Recognizing the multitude of negative effects resulting from the widespread phenomenon of bullying, the Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program (STR) has formulated a solution. As this program incorporates a social-ecological approach to countering bullying in schools, it focuses its efforts on the school as a whole as well as peers and individuals. The founding belief of STR is that bullying continues to be widespread as a result of peers, their attitudes and behaviors in relation to bullying, and existing bullying norms. Thus, efforts are made to increase empathy for victims of bullying, to change attitudes about bullying, and to teach students the importance of taking appropriate action against any form of bullying they witness. As prior implementations of STR have shown promising results in preventing bullying, the current study sought to answer three questions regarding the effects of STR on the social-ecological context of the school, on the way teachers interpret students ' behavior, and on the way students perceive the school 's atmosphere, personnel, and school connectedness. The study also attempted to examine the overall effectiveness of STR in reducing bullying as supported by prior studies.
The study focused on 33 schools in north-central California that were randomly assigned to an intervention or waitlist control condition. Schools located in rural areas constituted 25% of the sample while 10% were located in small towns, 50% in suburban
Bullying at school is a big problem that is found in all the schools in the United States and across the world. Since the late 1990s there have been several fatal school shootings committed by victims of bullying that have brought bullying major media attention. This has resulted in an increase of awareness about the harmful effects on the kids being bullied as well as the bullies themselves. This has brought a large amount of local, state, and nationwide programs designed to try to prevent bullying or to at least try to contain the problem. “In an effort to adequately address the problem, many schools are taking a proactive approach through prevention and intervention, but how do we know if and when such intervention is effective? First and foremost, we must have an accurate understanding of the dynamic and complex phenomenon of bullying across development and as it spans the multiple levels of the social ecology” (Casper, Meter, & Card, 2015, par 2). Many psychologists, sociologists, and school administrators have been publishing research on school bullying. Bullying is a significant threat to many children because it causes psychological problems not only for those who get bullied but also those who do the bullying. Even though bullying is a significant problem the are few solutions that can help prevent or significantly reducing bullying like reporting bullying, know the characteristics, and passing laws.
Over the past couple of decades, schools all across the nation have noticed a significant rise in the amount of bullying taking place among their students. “Two decades ago, bullying was often seen as a rare occurrence, where small groups of parents sought protection for their children with the school district”, stated by Vikki Healy Ortiz, writer of the article “New inclusive approach helps schools fight bullying”. However, the same cannot be said for our society in today’s world. Our modern world has advanced tremendously over the past few decades and there are even more opportunities for children to be susceptible to feeling isolated from others because they are simply unique. In today’s society, children have the potential to bully each other outside of the classroom as well.
Bullying among school-aged children is regarded as a widespread problem in the United States and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), over one third of students in elementary and middle schools are impacted by bullying (Klein, 2012). Bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time” (Klein,2012). Studies show that the consequences of bullying not only include students who are bullied, but the effects extend to those who bully and
Bullying has engrained in American society since the country’s founding. Bred from a capitalistic economy and competitive social hierarchy, bullying has remained a relevant issue through the years. School age children are learning skills and lessons from their teachers as well as through peer interactions. Although schools are great tools that children benefit from, there are some bad experiences, such as bullying, that may negatively affect and remain with these children for the rest of their lives. Some
Bullying in the United States has become epidemic, but some schools are resistant to instill anti-bullying programs, because they fear the program will be ineffective. The article, Creating An Anti-Bullying Culture In Secondary Schools: Characterists to Consider When Constructing Appropriate Anti-Bullying Programs, researchers Joseph R. Jones, and Sharon Murphy Augustine address the issue of bullying head on. Research indicates that students who are from a low socioeconomic background, students who are racially diverse, students who have a learning disability, and student’s sexual orientation has the largest effect on bullying rates in the United States (Jones &Augustine, pp. 74-76). In a recent survey, twenty five percent of students reported that they are bullied on a daily basis and that cyber bullying is at an all time high (Jones &Augustine, p. 74). Due to the increased rates of bullying, there is an increase on teen suicide and school shootings. (Jones
The article looks at the different groups that are involved in bullying and how they affect the situation. Some are knowingly involved and participating in the act of bullying while others participate without even realizing it. The article shows a good understanding of the issue of bullying and informs the reader of what to look for and how to prevent it. The author helps us to understand the bully and what causes a person to bully, it also shows why some kids get bullied and how bystanders can contribute or prevent it. I think this article gives good incite and ideas on how to combat or prevent bullying. I will add this article to my tool box and will use it in the classroom to create an open and honest conversation about bullying. We will create peer responsibility through peer intervention and will build a classroom culture that encourages team work and group support. Using this article the students will understand the implications of their actions and will know how to change the path of the bullied. They will understand how being a bystander also contributes to the situation. They will know what actions to take in the prevention of bullying in their lives and those around
Bullying is a recurrent issue that can be found in many, if not all, schools across the world. It is a universal action. “Bullying is broadly defined as intentional and repeated acts that occur through direct verbal, direct physical, and indirect forms (cyberbullying), and it typically occurs in situations in which there is a power or status difference” (O’Brennan, Waasdorp, & Bradshaw, 2014). In a study done among 876 students in grades 4, 5 and 6, researchers came to the conclusion that nearly 30% of students commit acts of bullying against their classmates, with reports of bullying being two times higher than the rate of bullying itself. “Aggression and peer victimization are significant problems for many elementary and middle school students” (Jensen, Brisson, Bender &Williford, 2013). According to Lindsey M. O’Brennan, Tracy E. Waasdorp and Catherine P. Bradshaw, in their article “Strengthening Bullying Prevention Through School Staff Connectedness, they state
Cunningham and Whitten (2007) discussed the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a whole-school prevention program widely implemented and researched. Encompassing the whole school, the program contains school-wide, classroom, and individualized components. The program’s objectives include increasing awareness and problem assessment, environmental/ school climate strategies, classroom-focused strategies, and individual interventions. Extensive research indicates positive results in decreasing bullying and victimization. The authors also mention the importance of program monitoring and assessment to ensure thorough and comprehensive implementation. Comprehensive approaches, like the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, are foundational to ensuring the protection and safety of students to facilitate academic, social, and career development.
