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Preventing Bullying

Ingrid DonatoChief, Mental Health Promotion Branch

Center for Mental Health ServicesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention (FPBP), a collaborative effort among 26 offices within 8 federal agencies led by the Department of Education, was established to coordinate federal efforts on bullying prevention. The Federal Partners include representatives from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, the Interior, and Justice, as well as the Federal Trade Commission and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The mission of the FPBP is to provide consistent and well-informed resources to the field in order to significantly reduce the prevalence of youth peer-to-peer bullying.

The 26 offices among 9 federal agency partners in the FPBP, include:

Department of Education (ED), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Office of Safe and Healthy Students (Chair)ED, Office for Civil Rights (OCR)ED, Office of Special Education Programs (OSERS-OSEP)Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration of Children and Families (ACF)HHS, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)HHS, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)HHS, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)HHS, Indian Health Service (IHS) HHS, National Institutes for Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)HHS, National Institutes for Health, National Institute on Child and Human Development (NICHD)HHS, National Institutes for Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)HHS, National Institutes for Health, National Institute on Mental Health HHS, Office of Adolescent Health (OASH)HHS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA)Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Affairs (BJA)DOJ, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)DOJ, Civil Rights Division (CRD)DOJ, National Institute on Justice (NIJ)DOJ, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)Department of Defense, Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA)Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer ProtectionNational Council on Disability (NCD)White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHAPPI)Department of Agriculture (AG), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

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Collaboration with NASA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rQHaL8EJHvA

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So what is bullying?

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CDC Definition

Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating

partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to

be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or

educational harm.

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Cyberbullying

• Bullying that takes place using electronic technology

• Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.

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Who is involved in bullying?

•The youth who is bullied

•The youth who bullies

•The youth who bullies and is bullied

•The bystander

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Risk Factors

No single factor puts a child at risk of being bullied or bullying others.

Children at Risk of Being Bullied Generally, children who are bullied have one or more of the following risk factors:• Are perceived as different from their peers• Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves• Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem• Are less popular than others and have few friends• Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or

antagonize others for attention

However, even if a child has these risk factors, it doesn’t mean that they will be bullied.

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Risk Factors

Children More Likely to Bully Others There are two types of kids who are more likely to bully others:• Some are well-connected to their peers, have social power, are overly concerned

about their popularity, and like to dominate or be in charge of others.• Others are more isolated from their peers and may be depressed or anxious, have low

self esteem, be less involved in school, be easily pressured by peers, or not identify with the emotions or feelings of others.

Children who have these factors are also more likely to bully others:• Are aggressive or easily frustrated• Have less parental involvement or having issues at home• Think badly of others• Have difficulty following rules• View violence in a positive way• Have friends who bully others

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Effects of Bullying

Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mentalhealth issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:• Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness,

changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.

• Health complaints • Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—

and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

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Effects of Bullying

Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other riskybehaviors into adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:• Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults • Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school • Engage in early sexual activity • Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults • Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or

children as adults

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Effects of Bullying

Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:

•Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs

•Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety

•Miss or skip school

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Statistics

• The 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that, nationwide:• 19.6% of students in grades 9–12 experienced bullying on school property

(23.7% girls, 15.6% boys)• 14.8% of students in grades 9 –12 were electronically bullied (21% girls, 8.5%

boys)

• The 2011 Indicators of School Crime and Safety Report indicates that, nationwide, 28% of students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying and 9% reported being electronically bullied.

• Bullying peeks in middle school

• According to the National Education Association’s nationwide study of bullying, 43% of school staff surveyed said bullying was a moderate or major problem at their elementary or secondary school.

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Wisconsin

Bullied on School Property

Overall Percentage

Number of Kids

Girls Boys

2009 22.5 2,424 23.0 22.1

2011 24.0 3,028 25.8 22.3

2013 22.7 2,806 25.7 19.8

Electronically Bullied

Overall Percentage

Number of Kids

Girls Boy

2009 Data not available

2011 16.6 3,025 21.8 11.7

2013 17.6 2,626 24.6 10.9

Source: Youth Risk Behavioral Health Survey, CDC

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Bullying and Suicide

Both victims and perpetrators of bullying are at a higher risk for suicide than their peers. Children who are both victims and perpetrators of bullying are at the highest risk (Kim & Leventhal, 2008; Hay & Meldrum, 2010; Kaminski & Fang, 2009).

All three groups (victims, perpetrators, and perpetrator/victims) are more likely to be depressed than children who are not involved in bullying (Wang, Nansel et al., in press). Depression is a major risk factor for suicide.

Bullying is associated with increases in suicide risk in young people who are victims of bullying (Kim, Leventhal, Koh, & Boyce, 2009) as well as increases in depression and other problems associated with suicide (Gini & Pozzoli, 2009; Fekkes, Pipers, & Verloove-Vanhorcik, 2004).

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Bullying and Suicide

Teen Health and Technology- Study funded from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (N= 3,777) 2011

• Contrary to media reports and public opinion, the data suggest that the association between bullying and suicide appears largely to be explained by other influential characteristics

• The relative odds of recent suicidal ideation are 3-4 times higher for youth who have been bullied in the past year

• Once other important factors such as self esteem, depressive symptomatology, and coercive discipline are taken into account, the association between bullying and suicide is no longer statistically significant.

• This is true for both boys and girls.

