1 in 6 students is regularly bullied, survey shows

[Heidi]

Source: MSNBC

updated 2 hours 11 minutes ago

Hearing about a child being hounded to despair — or even death — by bullies has become a tragically regular occurrence. Just last month, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi jumped off a bridge after his college roommate spread secretly shot video of the Rutgers freshman throughout the web. Earlier this year, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince hung herself after months of harassment from teens at her Massachusetts high school.

Far from being isolated events, bullying is frighteningly commonplace across the country, according to a Clemson University study released Wednesday. In the largest survey of its kind to look at the issue, researchers surveyed 524,054 students at 1,593 schools across the nation over the last two year to get a better picture of bullying in grades three through 12.

They found that 17 percent of kids reported on anonymous questionnaires that they are being bullied two to three times a month or more. Of those bullied, nearly 40 percent of the girls and 45 percent of boys say it's been going on in some form — verbally, physically or online — for more than a year.

<snip>

One unsettling finding from the survey showed that kids become more tolerant of bullying as they grow older. While fewer than 10 percent of boys in grades three through five say they would join in bullying a kid they don’t like, almost 35 percent of the older kids say they would.



Read more: 1 in 6 students is regularly bullied, survey shows

[Warpy]

1. The years around puberty seem to be a time of maximum conformity

and all kids are terrified of being different so they externalize those fears onto kids who are different for some superficial reason and support the bullies.

This is why the focus has to be on the bullies, to give them frequent bloody noses (at least metaphorically) so they'll realize that behavior is not only unacceptable, it's just not going to work any more.

[slackmaster]

2. Is that any different than things were a generation or two ago?

Do the authors cite any previous studies for comparison?

1 in 6 reporting being bulled two or three times per month sounds about like what I remember from my teens. (I was born in 1958.)

[Heidi]

4. It was as wrong when you and I were kids as it is now. (nt)

[slackmaster]

7. That's not what I asked

But thanks for chiming in.

[Heidi]

9. What difference does it make whether it's more or less prevalent now?

Please enlighten us.

[slackmaster]

11. I thought it would be interesting to put the reported results in a larger context

I hope that's not too big of a problem for you.

[Heidi]

12. What's that larger context, if you don't mind sharing? (nt)

[slackmaster]

13. Already stated in reply #4

I meant what I wrote, and I wrote what I meant.

:hi:

[jtuck004]

18. You bet.

It means the adults have either not figured the cause, assuming they care, or if they have, they are not doing the right things to combat it, which may well mean they are incompetent at stopping assault on the kids that are under their care. So it is getting worse.

Let me throw in another example. Hunger. One kid hungry, you feed them. Ten thousand hungry kids, you start a food stamp and school lunch program. A million hungry kids may mean you have a structural problem in the society which no amount of free meals or food stamps or free lunches is going to take care of, and that the changes may well require a political solution, assuming the adults have the guts or the awareness to face it. Like today.

It matters a hell of a lot whether it is more or less prevalent. For the kids and the solution.

[Jefferson23]

6. I don't know the answer to that for certain, but I will add likely it is significantly

worse now. Considering social networking, all the technology afforded us can be used easily
for nefarious purposes.

[slackmaster]

8. I perceive a higher level of general meanness in society than existed when I was a teenager

I can't vouch for the accuracy of my perception.

[OnlinePoker]

17. Two or three times a month?

In my case, it was two or three times a day. Due to a rumour that my one year younger brother started, most of this was taunting (though there was some physical action as well) by both male and female students through grade 9 and 10 until I moved schools. I was ostracized and acted out with my school work suffering. I never knew who to turn to and was too ashamed to go to my mother. 35 years later and I still think about it. It will never go away.

[icarusxat]

19. but there is a huge difference

when you and I were the targets there was little chance that more than a handful of kids would pass along the tale of who did what to whom. Now, the spectators are in the multi-millions, and thus the hurt is magnified

[slackmaster]

21. Very good point. Welcome to DU.

YouTube and a proliferation of cameras has changed the dynamics of many bad behaviors.

[TexasObserver]

3. Recommended. Not surprised at all.

MTV has a good show that delves into the trials of high school students. The testimonials by bullied children are gripping drama. It also explores biases and prejudices of every kind. It attempts to have students in large group meetings confess both their pain of being victimized, and their habits of victimizing others.

The chain of hurt turned to anger often reveals that bullies are experiencing being bullied themselves by others (such as parents) in their lives. This chain of pain can be broken, and that is the point of the show.

"If You Really Knew Me"

I highly recommend it.

[SteveM]

5. Of course, there is the myth that bullies have low self-esteem...

http://www.byparents-forparents.com/causesbullies.html

"While many bullies are themselves bullied at home or at school, new research shows that most bullies actually have excellent self-esteem. Bullies usually have a sense of entitlement and superiority over others, and lack compassion, impulse control and social skills."

This is especially true in public schools which is society's most sophisticated responsibility-shifting machine; I mean, if some kid fought back, then BOTH bully and bullied would be disciplined. Bullies know this, and can readily gain much attention, status, power, sexual attention, etc. That's bound to pump-up self-esteem in a public school situation.

[TexasObserver]

14. I suggest you watch a few episodes of "If You Really Knew Me" on MTV.

Here.

http://www.mtv.com/shows/if_you_really_knew_me/series.jhtml

Watch a few episodes and make your own judgments.

[slackmaster]

15. Their sense of entitlement and authority breaks down when you hit them where it hurts

When I was a teenager, my fellow "revenge of the nerds" gang members and I never met a bully that we couldn't break.

[BlueIris]

23. I haven't seen that it's any better in private schools, FYI.

Which are an ultra-sophisticated "responsibility-shifting" machine, too.

[yurbud]

10. fixing this would go a long way toward fixing public ed. It's hard to learn when you're afraid

to go to the bathroom, the playground, or the walk home.

[SCDem]

16. I was bullied 20+ years ago

I am a female and had extensive scars on my face. Bullying started in 3rd grade. Handled well by a great teacher - administration was worth a hoot. In middle school the young man who would openly call me names in class would continue on and on. Another teacher I knew at the school said that if I hit him (slapped him) that she would take a suspension for me. The gesture was kind. But I just handled it with stride.

15 years later I learn that he is arested for bribing basketball players at his local college to fail a game so that he could hedge bets and gain money. Karma is a @#$%^.

Tough years in my life. I think they would have been tough regardless of my tormentors. Also karma wins out every time.

_________________

I am sure it is tough for parents, as it was tough for my mom, to see their child bullied. But, I don't think you legislate out meanness. Kids if not raised right can be down right mean. Extreme fighting or manipulation or what have you goes beyond the pale and can be dealt with through the legal system or other suitable system. But again I don't think you can legislate out unkindness.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. No, but you can damn well sue the school district for ignoring it.

Money damages are the only way to get their attention.

And I say this as a former court reporter and person with a law degree.

[BlueIris]

22. I find I can't even drive by the school where I was bullied

in 1990 and '91. And yes, it's in an upper middle class neighborhood. Ugly, ugly memories, even today.