The document provides an overview of research on preventing bullying abuse and school violence. It discusses facts and figures about bullying including prevalence, types, gender differences, and consequences. It also discusses prevention and intervention strategies including developing anti-bullying policies, training staff, working with parents, responding to incidents, and ongoing support. Effective anti-bullying programs are intensive, carefully monitored, and include parent training. Brief awareness events and zero-tolerance policies are less effective. The Alberti Center conducts research to understand and reduce bullying through providing research-based tools.
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1. RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
HIGHLIGHTS: PREVENTING
BULLYING ABUSE
AND SCHOOL VIOLENCE
Amanda Nickerson, PhD
Associate Professor and Director
Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention
University at Buffalo
nickersa@buffalo.edu
gse.buffalo.edu/alberticenter
2. Overview
Introduction and needs assessment
Alberti Center slideshow
Facts and figures about bullying
Prevention and intervention: The best of our
knowledge
Vision for and highlights from Alberti Center
4. Bullying
Intentional, usually repeated
acts of verbal, physical, or
written aggression by a peer
(or group of peers) operating
from a position of strength or
power with the goal of
hurting the victim physically
or damaging status and/or
social reputation
Olweus (1978); United States Department of Education (1998)
5. Types of Bullying
Physical bullying
punching, shoving, acts that hurt people
Verbal bullying
name calling, making offensive remarks
Indirect bullying
spreading rumors, excluding, ganging up
Cyber bullying
willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of
computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices
Hinduja & Patchin (2009)
6. Bullying vs. Teasing vs. Conflict
Teasing: Fun, good-natured,
“give-and-take” between friends designed
to get both parties to laugh
Conflict: A struggle, dispute,
and/or misunderstanding
between two opposing forces
Bullying: Based on a power
imbalance; taunting another with the
intent of harming; continues when
the other is distressed
7. Prevalence
Estimates vary WIDELY, but according to
student self-report...
20-25% have bullied at least once
5-20% bully consistently
15-40% are targets of bullying
20-25% are bullied regularly
~ 18-20% are cyber-bullied
1-2% are extreme victims who experience
severe traumatization or distress
Carylyle & Steinman (2007); Cowie (2000); Nansel et al. (2001);
Perry, Kusel, & Perry (1988); Skiba & Fontanini (2000)
8. When and Where
Does Bullying Occur?
Pre-K through late high school (and beyond);
peaks in middle school
Physical bullying declines as children get older
Social, verbal, and cyberbullying continue through
high school
Anywhere; most likely in less closely supervised
areas
Bus, locker room, playground,
lunch, hallways, and everywhere
(for cyberbullying)
9. Gender Differences
Boys
More direct, physical bullying
Bully more frequently than girls
Bully both boys and girls
Girls
More indirect
More subtle, hard to detect, and often occurs in
groups
Tend to target other girls of the same age
Cyberbullying slightly more common than for
males
Banks (2000); Cook, Williams, Guerra, Kim, & Sadek, (2010); Crick & Grotpeter, (1995);
Hinduja & Patchin, (2009); Hoover & Oliver, (1996); Nansel et al., (2001); Olweus, (2002);
10. Common Characteristics of
Students who Bully
Desire for power and control
Get satisfaction from others’ suffering
Justify their behavior (“he deserved it”)
More exposed to physical punishment
More likely to be depressed
Engage in other risky and delinquent
behaviors
Alcohol and drug use
Fighting
Batsche & Knoff (1994); Beaver, Perron, & Howard, (2010); Olweus (1993);
Swearer et al. (in press); Vaughn, Bender, DeLisi, (in press)
11. Students who Bully: Complex
Picture
Often popular, high
social status
Report average self-
esteem and believe
they are superior
Most do NOT lack self-
esteem
However, also report
being less engaged in
school, less supported
by others, more
depressed
12. Characteristics of Children
who are Bullied
Have a position of relative weakness
Age, ethnic background, financial status, disability,
sexual orientation
Most are passive and lack assertiveness
Do nothing to invite aggression
Do not fight back when attacked
May relate better to adults than peers
Fewer provoke others (provocative victims or
