Bullying

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[edit] Description & Definition

While bullying is an issue that many children deal with and even accept as part of a normal childhood, doctors, researchers, and psychologists see it as “systematic abuse” that leads to the deterioration of school climate and culture (Dupper and Meyer-Adams, 2002), serious psychological problems in those who are victimized, and devastating violence in schools that are affected (Osler, 2006; Schäfer, 2005).

According to the Center for Children and Families in the Justice System, bullying is defined as "repeated and systematic harassment and attacks on others." Bullying can take many forms and consist of many different behaviors. Some of the forms and behaviors may include:
  • name calling and put downs
  • teasing
  • spreading of rumors
  • ignoring or leaving someone out
  • physical violence and attacks (pushing, pulling, hitting)
  • threats and intimidation
  • stealing of money or other property
  • exclusion from a group or club
  • may be based on ethnicity, religion, gender, etc.

The characteristics of those who bully vary from a marginalized boy who bullies because he has low self-esteem to a group of very popular, smart girls who socially isolate a former group member because she didn’t conform. Sometimes it is an individual who is doing the bullying and sometimes it is a group. The important thing is not the action but the effect on the victim. No-one should ever underestimate the fear that a bullied child feels.(retrieved April 28th, 2005, from http://www.scre.ac.uk/bully/whatisbul.html)

Bullies are often stereotyped as a boy or girl who comes from an abusive home and is physically aggressive, has mental health issues, or is suffering from low-self esteem. Research shows, however, that many who bully are very bright, have high self-esteem, and are highly skilled at using their social skills in negative ways to bully and manipulate the student body as a whole, i.e., these same students are often very skilled at manipulating groups of students in order to strengthen their rank and social status (Olweus, 1995).

Dan Olweus, Professor of Psychology at the University of Bergen, Norway, has published extensive research on bullying. He indicates, “A student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students. Negative actions can include physical contact, words, making faces or dirty gestures, and intentional exclusion from a group. An additional criterion of bullying is an imbalance in strength (an asymmetric power relationship): The student who is exposed to the negative actions has difficulty defending himself or herself” (1995).

The majority of bullying occurs in and around schools. The consequences of these behaviors and the impact they have on schools are many. Students miss more school, suffer from chronic headaches or stomachaches, grades deteriorate, and depression sets in (Dupper and Meyer-Adams, 2002). Bullying detracts from the educational potential of the school, changes the school culture, and leads to an increase in school violence and suicide (Young, Shin Kim et al, 2005).

[edit] Proponents

In a 2001 National Institute of Health (NIH) news release, Director Duane Alexander, M.D., put peer aggression on the National agenda when he warned that bullying in American schools is a “widespread public health problem that warrants attention” (NICHD, 2001). And, the American Medical Association called the Nation to action in 2002 when it stated that bullying is an “epidemic” that must be addressed at a National level (AMA, 2002).

Over 5 million children are affected by bullying each year, and 1 in 7 children report being victims of bullying related aggression (SAMHSA). In a 2002 study, The NIH surveyed 15,686 public and parochial students in grades 6 through 10 and found that 29.9 % of those surveyed reported that they were involved in bullying, as either a bully (13%), victim (10.6%), or both (6.3%) (Nansel et al, 2001).

The message that needs to get out, according to the Dr. Alexander of the NIH is that “being bullied is not just an unpleasant rite of passage through childhood" (NICHD, 2001). Bullying is an act of aggression. It is violent, and its affects can be devastating. The British Medical Journal published a study of 904 pupils in grades 8-11 and reported that as many as 10% of UK students are negatively impacted by bullying and that children who are bullied are more likely to experience anxiety, low self esteem, or depression (Salman and Smith, 1998). In a study published by The Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Child Health, London, students in grade 4 who were bullied were more likely to report interrupted sleep, bed wetting, feeling sad, headaches, and stomach aches (Williams, Chambers and Robinson, 1996).

The recent urgency to address bullying may be, in part, because researchers now have a better understanding of the dynamics of bullying. Bullies are often depicted as depressed, suffering from low self-esteem, and in need of help. Furthermore, bullies are often thought of as outcasts who enjoy picking on those who are smaller and weaker. In some cases, bullying can be one student picking on another, however, in other cases bullying is part of a complex social web that involves multiple individuals, even unsuspecting teachers, each with unique motives and incentives to be involved. Recent research indicates that many bullies do not suffer from depression and anxiety rather they perceive themselves as being well liked by their peers (Juvonen, Graham and Schuster, 2003). Bullies can be very popular, smart, manipulative, and have excellent social skills. They have the ability to win allies and persuade others to go along with, even participate in, the act of bullying (Bullies and Their Victims, 2001). --Torrise2 16:30, 18 January 2008 (CST)

