Amanda Nickerson, Ph.D. Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention | University at Buffalo

nickersa@buffalo.edugse.buffalo.edu/alberticenter

Southeastern Psychological Association March 6, 2014

Bullying: Preventing, Spotting, & Stopping It

Unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times (or is highly likely to be repeated)

Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014)

What is Bullying?

Hinduja & Patchin (2009)

Types of Bullying

Physical

• punching, hitting, spitting

Verbal

• name calling, making offensive remarks

Indirect

• spreading rumors, excluding, ganging up

Cyber

• willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices

Fun Teasing:Fun, good-natured, “give &

take” between friends to get

both parties to laugh; mean

teasing is one-sided and

negative

Conflict: Struggle, dispute,

misunderstanding

Not Everything is Bullying!

Being rude:

Inadvertently saying

or doing something

that hurts someone

else

Quick Facts About Bullying

Cowie (2000); Nansel et al. (2001); Perry, Kusel, & Perry (1988); Skiba & Fontanini (2000)

Estimates vary WIDELY, but about 1 in 3 children and adolescents are involved as bully, target, or both

Bullying occurs throughout lifespan; peaks grades 4-7 and in transition to new school (middle, high); cyberbullying increases in adolescence

Bullying is more likely to occur in less closely supervised areas (bathrooms, hallways, playground, lunch, bus, online)

Adults are often unaware of or do not see the problem

Students usually do NOT tell it is happening

Contributors to Bullying

Bullying

Bully & Target

• Bully: power/control, aggressive attitude, lack of empathy

• Target: lack of assertiveness, position of weakness

Family

• Unclear rules and expectations

• Hostility, violence

• Under- or over-involvement

School (Staff & Peers)

• School staff may be unaware or not take seriously

• Peers are more likely to join in than stand up

• School climate and norms

Community & Culture

• Exposure to violent TV and video games

• Violence in community

• Norms of competition, superiority, and intolerance

Warning Signs Child May Be Bullying Others

Refer to others negatively

(wimp, loser)

Lack empathy

Strong need to get

own way

Hostile/defiant attitude

Anger easilyDeny

involvement or blame others

Warning Signs Child May Be Bullied or Harassed by Others

Chiodo et al., 2009; Gruber & Fineran, 2007; Hand & Sanchez, 2000; stopbullying.gov

Unexplained illnesses,

cuts/bruises (nurse’s office visits)

Not wanting to go to school or be in social

situations

Any change in behavior-Not interested in doing things that he/she used to like

-Withdrawn or isolated

-Change in friend group

-Loss of appetite

Students who Bully

More likely to experience legal or criminal troubles as adults

Poor ability to develop and maintain positive relationships in later life

Students who are Bullied

Loneliness, peer rejection

Desire to avoid school

Increased anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation; low self-esteem

In some cases, may respond with extreme violence (two-thirds of school shooters were victims of bullying)

Andershed, Kerr, & Stattin (2001); Boivin, Hymel, & Bukowski (1995); Farrington (2009); Farrington, & Ttofi (2009, 2011); Nickeson& Slater (2009); Oliver, Hoover, & Hazler (1994); Olweus (1993); Ttofi & Farrington (2008)

Short- and Long-Term Consequences

Alberti Center Slideshow: Bullying

Hazler & Carney (2012); Rigby (2000); Ttofi & Farrington (2011); Swearer, Espelage, & Napolitan (2009)

Bullying Prevention in Schools

Collect and Use Data

Whole-School Anti-

Bullying Policy

Teach Social, Emotional, &

Behavioral Skills

Increase Awareness & Supervision

Respond Along

Continuum

Include Parents

Collect and Use Data

Bullying happens in larger school context

Examine issues, strengths, & needs in your setting

Use data to inform and continually improve

Resource: CDC Measures of Bullying Victimization, Perpetration and Bystander Experiences

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/measuring_bullying.html

Develop & Implement Anti-Bullying Policy

Definition of bullying

Statement about expected behaviors and prohibitions

Reporting procedure (consider anonymous procedures)

Investigation and disciplinary actions

Continuum of logical consequences and interventions

Training and prevention procedures

Assistance and support for target

Resource: Maryland’s model policy to address bullying, harassment, and intimidation:http://www.msde.maryland.gov/NR/rdonlyres/0700B064-C2B3-41FC-A6CF-D3DAE4969707/19401/ModelBullyingPolicyDRAFT102108.pdf

Teach & Reinforce Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Skills

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

www.pbis.org

Social-Emotional Learning

CASEL Guide to Preschool & Elementary School Programs

http://casel.org/guide/

Increase Awareness and Supervision

Learn facts and strategies about bullying

Resources:

Education.comwww.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing/

Stop Bullying.govwww.stopbullying.gov

Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Preventionwww.gse.buffalo.edu/alberticenter

Cyberbullying Research Center http://www.cyberbullying.us/

Respond Along Continuum

Name the specific behavior and why it is not acceptable

Make teachable moment (include bystanders)

Apply consequences then and there if clear violation (be

sensitive to humiliation and possible retaliation)

Conduct investigation to gather facts (if necessary) and document

Focus on positive and constructive change

Progressive discipline (reparation, loss of privilege, increased supervision, parent contact, counseling)

Intervention plan based on function of behavior (Swearer Target Bullying Intervention) for repeated instances

Follow-up privately with target to provide support

Be timely and proactive with communication!

