Bullying can be defined as repeated and systematic harassment and attacks on others. Bullying can be perpetrated by individuals or groups, and takes many forms, including: minor or major physical violence; threats; verbal taunts; name-calling; put-downs; extortion of money, lunches or possessions; and persistent and unwarranted exclusion from the peer group. Racially or ethnically based verbal abuse and gender-based harassment are also frequently associated with bullying. Professor Dan Olweus defines bullying as follows: "A person is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons." (Olewus, 1993, p.9) The pattern of activities that characterize bullying are the imbalance of power between the bully and the victim, the frequent and repeated attacks, and the enjoyment in and intention of harming others.

Teasing Versus Bullying

Stones (1993, p.70, 72) states that when teased:

• Someone is making fun of you in a good-humoured way.
• Person doing the teasing is someone who knows you well and cares about you.
• Teasing is not something to be taken seriously - usually you will find it funny too.
• If you do feel upset by teasing, it is a mild feeling that soon goes away.
• Teasing is a two-way thing - someone who teases will soon get teased and someone who is teased will soon become a teaser.

When teasing becomes cruel and causes someone distress and/or it becomes one-sided and prolonged, then teasing has become bullying.

What Bullies Do

Bullies may:

• abuse power either physically, psychologically, or sexually;
• taunt, name-call and put-down;
• threaten and intimidate;
• exclude certain classmates purposefully;
• spread rumors; and
• pick on the most vulnerable youngsters who are defenseless.

Ross (1998) states that bullying is often sorted into direct and indirect forms. The direct style of bullying involves a great deal of physical aggression. Indirect bullying is more subtle and more likely to be verbal. The following are typical examples of both forms of bullying:

Incidences of Bullying

While studies have not confirmed whether incidents of bullying in our schools have increased or decreased in the last five years, it is certainly the case that we have become more aware of these incidents. There has certainly been an increase in reports about bullying - both through the media and to schools. Victims and their parents/guardians are much more likely to come forth when incidents do occur. As well, parents/guardians are also more likely to come forth if they perceive their child to be a bully.

Studies in several countries have consistently shown that at least 15% of students in schools are involved in bully/victim problems. About 9% are victims and 7% bully others repeatedly.

In Toronto Ziegler and Rosenstein - Manner (1991) drew on 211 students in 14 classes from Grades 4 to 8. They found that:

• 35% of the children were engaged in bullying problems more than once or twice in the school term;
• 20% were victims and 15% bullies;
• the common locations for bullying, in order, were playgrounds, hallways, classrooms, lunchrooms, and washrooms;
• most bullies are boys (75%);
• bullying peaks in the age group 11 to 12 years old;
• 38% of special education students compared to 18% of other students reported being bullied;
• 24% of students reported that race-related bullying occurred now and then or often; and
• 23% of the victims, and 71% of the teachers, reported that teachers intervened often or almost always.

Craig and Peplar at York University (1995) employed naturalistic observation rather than self-reports to study bullying. They taped (video and audio) children in two Toronto schools, and analyzed the results. These included:

• 404 bullying episodes occurred during 52 hours of taping;
• one incident occurred every 7 minutes on average;
• a typical incident lasted 37 seconds, a remarkably short time;
• 79% of the episodes were direct bullying, 18 indirect, and 3 both;
• 90% of the incidents involved one bully and 92% one victim;
• 72% of the attacks were by boys and 28% by girls;
• in 4% of the episodes a weapon was visible;
• between 26% and 33% of the children in a school bullied between 18% and 22% of the other children;
• school staff were visible in 17% of the incidents; yet they intervened in 4% only;
• peers intervened in 11% of the episodes; and
• 2% of the incidents appeared to be motivated by race.

Causes of Bullying - Why People Bully

People bully other people for several reasons. These may include:

• trying to get things for themselves;
• being impulsive and active in temperament;
• impressing others;
• needing social influences;
• getting attention;
• needing power over other people;
• experiencing lack of warmth and attention at home;
• modelling aggressive behaviour from home;
• having poor supervision at home; and
• viewing violence as a way to settle problems.

Victims

The victims:

• tend to be quiet and shy;
• do not retaliate or make any assertive responses;
• lack friends and social support at school;
• are not confident in their physical abilities and strength;
• are often younger than the bullies who pick on them;
• feel often that nobody will help them or be able to stop the bullying; and
• do not often tell on the bullies because they fear that the bullying may become worse as a result.

Bullying Cycle

Bullying tends to start off in a tentative way, with some trial and error as the bully settles on a victim. At first, the incidents may be playful consisting of pranks, jokes, and some rough and tumble. As victims succumb to this treatment and prove submissive, the incidents become more hurtful, escalating from criticizing the victim, to name-calling and taunting, then to personal attacks and public humiliation. In response to this increasingly hostile treatment, the victims change and become more accepting and submissive. The rough and tumble plays gives way to slapping, punching, kicking, and beatings. The attacks become more systematized as victims are scapegoated. (Floyd, 1985, p.10)

Myths that Sustain Bullying

Ross (1998) has found many adults resort to some of the following myths to explain their thoughts on bullying:

• "Boys will be boys";
• "You should never tattle.";
• "She asked for it";
• "If attacked, stand up for yourself";
• "He will always be a victim"; and
• "Bullies suffer from a lack of self-esteem".