[edit] Contributing Factors

It is believed that many different factors contribute to bullying problems. Family, individual, and school factors all contribute to bullying behaviors.
Family Factors
Bullies may get bullied themselves, maybe even by someone in their own home. Some children grow up in homes where aggressive and bullying behaviors are being modeled for them on a daily basis. These behaviors may include physical and verbal aggression towards the child by parents or the use of similar aggression by parents towards each other. These modeling behaviors, combined with the lack of a warm and supportive environment and poor supervision, provide for excellent opportunities for the child to be an aggressor, or bully. Studies indicate that aggressive behavior is increased in children who witness violence by their father toward their mother (Jaffe, Wolfe, & Wilson, 1990).
Individual Factors
One of the major individual factors in child bullying is temperament. Temperament is a characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional response (Merriam-Webster Online). It also refers to a child's development of personality style and social behaviors. People that are active and impulsive may be more likely to develop into bullies than people that are more passive or timid.
Some children may also see bullying as a way to gain popularity, attention, or material items. Some bullies may be afraid of getting bullied themselves, so they bully someone else in order to make people scared of them. They may feel like they don't fit in, so they bully others in order to make themselves look tougher. Many bullies don't like themselves and decide to take it out on someone else. Some bullies may not even realize how their actions are making other people feel.
School Factors
The amount and quality of supervision at schools plays a huge part in the frequency and severity of bullying incidents. Similar to the lack of supervision at home, lack of supervision at school is associated with the development of bullying problems in children. It is of utmost importance that the playground and hallways are sufficiently monitored because these are the places that bullying most often occurs. The appropriateness and effectiveness of the interventions by the adults or supervisors involved are also very important. If an incident is not handled appropriately, the incident is likely to repeat itself.
The social climate can also add to or help minimize the occurrence of bullying in a school. In order to minimize incidents of bullying, the school needs to provide a warm and accepting environment for all students. If a student does not feel accepted by others in the environment, they are likely to try to gain acceptance by any means possible. Standards in the school need to be set high for both student and teacher behaviors towards one another. If teachers are not treating each other and students with respect, they can not expect students to treat each other and teachers with respect. These expectations should be mutual.
Espelage's Study
In a study Dorothy Espelage made of 89 middle school students aged 11 to 14, she found that students who bullied others were victimized themselves at some time. These students bully as a form of payback.

[edit] Girl Bullies, an unnoticed epidemic

Several titles have been released underscoring the secrecy and danger associated with "female bullies". The book "Odd Girl Out" offers a classic example of what can happen to our young ladies in this secret culture. Girl aggression tends to be downplayed. Educators need to take a closer look at the subcultures that have extened into female interpersonal relationships [1]

The classic image of a bully involves some large, perhaps dirty, boy that physically pushes around other students, steals their lunch money, and intimidates them. But within female circles the bullying takes on a psychological form that can be much more damaging. It involves alienation, planted gossip, private clubs, and other social techniques to ruin the reputation of some and boost the exclusiveness of others. Girls are known to create special, superficial groups simply to have the power to include and exclude others at their own will. These appear harmless to teachers - just juvenile girlsclubs - but the purposeful, harsh exclusions of others to gain status can drive the outsiders to depression and low self-esteem.

[edit] RL = Relational Aggression

Originally coined by Susan Wellman, RL or relational aggression refers to technique girls use when bullying. As the name implies, it is not a physical abuse but a social abuse of connections and influence to keep the victim as low in social standing as possible. Exclusion is the common manifestation of RL, but it also involves exaggerating the alienation as well. For example, a girl may have a special private party and intentionally make sure the target knows about its existence, limited invites, and her lack of acceptance. Essentially, it is not always about destroying relationships, but instead about creating superficial, supposedly elite social groups that give the leaders the power to reject others.

[edit] Why Do People Get Bullied?

Most victims do not do anything to receive the unwanted attention of a bully. These victims tend to be quiet, shy, and timid. They are often chosen because they look like they wouldn't retaliate against the bully or stand up for themselves. If they don't take action against the bully after the first encounter, then similar actions are often repeated by the bully. Children who become victims also tend to lack friends, social support, and self-confidence.
Some children are bullied because they are different. They might be bullied because they are of a certain religion or because of the color of their skin. They may be bullied because of the way they talk, their size, or even because of their name.
Although most victims do not do anything to provoke being bullied, there is a small group of children who are bullied because of their actions. Some of these actions may include annoying, inappropriate, or immature social behaviors. They tend to be spontaneous and generally have poor social skills.

