It has only been three years since the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first formal, federal definition of bullying, but in that brief period the issue has risen to the national spotlight. From Netflix originals to front page news, bullying is a hot topic, and with good reason.
Bullying can lead to long-term emotional damage, including anxiety, depression, and even self-harm.
Although it now receives more attention than it did previously, bullying, overall, is actually on the decline in the United States. It reached its peak in 2005, when 28% of students reported being a victim of bullying. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, roughly 20% of students were victims of bullying in 2016.
Why is the rate of bullying on the decline?
This gradual improvement is likely the result of broad intervention programs applied widely over the past decade. Harvard’s 2012 overview of bullying prevention programs in schools applauded the effectiveness of social-emotional learning programs and programs aimed specifically at training students to recognize, report, and effectively deal with bullying incidents.
Victims of bullying can’t stop the pattern themselves. A 2010 survey of more than 11,000 students nationwide revealed that most self-advocacy responses to bullying were actually not very effective. For example, bullying victims who fought back or told their aggressors to stop reported that doing so made their situation worse nearly half of the time.
Conversely, victims reported that telling a parent, teacher, or friend about the incident was the approach most likely to make things better. The same survey revealed that victims of bullying say the single most helpful intervention is peer action.
How can we encourage our children to be the ones who take this peer action upon themselves? How do we teach them to stand up for others? How do we raise children who are activists instead of simply bystanders?
A new study indicates that it’s much easier than you might think.
Many past studies have focused on how victims can most effectively respond to bullies, and many others have focused on how bullies can be reformed. Few studies, however, have focused specifically on how bystanders can be taught to take action on behalf of their peers. A recent study published in the March 2017 issue of the “Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology” focused on how parental action can impact a child’s bystander behaviors.
This study investigated the impact that advice from parents and other caregivers had on the behavior of fourth and fifth grade students in 74 different classrooms. As it turns out, our children are actually listening to us.
Students whose parents or caregivers told them to stand up for others were significantly more likely to intervene when a peer was bullied than students whose parents or caregivers told them to mind their own business or not seek help from a grown up. Even more intriguing, students whose parents advised them not to intervene when a peer is being bullied were significantly more likely to join in on the bullying themselves.
What does this mean for parents?
For starters, it reaffirms that parents play a crucial role in a child’s decision-making. Even though we often think that they’re not paying attention to us, our children absorb what we’re saying, at least when it comes to bullying.
The most effective style of advice was direct, clear, and straightforward. This means that giving our children the precise words they need to intervene is most helpful.
Some examples of parental advice that reinforced anti-bullying attitudes, empathy, and intervention include:
This gradual improvement is likely the result of broad intervention programs applied widely over the past decade. Harvard’s 2012 overview of bullying prevention programs in schools applauded the effectiveness of social-emotional learning programs and programs aimed specifically at training students to recognize, report, and effectively deal with bullying incidents.
Victims of bullying can’t stop the pattern themselves. A 2010 survey of more than 11,000 students nationwide revealed that most self-advocacy responses to bullying were actually not very effective. For example, bullying victims who fought back or told their aggressors to stop reported that doing so made their situation worse nearly half of the time.
Conversely, victims reported that telling a parent, teacher, or friend about the incident was the approach most likely to make things better. The same survey revealed that victims of bullying say the single most helpful intervention is peer action.
How can we encourage our children to be the ones who take this peer action upon themselves? How do we teach them to stand up for others? How do we raise children who are activists instead of simply bystanders?
A new study indicates that it’s much easier than you might think.
Many past studies have focused on how victims can most effectively respond to bullies, and many others have focused on how bullies can be reformed. Few studies, however, have focused specifically on how bystanders can be taught to take action on behalf of their peers. A recent study published in the March 2017 issue of the “Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology” focused on how parental action can impact a child’s bystander behaviors.
This study investigated the impact that advice from parents and other caregivers had on the behavior of fourth and fifth grade students in 74 different classrooms. As it turns out, our children are actually listening to us.
Students whose parents or caregivers told them to stand up for others were significantly more likely to intervene when a peer was bullied than students whose parents or caregivers told them to mind their own business or not seek help from a grown up. Even more intriguing, students whose parents advised them not to intervene when a peer is being bullied were significantly more likely to join in on the bullying themselves.
What does this mean for parents?
For starters, it reaffirms that parents play a crucial role in a child’s decision-making. Even though we often think that they’re not paying attention to us, our children absorb what we’re saying, at least when it comes to bullying.
The most effective style of advice was direct, clear, and straightforward. This means that giving our children the precise words they need to intervene is most helpful.
Some examples of parental advice that reinforced anti-bullying attitudes, empathy, and intervention include:
- “Kids shouldn’t bully each other like that.”
- “That kind of behavior is not okay.”
- “How do you think this situation makes her feel?”
- “You need to tell the bully to stop.”
- “You need to try to help the victim feel better.”
- “Tell the victim that the bully shouldn’t have done that.”
- “Go tell an adult what is happening.”
