[Nathan]

April 24, 2001
National Instititue of Health

Bullying Widespread in U.S. Schools, Survey Finds

Bullying is widespread in American schools, with more than 16 percent of U.S. school children saying they had been bullied by other students during the current term, according to a survey funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

The study appears in the April 25, 2001, Journal of the American Medical Association. Overall, 10 percent of children said they had been bullied by other students, but had not bullied others. Another 6 percent said that they had both been bullied themselves and had bullied other children. Another 13 percent of students said they had bullied other students, but had not been bullied themselves.

"Being bullied is not just an unpleasant rite of passage through childhood," said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the NICHD. "It's a public health problem that merits attention. People who were bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression and low self esteem, well into adulthood, and the bullies themselves are more likely to engage in criminal behavior later in life."

The NICHD researchers surveyed 15,686 students in grades six-through-10, in public, parochial, and other private schools throughout the U.S. The nationally representative survey was part of the U.S. contribution to the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School Children survey, an international effort in which many countries surveyed school-age children on a broad spectrum of health-related behaviors.

For this study, researchers defined bullying as a type of behavior intended to harm or disturb the victim, explained the study's first author, Tonja R. Nansel, Ph.D. This behavior occurs repeatedly over time and involves an imbalance of power, with the more powerful person or group attacking the less powerful one, Dr. Nansel added. Bullying may be physical, involving hitting or otherwise attacking the other person; verbal, involving name-calling or threats; or psychological, involving spreading rumors or excluding a person.

The children were asked to complete a questionnaire during a class period that asked how often they either bullied other students, or were the target of bullying behavior. A total of 10.6 percent of the children replied that they had "sometimes" bullied other children, a response category defined as "moderate" bullying. An additional 8.8 percent said they had bullied others once a week or more, defined as "frequent "bullying. Similarly, 8.5 percent said they had been targets of moderate bullying, and 8.4 percent said they were bullied frequently.

Out of all the students, 13 percent said they had engaged in moderate or frequent bullying of others, while10.6 percent said they had been bullied either moderately or frequently. Some students-6.3 percent-had both bullied others and been bullied themselves. In all, 29 percent of the students who responded to the survey had been involved in some aspect of bullying, either as a bully, as the target of bullying, or both.

Bullying occurred most frequently in sixth through eighth grade, with little variation between urban, suburban, town, and rural areas; suburban youth were 2-3 percent less likely to bully others. Males were both more likely to bully others and more likely to be victims of bullying than were females. In addition, males were more likely to say they had been bullied physically (being hit, slapped, or pushed), while females more frequently said they were bullied verbally and psychologically (through sexual comments or rumors).

Regarding verbal bullying, bullies were less likely to make derogatory statements about other students' religion or race. "There seem to be stronger social norms against making these kinds of statements than against belittling someone about their appearance or behavior," Dr. Nansel said.

Both bullies and those on the receiving end of bullying were more likely to have difficulty adjusting to their environment both socially and psychologically. Students who were bullied reported having greater difficulty making friends and poorer relationships with their classmates. They were also much more likely than other students to report feelings of loneliness.

"It's likely that kids who are socially isolated and have trouble making friends are more likely to be targets of bullying," Dr. Nansel said. "In turn, other kids may avoid children who are bullied, for fear of being bullied themselves."

The study authors also reported that bullies were more likely to be involved in other problem behaviors, such as smoking and drinking alcohol, and to do more poorly academically. However, youth who were both bullies and recipients of bullying tended to fare the most poorly of all, experiencing social isolation, as well as doing poorly in school and engaging in problem behaviors, like smoking and drinking.

"Unfortunately, we don't know much about this group," Dr. Nansel said. "We need to learn more about them to provide them with the help they need." She added that it is not known whether these children are first bullied by others and then imitate the bullying behavior they experienced, or if they are bullies who were later retaliated against.

The study's authors concluded that the prevalence of bullying in U.S. schools suggests a need for more research to understand, and devise ways to intervene against, bullying. The authors noted that researchers in Norway and England have shown that school intervention programs can be successful. These programs focused on increasing awareness of bullying, increasing teacher and parent supervision, establishing clear rules prohibiting bullying, and providing support and protection for those bullied.

