Today's children may be exposed to violence in their environment, through the media, at home, and in school. Some children live in countries at war, while others survive in neighborhoods where street gangs prevail. Most parents and children used to assume they could depend upon schools to be safe places, free from abuse and violence. Now it seems that schools are not the safe places we thought them to be, and so it is not surprising when the media turns its attention to school violence and bullying. These news stories do make parents and the general public wonder, "Who is responsible for our children's safety at school?"
Accounts of Bullying in the Media
"Young and Abusive-Bullies Rule," the title of an article in The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, reported that in a study of 3,000 students, one in five had experienced "psychologically damaging levels of bullying in Sydney schools" and that "some teachers had failed to report serious cases to police" (Patty, 2006). The article included an account of one student, hospitalized three times as a result of bullying, who sued the New South Wales Department of Education and won. The teachers failed to report these incidents as bullying (as required by law); instead, they noted them as "fights" when making out their reports.
"Bully Victim's Suffering Payout," posted online by the BBC News (2008), gave an account of a 23-year-old Welsh woman's lawsuit regarding the bullying she received at school from ages 4 to 11 that caused her to attempt suicide at age 9 and leave regular school at age 14, suffering from depression. Another BBC News (2008) online article, "Attack Schoolgirl Wants to Return," reports that a 12-year-old girl's face was slashed by another girl and 30 stitches were required to close the wounds. While this was not the girl's first encounter with her assailant, this particular attack was believed to be motivated by the victim's intervention in a bullying situation the previous day. Yet most bully prevention programs encourage students not to be passive bystanders, but rather to take action when they witness bullying. In this victim's case, she took the right action, but faced serious consequences for doing so.
"Family Pushes Back-In Court" provides an online account of twin 12-year-old girls' yearlong physical and verbal bullying ordeal, for which they accused the Kentucky school district of negligence in ignoring its own bullying policy (Croyle, 2008). The girls' abuse went unreported by the teachers, and no action was taken to stop the bullies, even after a series of incidents involving name calling, tripping, hair pulling, slapping, and finally being knocked unconscious. Consequently, both girls left public school and now attend private school. These four media reports might seem like isolated, sensational incidents. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Incidence of Bullying in Schools
Research studies and statistics on bullying and violence of schoolchildren show that the above incidents are not unique, and that aggressive acts are neither uncommon nor restricted to a few countries. Making comparisons of statistics across countries can be difficult, since definitions of bullying and legal requirements vary (Ananiadou & Smith, 2002). A 2001-02 cross-national survey of 162,000 children ages 11, 13, and 15, in 35 countries, conducted by the World Health Organization of Europe, published these findings: overall bullying at school, 34 percent; repeated bullying, 11 percent; countries with the lowest rates of bullying-the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Sweden (Craig & Harel, 2004). The Education Guardian reported a study of bullying among secondary students of differing backgrounds in Europe that showed first-generation immigrants attracted negative attention due to their language, dress, skin color, racial differences, and religion (Lipsett, 2008). When children were asked whether bullying was a problem in school, the responses in the affirmative for each country were as follows: Italy (33 percent); Portugal (35 percent); Netherlands (16 percent); UK (48 percent); Belgium (21 percent); Scotland (43 percent); Wales (32 percent); Germany (29 percent); and Spain (22 percent).
The results for Canada and the United States show consistent levels of school bullying. "Children Who Bully Also Have Problems With Other Relationships," found on the ScienceDaily (2008) website, included findings of a seven-year Canadian study of students, from ages 10 to 18, who were questioned annually about their involvement in bullying or victimizing behavior. The results showed that nearly 10 percent had engaged in consistently high levels of bullying throughout elementary and high school, 13 percent bullied peers at high levels during elementary school only, and 35 percent bullied peers at moderate levels. Most of the children in this study admitted to engaging in bullying during their school years. In the United States, the most recent statistics (from 2005) show that 28 percent of children from both public and private schools were bullied at school (Dinkes, Cataldi, & Lin-Kelly, 2007).
If anything, these statistics may underestimate levels of bullying, because each school system, state, and country has differing methods for recording and categorizing these events, varying levels of adherence to legal guidelines, and different agencies charged with gathering and analyzing the data. Every country should now recognize, however, that violence in the form of bullying is a growing problem that cannot be ignored.
