Amanda Nickerson, PhDAssociate Professor and Director

Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse PreventionUniversity at Buffalo

alberticenter@buffalo.edugse.buffalo.edu/alberticenter

NYSUT “See a Bully, Stop a Bully”November 14, 2011

Bullying: Definition, Types, Prevalence

Understanding Students who Bully

Preventing Bullying

Responding/Intervening

Working it Through: Case Scenarios

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)

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)

Teasing: Fun, good-natured, “give-and-take” between friends to get both parties to laugh

Bullying: Based on a power imbalance; intent to cause psychological or physical harm; usually repeated

Conflict: A struggle, dispute, or misunderstanding between two equal forces

Estimates vary WIDELY, but according to student self-report...

•20-25% have bulliedat least once

•5-20% bully consistently

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)

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 & Patchi (2009); Hoover & Oliver, (1996); Nansel et al., (2001); Olweus, (2002);

Underwood, (2003)

Desire for power and control Get satisfaction from others’ suffering Justify their behavior (“he deserved it”) Lack empathy Have positive views about aggression 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)

“Popular”

(Source: Jean Healey, 2006)

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

There may be…• Less warmth, involvement, and/or

supervision• Lack of clear, consistent rules• Harsh/corporal punishment• Parental discord• Domestic violence/child abuse

Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic (1999)

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)

Protective factors:• Social support• Positive school climate• Involvement in extracurricular activities• Supportive family

Swearer, Espelage, & Napolitano (2009)

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

Ttofi & Farrington, 2011 meta-analysis

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

Studies use mostly student self-report, teacher self-report, and sociometrics

Not very many true experimental designs

“the overarching message is that intervention can succeed, but not

enough is known to indicate exactly how and when…”

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)

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

See handout of Sample Bullying Policy and Language

Model appropriate interpersonal behavior

Encourage students to make positive comments towards others

Create opportunities for popular students and rejected students to work together toward a common goal

Promote acceptance of individual differences Educate children about bullying Have anonymous system to report bullying Strive for a consistent response from all adults

Brown et al.(2001); Coloroso (2003)

Intervene immediately (get assistance if needed)

Talk to the bully and victim separately • Avoid peer mediation or conflict resolution

Report to the proper person

Consult with other staff members (e.g., teachers, psychologists/counselors, administrators)

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

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

Stay calmDiscuss the event with your child, but avoid interrogatingHelp child manage emotions and views of othersMeet and work with your child’s teachers Apply clear, meaningful consequences

•Loss of privilege, restore/repair damage, plan for changed behavior in future

Encourage use of power for good deeds• Community service

Increase supervision and encourage self-monitoringReinforce and reward positive and accepting behaviorsLook at role models in home and peer groupBalance high expectations for behavior with warmth and supportIf needed, seek professional counseling for child and family

Bullying others is• A way of feeling powerful • A tool for gaining popularity• Learned behavior • Rewarded and expected

Functional behavioral assessment•Antecedents, behaviors, consequences

Psychological assessment (interviews, observations, standardized measures)•Depression•Anxiety•Aggression•Cognitive distortions•Social skills•Bullying/victimization

Swearer, Espelage, & Napolitano (2009)

Increase empathy and perspective taking

Change attitudes towards aggression

Teach problem-solving to manage emotions

Cognitive restructuring for problematic attributions (e.g., “He deserved it”)

See Bullying Intervention Program www.targetbully.com/Intervention_Program.php

Form small groups (4-5 people) Review case scenarios and discuss

answers to questions Be prepared to share responses with

larger group

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead