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Welcometotodaysbullyingpreventionandresponsetraining.

Asyouknow,bullyingisaseriousproblemaffectingyouthincommunitiesallacross
America,andalladultshavearoleinhelpingtostopit.Wehavegatheredforthistraining
sothateachindividualinthisroomhasabetterunderstandingofbullyingandisequipped
withthetoolsandresourcestotakeaction.Specifically,thistrainingprovidesyouwith
guidancetoholdacommunityevent suchasatownhallmeeting toactivateyour
communityinbullyingprevention.

Whenyouleaveheretoday,ourgoalistosuccessfullycommunicate:
Thedefinitionofbullying,themanyformsittakes,anditseffects
Bestpracticesinpreventingbullyingandrespondingwhenyouseebullyinghappen
Compellingexamplesofwhatworks
Howtocreateanactionplanandexecuteyourcommunityevent

WewillalsoprovideyouwithaCommunityActionToolkitthatoffersguidanceand
researchbasedresourcestomakeitaseasyaspossibletogetstartedandmakea
difference.Youwillnoticethatmanyoftheresourceshavebeentailoredforourprofession
andtheworkthatwedo.

Duringthistraining,youwillbecomefamiliarwithmanyoftheresourcesdevelopedbythe
FederalPartnersinBullyingPrevention,representingleadersinthefederalgovernment
workingtogethertomakesurecommunitieshavewhattheyneedtocombatbullying.

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ThisprojectwasfundedbytheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices(HHS),Health
ResourcesandServicesAdministration(HRSA).

Letsbeginourtrainingbyreviewingthedefinitionofbullying.

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Ourgoalistosuccessfullycommunicatethefollowing,sothatyouleaveheretoday
preparedto:

Definebullying,themanyformsittakes,anditseffects
Discussbestpracticesinbullyingpreventionandrespondingtobullyingthatoccurs
Highlightcompellingexamplesofstrategiesthatwork
Createanactionplanandexecuteyourcommunityevent

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5
Thisisthefulldefinition ofbullyingfromStopBullying.gov:

Bullyingisunwanted,aggressivebehavioramongschoolagedchildrenthatinvolvesareal
orperceivedpowerimbalance.Thebehaviorisrepeatedorhasthepotentialtobe
repeated,overtime.Bothkidswhoarebulliedandwhobullyothersmayhaveserious,
lastingproblems.

Inordertobeconsideredbullying,thebehaviormustbeaggressiveandinclude:

AnImbalanceofPower:Kidswhobullyusetheirpowersuchasphysicalstrength,access
toembarrassinginformation,orpopularitytocontrolorharmothers.Powerimbalances
canchangeovertimeandindifferentsituations,eveniftheyinvolvethesamepeople.

Repetition:Bullyingbehaviorshappenmorethanonceorhavethepotentialtohappen
morethanonce.

Bullyingincludesactionssuchasmakingthreats,spreadingrumors,attackingsomeone
physicallyorverbally,andexcludingsomeonefromagrouponpurpose.

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Researchers,practitioners,andpolicymakersfaceanumberofchallengesindefining
bullyingandknowinghowtoidentifyit.Letmehighlightsomeofthesechallengesbriefly
andthencomebacktodiscusstheminmoredetail.

Afirstchallengehastodowithidentifyingoftenonthespotifbehaviorthatoccursina
schoolshallways,cafeteria,oronaplaygroundisaggressiveorifitisroughplayallinfun.

Asecondchallengeinvolvestherepetitivenatureofbullying.Whatmakessomething
repetitive?Andcanabehaviorbeconsideredbullyingifitoccursonlyonce?

Athirdchallengeisunderstandingwhatcountsasapowerimbalanceamongchildren.

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Letslookatthatfirstchallenge.Howcanwedetermineifabehaviorisbullyingorsimply
roughplay,whichiscommon,particularlyamongyoungerboys?

Asmentionedearlier,an importantstepindefining bullyingisthatitmustbeunwanted

aggressivebehaviorwhichisoftendefinedastheintentionaluseofharmfulbehaviors
againstanotherchild.Thesebehaviorsmaybethreatenedorreal.

Howcanwetellontheplaygroundorinthehallwaysifbehaviorisactuallyaggressive,or if
itsjust play?

Wecantalwaysrelyonchildrentotelluswhatsreallygoingon,sincechildrenwhobully
mayoftenexplaintheirbehaviorasjustmessingaroundorallinfun.Rather,wehaveto
lookforcuestohelpsuchashowthechildreninvolvedrelate toeachother:

Aretheylongstandingfriendsordotheyhaveahistoryofissuesbetweenthem?
Whataretheirexpressionsandbodylanguage?Doesitlooklikebotharehavingfun,or
isoneshowingobviousorsubtlesignsofdistress?

Whenindoubt,itisimportanttofollowupespeciallyifyoudontknowthechildrenwell.
Andofcourse,evenifabehavioryouobserveisntbullying,itstillmaynotbeacceptablein
aschoolorothersetting.

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Bulliedchildrentypicallyexperiencemultipleincidentsorapatternofaggressionagainst
them.

But accordingtotheCDC,bullyingalsomayexistifthereisahighlikelihoodthatthe
behaviorwillberepeated.

Justbecausebullyingtypically isrepeatedovertimedoesntmeanthataonetimeinstance
isntbullyingorthatadultsshouldwaitforapatterntoemergebeforeresponding.

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Powerimbalancescanbecharacterizedbyphysicaldifferencesbetweenchildren,suchasage,size,
andstrength.Buttheyneednotbephysical.Powercanalsobecharacterizedby:

Popularity
Background/demographiccharacteristics(suchaswhetherornotachildisamemberofa
majorityracialorethnicgroup,whetherheorshehasahighsocioeconomicstatus,whetherhe
isinthemajorityregardingsexualorientation)
Bysocial,academic,physicalorotherskillsorabilities
Orbyaccesstomoney,resources,orinformationsuchasbeingabletoreachanentirestudent
bodywithasingleemailbutton

Onealsocanexertpoweroverothersbyoutnumberingthem(forexample,havingagroupof
friendsjoininthebullyingofasinglechild)orbyhavingaweapon.

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Thereisalsosometimes confusionoverwhathappenswhenbullyingbehaviorscrossa
legalline.Somebullyingbehaviorsmayalsomeetthelegaldefinitionofharassmentor
assault.Rememberthough, notallincidentsofharassmentorassaultarebullying,andnot
allbullyinginvolvesharassmentorassault.

TheUSDepartmentofEducationsOfficeforCivilRightsissuedaDearColleague(DCL)
letteronharassmentandbullyinginlateOctober2010.Youcanaccessthefull letteron
StopBullying.gov.Wewilldiscussthisissuemoreindepthlaterinthepresentation.

Nowletstakeacloselookatsomecasesofharassmentthatareillegalunderfederallaw.

TheDCLhighlightsthatdiscriminatoryharassmentmayincludeharassmentorbullyingthat
isgroundedinrace,color,nationalorigin,sex,ordisabilities.Currentlawsdonotprotect
againstharassmentbasedonreligionorsexualorientation,buttheydoincludeprotection
againstharassmentofmembersofreligiousgroupsbasedonsharedethniccharacteristics
aswellassexualharassmentofLGBTindividuals.

Themessagetoschoolpersonnelisthattheymustcarefullyconsiderwhetherbullying
behaviorisdiscriminatoryharassmentthatviolatesstudentsfederalcivilrights.Under
federallaw,schoolpersonnelhaveveryclearobligationstoinvestigateimmediatelyinsuch
circumstancesandtotakepromptstepstoendtheharassmentifitoccurred.

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12
13
14
Theinternetandelectronicdeviceshaveprovidedanewcontextinwhichbullyingcan
occur.

Mostexpertsagreethatcyberbullying(orelectronicbullying)isbestunderstoodasatype
ofbullyingitisunwantedaggressivebehaviorthatoccursonlineorthroughtheuseof
electronicdevicesthatinvolvesrepetitionandapowerimbalance.

Therearesomenotabledifferencesbetweencyberbullyingandmanyothertraditional
typesofbullying:

Itisdifficulttodefinewhatrepeatedaggressionorapowerimbalancemeansinthe
electroniccontext,whichmakesitdifficulttodistinguishelectronicaggressionfrom
electronicbullying.Forexample,shouldforwardinganastyemailbeconsidered
repeatedaggression?Ifamessageorpostingisanonymous,doesthatautomatically
constituteapowerimbalance?

