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

Passive Victims

Children who can be characterized as passive victims or submissive victimsref share certain qualities. Often, these children are:ref

• Cautious
• Sensitive
• Insecure-unable to assert themselves among their peers
• Socially isolated
• Lonely

Other characteristics often found in passive victims include:ref^, ref

• Being physically weaker than their peers (particularly boys)
• Displaying "body anxiety" when scared of being hurt, having poor physical coordination, and not being athletic
• Having difficulty making friends
• Having poor social skills
• Crying or getting upset easily
• Having difficulty standing up for themselves in peer groups
• Relating better to adults than to peers

Passive victims represent roughly 80-85 percent of all victims.ref It is worth noting that some of the characteristics of passive victims may be seen as contributing factors as well as consequences of victimization.ref For example, if a child feels and acts insecure, his or her behavior may signal to others that he or she is an easy victim for bullying. The insecurity may therefore be viewed as contributing to the abuse. However, a child who is bullied regularly also is likely to experience insecurity because of the bullying behavior.

Bullies often engage in a "shopping process" to find students who will become their preferred victims, according to Gary Ladd, Ph.D., professor at the University of Illinois. They look for students who reward them by showing distress, who relinquish tangible resources, and who are less likely to retaliate or report them.

Bullies may pick any excuse to justify their intimidating and hurtful behavior, but research indicates that children with disabilities have a higher likelihood of becoming victims of bullying. These disabilities may include muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or stuttering.ref