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

Children Who Witness Bullying

Witnesses and bystanders also play important roles in the dynamic of bullying. Witnesses display different attitudes and reactions towards a direct bullying situation.ref

Olweus developed categories of witnesses and bystanders to help understand the complex dynamics of bullying. Besides the bully and victim, there are:ref^, ref

• Followers or "henchmen." They take an active part, but do not start the bullying.
• Supporters/passive bullies. They support the bullying, but do not take an active part.
• Passive supporters/possible bullies. They like the bullying, but do not display open support.
• Disengaged onlookers. They watch what happens, but do not take a stand.
• Possible defenders. They dislike the bullying and think they ought to help, but do not.
• Defenders of the victim. They dislike the bullying and help, or try to help, the victim.

Multiple studies have shown that peers are present in more than 85 percent of bullying incidents.ref^, ref Peers who do not see the bully suffer negative consequences for his or her behavior are more likely to copy the behavior themselves.

Two recent studies, one from Canada and the other from Finland, found that in most instances, peers were involved in or witnesses to a bullying incident, as opposed to having the bully and target alone. In fact, in the Canadian study, peers were involved in 85 percent of the bullying incidents.ref

Children who witness or participate in repeated bullying may become desensitized and lose the ability to recognize the detriments to aggressive behavior. They only see the positive rewards from someone who wields power. Children who have a proclivity for aggressive behavior and are more impulsive are more likely to copy the bullying behavior. Research has shown that children's empathy for victims decreases as they get older,ref which affects whether they are likely to intervene in a bullying situation.

When bullying occurs on the playground, peers may play a large role in encouraging the aggressive behavior by gathering around and watching. Research consistently shows that a majority of peers do not intervene, and in fact, act in ways that maintain the behavior.ref^, ref When children are interviewed, they tend to align themselves with the bully, not the victim.

It is important to note that there are children who do try to intervene, either directly (with the bully) or indirectly (by telling a teacher or another adult). These children, research has found, tend to have a higher social status in general. Their status as class or group leaders enables them to take some of the power away from the bully and therefore establishes more balance.ref