I am honored to be the first guest blogger on this important website. I first met its creator ten years ago, when we were both working to convince the Geneva, Illinois, school district to take a more proactive role to prevent bullying. That was not the first time I’d pushed for anti-bullying, and sadly, I’m sure it won’t be the last. But every teacher, parent, student, and community member needs to learn more about bullying. We all need to understand the root causes and the cost not only to the victims but also to their bullies and to bystanders. Then we need to learn how to take effective actions to prevent that kind of harm.
According to national studies, about 20% of students aged 12-18 report having been bullied and 49% of children in grades 4–12 reported being bullied by other students at school at least once during the past month ,[1] about 30% acknowledge having been a bully,[2] and over 70% of students and staff have witnessed bullying.[3] These number should concern all of us.
Bullied students often suffer effects that “can include:
- Social isolation
- Feelings of shame
- Sleep disturbance
- Changes in eating habits
- Low self-esteem
- School avoidance
- Symptoms of anxiety
- Bedwetting
- Higher risk of illness
- Psychosomatic symptoms (stomachaches, headaches, muscle aches, other physical complaints with no known medical cause)
- Poor school performance
- Symptoms of depression
- Chronic depression
- Increased risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide plans, and suicide attempts
- Anxiety disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Poor general health
- Self-destructive behavior, including self-harm
- Substance abuse
- Difficulty establishing trusting, reciprocal friendships and relationships”[4]
Bullies themselves face both short-term and long-term dire consequences of their own behavior:
- “Chronic depression
- Increased risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide plans, and suicide attempts
- Anxiety disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Poor general health
- Self-destructive behavior, including self-harm
- Substance abuse
- Difficulty establishing trusting, reciprocal friendships and relationships
- Risk of spousal or child abuse
- Risk of antisocial behavior
- Substance abuse
- Less likely to be educated or employed”[5]
Bystanders, those who witness bullying but fail to intervene, also suffer. They may:
- “be reluctant to attend school
- feel fearful or powerless to act and guilty for not acting
- have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
- have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs”[6]
Yet we know that when bystanders intervene, “bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time.”[7] Training students and staff on how to intervene offers one of many strategies that can make a difference. More and more effective, evidence-based anti-bullying programs have become available. Check out https://www.cde.state.co.us/mtss/bullying/bestpractices
and https://educationandbehavior.com/research-based-bullying-prevention-programs/ for specific examples.
Every child deserves to feel safe to learn. Schools and the larger communities need to ensure that safety. A site like this one helps all of us to learn how keep students safe.
Ellen Jo Ljung
Educator/Writer/Consultant
www.imwriter.com
[1] https://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/ind_10.asp,
[2] Bradshaw, C.P., Sawyer, A.L., & O’Brennan, L.M. (2007). “Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences between students and school staff.” School Psychology Review, 36(3), 361-382.
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://www.psycom.net/effects-of-bullying/
[5] Ibid.
[6] https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/what.aspx
[7] Hawkins, D. L., Pepler, D., and Craig, W. M. (2001). “Peer interventions in playground bullying.” Social Development, 10, 512-527.