Childrenandyoutharelesslikelytoexperiencecyberbullyingthanmanyothertypesof
bullying,suchasfacetofaceverbalbullyingorphysicalbullying.

Childrenandyouthmayfinditeasiertosayordomeanthingsonlineorthrough
electronicdevicesthattheywouldnotdofacetoface.

Whereaschildrenandyouthtypicallyexperiencetraditionalformsofbullyingduring

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theschooldayorinafterschoolorcommunityactivities,theymayexperience
cyberbullying24/7.

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Withacommonunderstandingofwhatbullyingis(andisnt),Idliketomovetoa
discussionofwhatweknowaboutbullying.Inthelastdecade,therehasbeenalarge
increaseinresearchonbullyingamongchildrenandyouth.Inthenext30minutesorso,Id
liketoshare10keyfindingsfromthisresearchwithyou.

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Thefirstfindingisthatmanychildrenareinvolved inbullying.Letstakealookatwhatwe
knowaboutthe prevalence ofbullying.

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AdditionalInformation:

Nationalestimatesofbullyingvary anddepend on suchvariablesasthedefinitionused,the

ageofthestudyparticipants,andthetimeframeexamined.However,studiesare

consistentinshowingthatsubstantialpercentagesofchildrenareinvolvedasaggressors,

victimsofbullying,orboth.

Forexample,accordingtothe2009YouthRiskBehaviorSurveypublishedbytheCenters

forDiseaseControl,20%ofhighschoolstudents(grades912)hadbeenbulliedonschool

propertyatleastonceintheprevious12months.

Anothernationalsurvey,theSchoolCrimeSupplementtotheNationalCrimeVictimization

Survey,reportedthat28%ofstudentsages1218hadbeenbulliedatschoolduringthe

2008/2009schoolyear.

References:

Cook,Williams,Guerra,&Kim(2010)

CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(2009)

NationalCenterforEducationalStatistics(2009)

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AdditionalInformation:

Thissamesurveyof1218yearoldsexamineddifferenttypesofbullyingthatstudentshad

experienced:Themostcommonformofbullyingwasverbal19%of1218yearoldssaid

theyhadbeenmadefunof;17%hadbeenthesubjectofrumors;9%hadbeenpushed,

shoved,tripped,orspiton;6%hadbeenthreatenedwithharm;5%hadbeenexcluded

fromactivities;4%hadbeenforcedtodothingstheydidntwanttodo;and3%had

propertydestroyed.

Thestudyalsoaskedstudentshowoftentheyhadbeencyberbullied anywhere(i.e.,not

justatschool)duringthe20082009schoolyear.6%hadcyberbullied atleastonce.The

mostcommonformofcyberbullying involvedunwantedcontactthroughtextmessaging

(3%,followedby:hurtfulinformationsentovertheInternet[2%],unwantedcontact

throughInstantMessaging[2%],unwantedcontactthroughemail[1%],unwantedcontact

throughonlinegaming[1%],andpurposefulexclusionfromanonlinecommunity[1%]).

Reference:

NationalCenterforEducationalStatistics(2009)

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AdditionalInformation:

Asmentionedearlier,studentsareinvolvedinbullyingnotonlyasvictimsofbullying.They

alsomaybullyothers,ortheymaybullyothersANDalsobebulliedthemselves.(These

childrenandyouthareoftenreferredtoasbullyvictims).Inarecentstudyofmorethan

520,0003rd12thgradersfrom1,593schoolsacrosstheU.S.,researchersfoundthatoverall

20%ofgirlsand25%ofboyshadbeeninvolvedinbullyingonaregularbasis(23

times/monthormoreoften).

Asyoucansee,studentsreportthatitissomewhatmorelikelythattheyarebullied(14%

ofgirlsand13%ofboys)thanbullyothers(4%ofgirlsand8%ofboys).Relativelysmall

percentagesofstudentswereclassifiedasbullyvictims(3%ofgirlsand4%ofboys).

Reference:

Olweus&Limber(2010)

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AdditionalInformation:

Althoughadultsoftenviewbullyingasaproblembetweentwochildren(achildwhobullies

andhisorhertargetorvictim),bullyingismoreaccuratelyunderstoodasagroup

phenomenoninwhichchildrenmayplayavarietyofroles,suchasthoselistedhere.Some

initiatethebullying,whileothersarequicktojoinin.

Inadditiontothesechildrenandyouthwhobully,researchconfirmsthatmanymore(two
thirdsofallstudentssurveyedinseveralstudies)witnessbullying.Thesewitnesses(who

aresometimesreferredtoasbystanders)mayplayavarietyofrolesaswell.Theymay

supportthebullyingthattheyobservethroughlaughterorsmiles,orbodylanguage;they

maywatchbutfeeldisengaged;theymaydislikethebullyingthattheyobservebutfeel

reluctanttotakeactionagainstit;ortheymaytrytohelpinsomeway.

References:

Olweus(1993)

Rivers,Poteat,Noret,&Ashhurst (2009)

Trach,Hymel,Waterhouse,&Neale(2010)

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Thesecondkeyfindingisthattherearebothsimilaritiesanddifferencesinboysandgirls
experienceswithbullying.

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AdditionalInformation:

Moststudiesfindeithersmalldifferencesornodifferencesinthelikelihoodthatboysand

girlsarebullied.Forexample,intheNationalCrimeVictimizationSurvey,27%ofboys

reportedthattheyhadbeenbulliedatschoolduringthe20082009schoolyear,while30%

ofgirlssaidtheyhadbeenbullied.

Importantgenderdifferencesdoemerge,however,intherelationshipbetweenthosewho

arebulliedandtheiraggressors.Boysmostcommonlyarebulliedbyotherboys,whilegirls

reportbeingbulliedbyboysandgirls.

References:

CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(2009)

Cook,Williams,Guerra,&Kim(2010)

NationalCenterforEducationalStatistics(2011)

Olweus(2010)

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AdditionalInformation:

Therealsoaresomeinterestingsimilaritiesanddifferencesinthetypesofbullyingthat
boysandgirlsexperience:

AstheNationalCrimeVictimizationSurvey(2009)reveals,boysandgirlsexperiencesimilar
ratesof:
Verbalbullying(about1718%girlsandboys)
Threats(about6%girlsandboys)
Force(about34%girlsandboys)
Damagetoproperty(about34%girlsandboys)

Boysaremorelikelytoexperience:
Physicalbullying(about7%girlsand10%boys)

Girlsaremorelikelytoexperience:
Bullyingthroughrumorspreading(about21%girlsand13%boys)
Exclusion(about6%girlsand3%boys)
Cyberbullying(about7%girlsand5%boys)

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AdditionalInformation:

Mostresearchhasfoundthatboysaremorelikelythangirlstobullytheirpeers.Arecent

analysisof82studies(Cooketal.,2010)foundthatonaverage,boysare1.7timesaslikely

asgirlstobullyandare2.5timesaslikelytobebullyvictims(i.e.,tobullyandalsobe

bullied).

References:

Cook,Williams,Guerra,&Kim(2010)

Craigetal.(2009)

Currieetal.(2004)

Nansel etal.(2001)

Olweus&Limber(2010)

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Childrensexperienceswithbullyingdontonlyvarydependingontheirgender.Theyalso
varywithage.

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Childrenandyoutharemostlikelytobebulliedinelementaryschool.Anonymousself
reportsurveysofchildrenandyouthindicatethatthelikelihoodthattheywillbebullied
decreasessteadilythroughmiddleschoolandhighschool.

AdditionalInformation:

Here,youcanseedatafromtheNationalCrimeVictimizationSurvey,whichassessedthe

frequencywithwhichmiddleandhighschoolyouthwerebulliedduringthe2008/2009

schoolyear.

ThegraphshowsdatafromtheNationalCrimeVictimizationSurvey,whichassessedthe

frequencywithwhichmiddleandhighschoolyouthwerebulliedduringthe2008/2009

schoolyear.Approximately40%atGrade6,33%atgrade7,32%atgrade8,28%atgrade9,

27%atgrade10,21%atgrade11,and20%atgrade12.

