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HRSA’s Stop Bullying Now! CampaignJob Corps Health & Wellness Conference

Erin Reiney, MPH, CHESU.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration

November 2011

Today’s Discussion

• Bullying Overview– Health Consequences – Myths– Youth at Risk

• Best Practices and Climate• Campaign Resources • The Role of Bystanders• Breakout Groups: Scenario-Based

Discussions

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Bullying Overview

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Bullying…

• Is aggressive behavior that intends to cause harm or distress

• Usually is repeated over time• Occurs in a relationship where

there is an imbalance of power or strength

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Key Facts About Bullying

Bullying is best understood as a group phenomenon in which youth may play a variety of roles.• Youth Who Bullies• Youth Who Is Being Bullied• Bystander

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Examples of Cyberbullying

• Repeatedly sending rude or offensive text messages

• Posting or sending digitally altered photos• Impersonating another and sending offensive

messages• Tricking someone into

revealing embarrassing infoand forwarding it to others

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Cyberbullying and “Traditional” Bullying

Similar characteristics:• Aggressiveness• Power imbalance• Repetitiveness

Different characteristics:• Anonymity• Disinhibition• Accessibility• Punitive fears• Bystanders

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Bullying, School Engagement & Academic Achievement

•Want to avoid going to school

•Have higher absenteeism rates

•Say they dislike school

•Say they receive lower grades

Bullied youth

are more likely to:

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Health Consequences of Bullying

Studies comparing symptoms of youth who are bullied to their non-bullied peers, the youth victims manifested:

Higher rates of physical problems • Consistently higher risks of psychosomatic problems among

victimized children shown in a search of 11 studies through March 2008 involving 152,186 youth, ages 7 to 16 years (Gini & Pozzoli, 2009)

• Among 15,686 US middle school students, those who suffered one or more physical or emotional symptoms several times a week were 2.4-3.5 times more likely to be involved in frequent bullying incidents (Srabstein et al., 2006)

• Bullied students in Dutch schools, ages 9-12, were 3 times more likely to have headaches, feel listless and wet their beds, and were twice as likely to have trouble sleeping, have stomach pains, feel tense, tired and have poor appetites (Fekkes, et al., 2004)

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Health Consequences of Bullying

Signs of distress and psychological difficulties

• Adolescents surveyed in the U.S. who reported frequent exposure to 4-5 different forms of bullying were at high risk of depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts (Klomek, Marrocco, Kleinman, Schonfeld, & Gould, 2008)

• Bullied youth reported more psychopathology and lower self worth in a large study of Norwegian adolescents aged 11-15 (Undheim & Sund, 2010)

• Australian youth who are bullied frequently (at least once a week) were twice as likely to report wishing they were dead and having reoccurring thoughts of suicide (Rigby, 1996)

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State Laws

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States with Laws on Bullying 47

States with No Laws on Bullying 3 (MI, MT, & SD + DC)

True or False: Bullying Myths

1. Bullying is the same thing as conflict.• False

2. Most bullying is physical.• False

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How are Students Bullied? (Olweus & Limber, 2010)

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Verb Excl Phys Rum Prop Thrt Rac Sex Cyber Other

GirlsBoys

Grades 3-12

True or False: Bullying Myths

3. Bullying isn’t serious, it’s just a matter of “kids being kids.”

• False

4. Very few students are involved in bullying by the time they get to high school.

• False

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Bullying Status Among High School Students (2-3 times/month or more)

Olweus & Limber (2010)

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Grades 3-12

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

B-VB onlyV only

True or False: Bullying Myths

5. Bullying is mostly a problem in urban schools.

• False

6. Children and youth who are bullied almost always tell an adult.

• False

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True or False: Bullying Myths

7. Bullying is more likely to happen at school than on a bus.

• True

8. Children and youth who bully are mostly loners with few social skills.

• False

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True or False: Bullying Myths

9. Bullied youth need to learn how to deal with bullying on their own.

• False

10. High school students who observe bullying do not feel sorry for those who are bullied and don’t want to get involved.

• False

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Students’ Perceptions of Bullied Students

(Olweus & Limber, 2010)

88% of high school girls and 66% of high school boys feel sorry when they see a student being bullied.

