About Bullying
Definition General Information Further Information
Definition
Bullying is commonly defined as intentional aggressive behavior that is repeated over time, in which there is an imbalance of power or strength between the two parties, and where it is difficult for the student being bullied to defend himself or herself.
General Information
Bullying behaviors may be direct or overt (e.g., hitting, kicking, name-calling, or taunting) or more subtle or indirect in nature (e.g., rumor-spreading, social exclusion, friendship manipulation, or cyber-bullying).
Regardless of the form in which bullying takes, we know that bullying is detrimental to students’ well-being. We also know that bullying is a social relationship problem and we all have the responsibility to model and engage in healthy social relationships.
There is overwhelming research evidence that students world-wide regularly report witnessing and experiencing bullying. Additionally, research reveals numerous deleterious outcomes for both targets and perpetrators of bullying.
Although bullying among children and youth is not a recent phenomenon, it has received increased attention around the world during the past several decades. For instance, in Australia, it is estimated that one child in six is subjected to bullying on a weekly basis and in the United States, 7% of students reported being bullied at school in the past six months. Previous studies in Norway and Sweden found that 15% of students reported being involved in bully/victim problems 2-3 times per month or more often.
It is also clear that bullying can contribute to an environment of fear and intimidation in schools. Furthermore, the culmination of more than two decades of research indicates that bullying may seriously affect the psychosocial functioning, academic work, mental health and physical health of children who are involved in the bullying dynamic.
Therefore, it is imperative that we educate students and adults alike about the negative impact that bullying can have and that we all work together to reduce bullying and ultimately, to prevent bullying from happening in the first place. If we can create environments that foster respect for all humans, together we can STOP BULLYING!
Further Information
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology
This website includes fast facts for families including bullying, conduct disorder, and violent behaviors among youth. The information emphasizes specific warning signs and resources that families may consider.
American Psychological Association
This website focuses on providing information of interest to psychologists, including many valuable links to recent news and publications (including books and journals). The links to press releases and psychology news provide insights regarding the information distributed to the general public. The links to journal articles provide contemporary scholarship and empirical evidence.
Bullying Research Network
This website serves as a virtual clearinghouse to support national and international research initiatives in effective bullying prevention and intervention. The emphasis is on uniting researchers in bullying prevention and intervention in order to further understand the complex social ecology underlying bullying dynamics.
Consortium to Prevent School Violence
This website provides valuable information and resources based on the work of leading international researchers. Materials include fact sheets, position statements, and many valuable links.
Home & School Safety for Kids
Links to resources teaching children about safet. Helping children, tweens, and teens understand the importance and seriousness of personal safety and how to avoid dangerous situations or unnecessary accidents at home and in school.
National Association of School Psychologists
This website offers numerous valuable resources to promote school safety and address school violence. Emphasizing safe, supportive, and effective schools, this site offers many resources that would be valuable for professionals at school and in the community.
National School Safety Center
This website emphasizes resources and strategies to promote school safety and prevent school violence. The site aims to serve as an advocate for safe, secure and peaceful schools and as a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence.
Parent Teacher Association
This website offers multiple resources for parents and educators that describe bullying and identifies strategies to identify and prevent bully behaviors. Several of the links address strategies for parents to help children deal with bullying.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
This website provides education professionals information regarding behavioral and discipline systems needed for successful learning and social development of students. The site aims to provide information and technical support about behavioral systems to assist states and districts in the design of effective schools.
Stop Bullying Now! Campaign
United States Department of Health and Human Services
This website is designed in a youth friendly format, including the formatting and content. The key links within include; what bullying is, what you can do, and cool stuff. There are also webisodes (brief, engaging, animations that highlight bullying related issues).
Target Bullying Website
This website is designed to help school personnel use a series of Bully Surveys to determine the scope of the bullying problem in their school. There are surveys for students in grades 3-12; teachers, and parents.
Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools
United States Department of Education
This website offers helpful information for education professionals, emphasizing school safety and reducing violence at school. The site includes many links to publications and resources.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
United States Department of Health and Human Services
This website emphasizes the prevention of youth violence. Basic information is provided regarding understanding youth violence, facts at a glance, as well as links to resources that focus the assessment of violence and violence prevention programs.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
United States Department of Health and Human Services
This website includes helpful information, with diverse audiences, including links for: 1) Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers, 2) Educators, Administrators, and Guidance Counselors, 3) Mental Health Professionals and Other Health Care, 4) Community Organizations and Law Enforcement, and 5) Children and Teens. In addition, valuable links to SAMHSA’s publications and related websites are also provided. The safe schools / healthy students initiative includes many relevant publications that can be downloaded.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
United States Department of Justice
This website provides valuable information for professionals and aims to facilitate national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. There is information related to the topic of gangs, youth violence, and other important topics.
World Health Organization
This website includes the World Report on Violence and Health. This report is a comprehensive review of the problem of violence on a global scale, including sections addressing what it is, whom it affects, and what can be done about it. There is also a link to the Preventing Violence publication, which is a guide to implementing the recommendations of the previously described report.
Additional Information
A Call to Stop Bullying
