Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Miller Middle SchoolMacon, Georgia

Information summarized from:The Bully Free Classroom by Allan L. Beane

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact One: Bullying is more than just teasing.

Bullying is described as one or more individuals inflicting physical, verbal, or emotional abuse on another.

Examples: Threats of bodily harm, weapon possession, extortion, civil rights violation, assault and battery, gang activity, attempted murder, and murder.

Common Types of Bullying

For elementary and middle school students,

1.TEASING

2. PHYSICAL ABUSE (for boys)

SOCIAL OSTRACISM (for girls)

Typically, boys and girls carry out the act of bullying differently.

BOYS: May bully by saying “I’m going to fight you after school.”

GIRLS: May bully by telling all of their friends not to speak with another girl or sit with her at lunch.

Effects on Achievement and Performance

According to a study by the National Association of School Psychologists, 22% of students in fourth through eighth grades report academic difficulties resulting from peer abuse.

Researchers believe that bullying involves an imbalance of power (physical or psychological), with the bullying being stronger (or perceived to be stronger) than the victim.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Two: Anyone can be a bully.

Bullying is a learned behavior that kids who want to feel powerful employ to meet their needs.

Bullying type behavior has been documented in children as young as two years old.

DANGER ZONE:

By age thirty, 25% of adults who bullied as a child had a criminal record.

THUS INTERVENTION IS KEY:

Since bullying is a learned behavior, it can be unlearned.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Three: Anyone can be a victim.

Children are victimized because of their appearance, mannerisms, or just because they don’t fit in.

NOT FITTING IN

Is the top reason why children are bullied by peers.

Examples: Children who have a disability or chronic illness are common targets. Other victims are children who have overprotective or domineering parents.

Two Types of Victims

• Passive Victims: characterized as being anxious or insecure

• Provocative Victims: characterized by being hot tempered or restless. Provocative victims are in danger of becoming bullies themselves.

OUT OF THE CATEGORY:

Talented and popular students can also be victimized.

Some students may see high achievers as “sucking up” to teachers and torment them for revenge.

Victims Reward the Bully • Children who are victimized reward bullies in two ways

Physically: (Giving away their lunch money) Emotionally: (Bursting into tears)

Victims are often afraid and lonely and attempt to avoid situations where bullying may occur.

LONG TERM EFFECTS

Children who are bullied: Begin to see themselves as inferior and their

academic performance suffers. Begin to believe that they deserve to be abused.

(Similar to domestic violence) Can make a victim mentality a permanent part of their

personality. Do suffer from depression at greater rates than those

who are not bullied. May consider suicide as only means of escape.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Four: Bullying is not a modern problem.

Bullying has been documented throughout history.

In the 1850’s novel, Tom Brown’s Schooldays, author, Thomas Hughes documented the bullying of an English boy at boarding school.

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act 1973, was a modern step in the protection of children.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Five: Bullying Affects Everyone

Children who watch others being bullied are often afraid to speak out.

“If I speak out, they’ll pick at me too!”

Children who are victimized are often rejected by their peers. (If I befriend her, they will pick at both of us!”

Children who witness bullying may feel that they are next in line and develop a wide array of physical symptoms to deal with the stress.

This type of atmosphere encourages truancy and school dropout.

Bystanders Speak Out

Not all students choose to silently stand by. Some students do speak out, but intervention can come at a high cost.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Six: Bullying is a serious problem

It is estimated that only 1/3 of all violent crimes against youth are reported to the authorities.

Why?

Some bullies may claim that “We were just having fun.”

Students Reflecting on Violence

One New York City student said,

“Violence has been a problem in our city for a long time, and in recent years, it has spread to

our schools. Some schools have installed metal detectors hoping to stop violence. But weapons aren’t the only problem. No metal

detectors on earth can stop people from bringing fear, prejudice, and conflict to school, and no metal detector can prevent students

from bringing that fear, prejudice, and conflict back to the streets at 3 P.M.”

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Seven: We can work together to find solutions.

Solutions: Young people and their adult role models can

learn and practice conflict management techniques.

Schools can modify their environment to focus on rules, rights, and responsibilities.

Schools can implement peer mediation programs.

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The Three R’s.School must implement the three R’s.

Rules: Parents and administrators must demonstrate that they are in charge and won’t tolerate any student hurting another student, either physically or psychologically.

Rights: Every student has the right not to be hurt and the right to learn in a safe environment.

Responsibilities: Educators must be responsible for supervision and observant monitoring. By eliminating the fear factor, educators are able to perform their jobs more effectively. Students must also be responsible for respecting the rights of their peers.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Eight: A plan will produce the best results. Establish a zero tolerance policy for

weapons and violence. Offer training in anger management.,

stress relief techniques, and violence prevention programming.

Involve parents in the school environment. Reward good behavior. Insist that the school faculty treat students

and each other with respect.

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Nine: Children at risk can be helped.

As educators, it important that we recognize the warning signs of bullies or victims. Social withdrawal Excessive feelings of isolation or feeling alone Being a victim of violence. Excessive feelings of rejection Low school interest and poor academic performance. Expression of violence in writing or drawing Uncontrolled anger Patterns of impulsive violent behavior History of discipline problems Intolerance of difference or prejudicial attitudes. Drug and alcohol use. Affiliation with gangs Possession of firearms Serious threats of violence

Top Ten Facts about Bullying

Fact Ten: Schools are responsible for protecting students

Children cannot achieve and perform effectively if they are

fear for their safety.