and those who are witnesses to bullying, to be part of the solution.
Recognizing bullying for what it is shouldn't lead to the conclusion that schools are dangerous breeding grounds for crime and violence. The CDC notes that the majority of injuries that occur at schools are unintentional and not violent. Less than 1 percent of all homicides among children and adolescents are school related.ref
However, there is no doubt that bullying can increase the "fear factor" in school environments.
The Consequences of Bullying
Research on bullying is still in the embryonic stages in this country. However, available figures indicate that school bullying can have major social, educational, health, and other consequences for the children who bully, the children who are bullied, the witnesses of violence, and their communities:
· Youth who are bullied have higher rates of suicide, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.ref
· Hostile kids who mistrust others are much more likely than their peers to develop physical symptoms linked to diabetes and heart attacks in the future.ref
· Youth who bully others frequently behave badly in school and are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol.ref
· According to the latest Secret Service Safe School Initiative, almost 75 percent of students who used violent weapons at school (e.g., guns or knives) to attack others felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others prior to the incident.ref
In one State, half of all reported hate crimes were committed by juveniles-the most severe and violent of these were nearly always preceded by years of bullying.
Bullying and Violence
A groundbreaking report published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in 2003ref found that bullying at home or at school may lead to more aggressive behavior as the child gets older. The report analyzed information from a 1998 survey of more than 15,000 students in grades 6-10 in public and private schools across the United States. The report identified bullying as a strong risk factor for possible violence in the future. Among those who pose the greatest risk for violence are bullies who often feel threatened themselves.
The study found that both children who bully and those who are bullied carry weapons to schools:
· About 50 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls who had bullied others in school reported carrying a weapon.
· Thirty-six percent of boys and 15 percent of girls who had been bullied carried a weapon.
· Youth who are bullied and who also bully others away from school were nearly 16 times more likely to carry a weapon.
The short-term consequences of bullying for the victim are more than a black eye from a fight or a damaged reputation from an e-mail message. Those who are bullied feel tense and afraid and unable to concentrate on their studies. However, available figures indicate that bullying is coming at tremendous health, educational, and other costs to society.
Impact on Learning
Bullying can distract bullies, victims, and witnesses from learning. Bullies who are plotting their next attack or victims who are consumed with anxiety and fear about their next encounter with a bully will have difficulty focusing on the lesson at hand. Witnesses may:ref
· Be afraid of associating with the victim for fear of lowing their social status among their peers, or fear retribution from the bully and becoming victims themselves;
· Fear reporting bullying incidents because they do not want to be considered a "snitch," "tattler," or "informer";
· Experience guilt or helplessness for not standing up to the bully on behalf of their classmate;
· Be drawn into bullying behavior by peer pressure;
· Feel unsafe, a loss of control, or unable to take action.
Truancy
Bullying is having tremendous health, educational, and other costs on society.
Truancy has been labeled one of the top ten major problems in schools in the United States and identified as one of the most powerful predictors of delinquency. Many students stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied.ref Students who are not in schools learning may find other, less acceptable ways to occupy their time. About half of serious violent juvenile victimizations occur between noon and 6 p.m.ref
Decreased school attendance hurts the individual and society. Absence from school affects a student's achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem, and employment potential. Independent of the lost educational opportunities, truancy comes with other societal costs.
Bullying's Long-Term Effects
The effects of bullying extend beyond the school years. Bullying may lead to criminal behavior for those who bully and future health and mental health problems for both the bully and the victims:
· Six out of 10 kids identified as bullies in middle school are convicted of a crime by the time they reach age 24.ref
· Years after experiencing bullying, adults who were bullied as teens have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.ref
· Children exposed to violence either at home or at school often suffer long-term problems such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, anger, and self-destructive behaviors.ref
Yet, despite its prevalence, bullying often is overlooked or downplayed as a problem among parents and educators. Many bullying activities take place out of the view of adults. But even those activities that occur within plain sight are frequently ignored:
· As many as one-fourth of elementary and middle school teachers don't understand the seriousness of bullying or putdowns and, therefore, intervene in only 4 percent of bullying incidents.ref
· More than two-thirds of middle school students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying.ref
Most school bullying doesn't lead to headline-grabbing incidents of students brandishing guns in mass attacks against their perceived enemies. The consequences of bullying are often less obvious, yet nonetheless damaging and lasting. Left unchecked, bullying creates an atmosphere of intimidation and fear that can send a message to students that aggressive and violent behavior is accepted.
Environmental Factors
Bullying exists within an environment of other forms of violence and aggression by and toward youth:
· The U.S. child homicide rate (2.6 per 100,000 for children younger than 15 years) is five times higher than the rate of 25 other industrialized countries combined, according to the CDC.ref
· Suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents. The rate of suicide among adolescents increased 128 percent between 1960 and 2000.ref
· According to a 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) Report, 28 percent of the nation's youth have participated in a serious fight either at school or at work, have taken part in a group-against-group fight, or have attacked others with the intent of seriously hurting them.ref
· The U.S. Department of Justice reports that juveniles are twice as likely as adults to be victims of serious violent crime and three times as likely to be victims of assault.ref
· In one-third of the sexual assaults reported to law enforcement, the victim is under the age of 12.ref
· According to a comprehensive 1995 study of the prevalence of violence among youth, approximately 8.8 million youths indicated that they had seen someone else being shot, stabbed, sexually assaulted, physically assaulted, or threatened with a weapon.ref
· An estimated one in eight 17-year-olds have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lifetimes, according to the same study cited above.ref
· The average child sees 16,000 murders on television by age 18. Although homicide rates have decreased, network news coverage of homicides has ballooned.ref
Cost of Violence
The annual cost of the violence affecting young people and others in society is estimated at a staggering $425 billion in direct and indirect costs relating to the criminal justice system, security, treatment, and lost productivity and quality of life.ref
Putting aside the larger questions about the degree of violence in society, however, parents, teachers, students, and communities can do something about school bullying. The time to start is now.
Myths and Facts
Despite increasing research and publicity about bullying, several myths still exist. See if you can separate the myths from the facts below:
Instructions: Read the statement and then click on the "Myth" or "Fact" button to choose which you think it is. You may also view all the answers on one page (with references).
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· Children who bully are loners.
Is this a Myth or a Fact?
· "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names can never hurt you."
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· All children can get bullied, even if they look "normal."
Is this a Myth or a Fact?
· Most adults think bullying is the same as normal peer conflict.
Is this a Myth or a Fact?
· Only a small number of children are affected by bullying.
Is this a Myth or a Fact?
· Parents can help prevent bullying by becoming involved in their child's schooling.
Is this a Myth or a Fact?
· Bullying happens mostly in plain sight of others.
Is this a Myth or a Fact?
Summary
· Bullying is a major problem, particularly in elementary and middle schools, and comes with major costs for the individual and society.