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If you see or learn that a student is being bullied, how do you usually

react? (Olweus & Limber, 2010)

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Groups at Risk for Bullying

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Youth at High Risk For Bullying Include:

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• Those with:– Learning disabilities– ADHD– Autism Spectrum Disorder– Special health care needs or chronic diseases

• Those who are:– Obese– LGBT

LGBT Youth

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• Exposure to biased language (2009 National School Climate Survey):

–72% of students heard homophobic or sexist remarks often or frequently at school.

–89% heard “gay” or “queer” used in a negative way.

–60% reported ever hearing homophobic remarks from their teachers or other school staff.

– Only 15% said that school personnel frequently intervened when hearing homophobic remarks.

LGBT Youth, cont.

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• 61% of LGBT students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.

• 30% missed one or more days of school in the past month because they felt unsafe.

• Students most commonly avoided locker rooms

(36%) and bathrooms (34%) because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

Harassment and Assault at School(2009 National School Climate Survey)

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Best Practicesand

Climate

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Best Practices

Focus on the social environment of the school • Change in attitudes, behaviors, and norms takes considerable

time and commitment• Garner staff and parent support for and involvement in

preventionCollect local data to determine need related to bullying, climate, and violence• Use data to monitor where bullying is happening, impact of

programs, need for training, etc.• Assess perspectives of students, staff, and parentsIncrease adult supervision in “hot spots” where bullying occurs

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Best Practices, cont.

Train staff how to intervene effectively and consistently in bullying situations• Intervene consistently and appropriately in bullying situations

Establish and enforce school-wide rules and policies related to bullying

Spend class time talking about bullying prevention• Classroom is very important context for prevention (Durlak et

al., in press)

Coordinate and integrate prevention programs and activities

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Best Practices, cont.

Implement multi-component programs which teach social-emotional skills and prosocial behavior to all students in the classroom and schoolwide • Use more intensive selected and indicated programs for

students at higher riskAttend to implementation fidelity and factors that influence implementation• Community support, teacher buy-in, administrative

leadership, and ‘coaching’ are critical to the high quality implementation of programs

Sustain these efforts over time• Integrating programs and supports to promote fidelity and

sustainability (Adelman & Taylor, 1997; Domitrovich, Bradshaw et al., 2009)

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Factors in a Positive School Climate

• Supportive friendships between peers in which sincere appreciation and concerns are shared.

• Trusting adults who are willing to discuss and address bullying in appropriate ways.

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Evidence of a Safe and Positive School Climate: • There’s a sense of belonging and students like

school—school connectedness. • Everyone is treated with respect and their

talents are acknowledged. • Clear rules and expectations that are fairly and

consistently applied.

School Connectedness

• 73% of 10-18 year-olds reported having a best friend at school– Gallup Survey on School Engagement (2009)

• 73% believe they are treated fairly in school

• 55% agree that their school’s rules are fair

• 63% agree that their school’s rules are applied and enforced consistently– High School Survey of Student Engagement (2009)

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Percentage of Students Who Have No or Only One Good Friend in Their

Class Olweus & Limber (2010)

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0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

3rd-5th 6th-8th 9th-12th

GirlsBoys

Percentage of Students Who Dislike School

Olweus & Limber (2010)

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Grade

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

3rd-5th 6th-8th 9th-12th

GirlsBoys

Sense of Belonging

• 70% agreed that “I care about this school”

• 64% would choose to go to the same school

• 57% agreed that “I am an important part of my high school community” – High School Survey of Student Engagement (2009)

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Campaign Resources

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Stop Bullying Now! Basics

Who: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

What: Stop Bullying Now! Campaign

When: Launched in 2004

Why: Raise awareness about bullying prevention and intervention among youth and adults and maximize partnerships.

