Below are some interesting facts and figures pulled from the research:

§ According to the National Resource Center for Safe Schools (NRCSS), approximately 30 percent of American children are regularly involved in bullying, either as bullies, victims, or both. Nearly 15 percent of students are “severely traumatized or distressed” by encounters with bullies, and 8 percent report being victimized at school at least once a week. Despite these numbers, bullying behavior is rarely detected by teachers, and is even less frequently taken seriously. (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying”)

§ According to U.S. Department of Justice figures, 160,00 students skip school each day due to fear of being persecuted and bullied; 20 percent of high school students are afraid to go to the school restroom because of attacks. (Business Wire, Oct 20, 2000)

§ Bullying is not a new phenomenon, however, the attention it is receiving is new. Across the country, school boards, the media, and state legislatures are becoming increasingly aware that bullying has serious consequences for both schools and students. Between 1999 and 2001, at least eight states considered and/or adopted legislation directing schools to develop anti-bullying programs or policies. Colorado, New Hampshire, and West Virginia recently passed legislation that makes it mandatory for schools to have anti-bullying policies. Massachusetts has allocated one million dollars to “bully-proof” its schools. Anti-bully bills are pending in Illinois, New York, and Washington state. (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying” and ERIC Digest 155)

§ Some of the far-reaching consequences of bulling include, lower attendance and student achievement to increased incidence of violence and juvenile crime. Children who bully are more likely to become violent adults, while victims of bullying often suffer from anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression well into adulthood. (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying”)

§ While school shootings and violent retaliations to bullying are relatively rare, these incidents have forced educators, parents, and legislators to take a more serious look at bullying behavior and the impact it has on both students and the school environment. Roughly two-thirds of school shooters had “felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others . . . and a number of the teenagers had suffered sustained, severe bullying and harassment.” (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying”)

§ Bullying in school tends to increase through elementary grades, peak in middle school, and drop off by the 11^th and 12^th grades. (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying”)

§ The most important reason for developing a school-wide anti-bullying program is to engage and empower “the silent majority”: the large percentage of students who regularly witness bullying at school but don’t know what they can do to help. Programs that teach students to recognize and intervene in bullying have been found to have the greatest impact on curbing incidents of bullying and harassment at school. (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying”)

Articles from U.S. Dept. of Education Cross-Site Indexing Project (www.glarrc.org):

Bullying in Schools

ERIC/CASS Virtual Library

Preventing Bullying

By Linda Lumsden

March 2002

ERIC Digest 155

ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management

School is supposed to be a place where students feel safe and secure and where they can count on being treated with respect. The reality, however, is that a significant number of students are the target of bullying episodes that result in serious, long-term academic, physical, and

emotional consequences. Unfortunately, school personnel often minimize or underestimate the extent of bullying and the harm it can cause. In many cases, bullying is tolerated or ignored (Barone 1997; Colvin and others 1998).

When teachers and administrators fail to intervene, some victims ultimately take things into their own hands, often with grievous results. In its recent analysis of 37 school shooting incidents, the U.S. Secret Service learned that a majority of the shooters had suffered "bullying and harassment that was longstanding and severe" (U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center 2000).

This Digest examines the problem of bullying and some of its effects, discusses steps schools are taking, looks at ways peers can discourage bullying, and identifies other strategies that are being pursued.

What Is Bullying and How Prevalent Is the Problem?

Bullying occurs when a person willfully and repeatedly exercises power over another with hostile or malicious intent. A wide range of physical or verbal behaviors of an aggressive or antisocial nature are encompassed by the term bullying. These include "insulting, teasing, abusing verbally and physically, threatening, humiliating, harassing, and mobbing" (Colvin and others). Bullying may also assume less direct forms (sometimes referred to as "psychological bullying") such as gossiping, spreading rumors, and shunning or exclusion (O'Connell and others 1999).

In a recent survey of more than 15,000 sixth- through tenth-graders at public and private schools in the U.S., "30 percent of the students reported bullying others, being the target of bullies, or both" (Bowman 2001). The information, gathered in 1998 as part of the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey and released in April 2001, is "the first nationally representative research on the frequency of bullying among students in the United States" (Bowman).

