Bullying: The Hidden Epidemic

1. Bullying: The Hidden Epidemic Violence in American Schools Trey Malicoat, MS

2. Facts • The National Education Association estimates that 160,000 students in the US miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by a bully. These students miss 28 million days of school annually. (Fried & Fried, 1996)

3. Facts There is a relationship between bullying or being bullied and other types of violence, including fighting, carrying weapons, and suicide. The 2009 Indicators of School Crime and Safety collected statistics from a variety of studies, which showed that:

4. Facts • About 20 percent of teens had been made fun of by a bully, 18 percent of teens had rumors or gossip spread about them, 11 percent were physically bullied, such as being shoved, tripped, or spit on, 6 percent were threatened, 5 percent were excluded from activities they wanted to participate in, 4 percent were coerced into something they did not want to do, and 4 percent had their personal belongings destroyed by bullies

5. Facts • One third of teens reported being bullied while at school • 4 percent of teens in this study reported being the victims of cyber bullying • Most bullying occurred inside the school, with smaller numbers of bullying incidents occurring outside on the school grounds, on the school bus, or on the way to school

6. Facts • Only about a third of bully victims reported the bullying to someone at school • About 2 of every 3 bully victims were bullied once or twice during the school year, 1 in 5 were bullied once or twice a month, and about 1 in 10 were bullied daily or several times a week

7. Facts • In this study, females and white students reported the most incidents of being the victims of bullying • 44 percent of middle schools reported bullying problems, compared to just over 20 percent of both elementary and high schools

8. Facts • Rates of sexual harassment and racial or ethnic tensions were somewhat higher for middle school children than for other age groups • Violent crimes are more likely to occur among middle school students and younger teens than among older teens

9. Facts • 10 percent of middle and high school students have had hate terms used against them, and over one third have seen hateful graffiti messages • Females are more likely to be called be gender-based hate words, while males are more likely to be called by hate words relating to their race or ethnicity

10. Facts • Violent deaths, including suicides, are rare at school, though recent events have shown that bullying at school may be related to violent actions, including suicides, outside of school • Though violent crimes among young people have decreased in recent years, there was a small upswing in the amount of violence taking place at school

11. Facts • 8 percent of students were injured or hurt with a weapon at school, and males were more likely than females to be victims • 7 percent of students have avoided school or certain places at school because they were afraid of being harmed in some way

12. Facts • Bullying is most common among middle school children, where almost half of students may be bully victims • Between 15 and 25 percent of students overall are frequent victims of bullying, and 15 to 20 percent of students bully others often • About 20 percent of students experience physical bullying at some point in their lives, while almost a third experience some type of bullying

13. Facts • About 8 percent of students have been the victims of a cyber bully • Studies have indicated that females may be the victims of bullying more often than males; males are more likely to experience physical or verbal bullying, while females are more likely to experience social or psychological bullying

14. Facts • Students with disabilities are more likely to be the victims of bullying • Homosexual and bisexual teens are more likely to report bullying than heterosexual teens

15. Fact • Bullies identified by age eight are six times more likely to be convicted of crime by age 24 and five times more likely than non-bullies to end up with serious criminal records by the age of 30” (Maine Project Against Bullying, 2000); 60% of students characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24. (Banks, 2000)

16. Fact • Roughly two-thirds of school shooters had “felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others…a number of the teenagers had suffered sustained, severe bullying and harassment” (Bowman, 2001)

18. What is bullying? Bullying, unlike isolated conflicts between individuals, occurs when a student or group of students targets an individual repeatedly over time, using physical or psychological aggression to dominate the victim. (Hoover & Oliver, 1996; Rigby, 1995; USDOE, 1998). The repeated incidents function to create an imbalance of power between bully and victim.

19. Bullying is violence involving: • Duration • Power • Intent to Harm

20. Power • Human nature of man • Power is experienced when a person feels: • In congruence/balance with their world (at least in some area of life). • Able to exert control over themselves or others (a perceived ability to maintain self control or to control others.)

21. Power Powerlessness occurs when: • The person perceives a lack of personal control (emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, physical) and their adaptive capacities/ personal resilience are exhausted.

22. Systems of Power • Family • Government • Education • Social services • Healthcare • Religion

23. Expression of Power Power is expressed through: • Communication • Proximetrics • Verbal • Non-verbal • Behavior/ Actions • Individual behavior/ actions • Actions/ behaviors of others • Group behavior • Status • Economic • Social • Political • Academic

24. Emotional Powerlessness Emotional powerlessness occurs when: • When a person is flooded with change and uncertainty and feel they are no longer capable of coping with stress • When actual fear overrides thought—circumstances that involve a fight or flight response • When perceived fear overrides logic—phobias • When all coping mechanisms are tested, and the person exhausts their ability to explore new methods of coping • When a person gives way to the experiential “tapes” in their head (recorded by others or by experience)

25. Emotional Powerlessness • When they loose the ability to be rational and thoughtful • When the shame of past behavior/ thoughts consumes the person • When behavioral patterns seem un-interrupt-able (habits take over and addictions kick in) • When physical processes and physiological responses are confused with emotional processing. (Tears for cleansing vs. tears from sorrowful feeling.) (Feel tired so I must be sad or depressed) • When physical processes and physiological responses override logic, reason, and emotional understanding. (when your mind is tricked because of what your body does—psychosomatic illness) • When a person looses all hope