Focus on the behavior (not the person)

Avoid blaming or judging (expect denial)

Emphasize how this type of behavior can be a problem for their child, the other person, and the school environment

Inform parent about school response

Work together to help child behave in other ways

Include Parents

The Bystander

Bystanders witness 80% of bullying episodes, but intervene less than 20% of the time

Most are disgusted by the bullying, but don’t help. Why?

Diffusion of responsibility (“No one else is doing anything”)

Pluralistic ignorance (“Everyone else must think it’s OK”)

Power of bullies/fear of retaliation (“It will just get turned on me”)

Attitudes toward the victims of bullying (“He got what was coming”)

Atlas & Pepler (1998); Boulton, Trueman, & Flemington (2002); Lodge & Frydenberg (2005);

O’Connell et al. (1999); Pepler & Craig (2001); Rigby & Johnson (2006)

5 Step Model for Bystander Intervention

Latané & Darley (1970); Nickerson, Aloe, Livingston, & Feeley (in press)

Step 1: Notice the Event

Vivid, specific events with identifiable victim(s) draw attention

Perceptions of an event’s occurrence predict intervention (directly and indirectly)

Barriers to noticing

Common occurrence

May not recognize cues

Not viewed as vivid

Step 2: Interpret Event as Emergency

Factors that impact interpretation of an event

Social cues (victims may hide their suffering)

Ambiguity of situation

Is this bullying?

Is help needed?

Harm is psychological and easy to construe as joking

Perceived severity (low or high)

Negative bias for victims (“that kid deserves it”)

Emotional reactivity (high negative emotion and high heart ratemotivates students to intervene)

Barhight, Hubbard, & Hyde (2013); Cappadocia, Pepler, Cummings, & Craig (2012); Salmivalli (2010)

Step 3: Assume Responsibility

Factors that impact acceptance of responsibility

Attitudes and norms of acceptance of bullying

Moral disengagement

Cognitive restructuring

Minimizing one’s role

Disregarding/distorting consequences

Blaming/dehumanizing victim

Almeida, Correia, & Marinho (2010); Burn (2009); Cappadocia, Pepler, Cummings, & Craig (2012);

Caravita, Gini, & Pozzoli (2012); Gini et al. (2011); Monks et al. (2002); Obermann (2011);

Pöyhönen & Salmivalli (2008); Rigby & Johnson (2005); Salmivalli & Voeten (2004)

Step 4: Know How to Help

Factors that impact knowing how to help Lack of knowledge of options for providing help

Individual and collective self-efficacy (belief that students and/or teachers can intervene effectively to stop bullying)

Self-efficacy only related to

defending when student is

perceived as popular

Barchia & Bussey (2011); Burn (2009); Gini, Albiero, Benelli, & Altoe (2008); Poyhonen et al. (2010)

Step 5: Provide Help

Factors that influence providing help

Low self-efficacy (belief that interventions in a bullying situation will not be effective)

Perceived costs to the individual (e.g., time, danger)

Fear of retaliation from the perpetrator or other peers

Anker & Feeley (2011); Banyard (2008); Batson (1995); Lodge & Frydenberg (2005);

Piliavin et al. (1975); Rigby & Johnson (2005)

What do Youth Say About what is Helpful for Other Students to do? (Davis & Nixon)

Made it better sometimes, worse others:

• Kindly told the person to stop

• Angrily told the person to stop

Made it worse:

• Made fun of me

• Blamed me

• Ignored the situation

Made it better:

• Spent time with me/talked to me at school

• Helped me get away from the situation or made a distraction

• Told or helped me tell an adult

• Gave advice

• Called me at home to encourage me

•

Make a Difference

Stopbullying.gov

Importance and Impact of Bystander Intervention

Bystander intervention

Abates victimization 50% of the time

Decreases frequency of bullying in classroom

Associated with higher sense of safety

Makes targets feel less depressed and anxious

School-based bullying prevention programs successful in increasing bystander intervention (Polanin, Espelage, & Pigott, 2012)

Effect size of .43 for high school and .14 for elementary school)

Craig, Pepler & Atlas (2000); Gini, Pozzoli, Borghi, & Franzoni (2008); O’Connell, Hawkins et al. (2001);

Pepler, & Craig (1999); Salmivalli, Voeten, & Poskiparta (2011)

Margaret Mead

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