Although the WHO survey queried only students in grades 6 through 10, younger students are also victims of bullying. In a study of fourth-through eighth-graders, about 15 percent reported being severely distressed by bullying and 22 percent reported academic difficulties stemming

from mistreatment by peers (Hoover and Oliver 1996).

According to research done by Janice Gallagher, one out of four children is bullied, and one out of five defines themselves as a bully (Schmitt 1999). Approximately 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools every month (Schmitt).

Many avoid public areas of the school such as the cafeteria and restrooms in an attempt to elude bullies. For some students, the fear is so great that they avoid school altogether. Every day approximately 160,000 students stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied (Vail 1999).

What Is the Impact of Bullying on Targeted Students?

Bullying can have devastating effects on victims. As one middle-school student expressed it, "There is another kind of violence, and that is violence by talking. It can leave you hurting more than a cut with a knife. It can leave you bruised inside" (National Association of Attorneys

General 2000).

Students who are targeted by bullies often have difficulty concentrating on their school work, and their academic performance tends to be "marginal to poor" (Ballard and others 1999). Typically, bullied students feel anxious, and this anxiety may in turn produce a variety of physical or

emotional ailments.

As noted above, rates of absenteeism are higher among victimized students than rates among their nonbullied peers, as are dropout rates. According to Nansel and colleagues (2001), "youth who are bullied generally show higher levels of insecurity, anxiety, depression, loneliness,

unhappiness, physical and mental symptoms, and low self-esteem." When students are bullied on a regular basis, they may become depressed and despondent, even suicidal or homicidal. As a report by the National Association of Attorneys General notes, bullying "is a precursor to

physical violence by its perpetrators and can trigger violence in its victims."

The psychological scars left by bullying often endure for years. Evidence indicates that "the feelings of isolation and the loss of self-esteem that victims experience seem to last into adulthood" (Clarke and Kiselica 1997). Studies have found a higher level of depression and lower

self-esteem among formerly bullied individuals at age twenty-three, even though as adults these individuals were no more harassed or socially isolated than a control group (Nansel and others).

What Can Schools Do To Counteract Bullying?

According to Froschl and Gropper (1999), a written anti-bullying policy distributed to everyone in the school community can help to send the message that bullying incidents will be taken seriously. Of course, to be effective, the policy must have the support of school staff, and it must be fairly and consistently applied.

To discern the nature and extent of the bullying problem in their school, administrators can distribute surveys to students, school personnel, and parents (Colvin and others). Once baseline data are collected, school personnel will be better able to judge whether any subsequent changes are actually making a difference.

Debra Pepler, director of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York University in Tornoto, suggests mapping a school's "hot spots" for bullying incidents (Ruth Walker 2001). Once problematic locations have been pinpointed through survey

responses or a review of disciplinary records, supervision can be concentrated where it is most needed.

Barone points out that providing better supervision is not necessarily costly. For example, principals can ask teachers to stand in the doorways of their classrooms during passing time so that the halls are well supervised.

To achieve permanent changes in how students interact, Colvin and others recommend not only delivering negative consequences to those who bully, but teaching positive behavior through modeling, coaching, prompting, praise, and other forms of reinforcement. Similarly, Ballard and

others encourage schools to take a proactive stance by implementing programs that teach students "social skills, conflict resolution, anger management, and character education."

One 15-year-old girl said, "I don't know how you do this, but we need to make acceptance cool" (National Association of Attorneys General).

At Central York Middle School in Pennsylvania, all students sign anti-teasing pledges and are taught how to appropriately manager their anger. Since this practice was started, the school reports a reduction in fistfights. At Laurel Elementary in Fort Collins, Colorado, students undergo "Be Cool" training in which counselors present them with provocative situations and help them recognize the difference between a "hot response" and a "cool response" (Labi 2001).

How Can Peers Discourage Bullying?

O'Connell and others (1999) assert that "peers may actively or passively reinforce the aggressive behaviors of bullies through their attention and engagement. Peer presence is positively related to the persistence of bullying episodes." Similarly, psychologist Peter Fonagy says, "The whole

drama is supported by the bystander. The theater can't take place if there's no audience" (Labi 2001).