[edit] Strategies To Resolve Bullying Problems

Increased Supervision
According to Espelage, most school bullying happens in areas where there is limited adult supervision. Some of these areas may include lunchtime, passing periods, bathroom breaks, and recess.
Provide Effective Consequences to Bullies
If consequences are not meaningful and effective, then the bully will have no reason not to repeat the unwanted behaviors.
Good Communication Between Teachers and Parents
If there is an open line of communication between teachers, parents, and even administrators, problems will be solved more efficiently. Many students are afraid to report to teachers that they are being bullied. If a teacher or administrator is not aware of the problem, they cannot work towards a solution.
Empower Students to be Courageous Bystanders
Teachers can teach their students how to act in a situation where someone is being bullied. They can be taught to approach the bully as a group, abstain from reinforcing the bully's behavior with laughter, or to invite the bully to take part in another activity in order to divert their attention away from the victim and make them feel accepted within a group of their peers.

[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings

Research done by Dorothy Espelage, PhD, indicates that bullying behaviors are common. Most students report some involvement in bullying others. Some students are unwilling participants (aggressors), meaning that they don't want to take part in the teasing, namecalling, ridiculing, etc, but they are afraid to go against their peer group.
A study done by Tonja Nansel, PhD and associates,found that 17 percent of students reported having been bullied during the school term. About 19 percent reported bullying others. Six percent reported that they had been both the victim and the aggressor in bullying situations.

Educators should be aware that it is a myth that more bullying takes place outside of school. In fact most bullying takes place in school during unsupervised or less supervised times. Bullies take advantage of the accessibility of their victims in the school setting. They may bully in the hallway between classes, in restrooms, at lunch, at recess, or any time a teacher is not closely supervising all students.

A study on the seriousness of bullying in American schools was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study represented a sample of over 15,686 sixth through tenth grade students in the United States. 29.9% of those students reported frequent involvement in bullying at school. Of the 29.9%, 13% participated as the bully, 10.9% as the victim, and 6% as both.
A U.S. Secret Service study of school shootings found that almost three-quarters of the attackers felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others prior to the school shootings.

Effects of Bullying on a School Include:

  • high levels of truancy
  • high staff turnover
  • disrespect for teachers
  • high level of absences for minor illnesses and ailments
  • students carrying weapons as a means of protection


[edit] Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories

Bullying is a seriousness issue in both the public and private schools in Puerto Rico. It can take on two different forms. First - it can involve direct teasing and jeering of the target. Even students that attempt to be polite will be labeled as weak and become a more popular target. During my time teaching here - numerous teachers and parents have expressed the fact that they cannot teach their children to just "turn the other" cheek because the bullying will not stop. Instead, they must, despite their wishes not to, teacher their children to hit back and talk back when bullying occurs. This will help earn the kids street respect and be able to survive better in the system. The other form is the preppy, perfect bullying of RL. (See the section on girl bullies) It is more common in the private system, where students do not try to act tough but instead put forth an "I'm perfect, rich, and have all the connections". The typical bully will the student that always wears the best, most expensive clothes, has tickets to every concert, and has money to burn. He/she put him/herself on an artificial pedestal and uses superficial connections to become more popular and exclude others.

As a first year teacher, I came to my classroom with expectations about what kinds of problems I would encounter. I anticipated a bit of misbehaving and even some aggression towards one another. I never expected, however, that I would see the level of aggression I did in second grade, especially from the girls in my classroom. I did know what to do. I had seen mean girls when during my junior high and high school days, but to see girls literally ganging up on one another and soliciting support from older students was quite frightening. Much of what I saw seemed to stem from insecurity and a need to assert oneself in a dramatic manner.--KK


I feel that bullying is a problem that many people may not be aware of how prominent it can be. I can relate to this because when I was in high school I was bullied by certain girls usually never by boys. I remember I had gym with one of the girls and they would say remarks and try to start a fight, usually when we were changing to go to our next class. I would tell the teacher and she would just make a comment to them to stop this behavior but never would be proactive on my behalf. I teach at a summer program for children kindergarten through third grade and I have seen somewhat of this behavior that the students have for particular peers. I handle it very firmly and do things such as role playing to let the children know that it is wrong to be disrespectful. There are consequences. C. Unzicker


Bullying in the small rural school in which I am employed is, to my knowledge limited to pushing, cliques, spreading rumors, etc. This seems small in comparison to some situations, but if you are the one being bullied, there is nothing small about it. We had one instance where the janitor was bullying a quiet secretary. As someone mentioned in posting, there would be respect from faculty and staff member as there should be from the students. If we are not making an example, how can we expect the students to preform any better? M. Youngblood

I feel that I learned a great deal about bullying by reading the information provided here. After reading this , I am wondering if teacher education programs currently have training associated with this subject. Also, it seems to be such a pervasive element in many school climates. Therefore, how can we provide training for seasoned teachers as well? Just by reading this, I discovered some strategies for dealing with this and also why it may be occurring. Although I realized that this might be used to obtain power, I did not know that bullies may not like themselves. B. Orenic

