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

Substance Abuse by the Student

Substance use is a major risk factor in increasing the probability of youth violence in both the early onset and late onset of violence. Statistics bear out this link between alcohol and violence. For example:

• According to one study, 40 percent of students who drank alcohol at school also carried a weapon at school, compared with 4.4 percent of those who did not drink.ref
• High school girls who smoke, drink, or use marijuana are more than twice as likely to report having been in a physical fight in the past 30 days as those who have never smoked, according to a study looking at the effects of substance abuse among girls and young women.ref
• Children who drink alcohol by seventh grade are more likely to commit criminal and violent acts and have other problems, according to a RAND Health study.ref

The American Medical Association found that compared with adolescents who were non-drinkers, adolescents who were drinkers:ref

• Scored worse on vocabulary, general information, memory, memory retrieval, and at least three other tests.
• Experienced a 10-percent decrease in verbal and nonverbal information recall performance in a year's period.
• Indicated "significant" neuropsychological deficits in youth ages 15 and 16 with histories of extensive alcohol use.
• Performed worse in school and were more likely to fall behind and have an increased risk of social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, and violence.