Strategies to Reduce Bullying

Researchers (Olweus, 1993; Craig & Peplar, 1999; Ross, 1998) provide several strategies to incorporate into an anti-bullying program. These include:

• make adults aware of the situation and involve them;
• make it clear that bullying is never acceptable;
• conduct a survey of bully/victim problems at the start of implementation;
• hold a school conference day devoted to bully/victim problems;
• reduce the number of children in the yard and halls at one time;
• increase adult supervision in the yard, halls, and washroom more vigilantly;
• emphasize caring, respect, and safety;
• emphasize consequences of hurting others;
• establish clear, easily-understood rules;
• deal with the myths that support bullying;
• deal with bullying in a forthright way;
• enforce consistent and immediate consequences for aggressive behaviour;
• follow up on all instances of aggression;
• give praise for pro-social and helpful behaviour by students;
• develop specific class rules against bullying;
• hold class meetings about bullying;
• engage in serious individual talks with bullies and with victims;
• engage in serious talks with parents of bullies and victims;
• improve communication among school administrators, teachers, parents, and students;
• listen respectfully to bullying concerns raised by students, parents, and school staff;
• have a school problem box where kids can report problems, concerns, and suggestions;
• hold meeting of School Councils and/or Home and School organizations on the topic of bullying;
• teach cooperative learning activities and enlist classmates to help victims and include them in group activities;
• develop a curriculum which promotes communication, friendship and assertive skills, teaches anger management and conflict resolution, and includes lessons about bullying- talking about experiences, reading, drama, and role-playing;
• help bullies with anger control and the development of empathy;
• avoid gender-role stereotyping (e.g., males need to be strong and tough);
• avoid emphasis on competitiveness at school;
• encourage positive peer relations;
• offer a variety of extracurricular activities that appeal to a range of interests;
• help those in difficulty (victims) to increase their competence and self-concept; and
• acknowledge optimal school performance.

Dealing With Bullying Incidents

Sudermann in A.S.A.P. (1996, ps. 16-18) suggested the following steps for intervening in bullying situations.

Actions For the Victims Against Bullying

The Be Cool Kits (1992) suggest that the victim may take the following actions against a bully.

• Do not look like a victim - stay calm with head up, shoulders back, eyes straight ahead with an unconcerned facial expression.
• Ignore the bully. Do not look or talk to the bully. Walk away quickly to do something else.
• If you cannot or do not want to ignore the bully, maintain good eye contact and use a calm voice and do the following:

• Tell the bully what you do not like.
• Tell the bully how his/her behaviour makes you feel.
• Tell the bully what behaviour you want.
• Tell the bully what will happen if he/she does not stop.

• If the bully is dangerous - leave and get help!

Classroom Activities

Sudermann (1996, p. 19) recommends the following measures be taken in the classroom:

• Developing a class code of conduct with regard to treatment of other students, with specific reference to bullying and exclusion of other students. Both desirable and unacceptable behaviour should be simply and clearly defined and written down, with student input.
• Following up with immediate, consistent, non-violent consequences for all bullying and aggressive behaviour.
• Recognizing and praising positive, friendly, and supportive behaviours of students toward one another on a frequent basis.
• Teaching of non-violent, non-racist, and non-sexist ideas, values and behaviours as a core part of the every day curriculum.
• Teaching social skills including communication, making friends, accepting feedback from others, conflict resolution, appropriate assertiveness, and problem-solving.
• Modelling by the teacher of positive, respectful, and supportive behaviour by the teacher toward students.
• Using cooperative learning groups to include less popular, more timid children in small, positive, and accepting social groups.

Resources

Craig, W. M. & Peplar, D.J. (1995). Naturalistic observations of bullying and victimization in the schoolyard. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Craig, W. M. & Peplar, D.J. (1999). Children who bully - Will they just grow out of it? Orbit, 29(4), 16-19

Floyd, N.M. (1985). "Pick on somebody your own size!": Controlling victimization. Pointer, 29(2), 9-17

Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

Ross, P.N. (1998). Arresting violence: A resource guide for schools and their communities. Toronto: Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federation.

Stanfield J. (1992). Be Cool Grades 3-6 Coping with bullying. Teacher’s Guide. Santa Barbara, California: James Stanfield Publishing Company.

Stanfield J. (1992). Be Cool Grades K - 2: Coping with bullying. Teacher’s Guide. Santa Barbara, California: James Stanfield Publishing Company.

Stones, R. (1993). Don’t pick on me: How to handle bullying. Markham: Pembroke Publishers.

Sudermann, M. (1996). Teacher resource section on bullying. In Sudermann, M., Jaffe, P. & Schieck, E., A.S.A.P.: A school-based anti-violence program. London, Ontario: London Family Court Clinic.

Ziegler, S. & Rosenstein-Manner, M. (1991, August). Bullying at school: Toronto in an international context. Toronto Board of Education: Research Services.

Prepared by Ray Hughes and Lisa Trewin