  • Read about a parent dealing with a bullied child and the advice she got from Dr. Phil

Last year I began using literature to teach students about bullying. We read Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli. I think that when the children connect to a character enough to feel pity for her they can begin to examine their own school from a different point of view. Using the novel as a starting point, we discuss bullying in depth. Students learn that being a bystander is also an act of bullying. The unit culminates when groups of students create anti-bullying commercials that are played during parent/teacher conferences. Stacy Borkgren

My school took part in Dr. Espelage's research on school bullying. The teachers got to see the results of her surveys before she published them, and to most teachers, they were surprising. Every school has a problem with bullying, and even though our school is a fairly affluent, smaller school, the comments made by the students showed that bullying was going on all the time. Most of the bullying they complained about wasn't what you imagine as bullying, such as a bigger kid taking away your lunch money. It was much more underhanded, such as being called names during class time when the teacher couldn't hear, or being harassed and pushed around in between classes. It is difficult for their to be supervision at all times and in all places in a school, but just being more vigilant can stop some of these bullying behaviors. Amy Higgins

Our school has issues with bullying, like all other schools. We had our high school students complete a survey at the beginning of the school year and they indicated that respect (or lack there of) was the number one concern in our school. We have the obvious fights from time to time that are handled immediately; but we also have the hallway, lunchtime, and classroom comments and little pushes that seem to go unnoticed. The unfortunate thing about bullying is that most bullies are skilled enough to wait until the teacher turns around to do something. Often times it is the victim that is caught and reprimanded when they finally get fed up and respond to bully in an inappropriate manner. E. Morrison

In November of 1964 when I was 16 we moved from a rather small town near Peoria to Danville, IL which meant that I went from a high school of about 400 students to one of 3000. Needless to say, I was rather overwhelmed. Yet, I seemed to be getting along pretty well until I made the mistake to go into the girls restroom on the third floor of Danville High School. I was met with some rather large, black girls who rather aggressively asked me "What you doing in here, white girl? I turned right around and left before anything got started. I never went into that restroom again. I would either not use the restroom at school or use the restroom on another floor. Can you imagine, I am 56 years old and still can remember that incident as if it was yesterday. Sharon Morrisette

I recently had an experience in dealing with bullying. My daughter was recently bullied into paying another child $6 dollars in order for her to get back a bracelet that she had lost and the classmate had found. I did not know about the incident until my daughter asked me for money stating that she had to give the money to her classmate. My daughter is 8 years old and she did not understand that she did not have to pay her classmate. I quickly brought up the situation to her classroom teacher. This experience has taught my husband and myself that we need to talk to our daughter and empower her to stand up for herself. Also that if she is unsure about a situation to come and talk to us about it. Lily Jimenez

I remember being bullied in grade school, but since I’ve never been quiet or shy about anything I didn’t think that was why it was happening. More likely it was because I was fairly skinny and what the bully thought was an easy mark. The school really didn’t do a lot to curb this problem; in fact the officials at the school actually seemed to sympathize with the bully. I’ve always assumed that the school knew something about his life that I didn’t, but that does not mean they should not have acted on my behalf (and that of others) as well. The only reason the problem eventually stopped was because we went to different junior high schools. I remember that my parents wanted me just to slug him once and let him know that picking on me wasn’t an option, but I was too afraid of what the school would do if I got caught. There’s got to be some way of making sure that a bully’s problems and his victims are both taken care of by the school officials.

Timothy M. Zorn
  • Bullying is a common factor seen throughout the teenage years. However, there have been recent developments that females belong to more of the bullying scene than males. I taught in an all-female high school and the teachers and staff had in-service days reflecting on female bullying. There are certain ways in which female bullying occurs, but is not limited to:
  • Three-way phone calls
  • Instant Messaging (IM)
  • Notes in lockers
  • Secrets/Rumors
  • Cliques

Cliques and Bullies I have often wondered why girls form such intense cliques to the point of not just excluding some, but absolutely deciding that a particular girl is not to be spoken to, much less befriended. I have witnessed in fourth grade a popular girl gradually excluded and finally completely isolated by her former friends. In researching the situation with parents and some of the other girls, there was no reason except that they "decided they did not like her anymore". It was quite devastating to the girl and her family.

In the age of technology, bullying has expanded through the school walls. Though teachers need to be aware of bullying signs, most current bullying occurs outside of school.