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Audience-Specific Tip Sheets

•Warning Signs that a Child is Being Bullied

•Bullying Among Children and Youth on Perceptions and Differences in Sexual Orientation

All Adults

•How to Talk with Educators at Your Child's School About Bullying: Tips for Parents of Bullied Children

Parents

•Providing Support to Children Who Are Bullied: Tips for School Personnel And Other Adults

•Documenting Bullying at Your School: Tips for School Administrators

Educators and School

Staff

Audience-Specific Tip Sheets

•Roles for Health and Safety Professionals in Bullying Prevention and Intervention

Health & Safety Professionals

•Bullying Among Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Needs

•Working with Young People Who are Bullied: Tips for Mental Health Professionals

Mental Health Professionals

•Involvement of Law Enforcement Officers in Bullying Prevention

•Intervention Tips for Law Enforcement Officers

Law Enforcement

•Bullying in Out-of-School Time Programs: Tips for Youth-Serving Professionals and Volunteers

Youth Advisors

Activities Guide

• Suggestions for planning activities to raise awareness

• Model programs

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Recommendations for Use

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• Activities Guide ideas include:– Stop Bullying Now! theme week– Brown Bag Lunch/Teacher In-service– Mentoring program– Chalk it up! – Pledge wall– Much more

Posters Targeted for Adults

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Youth Leaders’ Toolkit

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Recommendations for Use

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• Youth Leaders’ Toolkit includes ideas for:– Bullying prevention projects, including

videos/PSAs, murals, skits and plays– Step-by-step implementation guide– Project timelines and

budgets– Ways to promote work– Techniques for

evaluating success

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Federal Partnerships

Bystanders

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Support From Peers

• 81% of high school students agreed that they feel supported by other students.– High School Survey of Student Engagement

(2009)

• 48% of U.S. students (age 11, 13, 15) agree that most of the students in their class(es) are kind and helpful.– Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children

(2005/2006)

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Percentage Who Say Other Students Try to Stop Bullying

Olweus & Limber (2010)

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Adult Support at School

• 88% agreed that “There is at least one adult in this school who cares about me.”

• 74% agreed that “There is at least one adult in this school who knows me well.”

• 82% agreed that they felt supported by teachers

• 67% believed that “most” or “all” of their teachers want them to do the best work they can do (17% “none” or “one”)– High School Survey of Student Engagement (2009)

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Percentage Who Say Teachers or Other Adults at School Try to Stop

Bullying Olweus & Limber (2010)

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

3rd-5th 6th-8th 9th-12th

GirlsBoys

Grade

Challenges to Engagement: Snitching

• Many youth do not report bullying to school staff. • Older students and boys are less likely than younger students and

girls to report their victimization.

50Percentage of Students Who Have or Have Not Reported Bullying (Olweus & Limber, 2010)

What Adults Did that Helped Me the Most - Youth Voice Project

• Just the fact that they were willing to listen and give their advice helped even though my issues were small

• Tell me that it was wrong what [the other person did]; that helped my self esteem (M)

• Talked to me and made me calm and relaxed; I felt comfortable and able to open up to them (F)

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention

Youth Voice Project, Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon, www.youthvoiceproject.com

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention

Grades 9-12

Most helpful adult behaviors

Less helpful adult behaviors

Leasthelpful/most

likely to make things worse

Listened to me Gave me advice Adults checked in with me over time to see if things got better

Talked with the whole class more than once Talked with the other student Talked with the whole class once Increased adult supervision

Sat with me and the student who was mean to me together Used punishment for the person who was mean to me (text

responses suggest that punishments were inconsistent and often not followed through, rather than too harsh)

Ignored the situation Told me I should have acted differently Told me to solve it myself Told me to stop tattling

Youth Voice Project, Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon, www.youthvoiceproject.com

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention

Grades 9-12

Most helpful peer behaviors

Less helpfulpeer behaviors

Least helpful/most likely to make things worse

Spent time with me at school Talked to me at school to encourage me Helped me get away from situation Gave me advice; Listened to me Called me at home to encourage me

Angrily told the person who was being mean to me to stop Made a distraction Helped me tell an adult Kindly told the person who was being mean to me to stop

Ignored the situation Blamed me for what happened to me Made fun of me for being teased or for asking for help

Youth Voice Project, Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon, www.youthvoiceproject.com

Breakout Groups: Scenario-Based Discussions

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For More Information…• Visit www.StopBullying.gov

• To order DVDs or Activities Guides:– 1.888.ASK.HRSA

• Contact:– Erin Reiney, MPH, CHES– Injury and Violence Prevention Programs

Division of Child, Adolescent and Family HealthHealth Resources and Services Administration

– ereiney@hrsa.gov– @StopBullyingNow on Twitter

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