Whether children are bullies or victims, bullying affects their daily lives and their health. A recent position paper stated that the consequences for victims can be poorer physical and psychological health, including increased rates of depression and suicidal thoughts (Eisenberg & Aalsma, 2005). Victims' academic work also suffers, as they find it difficult to concentrate while they anticipate the bully's next attack. The bullies experience depression and poor emotional adjustment.
Bullying can begin at an early age-as early as in preschool-and can continue throughout high school. For many children, bullying is a daily occurrence; in the United States, physical bullying seems to peak at age 12 (Nishina & Juvonen, 2005). Some researchers have found gender differences in reporting bullying, with boys less likely to report verbal bullying than physical bullying. A recent longitudinal study of preschoolers found a link between television viewing at age 4 and later bullying when these children were ages 6 to 11 (Zimmerman, Glew, Christakis, & Katon, 2005). Thus, we know that bullying exists in all types of schools and across ages, and these statistics present us with evidence of a growing problem.
Personal Connection to the Issue
Four years ago, Kait, my niece, visited me in Florida during her high school spring break. We were discussing her junior year - talking about the upcoming prom, college applications, and dating. Since I was conducting research on bullying, I asked her about her own experiences. She told me how difficult that school year had been when three of her closest friends decided to shun her, excluding her from their activities. These were the girls who had been her closest friends since kindergarten! They had attended the same Catholic elementary school and were now riding a bus daily to a high school in a nearby city. Every day, this trio sat behind Kait on the bus, discussing what happened over the weekend or what they were planning to do together. She couldn't help but overhear all of the activities from which she was excluded. (Listening to an iPod might have helped in this situation, but Kait didn't own one then.)
From the very beginning, the psychological bullying caught Kait off guard. She could identify no argument or event that acted as the catalyst. It appears that one girl simply decided to target Kait and the other two followed along. To her credit, Kait coped with the situation by focusing her energies on studying, playing sports, and connecting with other friends. By April, when we talked, Kait knew the school year was almost over and she had survived. At the start of her senior year, Kait was welcomed back by the bully trio as though nothing had happened!
Kait's experience was my first encounter with this type of psychological bullying. I was surprised by the girls' actions and by how long they continued their behavior. Later, I read a Japanese study describing this form of bullying behavior-shunning-as the most common form of bullying in that culture; the study noted that the victims often are shunned without warning (Tanaka, 2001). American readers may be familiar with the national bestseller Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls (2002), in which author Rachel Simmons describes her research with women who experienced "girl bullying." Simmons' subjects show how girls bully each other psychologically and persistently, inflicting a lifetime of damage. I guess Kait and I could add her chapter to update Simmons' research.
Connection to ACEI
ACEI was founded in 1892 with a mission to promote "the inherent rights, education and well-being of all children in the home, school, and community" (www. acei.org). As a global voice for children's human rights, ACEI members passed a resolution at their annual business meeting in 2005 to advocate for UNICEF's Strategic Plan for the World's Children and Youth. This resolution included a commitment to promote and support the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which addressed children's right to be protected from violence in their lives and charged adults with keeping them safe at home and school. Thus, addressing the issues of bullying and violence in children's lives from an international perspective closely matches the mission and goals of ACEI.
Purpose of the Theme Issue and Overview of the Articles
This international theme issue aims to explore ways to address issues of violence and bullying in schools, describe the components of effective violence or bully prevention programs, examine the impact of bullying and violence on children's lives, and discuss the roles of the media, teachers, and children's books in highlighting the issues and seeking solutions. The eight articles selected for publication within this theme issue are previewed in the following section.
Exploring Bullying: An Early Childhood Perspective From Mainland China describes a young Chinese girl's experiences with bully ing while attending school in both the United States and in mainland China, to contrast her treatment in the two cultures. Janet S. Arndt and Nili Luo offer their perspective on bullying in Chinese schools. They include findings from their study of preschool teachers, who share how they address bullying through the curriculum, structure of the school day, children's involvement, and the personal attention that teachers provide. The Chinese teachers deliver what all teachers should be able to provide for their students-a safe, welcoming environment.
