How Parents and Agents Can Address Bullying with Youth

Recently the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a new anti-bullying policy that concluded that bullying is not just another childhood behavior that will eventually be outgrown, but rather a public health problem that can have long-term effects for both the bully and the victim. Children who don't escape the cycle of bullying are at higher risk for serious academic, social, emotional, and legal problems. This has been reinforced by a report from the AMA indicating that 7-15% of school-aged children are bullies and one in 10 school children is a victim of bullying (Peck, 2002).

Research has shown that bullying seems to increase through the elementary years, peak in the middle school/junior high school years, and decline during the high school years (Batsche & Knoff, 1994). School size, racial composition, and school setting have not been found to be distinguishing factors in predicting bullying (Olweus, 1993). Physical aggression has been found to decrease with age, yet verbal aggression appears constant (Nolin, Davies & Chandler, 1995). Boys typically engage in and are victims of bullies more frequently than girls (Whitney & Smith, 1993).

What is bullying?

While bullying is typically thought of as those direct behaviors, including teasing, threatening, taunting, and hitting by one or more students against a victim, it may also be an indirect attack causing social isolation through intentional exclusion (Banks, 1997). A recent New York Times story on "relational aggression"--when bullying involves tactics that lead to isolation or stigmatizing of other children--expands the typical perception of bullying from aggression and physical violence, into other domains of youth development that have a different set of potential consequences. Indeed, manipulating a behind-the-back rumor scenario that causes another to be shunned by his or her peers was not included in the typical stimulus-response pattern previously addressed by those in the field, especially those new scenarios now being orchestrated by youth through the use of computer technology including Web sites, e-mails, and chat rooms.

Adding to the problem are perceptions of bullying, often held by students who feel that victims are at least partially responsible for bringing bullying on themselves and that bullying toughens a weak person (Oliver, Hoover & Hazler, 1994). Parents are often unaware of a bullying problem and consequently do not talk with their children about it (Olweus, 1993). Students often feel that adults are ineffective and infrequent in their interventions, and that teachers seldom or never talk to them about bullying in their classes (Charach, Pepler, & Zeigler, 1995).

What can be done?

Many intervention programs are reframing the way they address bullying. Some programs focus on the resolution of conflict (Barnett, Adler, Easton & Howard, 2001) while others try to involve the entire school community including bystanders, not just the bully and victim (Slaby, Wilson-Brewer & Dash, 1994). Yet there are certainly some steps that extension agents, parents, and educators can take together to encourage involvement in creating a safe and fear-free learning environment.