References:

Finkelhor,Ormrod,Turner,&Hamby(2005)

Nansel etal.(2001)

NationalCenterforEducationStatistics(2011)

Olweus &Limber(2010)

Guerra,Williams,&Sadek (2011)

Rigby(2002)

27
Withage,childrenandyouthreportdecreasesinmanyformsofbullying(suchasverbal
bullying,andphysicalbullyingshownhere,butalsorumorspreading).

AdditionalInformation:

Forotherformsofbullying,weseesomewhatdifferenttrends.

Forexample,youtharemostlikelytoreportbeingexcluded(greenline),havingproperty

damagedordestroyed,orbeingforcedtodothingstheydidntwanttodoinlatemiddle

school(greenarrow);theyaremostlikelytoreportbeingcyberbullied inhighschool(black

arrow).

Reference:

NationalCenterforEducationStatistics(2011)

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Bullyingofotherstendstoincreaseduringtheelementarygrades,peakinearly

adolescence,anddecreasesomewhatinhighschoolgrades.Forbullyonly,approximately

3%atage3,3%atage4,4%atage4,5%atage5,6%atage6,7%atage7,8.4%atage8,

7.7%atage9,7.5%atage10,7%atage11,and7.2%atage12.

Childrensexperiencesofbothbullyingothersandbeingbullied(referredtoas

bullyvictims) remainfairlysteadywithage.Forbullyvictims,approximately3%forages

312.

References:

Guerra,Williams,andSadek (2011)

Olweus&Limber(2010)

Nansel etal.(2001)

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Afourthkeyfindingfromresearchisthatthereisnotonesinglecauseof
bullying.Therearemanydifferentfactorsthatplacechildrenandyouthat
riskforbeinginvolvedinbullying.

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Anotherwayofsayingthisisthatbullyingresultsfromacomplexinteractionbetween

individualsandtheirbroadersocialenvironment,includingtheirfamilies,theirpeers,their

school,andcommunity.

References:

Kowalski,Limber,&Agatston(2008)

Swearer&Doll(2001)

Swearer,Espelage,Koenig,Berry,Collins,&Lembeck (2012)

31
Researchhasconfirmedthatthereareindividualfactorsorvariablesthatarerelatedtoa
childoradolescentsinvolvementinbullying.

AdditionalInformation:

Individualtemperamentmayplayarole.Childrenandyouthwhobullyaremorelikelyto

haveanactive,hotheadedtemperament,whilechildrenwhoarebulliedaremorelikely

tohaveaquiet,passivetemperament.

Thesocialcompetenceofchildrenandyouthisalsorelatedtoinvolvementinbullying.

Childrenwhoarebullied(andparticularlybullyvictims),forexample,aremorelikelythan

theirpeerstolacksocialskills.

Childrenandyouthwhoareinvolvedinsubstanceusealcohol,drugs,cigarettesare

morelikelytobeinvolvedinbullying.Bullyvictimsareparticularlylikelytousealcoholand

drugs.

Aswelldiscussinmoredetailinafewminutes,childrenandyoutharemorelikelytobe

bulliediftheyaredepressed,iftheyhaveadisability,oriftheyaregay,lesbian,bisexual,

transgenderoriftheyarequestioningtheirsexualidentity.

References:

Cook,Williams,Guerra,Kim,&Sadek (2010)

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Olweus(1993)

Reijntjes,Kamphuis,Prinzie,&Telch (2010)

Sweareretal.(2012)

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Therealsoareimportantpeerfactorsthatmakeitmoreorlesslikelythatachildor
adolescentwillbeinvolvedinbullying.Thepeergroupisaparticularlyimportantinfluence
duringadolescence.

AdditionalInformation:

Researchhasshownthatexposuretoaggressive,violent,ordelinquentpeersmayincrease

thelikelihoodthatchildoradolescentwillbullyothers.

Ofcourse,peerscanalsohavepositiveorprotectiveinfluences.Childrenandyouthwho

arebulliedtendtobesociallyisolated.Researchhasfoundthatthosewhohaveatleast

onefriendarelesslikelytobebullied.

Notonlyhavingafriendbutfeelingsupportedbypeersisimportant.Forexample,children

andyouthwhofeelsupportedbytheirpeersarelesslikelytoexperiencenegative

psychologicaleffectsfrombullyingthattheyexperience.

References:

Cook,Williams,Guerra,Kim,&Sadek (2010)

Hodges,Boivin,Vitaro,&Bukowski (1999)

Olweus(1993)

Sweareretal.(2012)

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Manyfamilyvariablesarerelatedtochildrensinvolvementinbullying.Anumberof
examplesarelistedhere.

AdditionalInformation:

Havingdisengagedparentsincreasestheriskthatachildwillbullyothers,whilehaving

warm,involvedparentsreducesthisrisk.

Exposuretoparentalconflict,parentaluseofdrugs&alcohol,anddomesticviolence

increasesthelikelihoodthatachildwillbullyothersandthelikelihoodthatachildwillbe

bullied.

Childrenwhoseparentsadoptparentingstylesthatareauthoritative(thatpermit

independencebutalsosetlimitsandareresponsivetotheirchildsneeds)arelesslikelyto

beinvolvedinbullying.Ontheotherhand,parentswhoareoverlypermissiveandthose

whouseoverlyharshdisciplinestrategiesaremorelikelytohavechildrenwhobully.

Childabusehasbeenfoundtoberelatedtoagreaterlikelihoodofbullyingothersandalso

beingbulliedbypeers.

References:

Baldry (2003)

Bowes,Arseneault,Maughan,Taylor,Casi,&Moffitt(2009)

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Olweus(1993)

Pellegrini (1998)

Swearer,Espelage,Koenig,Berry,Collins,&Lembeck (2012)

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Factorswithintheschoolenvironmentarealsorelatedtothelikelihoodofbullying.

AdditionalInformation:

Variablesrelatedtoschoolclimatehavebeenfoundtobeimportant.Forexample,having

asenseofbelongingtoonesschoolisassociatedwithlessinvolvementinbullying(bullying

othersandbeingbullied).

Thedegreetowhichstaffactivelysupervisebehavior,areawareofbullyingissues,andare

responsivetobullyingproblemsis alsocritical.

References:

Cook,Williams,Guerra,Kim,&Sadek (2010)

Olweus(1993)

Pellegrini &Bartini (2000)

Swearer,Espelage,Koenig,Berry,Collins,&Lembeck (2012)

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Finally,factorswithinthelargercommunityarealsorelatedtothelikelihoodofbullying.

AdditionalInformation:

Forexample,researchhasfoundthatchildrenandyouthfromsafeneighborhoods,who

reportthattheyareknownbyadults,arelesslikelytobullyothersandalsolesslikelytobe

bullied.

References:

Cook,Williams,Guerra,Kim,&Sadek (2010)

Swearer,Espelage,Koenig,Berry,Collins,&Lembeck (2012)

36
Afifthkeyfindingisthat any childoryouthmaybebulliedbypeers,butsomegroupsof
childrenandyouthareataparticularlyhighriskofbeingbullied.

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Nosinglefactorputsachildatriskofbeingbulliedorbullyingothers.Bullyingcanhappen
anywherecities,suburbs,orruraltowns.Dependingontheenvironment,somegroups
suchas
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,ortransgendered(LGBT)youth,youthwithdisabilities,andsocially
isolatedyouthmaybeatanincreasedriskofbeingbullied.

Childrenandyouthwithlearningdisabilitiesareatgreaterriskofbeingteasedand
physicallybullied,comparedwithotherchildren;
ThosewithADHDaremorelikelytobebullied(andalsotobullytheirpeers);
ThosewithAutismSpectrumDisorderaremorelikelytobeostracized;
Childrenandyouthwithspecialhealthcareneedsorchronicdiseases(diabetes,
musculardystrophy,spina bifida,atopiceczema)aremorefrequentlybullied;
Overweightandobeseyouth,andthosewhoareunderweightmaybemorelikelytobe
bullied;
Studentswhospeakanotherlanguageathomearemorelikelytobefrequentlybullied
becauseoftheirreligionorracethanthosewhospeakEnglish.
Andfinally,childrenandyouthwhoarequestioningtheirsexualorientationorwhoare
lesbian,gay,bisexual,ortransgenderreportexperiencinghigherlevelsofverbalbullying
aswellasphysicalandrelationalaggression.