Girl-to-Girl Violence: The Voice of the Victims represents a victim's and her family members' experiences following a year of school violence. Wanda Boyer carefully traces the progression of the violent behaviors that an adolescent girl suffered, as well as the school personnel's ineffective responses to these episodes. Boyer's research is an eye-opener - particularly as the adults in the victim's family try to intervene on her behalf and meet resistance from the school. Teachers, counselors, and administrators can become better informed, more responsive to female victims, and seek justice on behalf of victims by reading this article.
Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland: Education for Peace and Reconciliation portrays a model for organizing schools to nurture children in a context that promotes tolerance and understanding. Linda Pickett shares her experiences in working with the teachers and parents of a school where many issues need to be addressed, including overcoming the adults' own experiences in religiously segregated environments. If parents in a country with a history of violence can work to break the cycle, and focus instead on building trust and respect, then there is truly hope for children.
Bullying and Violence in Schools: What Teachers Should Know and Do integrates research on bullying and bully prevention programs. In this comprehensive review, Debra Piotrowski and James Hoot explore the role of the media, along with bully identification and bystander behavior. Readers will receive strategic advice on how to address bullying and resolve any episodes in their classrooms.
School Safety in Japan: Motnbusho and the Public/Private Divide outlines Japan's resistance to recognizing school violence and addressing the problem. Michelle Henault Morrone and Yumi Matsuyama highlight cases of violence and even death at school as a means to explain what motivated the shift in the education establishment's response and policies regarding school violence. This is a unique example of media attention as a catalyst for change. The levels of school safety precautions and resources in public and private schools are contrasted and reveal that the children's levels of risk were raised by inadequate government funding.
School-wide Intervention in the Childhood Bullying Triangle outlines the research on bully, victim, and bystander behavior. Abigail McNamee and Mia Mercurio incorporate specific information about the role of each participant in bullying episodes, along with strategies to address each one. Ideas for planning school-wide intervention programs as well as helpful websites and resources are offered.
Children's Literature: Perceptions of Bullying evaluates the portrayal of bullying situations in books intended for young children. Ginny Esch describes the protagonists and the characteristics of victims exemplified in each book. Then, she discusses the appropriateness of each bullying situation's resolution. Young children can identify bullying and learn coping strategies for responding to these situations through literature and a teacher helping to guide a thoughtful discussion.
Bullying: A Human Rights and Social Studies Issue addresses the connections between bullying and the social studies curriculum. Ernest Andrew Brewer demonstrates the relevance of bullying to students' understanding of community, justice, and human rights. Beginning with lessons on community, students learn about promoting well-being and safety, participating in making and following the rules, using appropriate behavior, and applying the rules equitably. Justice becomes a relevant concept when students engage in peer mediation of bullying disputes. Students recognize freedom from bullying and harassment as a fundamental human right, especially as they explore anti-bullying legislation in their own state or region.
Conclusion
The eight articles presented here begin our conversations about bullying and violence in children's lives. While many opinions are represented, voices remain to be heard and perspectives to be shared. For the United States, the 1999 Columbine High School attacks provided the catalyst for recognizing bullying and school violence as significant problems and for implementing the Safe Schools Initiative. School shootings are not issues of gun control, but rather of students' responses to ongoing bullying, aggression, and abuses of power. However, the problems of violence and bullying are far from being solved in the United States or elsewhere, because the solutions are not simple.
We do not need to witness a YouTube clip of another child committing bullycide (suicide due to being bullied) or an evening news telecast featuring a clip of children punching a victim on a school bus to acknowledge the problems and take immediate action. Changing the public's perception that bullying is not socially acceptable or the norm requires more than broadcasting public service announcements, passing legislation, and adopting an anti-bullying program for schools. Instead, we need a strong, consistent coalition of students, parents, teachers, administrators, community activists, physicians, and legislators to assemble the resources and join forces to ensure each child's safety and protection. What works in one community or country may not be successful in others with different cultures, societal expectations, and traditions. The time has come for us to pick up the torch. If educators are unwilling to advocate for the victims and make our schools safe, then who will?
Source: Childhood Education
