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

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a behavioral approach that has been used in treating a variety of anxiety disorders and mood disorders in adults as well as in children and adolescents. CBT has been found to be most effective with mild depression and anxiety disorders such as social phobia. ref The CBT approach asks a person to examine his or her thought process, which then leads to reflection on emotions and feelings. This approach is based on the theory that thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes determine emotion and behavior. ref

CBT involves teaching youth about the thought-emotion-behavior link and working with them to modify their thinking patterns. This will lead to better, more adaptive behavior, especially in stressful situations. ref Many children have not been taught adequate coping skills. They have internalized negative thoughts about their self-worth. Using CBT, the therapist works to identify the underlying thinking that is causing unwanted or painful feelings. The therapist then helps the child replace this distorted thinking with thoughts that enable healthier and more appropriate behavior. ref

CBT is helpful to use when working with children who have been involved in bullying or any other victimization because many suffer from anxiety and/or depression. In practice, the mental health professional can work with the child to teach him or her to recognize the way they talk to themselves before and/or after an incident. Thoughts affect how a child will feel, which then will determine ways a child will act. In a bullying situation, a child who is bullied may be telling him/herself, "I am not good enough to be treated well" or "My feelings are not as important as others are." These thoughts can often lead to lower self-esteem and depression.

If that child can learn to change their self-talk, then they can learn positive ways to address the bullying while raising their self-esteem. Even aside from the context of bullying, research shows that depression is increasing among children, and children are being affected by depression at an earlier age. Almost 20 percent of adolescents may experience at least one episode of depression by the time they reach 18. ref Adolescents in particular may have a multitude of symptoms, including depression, suicidality, impulsivity, and behavior problems. ref