The NICHD is part of the National Institutes of Health, the biomedical research arm of the federal government. The Institute sponsors research on development before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. NICHD publications, as well as information about the Institute, are available from the NICHD Web site, http://www.nichd.nih.gov, or from the NICHD Information Resource Center, 1-800-370-2943; e-mail NICHDInformationResourceCenter@mail.nih.gov.

[bellerd]

My 12 yr old son had a terrible time last school year being physically and verbally bullied on the bus. I spoke with the school and the school district, and was told there really wasn't anything they could do. So, I rearranged my work schedule and spoke the parent of one of his friends, and made arrangements for us to split carpooling duties. It was a huge relief to my son and me. He's always been one to "turn the other cheek", and he will not retaliate in anyway. This made him such an easy target for the bullies. Then, it began happening in the school. It was one of the factors which led me to choose homeschooling, beginning this school year. Bullying is detrimental to a child's spirit and to his learning. Schools need to take action against this growing trend, and stop hiding behind cliches such as "Boys will be boys" and "Kids can be so cruel". It's just an excuse on their part. This behavior is not accepted in any other situation, so why is it accepted where our children are concerned?

[deel449]

This is why I started to home school 2 of my grandkids. They are in high school now, at home. This summer I asked if they'd like to return to school, were they missing friends and possibly more choices in classes, or sports. After less then a week, both said they want to continue to home school. I wish it was as popular when I was a kid. I wasn't bullied, but I was painfully shy and depressed a lot. I would tell the teacher I didn't do an assignment rather then speak in front of the class. My grandson was in several fights, he was on the honor roll but couldn't write a logical, sensible paragraph. I'd hate to see what the average kids were doing. I've read a study that 70% of kids entering middle school have a good self concept, but by the time they enter high school only 30% have a good self concept. We are going into our 4th year now. They read a book a week, top out their CAT tests, and have beat me at scrabble. Neither is dating yet, running with groups around after dark, nor use foul language. A neighbor, after the first few months noted that they seemed so much happier. I agree about the schools, classes and school are way too big. Kids are just a number and teachers are overwhelmed and underpaid. I met some great intelligent people in the professional field, they were teachers but got out of the field. We are losing some of the best talent. Dee

[bellerd]

I'm glad to hear of your success. I'm hoping to have the same results. My two oldest boys are still at the point where they have a good spirit, and I want to make sure it stays that way. I remember mornings last year when I would drop him off at school, look at the other kids, and feel scared myself. I can't imagine how he felt. There are so many more problems today, and it seems they start earlier too.

I remember at the end of the school year when I broached the subject with my boys. They both said a resounding "YES!" without hesitation. They have some friends at my mom's house in Colorado who are homeschooled, so they've heard lots of good things from them. I just need to feel a little more confident in myself. I'm still quite nervous about my ability to teach them. It will take some adjustment, but it's going to be worth it. Thanks for your insights!

[deel449]

Home schooling is like any other new job, you get better as time goes on. You learn different ways to teach and you learn more about each kids strength and weakness. A child can't deal with insensitive people, bullies, or negative people unless they are self-confident and learn some good coping skills. Once they learn this, they can handle most any situation. My dd learned with hands on, her science and gym were her best subjects. She volunteered at a school for the handicapped and learned a lot about the brain and mental illnesses. This sparked her on to read a lot of books. My grandson hated reading but loves math. One reason why he hated reading was because he had a limited vocabulary. Once he broaden his vocabulary and picked up speed in reading, he enjoyed science fiction and mysteries. Shakespear can wait. My granddaughter hated history but loved to read. Once I found her some great historical fiction with a little mystery in them, she took off. She likes computers so I pulled a worksheet off the web for Excel and Word Perfect, she learned more and more and followed the lesson plan step by step. So teaching is far different them how it is in schools. It is a 2 person effort, with plenty of discussion. I don't stand in front of a blackboard and lecture. I talk with them about the best way to approach a subject and make sure I find interesting accurate textbooks. They have been to NASA, air shows and many hands on museums. The more decisions they can make about their future, the more they are motivated to press forward. My grandkids do about one book report a week now. We were remodeling their house. Sheet rock projects, stairs, and insulation, were all great opportunities to apply the math they had learned. When they can see the application, they retain information better. You taught your children the entire English language, potty training, social skills, and walking and possibly some sports. Once a school teacher takes over, we tend to step back and let "them" do it. We need to continue on the teaching process that we started when they were little. We sure have the desire to help our kids be the best they can be.

