How We Treat One Another in School

by Donna M. San Antonio and Elizabeth A Salzfass

May 2007 – volume 64 – Number 8Educating the Whole Child Pages 32-38

Olweus (1993) defines bullying as verbal, physical, or psychological

abuse or teasing accompanied by real or perceived

Imbalance of power.

Students entering middle school were asked their greatest fears…

they responded:“That I will not have any friends” or“That people will make fun of me”

(San Antonio, 2004)

• Greatly diminishes students ability to engage actively in learning

• High rates of school absence• Dropping out of school• Low self-esteem, anxiety and

depression• 2/3 of school shootings have been

carried out by bullied victims

The effects of bullying can be devastating!

Rural School in a small town with a diverse socioeconomic population– 94 % white and 25% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Big City School – low income neighborhood 65% Latino, 33% black – 93% eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Small City School diverse in ethnicity, socioeconomically diverse, 40% white, 36% black, 11% Latino 10% Asian 30 % eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Over 200 students in three New England middle schools were surveyed in 2006 regarding their

experiences with bullying.

Rural School the only school that a majority of students (2 in 3) said that bullying was a serious problem. One student reported that “I feel safe here but my emotions take a blow here”.

Big City School – Reported feeling safe much less often than their peers and feared bullying the most.

The girls in the Rural School 72% reported relational bullying compared with 58 % of girls at Big City School and 48% at the Small City School.

Results of the SurveyExtent of Bullying

Most students 76.5% felt safe most of the time.

Bullying was more common for 7th graders than for 8th graders at the 3 schools with 2 exceptions:

1. Verbal bullying affected 8th grade girls more than any other subgroup at Small City

2. Physical violence affected 8th grade boys and girls more than 7th graders at Big City School

Results of the SurveyGrade levels

Across schools boys and girls experienced physical and verbal bullying to a similar extent.

The girls in the rural school 72% reported relational bullying compared with 58 % of girls at Big City School and 48% at the Small City School.

Boys were more likely to admit to bullying than were girls.

Boys bully boys and girls but girls typically only bullied other girls and girls typically bullied other girls.

Results of the SurveyBoys vs. Girls

All 3 schools reported bullying took place most frequently in the halls during transitions.

Rural School & Small City School - reported problems on the playground and cafeteria.

Big City School – Reported problems in the bathrooms.

Results of the SurveyLocation of Bullying

Being overweight Not dressing “right” The Small City School and the Rural School reported the second most common reason was for being perceived as gay.

Results of the SurveyReasons for Bullying

Walking away Saying mean things back Hitting back Telling the bully to stop

The least popular response was to tell an adult!

Results of the SurveyReactions to Bullying

Most students did not have confidence that adults could protect them from being bullied.

Teachers do not seem to notice bullying and did not take it seriously enough.

Most students said the wanted teachers to be more aware of all types of bullying and to intervene more often. They say…

Results of the SurveyInadequate Adult Response

Watch out for us and don’t ignore us!

Pay attention Just ask us what’s wrong Talk to the students who have

been bullied to see how to stop it Start caring more Believe us Punish the bullies Do something instead of nothing

Conduct an assessment Create a committee to focus on school

relationships Implement anti -bullying policy Train ALL school employees Help the bullied and the bullies Recognize and name all forms of

bullying Reclaim goodness The Kindness Campaign or on Wiki Integrate social-emotional education

into the curriculum

What Schools Can Do

Educators can influence the social and emotional climate of schools.

Student value fairness, respectful communication, and adults who make them feel physically and emotionally safe and cared for.

In conclusion…

Essential question:

What “situational” circumstances lend themselves to potential bullying in your district?