bully-victims)
Offend, irritate, tease others
Reactive; fight back when attacked
Boivin, Poulin, & Vitaro (1994); Hodges & Perry (1999); Olweus (1978, 1993, 2001);
Schwartz (2000); Snyder et al. (2003)
13. Consequences for Youth who Bully
More likely to experience legal or criminal
troubles as adults (even after controlling for
other risk factors)
Poor ability to develop and maintain positive
relationships in later life
Andershed, Kerr, & Stattin (2001); Farrington (2009); Farrington, & Ttofi (2009, 2011);
Oliver, Hoover, & Hazler (1994); Olweus (1993); Ttofi & Farrington (2008)
14. Consequences for Targets of Bullying
Emotional distress
Loneliness, peer rejection
Desire to avoid school
Increased anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation;
low self-esteem
In some cases, may respond with extreme
violence (two-thirds of school shooters were
victims of bullying)
Boivin, Hymel, & Bukowski (1995);
Boulton & Underwood (1992);
Crick & Bigbee (1998);
Egan & Perry (1998);
Hinduja, & Patchin, (2009);
Kochenderfer & Ladd (1996);
Nickerson & Sltater (2009);
Olweus (1993); Perry et al. (1988)
15. Social Context of Bullying
Culture & School
Family Bully, Target, and
Community (Staff/Peers)
Bystander
Adapted from
Swearer & Espelage
16. Bullying and Bystanders
Peers see 85% of bullying (most join in, some
ignore, small number intervene)
Peers are influential in early adolescence, when
they are more supportive of bullying and less
likely to intervene
Bullying = higher social status in a group
Adolescents seek out peers who display more
independent, aggressive as opposed to more adult-
like, conforming behaviors
“Culture of silence”
Charach et al. (1995); Hawkins, Pepler, & Craig
17. Bullying and School Environment
Bullying is more likely to thrive in:
Unsupportive or unhealthy school climates
Environments lacking in sense of belonging for
students and strong relationships among and between
students, teachers, and families
Schools where adults ignore or dismiss bullying
behaviors
Schools who serve students who are not academically
engaged
LEADERSHIP IS CRITICAL!!!
Doll, Song, Champion, & Jones, (2011); Holt, Keyes, & Koenig, (2011); Kasen, Johnson,
Chen, Crawford, & Cohen, (2011); Swearer (in press)
18. Bullying and Families
For children who bully, there may be…
Less warmth, involvement, supervision
Lack of clear, consistent rules
Harsh/corporal punishment
Parental discord
Domestic violence/child abuse
Bowers et al. (1994); Finnegan et al. (1998); Ladd & Ladd (1998);
Nickerson, Mele, & Princiotta (2008); Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic (1999)
19. Bullying and Families (cont.)
For children who are bullied, there may be…
More intense, positive, and overprotective parenting
(for boys)
More threats of rejection and lack of assertion (for
girls)
Inconsistent discipline practices (overprotective and
neglectful) without warmth for bully-victims
For children who intervene, there may be…
More open, trusting relationships with mothers
Bowers et al. (1994); Finnegan et al. (1998); Ladd & Ladd (1998);
Nickerson, Mele, & Princiotta (2008); Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic (1999)
20. Bullying and School Staff
Often not involved in bullying problem or
resolution
Intervene less than 10% of the time
Not told about problem (victims fear reprisal)
Powerful influence on peer acceptance of
others
Warmth, positive feedback leads to greater peer
acceptance
Banks (1997); Chang (2003); Cohn & Canter (2002); Hughes, Cavell, & Willson (2001);
Limber (2002);
Mullin-Rindler (2003); Skiba & Fonanini (2000); White, Sherman, & Jones (1996)
21. Bullying and Culture/Community
Exposure to violent TV/video games predicts
greater risk of bullying actions
Characteristics of neighborhoods have
significant effects on bullying behavior
Unsafe
Increased risk of
Violent
bullying
Disorganized
behaviors
Cook et al, (2010); Gentile (2003); Olson et al. (2009); Swearer et al. (in press)
23. What can Schools do?
Have a clear and sensible definition of bullying
Collect data about its occurrence in your
school
Ensure that behavioral and social-emotional
skills are developed to prevent bullying
Develop and implement anti-bullying policy
Actively involve students in efforts
Provide training to staff and parents about
Farrington & Ttofi, (2009); Gregory, Cornell, responses (2010); Koth, Bradshaw, &
bullying and effective Fan, Sheras, & Shih
Leaf, (2008); Olweus (1993); Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic (1999); Rigby (n.d.)
