Adolescent Bullying

Bullying is defined as repeated attempts to hurt someone else, physically or socially. It can take many forms. For younger children, it is often physical — hitting, shoving, fighting. That is less common among adolescents, who can hurt each other with words or exclusion. Among teenagers, not being invited to a party can be hurtful and is common — as teenagers develop dominance hierarchies and need peer support. The best protection is to have one or more close friends, and adults who encourage whatever talents the child has.

The Nature of School Bullying

When bullying takes place at school, about two-thirds of it occurs in hallways, schoolyards, bathrooms, cafeterias, or buses. A full one-third occurs in the classrooms, while teachers are present. An estimated 30 percent of school bullying goes unreported.

• 27% were threatened by peers and classmates.
• 44% were ridiculed or called names
• 36% were slandered by lies and rumors
• 32% were pushed and shoved
• 29% were left out or ignore
• 7% were threatened or injured by a weapon
• 24% received sexual comments or gestures

Data from Lessne & Yanez, 2016.

The number of people who say they were bullied as teens is increasing.

• 39% of people over age 50 say they were bullied as teens.
• 54% of people under age 50 say they were builled as teens.

Data from Ditch the Label, 2017; Harris Insights and Analytics, 2014; National Foundation For Educational Research, 2010.

Features of School Anti-Bullying Programs

• Increased supervision of students
• A school climate that encourages friendship
• Teachers who promote empathy
• School-wide implementation of anti-bullying policies
• Cooperation among school staff, parents, and professionals across disciplines
• Identification of risk factors for bullying

Success varies, with some programs having no effect. But overall, a good program can reduce bullying by 25 percent of more.

Data from McCalliion & Feder, 2013.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying takes place via e-mail, text messages, Web sites and apps, instant messaging, chat rooms, or posted videos or photos. About 60 percent of boys and girls have been cyberbullied, but girls are more often the targets of online rumor spreading or nonconsensual explicit messages (Anderson, 2018).

Why do teens cyberbully?

• 58% to get back at victim
• 28% for entertainment
• 21% to embarrass victim
• 14% to be mean
• 11% to show off for friends

Social media and cyberbullying

• 37% of victims report incidents to their social network
• 40% of victims tell their parents or another adult
• 90% of users witness cyberbullying on their social media sites
• 35% of witnesses usually ignore cyberbullying on their social media site

Data from Ditch the Label, 2017; Enough is Enough, 2017; Duggan 2017.