School Bullying is Nothing New, But Psychologists Identify New Ways to Prevent It

Systematic international research has shown school bullying to be a frequent and serious public health problem. But psychologists are using this research to develop bullying prevention programs that are being implemented in schools around the world.

indings
Bullying at school is an age!old problem and until recently, many too" the #children will be children# attitude toward the problem. $owever, school violence cases ! including the %olumbine school shooting tragedy ! highlight the serious and sometime deadly consequences of bullying behavior. In response, educators and politicians are turning to psychologists such as &an 'lweus, Ph&, of Norway, recogni(ed as a pioneer and #founding father# of research on bullying and victimi(ation. 'lweus defines school bullying in a general way as #repeated negative, ill!intentioned behavior by one or more students directed against a student who has difficulty defending himself or herself. )ost bullying occurs without any apparent provocation on the part of the student who is e*posed.# In his +,,- boo", Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do, &r. 'lweus identifies characteristics of students who are most li"ely to be bullies and those that are most li"ely to be victims of bullying. Bullies tend to e*hibit the following characteristics. /hey have a strong need to dominate and subdue other students and to get their own way 0re impulsive and are easily angered 0re often defiant and aggressive toward adults, including parents and teachers Show little empathy toward students who are victimi(ed If they are boys, they are physically stronger than boys in general /he typical passive or submissive victims, according to 'lweus1 research, generally have some of the following characteristics. 0re cautious, sensitive, quiet, withdrawn and shy 0re often an*ious, insecure, unhappy and have low self!esteem 0re depressed and engage in suicidal ideation much more often than their peers 'ften do not have a single good friend and relate better to adults than to peers If they are boys, they may be physically wea"er than their peers /hese characteristics are li"ely to be both a partial cause and a consequence of the bullying. /here is also another, much smaller group of victims, called provocative victims or bully!victims, with partly different characteristics, including frequent reading and writing problems and 0&$& characteristics. /he behavior of the bully!victims tends to elicit negative reactions from many students in the classroom, and the teacher often disli"es them also. Bullies and victims naturally occupy "ey positions in the configuration of bully2victim problems in a classroom, but other students also play important roles. /he #Bullying %ircle# shows the various ways in which most students in a classroom with bully2victim problems are involved in or affected by them. %ertain group mechanisms such as social contagion and diffusion of responsibility have also been identified as facilitating factors when several students ta"e part in the bullying. Psychological research has debun"ed several myths associated with bullying, including one that states bullies are usually the most unpopular students in school. 0 3444 study by psychologist Philip 5od"in, Ph&, and colleagues involving fourth!through!si*th!grade boys found that highly aggressive boys may be among the most popular and socially connected children in elementary classrooms, as viewed by their fellow students and even their teachers. 0nother myth is that the tough and aggressive bullies are basically an*ious and insecure individuals who use bullying as a means of compensating for poor self!esteem. 6sing a number of different methods including pro7ective tests and stress hormones, 'lweus concludes that there is no support for such a view. )ost bullies had average or better than average self!esteem.

$ow common is bullying8 0 344+ study by psychologist /on7a Nansel, Ph&, and colleagues involving more than +9,444 6.S. students in grades si* through +4 found that +: percent of students reported having been bullied #sometimes# or more often during the school year. 0ppro*imately +, percent said they bullied others #sometimes# or more often and si* percent reported both bullying others and being a victim of bullying. /here are clearly more boys than girls who bully others, and a relatively large percentage of girls ! some 94 ; ! report that they are mainly bullied by boys. 0lthough bullying is a greater problem among boys, there occurs a good deal of bullying among girls as well. Bullying with physical means is less common among girls who typically use more subtle and indirect ways of harassment such as e*cluding someone from the group, spreading of rumors, and manipulation of friendship relations. Such forms of bullying can certainly be as harmful and distressing as more direct and open forms of attac"s.

Significance
5esearch by the Secret Service and the 6.S. &epartment of <ducation involving -: school shootings, including %olumbine, finds that about two!thirds of student shooters felt bullied, harassed, threatened or in7ured by others. )ost school bullying cases do not lead to school shootings, but bullying is a serious and more common problem than previously recogni(ed that can leave emotional wounds long after the physical wounds have healed.

Practical 0pplication
&r. 'lweus1s research has led to the development of the 'lweus Bullying Prevention Program, a comprehensive, multilevel, school!wide program designed to reduce and prevent bullying among students in elementary, middle, and 7unior high schools. 0s part of a governmental initiative, the program is offered to all of Norway1s public schools. 0 growing number of schools in the 6.S. now use the program, which was identified by the 6niversity of %olorado1s %enter for the Study and Prevention of =iolence as one of eleven Blueprint or )odel Programs for =iolence Prevention. Si* large!scale evaluations of the program over a period of more than 34 years have yielded quite positive results, including the following. Substantial reductions ! typically in the -4!94 percent range ! in the frequency with which students report being bullied and bullying others> similar reductions have been obtained with peer ratings Significant reductions in students1 reports of general antisocial behavior such as vandalism, theft, drun"enness, and truancy Significant improvements in the #social climate# of the class, as reflected in students1 reports of improved order and discipline, more positive social relationships, and a more positive attitude toward schoolwor" and school Improvements in students1 satisfaction with school life. Partial replications of the program in <ngland and the 6nited States have also yielded positive, though somewhat wea"er results. /he intervention program is built on four "ey principles. /hese principles involve creating a school ! and ideally, also a home ! environment characteri(ed by. ?+@ warmth, positive interest, and involvement from adults> ?3@ firm limits on unacceptable behavior> ?-@ consistent application of non!punitive, non!physical sanctions for unacceptable behavior and violation of rules, and, ?A@, adults who act as authorities and positive role models. /he program wor"s both at the school, the classroom and the individual levels, and important goals are to change the #opportunity and reward structures# for bullying behavior, resulting in fewer opportunities and rewards for bullying.