SUCCESS FILES
fast facts for busy counselors By Wendy Briggs For decades bullying was considered a normal part of growing up and going to school. However, in recent years public opinion about bullying has changed. Bullying is no longer viewed as a “school” problem but rather a community problem. Government statistics show that 32% of middle and high school students report being victims of bullying (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). Some sources claim the numbers to be even higher. The problem has become so prevalent that on March 9, 2011 President Obama convened a day-long White House Conference on Preventing Bullying (Hall, 2011) and announced the launch of an official U.S. Government website: www.stopbullying.gov. With one out of three children being bullied, chances are at some point in your career you will counsel or treat patients who have been directly or indirectly affected by bullying. Knowing the basics of bullying can greatly increase a therapist’s effectiveness in working with those patients and their families.
32%
of middle and high school students report being victims of bullying
10
SPRING 2012
Annals of Psychotherapy & Integrative Health®
59
bullying basics:
Types of Bullying
direct bullying:
—physical attacks like punching, shoving, kicking, hitting, and destruction of property; verbal abuse like name-calling, teasing, verbal threats, and obscene gestures. This behavior is more often seen in boys.
indirect bullying:
50
—verbal bullying, such as saying mean or untrue things, or spreading rumors; social bullying such as ignoring someone, manipulating friendships, enlisting friends to assault someone else, and daring others to do dangerous things upon threat of exclusion. This is more often seen in girls.
17%
cyber bullying:—sharing inappropriate pictures of someone, posing as someone else to spread rumors or lies, or sending harassing messages.
According to a survey conducted by the National Education Association’s Nationwide Study of Bullying, the most common form of bullying reported to school staff was verbal bullying being reported by 59% of students. Cyber-bullying and sexting were the least likely to be reported at only 17%. Social or relational bullying were reported by 50% of students and physical bullying by 39% (Bradshaw, Waasdorp, O, Gulemetova & Henderson, 2011). Because bullying often goes unreported, the actual numbers are unknown.
Consequences of Bullying Research shows that bullying has serious and lasting effects for all involved. According to www.stopbullying.gov, bullying can have the following effects:
Victims: Adolescents who are bullied may experience the following: depression and anxiety, increased thoughts of suicide, health complaints, decreased academic achievement and school participation, and skipping or dropping out of school. They may be more likely to lash out through violent ways; these thoughts and feelings may persist into adulthood. Bullies: Adolescents who bully others have a higher risk of abusing alcohol and other drugs, are more likely to be violent, to engage in sexual activity, to become involved in criminal activity, and to be abusive to others.
Bystanders: Adolescents who witness episodes of bullying may have increased use of alcohol and drugs, increased mental health problems, and are more likely to miss school. Some research suggests that bullying may also affect the climate of schools and, indirectly, the ability of all students to learn to the best of their abilities. www.americanpsychotherapy.com