(Ijime-bullying in Japanese) Bullying is a common problem in every generation and every country. In Japan, it is a fairly serious social phenomenon. Actually, the amount of ijime, which means bullying in Japanese, has been decreasing; however, the bullying is getting much more sinister than before. Five years ago, it was top news for the whole year after Kiyoteru Okochi, a 13-year-old junior high school student, committed suicide to escape from being bullied by his classmates. He left his note that proved and clarified the fact that he was suffering from cruel bullying. He was often forced to soak his face into a dirty river, his bicycle was broken repeatedly and his classmates even demanded that he bring money to them every day. The amount of money that he gave to the bullies reached about ten thousand dollars (Fredman, 1995). This was not the first time that students committed suicide because of bullying. But it was the first time that Japanese media gave a lot of coverage to the matter of ijime. After that, bullying became one of the most serious subjects in Japan.(retrieved April 28th, 2005, from http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/advwrf99/causeeffect/akikocause.html)


My school has a very strong no-bullying program that has been put into place due to a suicide that was caused because of bullying three years ago. Bullying occurs too often and in so many different ways that sometimes it is hard to tell that it is happening. Sometimes it is as simple as ignoring an individual to pushing and physically threatening an individual. Everybody reacts differently to the situation. The concept of Fight or Flight plays a part in the different instances. Some people choose to pull back and sit by themselves and sulk and get depressed or even bottle it up so that it just overcomes them to do something drastic. Other people let it out right there or in other ways. For example, a close friend of mine had just moved into the area during high school. He had a smaller build than most everybody else. Since he was from a different school that some looked down at, the 'popular' kids thought that it would be fun to pick on him. He never really fought back, instead he took martial arts to help ease his aggression towards these people. Currently he travels to Japan to study with true Japanese Martial Artists regular and travels often with his job. He has become a true success even with the history of bullying. It depends on how people take the bullying. -Jeremiah Kramper-

I think bullying is one of those problems that is two fold as has been mentioned. It probably almost needs to be addressed as a policy of prevention rather than reactionary. From what I think we all understand now, bullies have just as much if not even more insecurities than do his or her victims and therefore certainly must get as much of our time and resources as possible. Also I think it is important that there needs to punishment for bullying behaviors, but also counseling and reconciliation to try to "fix' the problem as well

To my recollection, I have never been bullied. I seemed to be part of the "in crowd" throughout school and even college. My little sister, on the other hand, has been bullied and used to come home crying about it when she was younger. When she was attending an elementary school in East Saint Louis, Il., she used to come home really upset about her skin complexion. My sister is very fair skinned (very very light). The children at her school used to call her a "white girl" and this somehow offended her. I think she just wanted to fit in but being a really fair skinned person among a school that is predominately black, (in which there are so many different skin tones), she just felt like the odd one out. So in order to make her feel more relieved, I researched our family history. Come to find out, our grandfather was white! Our father is half German and half Black. When I gave her this information, she was very happy. From then on, anyone that called her white, she said, "I am! My grandfather was white!" With that being said, she does not have a problem with that part of bullying anymore but yet still, other issues have come up and I anticipate more. I will just try to handle it with her and help her get clever about it. Ty Martin.

Each grade at my school has four to five "Bully Proofing" lessons throughout the year to teach students what bullying behavior is, the importance of reporting such incidents, the difference between reporting and tattling, strategies to use when you are being bullied, and how to be part of the "caring majority" when someone is being targeted When the principal, assistant principal, and social worker teach the lesson together, one grade level at a time receives the lesson to focus it more appropriately to the age group. During the lesson, the students might view a video to witness what bullying looks like, role play strategies on how to deal with bullies, or share personal experiences. The bully proofing strategies students learn are abbreviated as "HA, HA, SO" strategies. H-Help: ask for help from an adult. A-Avoid: walk away from the person or situation. H-Humor: say something funny to lighten the mood. A-Assertive: don't let people walk over you .. stand up for yourself. S-Self Talk: give yourself a pep talk inside your head. O-Own It: if someone is making fun of your shirt, say, "You know, when I went into my closet today, I tried to find the ugliest shirt to wear." (uses a bit of humor) Finally, when students learn about the caring majority, they learn that bullies sometimes like to pick on people when no one is around or if they think no one will come to that person's defense. Therefore, if a group of people comes up to support the target, the bully is more likely to stop the behavior. - Tricia Pearl

Bullying unfortunately has always been a problem both in and out of school for children and even adults. We have, like most other schools, a zero tolerance for bullying. The problem I have noticed, as mentioned above, most of the times it occurs in a more underhand way. But, there are certain students who are targeted by everyone. I have a student this semester who is bullied in this way. Whenever he opens his mouth to answer a question in class or make a comment the class automatically begins rolling their eyes, a few snide remarks are made etc. I started the first day targeting these problems and for the most part they have stopped in my class. Unfortunately my student teacher is now having major problems with handling this same class and the bullying when i leave the room. I feel for this student and do my best to protect him. I couldn't imagine what coming to school every day and dealing with this constant bullying! - L. Gowler