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Other Risk Factors Play a Critical Role

• Family history of suicide or child maltreatment• History of depression or other mental illness• Alcohol and substance abuse• Impulsive or aggressive tendencies• Isolation• Local epidemics of suicide• Easy access to lethal methods

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Bullying and Suicide

Bullying and Suicide: A Public Health Approach

(1) bullying among youth is a significant public health problem; it is prevalent and frequently has detrimental effects;

(2) there is a strong association between bullying and suicide-related behaviors, but this relationship is often mediated by other factors, including depression and delinquency

(3) there are public health strategies that can be applied to the prevention of bullying and suicidehttp://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(13)00270-X/abstract

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Things to Remember

• There’s a difference between causation and correlation

• Most research demonstrates that bullying is a risk factor for many outcomes but is not the only “cause”

• Not all who experience or engage in bullying will have these outcomes

• Not everyone who has these outcomes was bullied

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Bullying and LBGTQ Youth

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth and those perceived as LGBT are at an increased risk of being bullied

• Bullying victimization is more prevalent upon lesbian and gay youth—60% report victimization during the past 30 days prior to the survey compared with 28.8% of heterosexual youth

• 90 percent of LGBT teens reported being verbally or physically harassed or assaulted based on their perceived or actual appearance, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, race/ethnicity, disability, or religion

• LGBT youth attempt suicide at a rate 2–4 times higher than that of their heterosexual peers

• The relationship between bullying and suicide risk was stronger for LGB youth than for heterosexual youth

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Taking Action

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What Doesn’t Work

• Zero tolerance• Conflict resolution and peer mediation• Group therapeutic treatment• Overstating or simplifying the relationship between

bullying and suicide• Simple or short-term solutions

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Preventing Bullying in Schools

• Assess bullying• Engage parents and

youth• Create policies and

rules• Build a safe

environment• Educate students and

school staff

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What the research says What can school personnel do? Where can I find more information?

Youth who feel connected to school are less likely to engage in suicide-related behaviors.

Help your students feel connected to you and your school.

www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/connectedness.htm

www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/ASAP_Suicide_Issue3-a.pdf

Youth who are able to cope with problems in healthy ways & solve problems peacefully are less likely to engage in suicide & bullying behaviors.

Teach youth coping skills focusing on positive messages that build resilience and acceptance of differences.

Good Behavior Gamehttp://goodbehaviorgame.org/ Steps to Respect: Bullying Prevention for Elementary Schoolwww.cfchildren.org/steps-to-respect.aspx

Youth with disabilities, learning differences or cultural differences are most vulnerable to being bullied.

Provide better training for all school staff. Teach about vulnerable populations & appropriate ways to intervene.

www.stopbullying.gov/respond/index.html

www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/training-center/index.html

Youth who report frequently bullying others are at high, long-term risk for suicide-related behavior.

Provide support and referrals for all Involved youth & their families. Youth who act out through bullying others may be trying to fit in and/or reacting to stress, abuse, or other issues at home or school. Bullying behavior may be an important signal that they need mental health services & additional support.

www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/roles-kids-play/index.html

www.stopbullying.gov/respond/support-kidsinvolved/index.html#address

Involvement in bullying in anyway—even as a witness—has serious and long-lastingnegative consequences forYouth.

Empower youth by providing concrete, positive, & proactive ways they can influence the social norms of their peergroup so that bullying is seen as an uncool behavior.

CDC’s Applying Science,Advancing Practice: The Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway in Early Adolescencewww.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/asap_bullyingsv-a.pdf

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Preventing Bulling in Communities

• Identify potential partners

• Identify community strengths and needs

• Develop a comprehensive community strategy

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Resources

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Stopbullying.gov

Partners: SAMHSA, CDC, HRSA, ASPA, ED, Justice• Repository for Federal Efforts• Regular blog posts• Very active social media

presence• Resource database• Many useful tools and

resources for all audiences

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Bullying Prevention Training Center

•Getting Started•Organizing a

Community Event•Working With

Stakeholders•Training for

Educators and School Bus Drivers

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Bullying, Harassment, & Civil Rights

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SAMHSA’sNationalRegistryOfEvidence-basedPractices and Programs (NREPP)

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Bullying and Suicide

New Bullying and Suicide Resource for School Personnel: The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools.

The resource describes:• The most current research findings about the relationship between bullying and

suicide among school-aged youth; and

• Evidence-based suggestions to prevent and control bullying and suicide-related behavior in schools.

• http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-suicide-translation-final-a.pdf

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Media Guidelines for Bullying Prevention

Facts About Bullying Best Practices What to Avoid Creating Content Online Entertainment Media Expert Help About These Recommendations

Reporting on bullying should be appropriate and accurate because research suggests that certain trends in media coverage have the potential to do harm

Best Practices:• Question which stories about bullying to

run• Get the entire, balanced story and

present it accurately• Use knowledgeable sources and

reputable resources• Include information that many stories

miss• Use nuanced, accurate journalism to

make the world safer for our youth

Consider the standards that will shape your coverage of bullying issues before news breaks

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KNOWBullying: App for Parents and Teachers

• Conversation Starters

• Interactive Educational Content

• Set Notifications for 15+ Conversation

Starters

• Develop Profiles for Children

• Conversation Simulations

• Rate Our Content

• Share on Social Networks

and Save to Favorites

• Visit http://store.samhsa.gov/home

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Grant Programs

• Safe Schools/Healthy Students – State• Project LAUNCH• Prevention Practices in Schools• National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative• Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Program• Tribal Behavioral Health grants• Now is the Time grant programs:

• Project AWARE• School Climate Transformation • Keeping Kids Safe

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Ingrid DonatoChief, Mental Health Promotion Branch

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration1 Choke Cherry Road, 6-1085

Rockville, MD 20850Ingrid.donato@samhsa.hhs.gov 240-276-1956