According to Salmivall (1999), bullying is increasingly viewed as a "group phenomenon," and intervention approaches should be directed toward witnesses as well as direct participants. Salmivall encourages the development of anti-bullying attitudes among peers through awareness-raising, the opportunity for self-reflection and awakening feelings of responsibility, and role-playing or rehearsing new behaviors.

To discourage peers from acting as an "audience" to bullying behavior, Seeds University Elementary School (UES) in Los Angeles has a policy of sending bystanders as well as bullies for after-school mediation. Students and their parents sign contracts at the beginning of the school year acknowledging they understand it is unacceptable to ridicule, taunt, or attempt to hurt other students (Labi). If an incident occurs, it can be used as an opportunity to educate students about alternative ways of resolving similar situations in the future.

Teaching respect and nonviolence should start in elementary school. Some suggest that nonviolence training conducted by older peers can be particularly powerful because, as one high school student put it, younger students "don't look up to old people; they look up to teenagers"

(National Association of Attorneys General).

A survey administered by Naylor and Cowie (1999) found positive effects of peer-support systems designed to challenge bullying. Students accessing support, offered in the form of mentoring, befriending, mediation, and counseling, as well as their peers who provided the support, both derived benefits.

What Else Can Be Done?

Some states are beginning to require schools to adopt anti-bullying policies. Colorado, New Hampshire, and West Virginia recently passed legislation that makes it mandatory for schools to have anti-bullying policies. Massachusetts has allocated one million dollars to "bully-proof" its

schools.

Students who bully often need intensive support or intervention, so it is important for schools and social-service agencies to work together. Perpetrators are frequently from "hostile family environments" (Ballard and others). They may be victims of acts of aggression at home, or witness aggression among other family members.

Parents can play a role in reducing bullying. William Pollack, a psychologist, says, "Research shows that the success of any program is 60% grounded in whether the same kinds of approaches are used at home" (Labi).

If everyone works together to discourage bullying and respond to incidents, fertile conditions are created for students to develop a greater sense of connection to their peers and for seeds of respect and acceptance to grow.

Resources

Ballard, Mary; Tucky Argus; and Theodore P. Remley, Jr. "Bullying and School Violence: A Proposed Prevention Program." NASSP Bulletin (May 1999): 38-47.

Barone, Frank J. "Bullying in School: It Doesn't Have to Happen." Phi Delta Kappan (September 1997): 80-82. EA 533 807.

Bowman, Darcia Harris. "Survey of Students Documents the Extent of Bullying." Education Week on the Web (May 2, 2001).

Clarke, E. A., and M. S. Kiselica. "A Systemic Counseling Approach to the Problem of Bullying." Elementary School Guidance and Counseling 31 (1997): 310-24.

Colvin, G.; T. Tobin; K. Beard; S. Hagan; and J. Sprague. "The School Bully: Assessing the Problem, Developing Interventions, and Future Research Directions." Journal of Behavioral Education 8, 3 (1998): 293-319.

Garrity, C.; K. Jens; W. Porter; N. Sager; and C. Short-Camilli. Bully-Proofing Your School. Longmont, Colorado: Sopris West. 1996.

Hoover, J. H.; and R. Oliver. The Bullying Prevention Handbook: A Guide for Principals, Teachers, and Counselors. Bloomington, Indiana: National Education Service, 1996.

Khosropour, Shirin C., and James Walsh. "The Effectiveness of a Violence Prevention Program: Did It Influence How Children Conceptualize Bullying?" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Seattle, April 2001.

Labi, Nadya. "Let Bullies Beware." Time online, March 25, 2001.

Nansel, Tonja R.; Mary Overpeck; Ramani S. Pilla; W. June Ruan; Bruce Simons-Morton; and Peter Scheidt. "Bullying Behaviors Among U.S.Youth: Prevalence and Association with Psychosocial Adjustment." Journal of the American Medical Association 286, 16 (April 25, 2001).

National Association of Attorneys General. Bruised Inside: What Our Children Say About Youth Violence, What Chauses It, and What We Should Do About It. Author, 2000.

Naylor, Paul, and Helen Cowie "The Effectiveness of Peer Support Systems in Challenging School Bullying: The Perspectives and Experiences of Teachers and Pupils." Journal of Adolescence 22, 4 (August 1999): 467-79. EJ 609 417.