My experience as a teacher exposed me to many types of bullying, but we have to pay attention to little things some times in order to identify this kind of problem. Some times the bullying happens inside the classroom, other times in the bathroom or in the school yard during the recess. My testimonial describes such a problem that did not seem to be major at the first sight. I teach a double period Algebra, so I let my students go to the bathroom after the second period. Everybody wants to go out of the classroom for a few minutes excepting one student who never left the room. One day I asked him why he never went to the bathroom and I noticed right away that something was wrong, even if he said nothing about that. He was embarrassed to discuss the subject but I did not give up. After school, I asked him to see me, and I found out that 2 other boys were making fun of him because he did not have a girlfriend and did not smoke like "a real man”. I assured him that it would not happen again, so the next day the 2 boys had a conference with me and the issue was solved. Fortunately, I could convince the 2 boys that what they were doing was wrong, but just a discussion does not always help. Sometimes the problems could get out of hand, if they are not dealt with as soon as they arise, because ignoring the bullying does not help at all.- A. Rosu

I had a friend in high school who had a reputation for teasing people in middle school. He was the biggest student in my grade and some people were afraid of him. He got in fights, he was suspended a few times, and he generally caused trouble. After a few long, heartfelt conversations I (and a few of his other friends) was able to convince my friend that it wasn’t cool to act like a bully. At first he didn’t believe me, but he eventually came around. By the time he was a senior in high school my friend had totally changed. He had a reputation for sticking up for the little guy. He made sure people took their tern in line. He was seen as a robin hood of sorts. Before graduation he told me that he was sorry that he had been a jerk when he was younger, and that if there was anything he could change about his schooling experience he would have been nicer to people. I told him not to worry because he was a good person. I told him that what he had done during his junior and senior years had really given some people hope. I wanted to share this story because I think sometimes people tend to demonize bullies without giving them a chance. Who knows, maybe they one will change your school too. – Jeremiah Johnson

I think that bullying is something that has been in schools for as long as education has been around. I find that every time we try to fix the problem that many students will find another way to get around it. I know that bullying on the internet is becoming a problem in schools around the country and parents are expecting us to stop the problem. I cannot control a students access to the internet at their home, but I can somewhat control the problem if it moves into the school. I think that parents have to take a bigger role in addressing the issue of bullying to their children and how to better handle the situations that arise from them. -Nick Hartz

I think bullying, unfortunately, is a part of life. I am not sure how realistic it is to think that it can be eliminated. I have a firm stand on it in my classroom and in the halls when I see it, but many times it is very subtle and occurs when there are no teachers listening. I have also witnessed, similar to abuse problems where the abused becomes the abuser, the bullied become the bully when they are older to younger students. How is this cycle ever really broken?? -L. Gowler


Bullying is a large part of the school environment. It exists in the working environment, too. I will not tolerate bullying of any form in my classroom. I clearly explain that to my students on the first day. I tell students that there is nothing good about putting others down just to make yourself feel better. Also that they can have fun laughing with people, instead of at them. It is the worst thing ever to fear going to school because someone is going to bully you. It comes in all forms: student A lets the cool kid copy off of his test during class and maybe the cool kid will be nice to him. Just plain teasing, pushing, hitting... Right now there is a problem with some of my jr. high boys bullying each other into drinking. Junior high is a bit young to become an alcholic. I also assure my students that if something is happening that makes them uncomfortable , then they need to find a trusted adult and speak up... ---Jodi Herrmann


The last five years have seen an increase in the recognition among scholars, school administrators, and parents that bullying among American students occurs at a much greater frequency than previously believed. One survey of over 15,000 youth found that 30% reported frequent involvement in bullying. According to some researchers, bullying can be defined as repeated and systematic harassment and attacks on others and can be perpetrated by individuals or groups. According to Espelage & Swearer (2000), “the exact prevalence of bullying is difficult to generate and measures used across studies vary tremendously. However, evidence from several large scale studies in midwestern and southeastern U.S. schools suggests that bullying behavior is quite common” (p. 367).

Bullying takes many forms, and can include many different behaviors, such as:

physical violence and attacks verbal taunts, name-calling and put-downs threats and intimidation extortion or stealing of money and possessions exclusion from the peer group

In addition, racially or ethnically-based verbal abuse and gender-based put-downs are also found in bullying situations.

The prevalence of bullying can be ascertained in the following:

Studies in several countries have consistently shown that at least 15 per cent of students in schools are involved. About 9 per cent are victims. About 7 per cent bully others repeatedly. More students in younger grades are victimized. Boys. are more likely to be bullies than girls.

