By Shay Kretowicz & Amanda Klafehn

Bullies: Who They Are. Who They Become. Who

They Affect.

It is estimated that nearly 1 in 3 youth in the United

States (or over 5.7 million) are involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of

bullying, or both.

In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being the target of bullies, and another 6% said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves.

Male victims are more likely to be physically abusedi.e. hit, pushed, slapped, punchedDirect Aggression

Male bullies target both boys and girls

BOYS

Female youth are more likely than males to report being the targets of rumors and sexual comments.

Female youth most often bully other girls, using more subtle and indirect forms of aggression than boys.

For example, instead of physically harming others, they are more likely to spread gossip or encourage others to reject or exclude another girl.

Girls

Who Is The Bully?Many people believe

bullies are insecure, or misunderstood in social contexts.

But most bullies are confident, strong, quick to anger, and egocentric.

They typically don’t do well in school, more likely to fight regularly, drink, and do drugs.

Who is the Victim?Bullies tend to target

weaker children. They have little

empathy for their victims.

Bullies are sadistic and often enjoy seeing the results of their taunting/physical abuse

Children and teens that come from homes where parents provide little emotional support for their children.

Those whose parents fail to monitor their activities, or have little involvement in their lives, are at greater risk for engaging in bullying behavior.

Excessively harsh parental discipline can lead to deep-seated anger, and a need to lash out violently.

Who is at Risk of Becoming a Bully?

Children who are bullied are typically anxious, insecure, and cautious and suffer from low self-esteem.

They rarely defend themselves or retaliate.

They are often socially isolated and lack social skills. However, that is not always the case.

One study found that the most frequent reason cited by youth for persons being bullied is that they "didn't fit in."

Who is at Risk of Being Bullied?

Bullying into AdulthoodChildren who bully are

more likely to become juvenile delinquents or criminals as adults.

In one study, 60% of those characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24.

They can have difficulty maintaining positive relationships and can be domestically violent.

Results of Long-Term BullyingBullying can be

devastating for children and youth, with long-term consequences.

Researchers have found that years later, long after the bullying has stopped, adults who were bullied as youth have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.

Bullying can lead the children and youth that are the target of bullying to feel tense, anxious, and afraid.

It can affect their concentration in school, and can lead them to avoid school in some cases.

If bullying continues for some time, it can begin to affect children and youth's self-esteem and feelings of self-worth.

It also can increase their social isolation, leading them to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure.

Direct Affects of Bullying

Several effective programs have been developed to decrease bullying in schools.Such as: Rachel’s Challenge, The Yellow

Dress Skit, SPECTRUM, and GSAResearch has shown that bullying occurs

most often when there is a lack of adult supervision. Better parenting=less bullying.

What ideas do you have to decrease bullying in our society?

Here are some Solutions. What do you think?

"Bullying Facts and Statistics." SafeYouth.org. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2009. <http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/faq/bullying.asp>.

Pictures were found on Google Images

Bibliography