O'Connell, Paul; Debra Pepler, and Wendy Craig. "Peer Involvement in Bullying: Insights and Challenges for Intervention." Journal of Adolescence 22 (1999): 437-52.

Salmivalli, Christina. "Participant Role Approach to School Bullying: Implications for Interventions." Journal of Adolescence 22 (1999): 453-59.

U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center. Safe School Initiative: An Interim Report on the Prevention of Targeted Violence in Schools. Washington, D.C.: Author, October 2000.

Vail, Kathleen. "Words That Wound." The American School Board Journal (September 1999): 37-40.

Walker, Ruth. "To Stop Bullying, Involve the Whole School." Christian Science Monitor (March 13, 2001): 19.

This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract No. ED-99-C0-0011. The ideas and opinions expressed in this Digest do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI, ED,

or the Clearinghouse. This Digest is in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management

http://eric.uoregon.edu/index.html

Articles from Education Week (www.edweek.com):

Education Week

American Education's Newspaper of Record

May 16, 2001

Legislatures Take On Bullies With New Laws

By Mary Ann Zehr

Education Week

Legislators from Washington state to West Virginia, hoping to stave off violence committed by

students who have been picked on by their peers, are taking action this year on bills designed to

prevent bullying in schools.

The Colorado legislature this spring passed a law mandating that every school district in the state

have an anti-bullying policy in place. Lawmakers cited the deadly 1999 shooting at Columbine

High School in Jefferson County, Colo., as a major impetus for the measure.

"I represent the Columbine community," Rep. Don Lee, a Republican who sponsored a version of the bill in the House, said last week. "[Bullying] was one of the factors cited as contributing to what happened at Columbine."

But Colorado is not alone. The New Hampshire legislature passed a law last May requiring its schools to have policies on bullying. The West Virginia legislature followed suit with a similar law earlier this spring. And anti-bully bills are pending in Illinois, New York, and Washington state.

The concept has been most controversial in Washington state, where a Christian Coalition group

opposed the bully-prevention bill, contending that it was a cover for gay-rights efforts that could

eventually force schools to teach about homosexuality in a positive light.

But the wave of anti-bullying legislation has raised other issues as well. While virtually everyone

agrees it's a good thing for schools to reduce bullying, some people question whether state laws

that require policies on such behavior really will help schools achieve that goal.

"I don't think the legal avenue has much promise," said Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, a professor

of public-health practice at Harvard University and an expert on violence prevention. "I can see

this becoming the zero-tolerance fad of today."

"To the extent that this pursuit of anti-bullying laws takes us further down the punishment track and distracts us from the true preventive activities," Ms. Prothrow-Stith said, "it could hurt."

The prevention of bullying, she argues, requires a full set of activities that include improving the

climate in schools, establishing conflict-resolution and peer-mediation programs, and training

faculty and staff members to properly handle bullying incidents.

'It's Time'

In Colorado, the anti-bullying bill stirred some controversy because a number of legislators feared

it extended the hand of government into matters that should be handled on the local level.

"There were quite a few people who didn't think that it was needed, and I'm not sure it's going to

do any good," said Rep. Ken Arnold, a Republican who voted for the bill.

But he added that he believes that "it's time we put an end to the bullying and the hating, the bigger kids picking on the little kids. It's time the people in the schools—the teachers, the principals, the counselors—did something."

Keith C. King, another Republican representative in Colorado who is the vice chairman of the House education committee, said he voted against the bill because he feared it would usurp the role of parents in teaching their children how to treat other people respectfully.

"The more government takes over the role of parenting," he said, "the less people parent."

Some Colorado schools have taken on bullies on their own. After the killings at Columbine High two years ago the neighboring Cherry Creek district stepped up its efforts to "bullyproof" its schools.

"Our superintendent was very clear that things are not the same," said William Porter, Cherry

Creek's director of student-achievement services. The 42,000-student district is located 10 miles

from Columbine High, where two students went on a shooting rampage on April 20, 1999, fatally

wounding 12 other students and one teacher before taking their own lives.

Even before Columbine, some Cherry Creek schools had started to teach an anti-bullying

curriculum, written by Mr. Porter. It aims to convert what he calls the "silent majority"—the

student bystanders who witness bullying yet are neither bullies nor victims themselves—to what he refers to as the "caring majority." The goal, he said, is to get students who see bullying to stick up for the victims or report incidents to adults.

