About Prevention to Stop School Bullying
It used to be a rite of passage---dealing with the bully on the playground. But recent studies of the cause and effects of bullying show that it is both pervasive and dangerous. Schools are taking measures both to address and correct it, and parents need to as well.
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What is Bullying?
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The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC) defines bullying as an "aggressive behavior that is persistent, intentional, and involves an imbalance of power or strength." There are four kinds of bullying: physical, in which the aggressor may hit someone; verbal, in which the bully teases or makes fun of his or her victim; emotional, in which the bully intimidates through social actions; and the newest type, cyber, in which the aggressor uses email or social websites, such as MySpace or Facebook, to insult or threaten someone.
Who are being Bullied?
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In its comprehensive 2002 report, "Bullying Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents," the American Medical Association (AMA) writes that half of all students in the U.S. are bullied at least once; 10 percent of students are frequently bullied. Additionally, the AMA highlights the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2001 National Survey of Parents and Kids that children ages 8 to 15 ranked bullying as more of a problem in their lives than racism, pressure to use alcohol and other drugs, and pressure to have sex. The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice have estimated that nearly one in five students ages 12 through 18 years have reported fear of being attacked or harmed in or near school.
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Effects of Bullying on the Bully
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Without early intervention, the AMA reports that bullying behavior can progress into more anti-social and rule-breaking behavior that can be carried through to adulthood.
Effects of Bullying on the Victim
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Victims of regular bullying experience more physical and psychological problems than those who are not bullied; they can become withdrawn, disillusioned and chronically depressed. Most alarming, a 2008 review by the Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center of 37 international studies of bullying and youth suicide found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children. Several studies reviewed by the center showed that bullied children were two to nine times more likely to think about suicide than their non-bullied peers.
Schools' Efforts to Stop Bullying
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A 2007 review published by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine showed that traditional methods used by schools to curb bullying---classroom discussions, role playing and detention---are mostly ineffective. The review concludes that "whole school interventions involving teachers, administrators and social workers committed to culture change are the most effective [in preventing bullying] and are especially effective at the junior and senior high school level." The National Education Association has been working with other national organizations to provide schools with the tools and materials necessary to create a positive learning environment for all students.
Parents' Role
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Equally important to school actions, states the AMA, is the involvement of caring parents; those parents or adult caregivers who have difficulties communicating with their children are urged to seek professional guidance for the happiness and well-being of their kids.
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