M. J., Davies, E., & Chandler, K. (1995).

Dynamics of Bully-Victim Situations

A “power differential” exists between the bully and the victim. Bullies tend to be confident, aggressive, and lack empathy for the victim. Bullies usually come from homes where there is poor supervision, with modeling of and tolerance for aggressive behavior. Victims tend to be quiet, passive children with few friends. Victims do not respond effectively to aggressive actions. Bullying is often done so that adults are not aware of it. Victims are ashamed, and often don't tell an adult.

According to Dan Olweus, a pre-eminent researcher of bullying among school-age children and youth, the definition of bullying is when a student is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students (Olweus, 1993, p. 9). He further states that “a power imbalance is found at the heart of the bullying dynamic. These are usually students who are stronger, more aggressive, bolder, and more confident than the average student.” Typically they choose other students who are weaker, are more timid, and who tend not to retaliate or act in an assertive manner toward their aggressor(s). Sometimes older students bully younger ones, or senior students bully new students. Sometimes bullies pick on students who are disadvantaged by being new immigrants or are from a cultural minority group. As with other interpersonal violence, such as racial harassment, child abuse, and spousal assault, the power imbalance is a main factor in the occurrence of bullying and interventions should take this into account. Students who engage in bullying behaviors seem to have a need to feel powerful and in control. They appear to derive satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering on others, seem to have little empathy for their victims, and often defend their actions by saying that their victims provoked them in some way. Studies indicate that bullies often come from homes where physical punishment is used, where the children are taught to strike back physically as a way to handle problems, and where parental involvement and warmth are frequently lacking. Students who regularly display bullying behaviors are generally defiant or oppositional toward adults, antisocial, and apt to break school rules. In contrast to prevailing myths, bullies appear to have little anxiety and to possess strong self-esteem. There is little evidence to support the contention that they victimize others because they feel bad about themselves (Batsche & Knoff, 1994; Olweus, 1993).

In contrast, victims tend to be much less aggressive than their tormentors and, in the case of boys, tend to have less physical prowess and possess less abilities than the bullies. Victims also tend to lack assertiveness when responding to the bully’s aggression, and they also usually somewhat socially inept when it comes to making friends. Finally, they rarely retaliate when they are picked on, so that they come to be seen as "safe" targets for harassment. According to Olweus (1993) patterns of bullying and victimization are very different for boys and girls. Boys are much more likely to report being bullied than are girls, at each age. Girls are somewhat less likely than boys to be the victims of bullying, although the types of bullying may be a significant factor. This suggests that it may be important to study whether boys victimize other boys, or both boys and girls, and vice versa. Olweus (1993) reports that in one of his studies involving students in fifth through seventh grades, it was found that 60 per cent of girls were bullied only by boys, while another 15-20 per cent experienced bullying by both sexes. Approximately 80 per cent were bullied only by boys. This shows that it is boys who are more likely to be the perpetrators of what Olweus calls "direct" bullying, in other words bullying which involves direct physical or verbal harassment. He has concluded that girls are more likely to use indirect, subtle, social means to intimidate other girls. He refers to behavior such as social exclusion, manipulation of relationships, spreading rumors, etc. However, his questionnaires fail to address this issue with the exception of a few questions. The one question he did include was "How often does it happen that other students don't want to spend recess with you and you end up being alone?" The results indicated that both sexes were equally likely to have this problem. Olweus sees this as a measure of "indirect" bullying, but it has been suggested that an alternative explanation is that this question may address socially rejected children who are not liked, but who are not intentionally bullied either. These may simply be the children who enjoy less popularity.

One conclusion about gender differences is that boys are more apt to be both the perpetrators and the victims of aggressive physical and verbal bullying by their peers. Another conclusion is that girls are much more often a target of bullying by boys than vice versa (Ahmad & Smith, 1994; Smith & Sharp, 1994). Taken together, these conclusions indicate that interventions should take into account the higher rates of aggressive behavior by male students. A third and final conclusion is that more study is needed of "indirect" or subtle bullying and of social exclusion, by both girls and boys.

