School Programs to Help Prevent Bullying
Almost all bullying occurs in school, or on the way to or from it. As numerous studies into the cause and effects of bullying continue to show that it is both pervasive and dangerous, schools have begun taking more effective measures both to address and correct it.
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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, verbal, emotional and cyber. This last, and newest, form of bullying, in which the aggressor uses email or social websites to insult or threaten, enables the bully to "follow" his or her victim well beyond the geographic and time constraints of the typical school day.
Student Victims
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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. The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, in their collaborative 2002 report, "Bullying Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents," estimate that nearly 1 in 5 students ages 12 through 18 have reported fearing an attack in or near school.
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Effects of Bullying on the Victim
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Victims of regular bullying experience more physical and psychological problems than their non-bullied peers. More daunting, 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 2 to 9 times more likely to think about suicide than their non-bullied peers.
State Laws on Bullying
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As of March 2009, 39 states had passed laws either specifically addressing bullying or addressing behaviors that encompass bullying. Most of the individual state laws cover bullying that occurs on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities. The levels of action these laws require of schools for their anti-bullying efforts vary greatly from state to state.
Schools' Less-Effective Efforts
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A 2007 review published by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine looked into the effectiveness of traditional methods used by schools to curb bullying---classroom discussions, role playing, and detention---and found that they were mostly ineffective. The review concluded that "Whole school interventions involving teachers, administrators, and social workers committed to culture change are the most effective."
Guidelines for Successful School Programs
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Echoing the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine findings, a 2008 report by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), states that a successful anti-bullying program should include a combination of individual, class, and school-level interventions. The group recommends schools adapt all of the following measures:
Early intervention. There is a need at the elementary and middle school levels for social skills training, counseling, and aggression interventions for students exhibiting bullying or victim behaviors.
Parent training. Parents must support children who are victims as well as recognize bullying behaviors. School psychologists, social workers and counselors need to be available to help.
Teacher training. Teachers need to recognize and respond to bullying behavior and provide positive feedback to appropriate social behavior.
Attitude change. The old attitude that bullying is a rite of passage is dangerous. School personnel should never ignore bullying behaviors.
Positive school environment. Schools with well-understood rules and fair discipline practices report less violence.
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