Bullying as a public health issue

Amanda Nickerson, PhD

Associate Professor and Director

Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention

University at Buffalo

nickersa@buffalo.edu

gse.buffalo.edu/alberticenter

School of Public Health

March 5, 2012

Overview

Introduction to Alberti Center Facts and figures about bullying Prevention and intervention: The best of

our knowledge

Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention

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.

* Highly consistent with a public health framework

Dr. Jean M. Alberti Benefactor

Facts and Figures

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

Can happen pre-K through adulthood; peaks grades 4-7

Olweus (1978); United States Department of Education (1998)

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)

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 bullying20-25% are bullied regularly~ 18-20% are cyber-bullied1-2% 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)

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); Underwood, (2003)

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)

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

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)

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)

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 (three-quarters of the 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)

Social Context of Bullying

Culture & Community

School (Staff/Peers) Family Bully, Target, and

Bystander

Adapted from Swearer & Espelage (2004)

Peer and School Influences

Peers see 85% of bullying (most join in, some ignore, small number intervene)

Teachers and school staff are often unaware of or do not intervene in bullying

Bullying is more likely to thrive in unsupportive or unhealthy school climates where there is a lack of sense of belonging and where bullying is ignored or dismissed

Charach et al. (1995); Hawkins, Pepler, & Craig; Doll, Song, Champion, & Jones, (2011); Holt, Keyes, &

Koenig, (2011); Kasen, Johnson, Chen, Crawford, & Cohen, (2011)

Possible Family and Community Contributors to Bullying

Children who bully Less warmth, involvement, supervision Lack of clear, consistent rules Harsh/corporal punishment Parental discord, violence, and/or child abuse Exposure to violent TV/video games

Children who are bullied More intense, positive, and overprotective parenting

(boys) More threats of rejection and lack of assertion (girls)

Children who intervene More open, trusting relationships with mothers Supportive context in which to report and intervene

Bowers et al. (1994); Cook et al, (2010); Finnegan et al. (1998); Ladd & Ladd (1998);

Nickerson, Mele, & Princiotta (2008); Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic (1999)

Prevention and Intervention: The Best of our Knowledge

What can Schools do at the Universal Level?

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

bullying and effective responses

Farrington & Ttofi, (2009); Gregory, Cornell, Fan, Sheras, & Shih (2010); Koth, Bradshaw, & Leaf, (2008); Olweus (1993); Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic (1999);

Rigby (n.d.)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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

Immediate Intervention for Student who is Bullying

Remove from situation Expect denial Focus on the behavior (not on person) Inform student about consequences

Logical, meaningful, teachable (plan for preventing problem in future, paying for damages, loss of privilege)

Communicate with parents Focus on behavior and impact for child and

others Use problem-solving orientation

Immediate Intervention for 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

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) 1-800-KIDS-400 (Buffalo Crisis Hotline)

Q &A

Thank you for your attention and interest in this important topic!

Find out more at gse.buffalo.edu/alberticenter