CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. School Bullying: What It Is and Why It Hurts
2. The Role of Bullies, Victims, and Witnesses
3. Factors Contributing to Bullying and Violence
4. Screening and Assessment
5. Treatment For Children and Adolescents
6. Prevention and Intervention
7. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Case Studies
Fact Sheets
References
Resources

The ABCs of Bullying
Addressing, Blocking, and Curbing School Aggression

Bully-Victims

Bully-victims, also called provocative or aggressive victims,ref display many of the same characteristics as passive victims, except they tend to be hyperactive (though not always formally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and have trouble concentrating. This particular type of victim is not as prevalent as the passive victim, comprising just 5 percent of those children who are bullied.ref However, these children tend to be quick tempered and try to fight back if they feel they have been insulted or attacked. They are more likely to alienate their peers and teachers.ref When they are bullied, they tend to be bullied by many students or the entire class. Provocative victims also tend to bully those people who are younger or weaker than themselves.ref^, ref

In particular, most provocative victims:ref

• Have difficulty concentrating
• Are restless, hyperactive, impulsive, and create tension
• Are clumsy, immature, and exhibit irritating habits
• Are sometimes disliked by adults, including teachers

Bully-victims or provocative victims often create problems for the entire school community and are more likely than passive victims to be referred to special education services. Unfortunately, special education placement, while often necessary, often exacerbates the bullying because students who receive special education services are more likely than students in regular classes to be bullied.ref

Recent research has shown that these types of victims should be monitored carefully, as they frequently display not only the social-emotional problems of victims, but also the behavioral anti-social problems of bullies.ref^, ref Provocative victims also were shown to have poorly modulated affect and behavior. Their impulsivity, hyperactivity, and emotional dysregulation (e.g., emotional outbursts) were very reactive, quite likely a main reason they emerge as likely targets of bullying.ref

Although provocative victims often have inappropriate outbursts of emotion, they seem to internalize their emotional distress. In self-reports, they acknowledge feelings of depression and anxiety, possibly related to their difficulties coping with negative feelings.ref Among all types of bullies and victims, provocative victims are the most disliked by their peers, being the most highly rejected group or subgroup.ref Knowing the correlation between victimization and poor psychosocial functioning, this subgroup of children who are bullied and bully seem particularly at risk.