The Chapter 13 article emphasizes that teachers hold the key to change through successful prevention and treatment of bullying. Teachers are essential where their own behavior and interactions with students are critical to enhance their development. In order to eradicate or prevent bullying, teachers need to be aware and recognize that bullying is a serious problem. Although appropriate action is taken when bullying occurs, this topic will continue to be a painstakingly issue to solve.
To explore the attitudes, beliefs and values within a school community, and their impact…… I conduct document-based research within an interpretive framework. I drew on quantitative studies for evidence of anti-bullying intervention outcomes, whilst additionally using insights from qualitative accounts of the perceptions of students, staff and parents regarding their school's bullying prevention efforts. Additionally, this position, that the world is both socially constructed and subjective, also implies that research cannot be conducted in isolation from the researchers’ personal history. Acknowledging this, my own experiences related to the topic are incorporated into this research paper. These sentiments will be explored throughout this study because social change “cannot be carried out in a vacuum” and therefore, neither should an analysis of its
The climate of the school and its environment can negatively affect student's learning and also delay the ability of students to learn. Students may also feel insecure and tend not to like school very well if they are victims of bullying. While bullying is considered to be a serious problem that will impact the school experience of all children involved, it will also affect these children emotionally. We must address this issue in school settings in order to prevent negative outcomes for students in relating to impacts on their emotional, and mental health, academic learning, and social development. This paper will talk about the background of bullying, the factors that contribute to bullying, two prevention and three intervention techniques and strategies that can be used to help minimize and reduce bullying inside the school
Throughout all my years in high school, bullying was a major issue. From physical fights to cyber threats, bullying comes in all shapes and sizes. Various questions can be raised regarding how to punish a bully when the only evidence is what the victim is describing. Are schools doing the most they can to prevent bullying? Why is the victim of a fight being punished in the same way as the bully? Although there have been many attempts to lessen the effects of bullying, there is still more to be done including: spreading awareness to the workplace and college campuses, finding different ways to help the people affected by bullying, and to find a different outlook when it comes to understanding the bully and their motives.
School administrators have put in tons of effort into making school assemblies and programs to raise awareness for bullying and to take care of the whole student body in their schools. A middle school in Hillsborough, Florida, experienced many situations with bullying. Most of which that were severe and harmful to the victim. Several boys were caught physically and verbally attacking a much younger student. In this middle school, the “Bully Busters” program was started to raise awareness of the severe case of bullying. The program launched a website to help both students and adults fully understand what bullying is. The “Bully Busters” made and distributed 5,000 posters, 10,000 bookmarks, and covered 50 benches in the area with information about their program (Brock). Staff in schools agree that children need to follow through with acts of kindness and show that they are well raised. Disciplinary actions are taken in schools when children behave in a way that might be harmful to other children in the classrooms. “Developed at the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC) in Eugene, LIFT [Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers] teaches the children the social skills necessary for nonaggressive interaction. It targets all children not just those who are aggressive, and is unique in that it also involves both parents and teachers” (McCarthy). Some
The influence of school bullying is not as one dimensional as some have thought, and recent studies have examined this issue from the angles of student perception as well as socio-cultural perspectives (Espelage et al., 2014). Bullying is a dynamic issue with the capability to impact schools in numerous areas. Researchers typically categorize the negative effects of school bullying in terms of short and long term consequences and in terms of its impact on individual students and the climate of a school system. Smithyman, Fireman, and Asher (2014) have described a plethora of negative consequences faced by individual victims of bullying, including: reduced psychological and social adjustment, lower degrees of physical well-being, higher levels of depression, increased anxiety, poorer work and school achievement, and increased likelihood of suicide or suicidal ideation. Other researchers affirm these conclusions and include the following effects: lower commitment to school attendance, serious mental health problems, aggressive retaliatory behaviors, diminished confidence and self-esteem, increased feelings of loneliness and alienation, and higher overall psychological distress (Casebeer, 2012; Chisholm, 2014; Cornell et al. 2013). Not every victim of bullying should necessarily expect to experience these issues, but vast amounts of research confirm a significant a connection between these issues and bullying (Smithyman et al., 2014). Cornell et al. (2013) reports that
School bullying and bullying as a whole has become a growing concern. The need for more intervention is more recognized, as incidents of bullying and inappropriate acts towards others occur in places outside of the classroom. This literature takes a closer look at bullying in schools. Olwesus (2013) states “the field of bullying research is to some extent plagued by problems, disagreements, and unresolved issues” (p.752). Whether if anyone will agree on the root of bullying, the fact remains that bullying has to be examined at its very core to remedy the matter before it becomes a bigger concern. There is a dire need for intervention based programs to be set in place to address the fact the act of bullying has lasting effects on the bully and the victim. When intervention programs are put into place to address bullying, the act of bullying decreases due to the gained understanding of the effects.