26. Physical Powerlessness Physical powerlessness occurs when: • One person exerts physical dominance over another • When the fight or flight response is initiated (depending on the physiological response—if you fight you are powerful, if you flee or freeze you are physically powerless) • When physical processes and physiological responses render a person impotent (weak and incapable) • When a physical threat causes a loss of rationality and personal understanding of a present situation (fear overrides the ability to act or react) • When a foreign chemical affects central nervous system functioning

27. Intellectual Powerlessness Intellectual powerlessness occurs when: • Emotion overrides one’s ability to think with logic and reason • The brain is overwhelmed by too much sensory information • The fight or flight response is initiated and the brain functions with the limbic brain as primary • One looses the ability to explore new options and personal meaning • When one person, through methods of mind control and systematic abuse, take charge of another person’s ability to think clearly(When perception is skewed by someone else)

28. Spiritual Powerlessness Spiritual powerlessness occurs when: • Intellectual thought overrides one’s ability to maintain faith and hope • Spiritual beliefs fail to perceived reality. (When tragedy occurs and God doesn’t seem present) • Emotional processes test beliefs rooted in faith • When personal values are challenged beyond one’s ability to believe in a higher power/being) • Circumstances test spiritual resolve beyond the person’s ability to maintain faith and trust in something (a power/ being) greater

29. Social Powerlessness Social powerlessness occurs when: • A person is a victim of a social circumstance involving public embarrassment, humiliation, and shame as perceived by others • When a person no longer has a public voice or opinion because of oppression • When a person is ostracized and treated as an outsider of the social group • When a person perceives him or herself as being socially powerless • When a person’s life experience run contrary to social norms • When a person perceives him or herself as unaccepted and different from others • When social norming dictates behavior that is contrary to the person’s personal perception

31. Types of Bullies • Provoking--bystander encouragers • Proactive • Reactive All types can be individual or group categories

32. Bullying Techniques • Physical • Emotional • Social • Verbal • Non-verbal • Direct • Indirect • Active • Passive It’s all abuse!

33. Physical • Hitting • Shoving • Tripping • Spitting Any behavior that is physical in nature

34. Emotional • Sarcasm • Mocking • Teasing • Name Calling Any way you tear someone down from the inside out

35. Social • Ridiculing • Rumors • Discrimination • Isolation • Rejection • Humiliation Anything you can do publicly to humiliate and degrade someone else

36. Tools for bullying • Telephone • Internet • Notes • People • Property Anything that can be used to humiliates someone

37. Bullying Occurs… • On the playground • Lunchroom • Locker room • Unsupervised places on school premises • Bus • Mall • Parks • On the street

38. Prevention of bullying--Schools • Develop an anti-bullying policy • Provide training for all staff • Involve parents • Identify resources for bullies, victims and families • Provide a no-tolerance environment for students • Supervision—playgrounds, bus stops, blind spots, stairwells, bathrooms • One behavior standard for all in the buildings (including teachers) • Clear and strong behavior management • Teach anti-bullying all the time! • Integrate respect into the curriculum

39. Prevention with your Child • Teach empathy • Model communication • Listen to them • Value and respect them • Take all “bullying” talk seriously • Honor them • Habilitate them

40. Intervention • Quickly, respectfully, honorably • Model appropriate behavior • Take all talk seriously • Don’t look for a person to blame • Be aware of retaliation and plan ahead • Create an empathetic climate

42. Building Internal & External Assets To comprehensively address the issue of bullying in schools and other communities, it is critical to build upon the internal and external assets of all children. Asset-based research provided by the SEARCH Institute www.search-institute.org

43. Intervention—The QUICK list • Habilitate all people • Communication • Trust • Honesty • Respect • Listening • Problem solving • Conflict management • Responsibility

44. Developmental Assets--Support • FamilySupport | Family continues to be a consistent provider of love and support for the child’s unique physical and emotional needs. • Parent Involvement in Schooling | Parent(s) talk about the importance of education and are actively involved in the child’s school success.

45. Developmental Assets--Support • Positive Family Communication | Parent(s) and child communicate openly, respectfully, and frequently, with child receiving praise for her or his efforts and accomplishments. • Other Adult Relationships | Child receives support from adults other than her or his parent(s), with the child sometimes experiencing relationships with a nonparent adult.

46. Developmental Assets--Support • Caring Neighborhood | Parent(s) and child experience friendly neighbors who affirm and support the child’s growth and sense of belonging • Caring School Climate | Child experiences warm, welcoming relationships with teachers, caregivers, and peers at school.

47. Developmental Assets--Empowerment • Community Values Children | Children are welcomed and included throughout community life. • Children as Resources | Child contributes to family decisions and has opportunities to participate in positive community events.

48. Developmental Assets--Empowerment • Service to Others | Child has opportunities to serve in the community with adult support and approval. • Safety | Parents and community adults ensure the child’s safety while keeping in mind her or his increasing independence.

49. Developmental Assets--Expectations • Family Boundaries | The family maintains supervision of the child, has reasonable guidelines for behavior, and always knows where the child is. • Adult Role Models | Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior and encourage the child to follow these examples.

50. Developmental Assets--Expectations • School Boundaries | Schools have clear, consistent rules and consequences and use a positive approach to discipline. • Neighborhood Boundaries | Neighbors and friends’ parents help monitor the child’s behavior and provide feedback to the parent(s).