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Monday, December 6, 2010

Bullying. A New (Old) Problem

"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."

Over the past few months, NCADD has published several articles in our various newsletters that have dealt with bullying from different perspectives. We’ve written about bullying among girls, cyber bullying, and more. New, recent events and the media’s focus on this issue have prompted us to focus on this issue in greater detail.

As you know, NCADD’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of individuals through the reduction or elimination of substance abuse problems. Bullying interferes with the well-being and emotional stability of individuals in our communities. As a coping mechanism for bullying, both the bullies and their victims may turn to substance abuse.

What do we know about bullies? Research suggests that kids who bully suffer from a lack of parental warmth and involvement; overly permissive parenting and a lack of clear, consistent rules governing their behavior; parents who often don’t know where the kids are or who they’re hanging out with; and parents who use very harsh, corporal methods of discipline. Kids who bully may have also been victems of bullies themselves.

Kids who bully their peers are also more likely to be engaged in a variety of other anti-social, violent or disturbing behaviors. We know that kids who bully are more likely to get into frequent fights, steal or vandalize property, drink alcohol, smoke, be truant, even drop out of school. They perceive a more negative climate at their school and are more likely to carry a weapon. Worse still, 40-60 percent of adolescent bullies go on to be criminal offenders as adults.

Fortunately, bullying is finally getting the attention it deserves. No longer is it being shrugged off as “kids being kids.” Recent history shows that bullying has contributed to school violence and adolescent suicides. Just in the last three months alone, there have been six bullying related suicides of kids between the ages of 10-18 years old.

So why has bullying become an epidemic? It’s due to a combination of genetic factors, brain chemistry and new environmental trends. Some young people are bullies because they are bored and crave excitement; some do it to feel powerful; some engage in this behavior as a response to family problems; some do it for attention and to be popular with their peers.

Bullying can take on many forms. It could include verbal bullying that features derogatory comments and bad names; bullying through social exclusion or isolation; or physical bullying which includes hitting, kicking, shoving, and spitting. Many are familiar with bullying through lies and false rumors or having money or other things taken or damaged by students who bully; but there is also racial bullying, sexual bullying, and of course, cyber bullying (through the internet or cell phone.)

Bullying has resulted in about 160,000 US students skipping school daily to avoid being bullied. Thirty-two percent of students report being bullied at school during the school year. Available research indicates that verbal harassment increases the likelihood of alcohol use (by middle school students as they move on to high school) and further suggests that peer harassment may be fueling aggression and antisocial behaviors. Most disturbingly, 86 percent of LGBTQ youth report being bullied, and 40 percent of identified LGBTQ youth attempt suicide before the age of 18.

We are pleased that in 2002 New Jersey passed a law (AB 1874) which requires each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying on school property, while at a school-sponsored function, or on a school bus. The policy must include a definition of bullying behavior, consequences for engaging in such behavior, a procedure for investigation of reports of such behavior, a statement prohibiting retaliation or reprisal against persons reporting bullying behavior, and consequences for making a false accusation.

The law also requires school employees, students or volunteers to report any incidents of bullying, intimidation, and harassment to appropriate school officials. The law also grants immunity from any cause of action for damages arising from a failure to remedy the reported incident to persons reporting these incidents. In 2007, New Jersey also passed a new cyber-bullying law, which essentially adds electronic bullying to the issues schools must address in their anti-bullying policies.

Bullying affects us all. The media has given us a window of opportunity to act before this issue once again fades into the background. The legislature has given us the tools to make our schools safer. Now, it’s up to the rest of us to ensure the safety of our youth everywhere else.

Sources:
  • http://www.selfgrowth.com/addict.htm
  • www.olweus.org/
  • www.njbullying.org
  • http://lis.njleg.state.nj.us
  • www.safeyouth.org
  • Journal of Clinical Child and Family Psychology. Sept 2008
  • www.entalone.com

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