A female student transferred into my school from the inner-city at the beginning of the year. She put on a very tough persona, intimidating all who came in contact with her. During homeroom, she told a classmate that if the other student's books came too close to her side of the table, her "girls" would get her. I have to admit that my first inclination was to send the girl to the assistant principal. However, I decided to keep this student after class to talk about how she was adjusting to the new school. I explained that the tough behavior was unnecessary at this school, and that being herself would win her far more friends. I arranged for her to see the social worker. Her attitude shift was dramatic, and she quickly began making friends. Upon meeting the girl's mother, however, I became very concerned, and told my administrators that I was fearful for the girl's safety. About six weeks later, she got off the bus with fresh bruises from her mother beating her up that morning. She was immediately placed in protective custody and her mother was arrested. I know that anyone from any background can be a bully, but as teachers we need to closely examine the bully's behaviors and possible reasons for the behavior rather than being quick to punish. T. Stilts

Bullying seems to be a more common issue day by day. I see bullying everyday. Students are always saying things to intentionally hurt others. A lot of times, students say that they are just playing around, but when I have them reflect back and think about the reaction they received from the person they were talking to, they then realize that they had probably hurt that person. However, most of the time the students that are doing the bullying don't care how the other person feels and they really don't care about the consequences for their actions. Bullying has been around forever and it will probably never go away, but I will never stop working to try and help these bullies understand what they are doing and why it is wrong. ~ R. Hayes

I do my best to stomp out bullying everytime I see it. I agree with the statement that students who bully were once bullied themselves. I have to agree with R. Hayes when he says that "students say that they are just playing around." This seems to be the first reaction when a student is caught in the act of bullying. This seems to be to be an excuse that they learned that they can help them get away with their bullying. It is difficult for the bullied to say that it is more than just playing around for possible fear of more bullying. I wonder how often or if the emotional needs of those being bullied are met in order to help them stop bullying? Are they just punished and learn how to maniplate the system? I will continue to stop bullying when I see it, but see it as a never ending problem in schools. ~R. Folkens

[edit] References

American Medical Association. (2002). Youth Bullying. Proceedings from the Educational Forum on Adolescent Health. Retrieved on January 18, 2008, from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1981.html

Ahmad, Y., & Smith, P. K. (1994). Bullying in schools and the issue of sex differences.

Archer, John (Ed.), Male violence. London: Routledge Batsche, G. M., & Knoff, H. M. (1994). Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools. School Psychology Review, 23, 2, 165-174. EJ 490 574.

Bullies and Their Victims. (2001). Harvard Mental Health Letter. 19(5), 4-7.

Dupper, D.R., Meyer-Adams, N. (2002). Low-level violence: A neglected aspect of school culture. Urban Education, 37 (3), pp. 350-364.

Espelage, D. & Swearer, S. (2003). Research on school bullying and victimization: what have we learned and where do we go from here? School Psychology Review. 32, 3. p. 365.

Juvonen, Jaana, Graham, Sandra, Schuster, Mark A. (2003). Bullying Among Young Adolescents: The Strong, the Weak, and the Troubled. Pediatrics, 112, 1231-1237.

M. J., Davies, E., & Chandler, K. (1995). Student victimization at school. National Center for Education Statistics3/4Statistics in Brief (NCES 95-204).

Nasel et al. (2001). Bullying behaviors among US youth: prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of American Medical Association. 285, 2094-2100.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2001). Bullying Widespread in U.S. Schools, Survey Finds. NIH News Release. Retrieved on January 18, 2008, from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/bullying.cfm

Osler, Audrey. (2006). Excluded girls: interpersonal, institutional and structural violence in schooling. Gender & Education, Vol. 18 Issue 6, p571-589.

Olweus, D. (1993). Bully/victim problems among school-children. Long-term consequences and an effective Intervention program. In S. Hodgins (Ed.)Mental disorder and crime (pp. 317-349). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Olweus, Dan. (1995). Bullying or Peer Abuse at School: Facts and Intervention. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 4 Issue 6, p196-200.

Salmon G, James A, Smith DM. (1998). Bullying in schools: self reported anxiety, depression and self-esteem in secondary school children. British Medical Journal,317, 924-925.

Schäfer, Mechthild. (2005). Stopping the Bullies. Scientific American Mind, Vol. 16, Issue 2.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (SAMHSA). (2003). Bullying is Not a Fact of Life. National Mental Health Information Center for Mental Health Services Web site: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SVP-0052/

Smith, P. K., & Sharp, S. (1994). School bullying: Insights and Perspectives. London:Rutledge. ED 387 223.

Williams K, Chambers M, Logan S, Robinson D. (1996). Association of common health symptoms with bullying in primary school children. British Medical Journal, 313, 17-19.

Young, Shin Kim et al. (2006). School bullying and youth violence: causes or consequences of psychopathologic behavior? Archives of General Psychiatry 63.9, p1035.

[edit] Other Links of Interest

Newman, D.A., Horne, A.M., & Bartolomucci, C.L. (2000). Bully Busters: A Teacher's Manual,Champaign, Il. Research Press.

[edit] Activities to create awareness

The following activities took place during Character Counts week.

  • Speak No Evil Day [2]
  • Mix It Up Day [3]
  • No Name Calling Week [4]
  • Character Counts [5]

[edit] See WikEd Racist bullying

Retrieved from "http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Bullying"
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