References:

Gray,Kahhan,&Janicke (2009)

Hamiwka,Yu,Hamiwka,Sherman,Anderson,&Wirrell (2009)

38
HarrisInteractiveandGLSEN(2005)

Kosciw,Diaz,&Greytak (2008)

Magin,Adams,Heading,Pond,&Smith(2008)

Martlew &Hodson (1991)

Mepham (2010)

Mishna (2003)

Storch etal.(2004)

Twyman,Saylor,Saia,Macias,Taylor,&Spratt(2010)

Wang,Iannott &Luk (2010)

Wiener&Mak (2009)

38
Inasurveyof7,261studentsages1321throughouttheU.S.whoidentifiedthemselvesas
lesbian,gay,bisexual,ortransgenderorwhowerequestioningtheirsexualidentity,very
highpercentagesreportedbeingsexuallyharassedandbulliedinthelastyear:
92%hadbeenverballyharassedinthelastyear,and85%ofthesesaiditwasbecauseof
theirsexualorientation
47%hadbeenphysicallyharassed(shovedorpushed)
22%hadbeenassaultedatschool(punched,kickedorinjuredwithaweapon),most
commonlybecauseoftheirsexualorientationorgenderexpression
68%hadbeensexuallyharassedatschool(e.g.,unwantedtouchingorsexualremarks
directedatthem),onefifthsaidthishappenedoftenorfrequently
88%hadfeltdeliberatelyexcludedorleftoutbyotherstudents(halfexperiencedthis
oftenorfrequently)
Most(84%)hadrumorsorliestoldaboutthematschool(1/3oftenorfrequently)
Halfreportedthattheirpropertyhadbeenstolenorpurposefullydamagedbyother
studentsatschoolinthepastyear(1/10oftenorfrequently)

Reference:

Kosciw etal.(2008)

39
Thesixthfindingrelatestotheknowneffectsofbullyingonthehealth,mentalhealth,and
academicwellbeingofchildrenandyouthwhoarebullied.

40
Overthelastdecade,manystudieshavefoundthatchildrenandyouthwhoarebulliedare
morelikelythannonbulliedpeerstosufferfromlowselfesteem,loneliness,anxiety,and
depression.

AdditionalInformation:

Inrecentyears,researchershaveworkedtounderstandwhetherbullyingleadstosuch

problems,orwhethertheseproblemsprecedethebullyingandpossiblymakeitmorelikely

thatachildwillbebullied.Theconclusionisthatchildrensexperiencesofbeingbullieddo

leadtolaterinternalizingproblems,suchaslowselfesteem,loneliness,anxiety,

depression.Butitalsoistruethathavingtheseissues,inturn,invitefurtherbullyingby

peers.So,often,childrenandyouthmaybecomecaughtinaviciouscycleofbullyingby

peersthatisdifficulttoescape.

References:

Hawker&Boulton (2000)

Juvonen,Graham,&Schuster(2003)

Fekkes etal.(2004)

Reijntjes,Kamphuis,Prinzie,&Telch (2010)

Undheim &Sund (2010)

41
Childrenandyouthinvolvedinbullyingaremorelikelythantheirnonbulliedpeersto
sufferdepression,buttheyalsoaremorelikelyto:
haveharmedthemselves(i.e.,hurtthemselveswithoutintendingtodie)
havehighlevelsofsuicidalthoughts
haveattemptedsuicide

AdditionalInformation:

Thosewhoarebullyvictims(thosewhoarebulliedandalsobullyothers)appeartobeat
thehighestrisk.

42
AdditionalInformation:

Klomek andcolleaguesstudied2,300highschoolstudentsandfoundthatfrequent

exposure(once perweekormoreoften)todifferenttypesofbullying(e.g.physical

bullying,beingbelittledaboutlooksorspeech,beingthesubjectofrumorsormeanlies)

wasassociatedwithahighriskofdepression,suicidalthoughtsandsuicideattempts,

comparedtononbulliedstudents.And,themoretypesofbullyingexperienced,thehigher

therisk.

Reference:

Klomet,Marrocco,Kleinman,Schoenfeld,&Gould(2008)

43
AdditionalInformation:

Hinduja &Patchin(2010)studied2,000middleschoolstudentsandfoundthat:

(1) youthinvolvedintraditionalbullyingorcyberbullying (eitherasoffenderorasvictim)

hadmoresuicidalthoughtsandsuicideattemptsthanothers;
(2) childrenwhohadbeenbulliedwereathigherriskthanthosewhohadbulliedothers;
and
(3) childrensexperiencewithbullyingwasoneofmanyfactorsthatplaceachildatriskfor
suicidalthoughtsandbehaviors.

Theseresearchersremindusthattragically,suicideisoneoftheleadingcausesofdeath

amongyoungpeopleintheU.S.Althoughchildrenwhoareinvolvedinbullyingareat

higherriskofsuicidalthoughtsandbehavior,therearemanyindividual,relational,

community,andsocietalfactorsthatcontributetoriskofsuicideamongyouth.

References:

CentersforDiseaseControl(2009)

Hinduja &Patchin(2010)

44
Childrenwhoareinvolvedinbullyingarealsomorelikelythantheirpeerstoexhibithealth
problems,suchasheadaches,backaches,stomachpain,sleepproblems,poorappetites,
andbedwetting.Becausehealthconcernssuchasthesearetiedtopsychosocialfactors,
theyarefrequentlyreferredtoaspsychosomaticproblems.

AdditionalInformation:

Childrenandyouthwhoshowthegreatestlikelihoodofthesehealthproblemsarethose

whoarebulliedandthosewhoarereferredtoasbullyvictims.Onaverage,thesechildren

(victimsandbullyvictims)aretwiceaslikelyasnonbulliedchildrentoexhibit

psychosomaticproblems.(Childrenwhobullyothersalsohaveslightlyhigherratesof

theseproblemsthannonbulliedchildren,buttoalesserextentthanchildrenwhoare

bullied.)

References:

Fekkes,Pijpers,&VerlooveVanHorick (2004)

Gini &Pozzoli (2009)

45
Notonlydomanychildrenandyouthsuffermentalhealthandhealthconsequencesfrom
bullying,buttheyalsomayexperienceacademicconsequencesaswell.

Childrenandyouthwhoarebulliedaremorelikelythannonbulliedpeerstowanttoavoid
goingtoschool.Theyalsoaremorelikelytohavesomewhatloweracademicachievement,
whethermeasuredthroughgradesorstandardizedtestscores.

AdditionalInformation:

Inaddition,severallongitudinalstudieswhichmeasurechildrensexperiencesofbullying

overtimesuggestacausalrelationshipbetweenbullyingandacademicachievement.For

example,inarecentstudyofstudentsintheU.S.,middleschoolers gradepointaverages

andlevelsofacademicengagementwerepredictedbywhetherornottheyhadbeen

bullied.Theresearchersconcludedthattheeffectofbullyingcouldaccountforupto1

lettergradedecreaseinanacademicsubjectoverthe3yearsofmiddleschool(Juvonen et

al.,2011).

References:

Buhs,Ladd,&Herald(2006)

Buhs,Ladd,&HerladBrown(2010)

Juvonen,Wang,&Espinoza(2011)

Kochenderfer &Ladd(1996)

Nakamoto (2009)

46
Rigby(1996)

Smith,Talamelli,Cowie,Naylor,&Chauhan (2004)

46
Notonlyistherereasontobeconcernedaboutchildrenwhoarebullied,buttherealsois
reasontoworryaboutchildrenwhobullyothers.Theyaremorelikelythanotherchildren
tobeinvolvedinantisocialandtroublingbehavior.

47
Childrenandyouthwhobullyothersaremorelikelythantheirpeersto:
Exhibitdelinquentbehaviors(suchasfighting,stealing,vandalism)
Dislikeschoolanddropoutofschool
Drinkalcoholandsmokecigarettes
Bringweaponstoschool
Thinkaboutandattemptsuicide

References:

Berthold&Hoover(2000)

Byrne(1994)

Cooketal.(2010)

Klomek etal.(2008)

Nansel etal.(2001)

Nansel etal.(2004)

48
Aneighthresearchfindinginvolvesthelikelihoodthatchildrenandyouthwillreport
bullyingtoadultsiftheyexperienceit.

49
Unfortunately,moststudiessuggestthatthemajorityofchildrenandyouthwhohavebeen
bullied(5075%inmoststudies)havenottoldanadultatschool.Somewhatmoreindicate
theyhavetoldaparent,butmanyaresilent.

