Additional Resources
Bullying Defined
A bully is someone who directs physical, verbal, or psychological aggression or harassment toward others, with the goal of gaining power over or dominating another individual. Research indicates tat bulling is more prevalent in boys than girls, though this difference decreases when considering indirect aggression (such as verbal threats).
A victim is someone who repeatedly is exposed to aggression from peers in the form of physical attacks, verbal assaults, or psychological abuse. Victims are more likely to be boys and to be physically weaker than peers. They generally do not have many, if any, good friends and may display poor social skills and academic difficulties in school.
A bystander is a individual who witnesses bullying and becomes one of the following: a person who will intervene, a person who wants to help the victim but does not know how, a person who encourages the bully to continue, or a person who watches the bullying occur but says and does nothing.
Facts about bullying
- Bullying is the most common form of violence in our society; between 15% and 30% of school students are bullies or victims.
- A recent report from the American Medical Association on a study of over 15,000 6th-10th graders estimate that approximately 3.7 million youths engage in, and more than 3.2 million are victims of, moderate or serious bullying each year.
- Between 1994 and 1999, there were 253 violent deaths in school; 51 casualties were the result of multiple-death events. Bullying is often a factor is school-related deaths.
- Membership in either bully or victim groups is associated with school dropout, poor psychological adjustment, criminal activity, and other negative long-term consequences.
- Direct, physical bullying increases in elementary school and declines in high school, but peaks in middle school. Verbal abuse, on the other hand, remains constant. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that younger students are more likely to be bullied than older students.
- Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective.
Did you know that...
- ... 25% of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or putdowns, and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents?
- ... adolescents who are being bullied or those who are bullies are at an increased risk for depression?
- ... your child has probably come into contact with a form of bullying, either as the bully, the victim, or the bystander?
What can parents do to help prevent bullying?