[bellerd]

Thank you for your encouraging words. I suppose I just need to take it day by day, and let my children's interests lead me. It will be an adjustment, but anything will be better than the public school nightmare they were in. Now, I wish I'd made this decision a long time ago. You put so much effort into raising them to be these wonderful people who are excited about learning and good hearted, and then we ship them off to school at the tender age of 5, and then wonder what happened to our sweet child. Well, it took me awhile to open my eyes, but now I know what happened to my sweet children, and it's time for me to rectify the situation. Thank you again for your kind words!

[kelsmum]

My 7 year old daughter was bullied when we move to Australia and it was heartbreaking. She went from a happy friendly child to a quiet tearful little girl. She was teased because of her accent, even by some teacher who laughed at her when she read out-loud, to being pushed over requiring stitches in her head. No amount of visits by me did any good and we finally took her away from that school and placed her in a private school. I thought very seriously about home schooling but as we had not been in Australia very long, I didn't know a lot about the curriculum and also felt she needed to be with other children to form friendships etc. It took a long time and quite a few visits with her school counsellor but she has grown into a very beautiful and artistic 15 year old with a nice circle of friends.

[Pond Mom]

My problem is not bullying in school. My problem is in our neighborhood. My eight year old son is being bullied by two boys, brothers, who are three and four years older him. I've spoken to their mother several times over the last three years but to no avail. She's instructed them not to come to our house and for them not to talk to my kid. But they generally don't listen or heed anything she has to say. After a few months pass the younger one begins to show up asking if he can play. I say no and send him on his way. Because this is a small neighborhood and contact is unavoidable at times there are occasional confrontations. We've instructed our boy to ignore them, however, this strategy seems to inflame them that much more. We've also taken care to talk about the importance of rising above thier mentality by not sinking into name calling and other trash talk. Can anyone offer me some additional strategies for coping with these other kids. My child is angry and afraid of these boys and I can't say I blame him. They are unpredicatable at best.

[mcmama]

We had major problems with bullying to the point where I withdrew my son from public school and put him in private school. That was 10 years ago. Since then, the public school system has implemented an "anti bullying" curriculum. It is very good. But the problems we had were that teachers sometimes joined in the bullying, or encouraged the bullys, and that the system in general just didn't want to resolve the issue. He used to try to avoid situations on the playground by sitting out games and playing board games or imagination games with another bullied buddy in a space on the edge they called "the margin". Unfortunately, the aides who could not control a classroom insisted that everyone be on the blacktop where they could be seen, playing the same games together that always got my son bullied. As part of his senior year independent study, he wrote a play about this experience. Parts of it were adapted by religious schools for their own anti bullying activities.
I have also done the "go have a talk with the other parent" routine. Generally I find that these people are ninnys, or bullys themselves. It doesn't work, unless it is to convey a warning in a nice way that you will pursue consequences if they do not control their kids.
For me, putting him into a private school worked because it was not just an avoidance, it was a school where "anti bullying" was not just a new curriculum, it was part of the daily life and philosophy of the school. They taught him how to deal with people rather than the cop out "well, he's just gotta get a tough skin" approach. The solution is not to change the bully. The solution is to build up your own kid. Sometimes, that means you have to go legal on the bully's family and on the school system. In order to be built up, your kid should not face being torn apart every day. No one can survive that.
My son is in college now. Wants to be a teacher. Funny thing, he has accurately predicted which of the bullies from his grade school years would have trouble with the law and what type of run ins they would have.
I don't think bullying will be much of a problem where he teaches.

[Tsunshine]

Bullying is a huge problem. I remember being bullied in 6th grade because I was the new girl in school. It caused a lot of emotional problems for me. Luckily I had a great family and they helped me through it. I also taught 6th grade and saw a lot of bullying. I was really strict and didn't allow it in my class, because I knew the devasting affects it can have upon a student's self-esteem. But I saw it on the play-ground. For more information on preventing bullying read my blog Preventing Bullying.