AdditionalInformation:

Thelikelihoodthatachildwilltellsomeoneabouttheirbullyingexperiencesvariesbyage

andgender.Olderyouthandboysarelesslikelythanyoungerchildrenandgirlstoreport

thattheyhavebeenbullied.

References:

Boulton &Underwood(1992)

Fonzi,Genta,Menesini,Bacchini,Bonno,&Constable(1999)

Harris,Petrie,&Willoughby(2001)

Olweus&Limber(2010)

Whitney&Smith(1993)

50
Forexample,inastudyofmorethan520,000studentsingrades312intheU.S.,Olweus &

Limber(2010)foundthatwithage,itwaslessandlesslikelythatbulliedchildrenand

youthwouldtellateacherorotherschoolpersonnel,aparent,orasiblingorfriend.

Withage,itwasmoreandmorelikelythattheywouldtellnooneabouttheirtroubles.In

grade3,36%toldteacher,50%toldparent,49%toldsibling/friend,18%toldnoone;in

grade4,38%toldteacher,53%toldparent,52%toldsibling/friend,18%toldnoone;in

grade5,36%toldteacher,51%toldparent,54%toldsibling/friend,20%toldnoone;in

grade6,31%toldteacher,46%toldparent,51%toldsibling/friend,25%toldnoone;in

grade7,27%toldteacher,41%toldparent,50%toldsibling/friend,30%toldnoone;in

grade8,25%toldteacher,36%toldparent,47%toldsibling/friend,35%toldnoone;in

grade9,23%toldteacher,33%toldparent,45%toldsibling/friend,38%toldnoone;in

grade10,23%toldteacher,31%toldparent,43%toldsibling/friend,40%toldnoone;in

grade11,25%toldteacher,27%toldparent,40%toldsibling/friend,43%toldnoone;in

grade12,23%toldteacher,23%toldparent,36%toldsibling/friend,47%toldnoone.

Withage,itwasmoreandmorelikelythattheywouldtellnooneabouttheirtroubles.

Reference:

Olweus &Limber(2010)

51
Therelikelyarenumerousreasonswhychildrenandyoutharereluctanttoreportbeing
bullied.Particularlyforolderchildrenandyouth,theymayfearbeinglabeledtattlersor
snitchesbytheirpeers.Manylikelyareconcernedaboutpossibleretaliationbytheir
aggressorsiftheyreportthem.

AdditionalInformation:

Boysmayfeelpressuretotrytodealwithbullyingontheirownsoasnottoappearweak

orvulnerable.Somemaylackconfidenceinadultsabilitiestostopthebullying.Research

suggeststhatwithage,studentsarelessandlesslikelytoperceivethatadultsarehelpfulin

stoppingbullying.

Asaresult,itiscriticalthatadultsrespondquickly,effectively,andsensitivelywhenbullying

isreportedtothemandthattheyarevigilanttopossiblebullyingthatisnot reported,

particularlyamongolderyouthandboys.

References:

Fonzi etal.(1999)

Hoover,Oliver&Hazler (1992)

Olweus&Limber(2010)

52
Somegoodnewstoshareisthatmanychildrenandyouthareconcernedaboutbullying.

53
Researchconfirmswhatmanyparentsandeducatorsbelieve, whichisthatmostchildren
andyouthdontlikebullyingandfeelsorryfortheirpeerswhoarebullied.

AdditionalInformation:

Inonestudy(Olweus&Limber,2010),researchersfoundthat90%of3rd5th graderssaid

theyfeltsorryforstudentswhoarebullied.Withage(intomiddleandhighschoolgrades),

fewerandfewerstudentsexpressedsympathyforbulliedstudents,andgirlsweremore

likelythanboystosaytheyfeltsorryforbulliedpeers.

References:

Baldry (2004)

Olweus&Limber(2010)

Rigby&Slee (1993)

54
Unfortunately,thissympathyoftendoesnotresultinpositiveactiontohelpstopthe
bullying.Inonestudy(Olweus&Limber,2010),researchersfoundthateventhoughthe
vastmajorityofelementaryschoolchildrenfeltsorryforbulliedstudents,fewerthanhalf
saidtheywouldtrytohelpiftheysaworknewthatastudentwasbeingbullied(Olweus&
Limber,2010).

AdditionalInformation:

Peersactionsappeartovarybyageandgender.Severalresearchershavefoundthat

youngerchildrenandgirlsarenotonlymorelikelytoreportbullyingthattheyknowabout,

butbyselfreport,theyalsoaremorelikelytorespondforexample,bydirectlystepping

intohelpthebulliedstudentortellingtheaggressortostop.

Whenwitnessesdotrytohelpabulliedstudent,theyareofteneffectiveinstoppingthe

bullyinginthemoment.Onestudyfoundthatinthemajority(57%)ofthesecases,the

bullyingstoppedwithin10seconds(Hawkins,Pepler,&Craig,2001).

References:

Hawkins,Pepler &Craig(2001)

Olweus&Limber(2010)

Trach,Hymel,Waterhouse,&Neale(2010)

55
AfinalfindingtoshareisthatthereareavarietyofstateandfederallawsintheUnited
Statesrelatedtobullying.

56
Schoolsthatreceivefederalfunding(includingcollegesanduniversities),arerequiredby
federallawtoaddressdiscriminationbasedonanumberofdifferentpersonal
characteristics.

AdditionalInformation:

TitleVIoftheCivilRightsActof1964(referredtoasTitleVI)prohibitsdiscrimination
basedonrace,color,ornationalorigin
TitleIXoftheEducationAmendmentsof1972(referredtoasTitleIX)prohibits
discriminationbasedonsex
Section504oftheRehabilitationActof1973andTitleIIoftheADA(1990)prohibits
discriminationbasedondisability

Reference:
Ali(2010)

57
Schooldistrictsmayviolatefederalcivilrightslawswhen:

(1) Peerharassmentbasedonrace,color,nationalorigin,sex,ordisabilityissufficiently
seriousthatitcreatesahostileenvironment,and
(2) Theharassmentisencouraged,tolerated,notadequatelyaddressed,orignoredby
schoolemployees.
Itisimportanttonotethatalthoughcurrentfederallawsdontprotectagainstharassment
basedonreligionorsexualorientation,theyDOincludeprotectionagainstharassmentof
membersofreligiousgroupsbasedonsharedethniccharacteristicsANDgenderbasedand
sexualharassmentofgay,lesbian,bisexual,andtransgenderindividuals.

AdditionalInformation:

Schoolpersonnelareresponsibleforaddressingbullyingbehaviorthatmeetsthisthreshold
iftheyknowaboutthebehaviororiftheyreasonablyshouldhaveknownaboutthe
behavior.

Allschoolpersonnelareencouragedtobefamiliarwithinformationonthistopicpresented
toschoolpersonnelinaDearColleagueLetterfromDepartmentofEducationsAssistant
SecretaryforCivilRights,Russlynn Ali.

Reference:
Ali(2010)

58
Stateandlocallawmakershavetakenactiontopreventbullyingandprotectchildren.
Throughlaws(intheirstateeducationcodesandelsewhere)andmodelpolicies(that
provideguidancetodistrictsandschools),eachstateaddressesbullyingdifferently.

Findouthowyourstatereferstobullyinginitslawsandwhattheyrequireonpartof
schoolsanddistricts.

Bullying,cyberbullying,andrelatedbehaviorsmaybeaddressedinasinglelawormaybe
addressedinmultiplelaws.Insomecases,bullyingappearsinthecriminalcodeofastate
thatmayapplytojuveniles.

InDecember2010,theU.S.DepartmentofEducationreviewedstatelawsandidentified 11
keycomponents commonamongmanyofthoselaws.

59
Therearebothsimilaritiesandsomegreatdifferencesamongthesestatelaws.Nearlyall

statelawsrequireschooldistrictstodeveloppoliciesonbullying.

Most(butnotall)definebullying,butthedefinitionsusedbystatesvaryagooddeal.Most

lawsaddresscyberbullyingorbullyingusingelectronicmedia.

AdditionalInformation:

Mostlawsrequireorsuggestthatdistrictpoliciesaddress:
Responsibilitiesofschoolpersonnelforreportingandinvestigatingincidentsofbullying
Consequencesorsanctionsforstudentswhobully
Howthepolicywillbecommunicatedtostudents,parents,andschoolpersonnel
Educationforstaffandstudentsand/orbullyingpreventionefforts

Aminorityofthelawsaddresstheneedformentalhealthservicesforchildreninvolvedin

bullying.