24. Anti-Bullying Policies
Definitions
Statement about expected behaviors and
prohibitions
Reporting procedure
Investigation and disciplinary actions
Continuum of consequences and interventions
Training and prevention procedures
Assistance for target
25. Working with Parents
Proactively communicate the importance
of a safe and respectful environment
Workshops, newsletters, open house
Be clear about school’s policies
Communicate about incidents
26. Immediate Response to Bullying
Stop the bullying
Name the bullying behavior and refer to school rules
against it
Engage other students (bystanders) in why this is
not OK
Apply consequences to student bullying
Be aware of possible humiliation or
retaliation against target so use
caution in what is done in front of others
27. Follow-up with Student who is
Bullying
Remove from situation
Expect denial
Focus on the behavior (not on the person)
Inform student about consequences
Apologize to victim and make plan for preventing problem in future
Discuss incident with teacher, administrator, or parent
Pay for damaged belongings
Spend time in office or another classroom
Lose privilege (e.g., unable to play in sports game)
Communicate with parents
28. Communicating with Parents
Be timely with communication!
Focus on the behavior (not the person)
Avoid blaming or judging (expect denial)
Emphasize how this type of behavior can be a
problem for their child, the other person, and the
school environment
Inform parent about school response
Work together to help child behave in other ways
29. Follow-up with Student who is
Bullied
Listen and empathize – allow to tell story
Ask how you can work together to support and
stop
Assure that action will be taken
30. Ongoing Work with Students
who are Bullied
Identify qualities that may make them
vulnerable and intervene accordingly
Enhance social support (peers and adults)
Encourage involvement in an activity in
which he or she can experience success
“Check in” regularly about bullying
Monitor for signs of depression, suicide, or
violence and refer to mental health
professional
1-800-273-TALK (Suicide Lifeline)
1-866-4-U-Trevor (Hotline for LGTQ youth)
www.crisischat.org (text)
1-800-KIDS-400 (Buffalo Crisis Services
31. Ongoing Work with Students who
Bully
Teach problem-solving to
manage emotions
Cognitive restructuring for
problematic attributions
(e.g., “He deserved it;” “Now
they know who is in charge”)
Assess for other problems
(e.g., drugs, suicidality)
Increase empathy and
perspective taking
32. Anti-Bullying Programs
Some evidence to support effectiveness of
school bullying interventions in
enhancing…
Teacher knowledge
Efficacy in intervention skills
Behavior in responding to incidences of bullying
To a lesser extent, reduction of participation of
students in bully and victim roles
(Merrell, Gueldner, Ross, & Isava, 2008 meta-analysis)
33. Anti-Bullying Programs
On average, bullying decreased by 20-
30% and victimization 17-20% through the
use of school-based interventions
Best results for programs that are:
intensive and long-lasting
carefully monitored for fidelity of implementation
assessed regularly (2x monthly)
evidence-based
inclusive of parent training activities
(Ttofi & Farrington, 2011 meta-analysis)
34. What DOESN’T Work?
Brief assemblies or one-day awareness raising
events
Zero-tolerance policies
May result in under-reporting bullying
Limited evidence in curbing bullying behavior
Peer mediation, peer-led conflict resolution
Many programs that used this approach actually saw an
increase in victimization
Grouping children who bully together may actually
reinforce this behavior
Dodge, Dishion, & Lansford, (2006); Farrington & Ttofi, (2009); Nansel et al., (2001)
36. Alberti Center Mission
To further our
understanding and
to reduce bullying
abuse in schools by
providing research-
based tools to
actively change the
language, attitudes,
and behaviors of
educators, parents,
students, and wider
society. Dr. Jean M. Alberti
37. Current Research Projects
Bullying and Wellness Study (Grades 5-8)
School Climate and Prevention and
Intervention Efforts Regarding Bullying and
Harassment
Before and after Dignity Act implementation
PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and
Intervention Training Evaluation
Past Victimization and Current Attachment in
College Students
38. Proposed Research Projects
(grant proposals)
Changes in students’ attitudes and bullying
behaviors in middle school in relation to
schools’ school climate and bullying prevention
efforts
Effectiveness of social norms and bystander
intervention training on peer intervention in
bullying and sexual harassment
39. Translating Research to Practice
Website
Resources, presentations, and events!
Presentations
Media interviews and appearances
Quarterly e-newsletters (sign up for our mailing
list!)
Colloquia and annual conference
Education.com Special Edition, “Bullying at
School and Online” – good for parents!
40. Closing (and Opening)
"It is the long history of
humankind (and animal
kind, too) those who
learned to collaborate and
improvise most effectively
have prevailed.“
- Charles Darwin
Questions? Ideas?
Please provide input on needs
assessment!!