Becauseofthedifferencesintheselaws,itisimportantforeducators,otherprofessionals

whoworkwithschools,andparentstobecomefamiliarwiththeirownstatelawand

schooldistrictpolicy.

References:

Alley&Limber(2009)

Swearer,Alley,&Limber(2009)

60
U.S.DepartmentofEducation(2011)

60
Withthesekeyfindingsaboutbullyinginmind,wewillturnnowtolookat10principlesor
elementsofbestpracticesinthepreventionofbullying.

Theresearchsupportingtheseelementscomesprimarilyfromevaluationsofschoolbased
programsandexperiencesinthefield.However,asyoullnotice,wevetriedtobroaden
theirfocustoprovideanideaofbestpracticesinnonschoolsettingsaswell.Theres
goodreasontodothis.

Bullyingamongchildrenandyouthdoesntstopatthedoorsoftheschool,andbullying
preventioneffortsareincreasinglyexpandingbeyondschools.Thereisgrowingevidence
thatcommunitiesthatuseapublichealthapproachtopreventionofissuessuchasbullying
(thatincludesafocusonhealthpromotionandriskreduction)seethebestresults.

References:
Sweareretal.(2010)

61
Inordertoreducebullyingandcreatepositiveclimateswhereyouthfeelsafe,emotionally
secureandconnected,itisimportanttofocusonthesocial climateoftheschool,
neighborhoodcenter,recreationleague,orothersettingwherechildrenandyouthgather.

AdditionalInformation

Itmustbecomeuncooltobully;children,youth,andadultsmustnoticeifchildrenare
beingleftout,madefunoforbulliedinotherways;andcooltostepintobeafriendor
tohelpoutinotherwaysifsomeoneisbullied.

Doingsorequiresacomprehensiveeffort.Itrequirespositiveadultrolemodelswhofocus
onbuildingstrongpositiverelationshipsamongchildrensandyouth.

Ittakestime,agreatdealofcommitmentandeffortoneveryonespartparentsand
guardians,teachers,counselors,coaches,policeofficers,busdrivers,clergyandfaith
communities,physicians,schoolandafterschooladministratorsandofcourseyouth
themselves.

References:
Hargreaves,Earl,&Ryan(1996)

Mulvey &Cauffman (2001)

Nation,Crusto,Wandersman,Kumpfer,Syebolt,&Dafino (2003)

Olweus(1993)

62
Olweus &Limber(2010)

62
Adultsarenotalwaysverygoodatestimatingthenatureandprevalenceofbullying.
Teachersareoftensurprisedbystudentreportsonhowoftentheyarebulliedorwitness
bullying,theformsittakes,andthehotspotswherebullyingoccurs.

Therearevarioussourcesofinformationontheprevalenceofbullyinginschoolsandof
youthviolenceincommunities(seeTheCommunityActionToolkit).

However,localdatacanoftenbemoreusefulinmakingdecisionsaboutcommunitywide
preventionstrategiesandprograms.

AdditionalInformation
Thereareanumberofpossiblesourcesforlocaldata.Oneofthemostcommonisgiving

studentsananonymousquestionnaireaboutbullying.

Whatarepossiblebenefitsofconductingasurveyamongchildrenandyouth?Findingscan:

Helpraiseawarenessandmotivateadultstotakeactionagainstbullying;

Helpleadersmonitorwherebullyingisoccurring;

Helpleaderstoassesstheneedfortrainingandtailortrainingandbullyingprevention

strategiestotheparticularneedsoftheorganization;

Serveasabaselinesoleaderscanmeasuretheirprogressinreducingbullying.

Itcanbehelpfultocollectdata formallyorinformally fromstaffandparents.Thisis

becauseadultssometimeshavedifferentperceptionsaboutbullyingthanyouth

63
themselves.

SchoolpersonnelshouldensurethatdatacollectioneffortsareconsistentwiththeFamily
EducationalRightsandPrivacyAct(FERPA,whichappliestoanydisclosureofpersonally
identifiableinformationfromstudentseducationrecords),andtheProtectionofPupilRights
Amendment(PPRA,whichprovidesparentswithrightsrelativetothesurveyingoftheir
minorchildren).

63
Bullyingpreventionmustbeendorsedbyschoolandcommunityleaders.Theirfull
participationisalsoneeded.Programsshouldnotbetheresponsibilityofasingle
administrator,counselor,orcasemanagerataschool,afterschool,orrecreationcenter.
Effectivebullyingpreventionrequiresbuyinfromamajorityofthestaffandfromparents
andguardians.

Enthusiasmandsupportforschoolbasedpreventioneffortshavebeenlinkedtoprogram
success.

References:
Payne,Gottfredson&Gottfredson(2006)
Olweus&Limber(2010)

64
Ofcourse,manyschools(andothersettingswherechildrenandyouthgather)areworking
hardnotonlytoaddressbullying,butalsotoaddressandpreventothersocialand
emotionalproblems.

Itisimportanttorememberthatdoingmoreisntnecessarilydoingbetter.Itisalso
importanttocoordinateand,whereappropriate,integratepreventionefforts.Thisensures
thatmessagesareconsistentandthattime,energy,andresourcesarebeingwellspent.

Bullyingpreventioneffortsseemtoworkbestwhentheyarecoordinatedbya
representativegroupofstaff.Dependingonthescopeoftheeffort,thisgroupshould
reflecttheentireschoolorcommunitygroup.

Forexample,safetycommitteeswithinschoolsmightincludeanadministrator,ateacher
fromeachgradeandotherschoolstaff,suchasschoolpsychologists,counselors,school
nurses,librarians,andbusdrivers,whocanbringdiverseperspectivesonbullying.

AdditionalInformation
Acommunitycoordinatingteammayincludeavarietyofpartnersacrossmanydisciplines
andservicesectors(e.g.healthandmentalhealthprofessionals,educators,law
enforcementandjuvenilejusticeofficers,etc.).

Theseteamshelptoensurethatimportantvoicesareheardandthatallmembersofthe
schoolcommunityareengaged.

65
Coordinatingteamsshouldmeetregularlytoreviewlocaldata,planfortheimplementation
ofpoliciesandpractices,andmeasuretheeffectivenessofeffortsovertime.

Student/youthadvisorygroupscanbeformedinschooltopromoterespectandinclusion,
communicateaboutbullyingpreventionwiththeirpeers,andhelpdeveloprulesand
policies.

References:
Hahnetal.(2007)

65
Welltrainedstaffarecriticaltoeffectivebullyingprevention.

Adultswhoteachorworkwithyouthshouldbetrainedinbullyingpreventionandresponse.This
trainingcanhelpstaffunderstandthenatureofbullying,itseffects,howtoworkwithothersto
helppreventbullying,andwhatpoliciesandrulesareinplace.

Everyadultwhointeractswithyouthalsoneedstodevelopskillsinhowtostopbullyingonthe
spotandwhattodoifbullyingissuspected.

Designatedadultswillneedtrainingtofollowupwiththoseinvolvedafterwards.

AdditionalInformation
Variouseducationaltoolscanbeused(staffmeetings,onedaytrainingsessions, webcastsand
teachingthroughmodelingpreferredbehavior) toeducatestaffaboutbullyingtrendsandbest
practicesinbullyingprevention(seetheCommunityActionToolkit).

References:
Nationetal.(2003)

66
Althoughmanyschoolbehaviorcodesimplicitlyforbidbullying,manydonotaddress
bullyingexplicitly.

Itisimportanttomakeclearthatbullyingbehaviorsareprohibitedandexplainwhat
schoolsoryouthorganizationsexpectofallstudentstobegoodcitizensandalliesnot
passivebystandersiftheyareawareofbullyingorstudentswhoappeartroubled.

Developingsimple,clearrulesaboutbullyingthatarepostedthroughoutschools,agencies,
andpublicplaceswillremindyouthnottobullyandcanhelpstudentswhoarebulliedor
whoareatriskofbeingbullied.

Whenchildrenandyouthdohelpout,thisshouldbenoticedbyadultsandreinforced.

Ontheotherhand,whenchildrenviolatetherulesandbullyothers,nonhostile,
developmentallyappropriateconsequencesmaybeneededtohelpcorrectbehavior.

AdditionalInformation

Researchers,whohaveexaminedelementsassociatedwitheffectiveschoolbasedbullying
preventionprograms,havefoundthathavingclassroomrulesandcleardisciplinefor
violationswasrelatedtoreductionsinbullying.

Understatelaws,mostschoolsarerequiredtodeveloppoliciesaboutbullying.

67
Schoolpersonnelshouldbefamiliarwiththeirschoolspolicyandworktoimproveitif
needed.Nonschoolorganizationsmayalsofindithelpfultodevelopbullyingpoliciesand
maybenefitfrombeingfamiliarwiththelocalschoolspolicies.

References:
Olweus (1993)

Olweus &Limber(2010)

Ttofi &Farrington(2009)

67
Bullyingtendstothriveinlocationswhereadultsarenotpresentorarenotonthelookout
forit.

Oncehotspotsforbullyinghavebeenidentifiedthroughlocaldatacollectionefforts,all
adultswithintheschoolororganizationseeitastheirresponsibilitytobeonthelookout
forbullying.

AdditionalInformation

Strategies for supervisingyoungchildrenwilldifferfromthoseusedforadolescents.

Itsimportantforadultstoknowhowtocommunicateandinstructyouthinage
appropriatewaysaboutbullying.Exchangesmaybemoreinstructivewithyoungerchildren
andsubtle,yetfirm,reminderstoadolescents.

Yourtoneofvoice,gestures,andintentshouldbecaring.Befirm, butfair.Showasincere
interestandconcernforthechildoradolescent.

References:
Olweus &Limber(2010)
Sweareretal.(2010)

68
Followupinterviewsshouldbeheldimmediatelywithinvolvedchildrenand,ifpossible,on
thesameday.

Interviewsaretypicallyheldseparatelywithchildrenwhoarebulliedandwiththosewho
bully.Interviewswithparentsofchildrenwhoarebulliedandthosewhobullyshouldalso
beheldseparately.

Insomesituations,studentsmayneedtobereferredtomentalhealthprofessionalsinor
outsideofschoolsettings.

Understandingwhyyoutharemotivatedtobullyisnotstraightforward.

Therisksassociatedwithaggressive,oppositional,andantisocialbehaviorsstemfrom
manyindividual,familial,andsocietalfactors.

Justassomeabusivebehaviorsarelearned,childrenandadolescentscanalsobetaught
nonhostilealternatives.

Withhelp,theycanlearntoactdifferentlyandnotgiveintotheirimpulsesordesiresto
hurtorcontrolothers.

AdditionalInformation:

69
Emotionallyvulnerablechildren,whohavebeenchronicallyvictimizedortraumatized,may
besilentlycopingwiththeirfearsanddistress.

Theymayavoidcontactwithpeersandremainisolatedasawaytoprotectthemselves.

Andyet,theirrecoveryishelpedbyawillingnesstotalkaboutthebullyingandalookat
feelingsofselfblameandworthlessnessinadifferentway.

Youthwhoareprovocativevictimsorbullyvictimsmayrequireacombinationofresponse
strategies.

References:

HRSAfactsheets Workingwithyoungpeoplewhobullyothers:TipsforMentalHealth

Professionals,Workingwithyoungpeoplewhoarebullied:Tipsformentalhealth

professionals,andMisdirectionsinBullyingPrevention

Merrelletal.(2008)

Olweus &Limber(2010)

Sweareretal.(2010)

69
Bullyingpreventioneffortsshouldincludefacilitatedsmallgroupdiscussions.

Classroomscanbeforumsforsharingfeelingsanddifferentviewpoints,andlearning
positivesocialbehaviors.

Withsupportfromadministrators,teachersoftenseepositiveresultsfromsettingaside
timeeachweekoreveryotherweektodiscussbullyingandpeerrelationshipswith
students.

Duringthesemeetings,youthcancometounderstandbullyingandtheharmitcauses,gain
skillsinrespondingtobullying,andbuildunderstandingandempathy.

Thesemeetingsalsocanhelpformasenseofcommunityinthegroup,whilealsogiving
teachersabetterunderstandingoftheirstudentsconcerns.

Antibullyingthemesandmessagescanbeincorporatedthroughouttheschoolcurriculum.

Whetherinsmallgroupsorthroughthecurriculum,socialandemotionallearning(SOL)
boostscriticalthinking,academicachievement,schoolconnectedness,empathyand
positiveinteractionswithpeers.

References:
Durlak etal.(2011)

70
Thereshouldbenoenddateforbullyingpreventionactivities. Bullyingprevention
shouldbeongoinginbothschoolsandyouthservingorganizations.

Bullypreventionisworthit butittakessustainedeffortandplanning.Researchshows
thatthewayschoolsandorganizationsimplementtheirprogramshasabigimpacton
"quality"and"effectiveness."

Organizedandwellmanagedinstitutionsthatarecommittedtoplanningandimplementing
programshavethebestresultsinreducingtheratesofbullying.

AdditionalInformation:

Goodplanningiscriticalbutyoucanneverplanforeverything.

Ifaredesignisnecessary,thecoordinatinggroupcanassistbyevaluatingpreventionneeds
andoutcomes,identifyinggaps,andensuringthattheappropriatestandardsaremet.

It'salsoimportanttorememberthatcommunityinterestandsupportisnotalwayssteady,
soconsiderwaystorenewcommitmentstosafeguardingchildrenandyouthandcreating
bullyfreecommunities.

References:
Adelman&Taylor(1997)

71
Domitrovich,Bradshawetal.(2009)
Payneetal.(2006)

71
Unfortunately,wellmeaningeducatorsandadvocates sometimesusebullyingprevention
andresponses strategies thatarenotsupportedbyresearchorourunderstandingofbest
practices.

72
WedliketoshowyouavideoclipinwhichDr.CatherineBradshaw,anationalexpertin
researchonbullyingandbullyingprevention,discussessomeofthesemostcommon
Misdirectionsinbullyingpreventionandresponse.

ThisvideowilldiscussfiveMisdirections,theyare:
ZeroTolerance
ConflictResolution&PeerMediation
GroupTherapeuticTreatment
OverstatingorSimplifyingtheRelationshipBetweenBullyingandSuicide
Simple,ShortTermSolutions

73
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85
86
87
Theseare themainstakeholdersyoushouldconsiderincludinginyourcommunityevent,
buteverycommunityisdifferent.Whoelsecanyouthinktoinclude?

88
89
These arejustafewexamplesofawarenessraisingactionsteps.Doesanyoneinthegroup
haveadditionalideas?

90
91
Whenusingthistoolatyourcommunityevent,youcancompletethematrixasalarger
group.

Next,usethecheckmarkstoassigngroupsofindividualstosmaller,breakoutteamsto
discusstheimmediatenextstepsneededtoachievethegoalsacrossthetopofthepage.

Lastly,assignroles,responsibilities,anddeadlines.

92
Now thatyouhavejustaboutcompletedthetraining,wewanttogiveyouinformationon
nextsteps,acalltoaction,andthetoolsandresourcesthatareavailableintheCommunity
ActionToolkit.

93
Itisimportanttoengageavarietyofstakeholdersinyoureffortandsecuretheirsupport
fromthebeginning.

Weencourageyoutotaketheinformationyouvelearnedheretodaytoorganizeatown
hall/communityevent.

Youreventwillprovideatimetogatherallofthestakeholderstogethertokickoffyour
effort,identifyareasofcollaboration,understandtheresources availableinyour
community,anddevelopacalltoaction.

94
Bullyingisanissuethataffectseveryone,andallcommunitymembershave
importantrolestoplayinaddressingandpreventingit.

Acalltoactionthatrespondstobullyingwillincluderolesandresponsibilitiesfor
stakeholdersfromacrossthecommunity.

Differentstakeholderscanalsocontributeuniqueresourcesandexpertisetoyour
communitywideefforts.

TheActionPlanningMatrixintheCommunityActionToolkitwillhelpyour
participantsunderstandtheirrolesintheeffort.

Whendevelopingyourcalltoaction,itisimportanttobeawareofyourtimeline
andresources.Thiswillhelpyouadheretoplansandachieveyourgoals.

95
96
UsingthisToolkitwillhelpyourcreateamultifaceted,longtermbullyingpreventioneffort
thatinvolveskeystakeholdersinyourcommunity.

97
LandscapeAssessment
Thefirstiteminthetoolkitisalandscapeassessment.

Thistoolwillhelpyougainanunderstandingofhowbullyingaffectsyourcommunityand
whatsneededtoaddressit.

CompletingtheLandscapeAssessmentisacriticalfirststepbecauseithelpsyou
understandeffortsalreadyunderwayandhowyourinitiativecancomplementthese
activities.

Havingafullunderstandingofwhatalreadyexistshelpsbuildtrustwithcommunity
members.

Thistoolincludesinformationonhowtousedatatounderstandbullying,determine
communityperceptionsaboutbullying,assessexistingbullyingpreventionstrategiesand
capacities
selectingcommunitysettingsandusewhatyoulearnedtoinformnextsteps.

TemplateCommunityEventAgenda
ThenextitemisaTemplateAgendatoguidetheformatofyourevent.Basedonyour
learningsfromthelandscapeassessment,thiscanbetailoredtoyourcommunityand
eventparticipants.Theagendaincludestimeto:

98
 Introducekeyresearchonbullyinganddosanddontsforpreventingandrespondingtoit
Leadinteractivegroupdiscussionsandbrainstormstodevelopacalltoaction
Evaluatetheevent

EachagendaitemalsoincludesrecommendedresourcesfromthisPPT,aswellasthe
CommunityActionToolkit.

98
CommunityEngagementTipSheet
Thistipsheetwillprovideyouwithquicktipsonhowtocreateandsustainanongoing
bullyingawarenessandpreventioneffort.

Itincludesinformationonwhichcommunitystakeholdersshouldbeinvitedtoyourevent
andtipsformarketingtheevent.Italsoincludesrecommendations,suchasbuilding
partnerships,usingsocialmedia,andworkingwithlocalnewspapersandmediaoutlets.

GuidetoMobilizingCommunitiesinBullyingPrevention
Thisisachecklistofstakeholderstoconsiderengaginginyourinitiative.Thereareblank
spacesinthedocumentwhereyoucanlistadditionalgroupsthatyoumaywanttoinvolve.

99
ActionPlanningMatrix
Onceyouhavecompletedthelandscapeassessment,youwillhavewhatyouneedto
completetheactionplanningmatrix.

Thematrixisatoolwhichwillhelpyouidentifythetangibleactionstepsthatstakeholders
cantaketopreventandstopbullying.

Thistoolwillinformthedevelopmentofacalltoaction.

Forexample,lawenforcementofficialsmaybebestequippedtoprovideinformationon
stateandlocalbullyinglaws,whileschooladministratorsandeducatorscouldbebest
suitedtocreateananonymousreportingsysteminschools.

TipsForWorkingWithTheMedia
Media arebothanimportantaudienceandkeycommunicatorofbullyingissues.

Thistoolprovideshelpfultipsforengagingmediaonbullyingprevention effortsthrough
proactiveoutreach.

Italsoincludesatutorialforwritinganddistributingyourownpressrelease.

BullyingandSuicide:CautionaryNotes

100
Suicideisasensitivetopicthatrequiresextracareandcautionwhendiscussingitwithinthe

contextofbullying.

Thisresourceprovidesanoverviewofbullyingandsuicideissues.

Italsoincludesapproachestoavoidwhenaddressingthetopic.

100
FundingIdeasforFutureBullyingPreventionEfforts
Thisresourceprovidesadviceandinformationforfundingfutureeventstokeepyour
bullyingpreventioneffortsgoingstrong.

Someexamplesofpotentiallocalfundersincludeeconomicandrotaryclubs,Chambersof
Commerce,andlocalemployers.

StopBullying.govResources
Thereareavarietyoffreebullyingpreventionandresponseresourcesavailableat
www.StopBullying.gov.

Thiscomprehensiveinventoryincludesfederalandnonfederaltrainingmaterials,
evidencebasedprogramdirectories,articles,andothertoolsthatyoumayfindhelpfulin
addressingbullyingandidentifyingresponseandpreventionstrategies.

Includedbelowisastepbystepguidetohelpyouaccesstheseresources,navigatethe
directoryefficientlyandeffectively,andsubmitresearchbasedtoolsandbestpractices
thathavehelpedaddresstheissueofbullyinginyourcommunity.

FeedbackForms
ThelastitemintheCommunityActionToolkitisapacketoffeedbackformswhichwillbe
usedtomeasurethesuccessofthistrainingandwillhelpyouunderstandtheimpactof

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yourowncommunityefforts

Thenextsectionofthetraininglooksateachfeedbackformingreaterdetail.

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102
Anycommunitybased initiativeincludingthisonebenefitstremendouslyfrom
understandingtheimpactofyourwork.

Feedbackformscan:

(1)Helpusdocumentandanalyzethedevelopmentandactualimplementationofour
strategies.Ithelpstoanswerthequestionofwhatwasactuallydoneorimplemented?

(2)Helpusdeterminewhetherandtowhatextentweweresuccessfulinachievingthe
outcomeswehadhopedfor.

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Understandingtheimpactofthiseffortincludesseveralpieces thatinvolveinputfromyou
andyourcommunityeventparticipants.Illdescribeeachinturn.

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FormA,theformyouwillcompleteafterthetraining,willhaveyouassessthequalityand
usefulnessofthetrainingandthetoolkitresourcesinlearninghowtoconveneoneor
severalcommunityeventsandplanpreventionstrategies.

Theformisavailableonlineathttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KFCK7T6.

Youwillbeaskedtoconsider:

(1) Yoursatisfactionwiththetrainingcontent,flow,length,anddeliveryoftraining
materials;
(2) Thestrengthsandweaknessesthatyouperceiveinthetrainingmoduleandtoolkit,and
yoursuggestionsforimprovements;
(3) Yourthoughtsontheoverallclarity,easeofuse,andadaptabilityofthemoduleand
toolkit;and
(4) Theextenttowhichyouanticipateusingwhatyouhavelearnedtoorganizea
communityevent.

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FeedbackFormBshould befilledoutandsubmittedfourmonthsfollowingthetraining
moduletoassesstheextenttowhichyouandyouaremakingprogressinyouractivities.

Theformwilllookat:

(1) Whatstepshavebeentakenaftertheeventtoaddressandreducebullying?
(2) Whatopportunitiesandchallengeshavebeenencounteredandhowhavechallenges
beenaddressed?
(3) Whatadditionalneedsandresourcesareneededtoproceedwithnextstepsin
implementingthepreventionplansandstrategies?

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Form C,the feedbackform for theCommunityEvent,will beusedtoassessthesuccessof
theeventandparticipantsinterestintakingpartinbullyingpreventionefforts.

Participantswill beaskedtoconsider:

(1) Howmuchparticipantshavelearnedaboutbullyingandprevention;
(2) Theclarityandusefulnessofinformationandresourcesprovided;
(3) Participantsplanstoimplementpreventionplansandstrategiesintheircommunities,
andtheircomfortorconfidenceindoingso.

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FeedbackForm Dshould bedistributedfourmonthsfollowingtheinitialcommunityevent
togainanunderstandingofeventparticipantssupportforthecommunitywideinitiative.

Theformwilllookat:

(1) Theextenttowhichindividualshavechosentoengageinthebullyingprevention
initiative
(2)Theresourcesandsupportcommunitymembersneedtostayengagedandcontinue
theirefforts
(1) Majorchallengesandopportunitiesintheirparticularcommunities

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Letsusethistimetorecapthecategoriesofwhatwelearnedtoday:
BullyingDefined
TheManyFormsofBullying
TenKeyFindingsAboutBullying
BestPracticesinBullyingPrevention&Response
MisdirectionsinBullyingPrevention&Response
CaseStudies:GoodApproachesinBullyingPreventionandResponse
ProjectChangeandFBICommunityOutreach
ActionPlanning&GroupBrainstorm
Stakeholderbrainstorm
Awareness raisingactionsteps
Prevention&responsemethodsactionsteps
NextSteps:PuttingWhatYouLearnedintoPractice
Developingacalltoaction
Using theActionPlanningToolkit
Feedback

Letsalsoremindourselvesofwhataction steps wearetakingnext tocontinueourefforts

andaddressbullyinginourcommunities.

Lastly,Iwanttothankyouforparticipatingtodayandremindyouthatresearchbased
resourcesareavailableforyouatwww.StopBullying.gov.

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