After the Columbine shooting, Cherry Creek officials mandated that every school in the district

have such a violence-prevention program that discouraged bullying. Mr. Porter said the

requirement was a direct response to reports that the two boys who committed the Columbine

killings may have been seeking revenge for having been mistreated at school. School officials

reasoned that if schools could be rid of bullies, they would be made safer for all students.

Opponents' Concerns

Proponents of the anti-bullying bill proposed in Washington state say it was derailed by members

of the state's chapter of the Christian Coalition, who contended that anti-bullying policies in

schools could violate the free-speech rights of students who expressed opposition to

homosexuality.

"The Christian Coalition and others involving evangelical churches were the only ones that

opposed it," said Brian E. Smith, a spokesman for state Attorney General Christine Gregoire, a

Democrat who helped to draft the bill. "In a nutshell, they were concerned that somehow it would

bring up a discussion of homosexuality in the schools.

"We've said all along it has nothing to do with homosexuality," Mr. Smith said. "It protects every

kid—tall, skinny, gay."

But Rick Forcier, the executive director of the Christian Coalition of Washington, counters that

members of his group worry that the anti- bullying measure is only the beginning.

"What we're concerned about it is that some states will follow the pattern of California in which

they begin to mandate the teaching of homosexuality in a positive light," said Mr. Forcier, who

testified against the proposed law. "We think the [anti-bullying] bills could lead in that direction.

"We're speaking as a Christian organization making sure we maintain the right to express our

viewpoints and not have it muzzled."

Rep. Edward B. Murray, a Democrat who sponsored the House version of the bill, said he

believes the Christian Coalition attacked the bill in part because he is gay and was a sponsor of the measure.

"I'm sponsoring a bill that deals with school safety, and they think there's some sort of hidden

agenda here," Mr. Murray said. "Suddenly, it becomes my agenda."

He backed the bill, he said, because of calls he had received from students who stood out from

their peers, either because of disabilities or physical differences or because they were lesbian or

gay.

"They weren't just being harassed," he said. "They were being insulted and beat up. Not all of our

school districts were dealing with this."

Rep. Gigi Talcott, the Republican co-chairwoman of the House education committee, blocked the

anti-bullying bill from coming up for a vote in April. She downplayed reports that she'd done so

because of concerns over how the law would apply to homosexuality. She said she viewed the

measure as unnecessary because schools could already put anti-bullying plans in place.

The Washington legislature has adjourned. But proponents of the anti- bullying measure said there is still a slim chance it would survive because the Senate plans to send the bill to the House one more time during a special session that ends May 24.

Implementation Challenges

Mark V. Joyce, the executive director of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association,

said the anti-bullying mandate in his state got bogged down in the implementation stage.

New Hampshire came out with a technical advisory that said schools had to report every incident

of bullying, which school administrators found unrealistic, according to Mr. Joyce.

"It's almost universal that people are concerned about safety," he said. "But when we pass a piece of legislation, we have to think about how it will practically work in a school environment. If the solution is outside of reality, you're going to build resistance."

Nicholas Donahue, the New Hampshire education commissioner, acknowledged that the state has had some challenges in implementing the law. But he added that he believes it has spurred most school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies.

"We talk with superintendents and school board members," Mr. Donahue said. "For the most

part, what we've heard is that the law is cumbersome, that the technical advisory was good but

raised some other questions, and 'we've met the letter of the law, and our school board has

adopted a policy.' "

On the Web

Information about the history and status of the Colorado bill SB01-080 against bullying is available from the Colorado Legislative Assembly.

The "Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention Act," passed in March of 2000, mandates protection from bullying in New Hampshire schools.

Education Week

American Education's Newspaper of Record

May 2, 2001

Survey of Students Documents - The Extent of Bullying

By Darcia Harris Bowman

Education Week

Amid growing concern over the connection between bullying and school violence, a national

survey released last week found that nearly a third of U.S. students in grades 6-10 report they are

bullies, victims of bullies, or both.

In the survey of 15,686 public and private school students, 30 percent of the students reported

bullying others, being the target of bullies, or both.

More than 10 percent said they sometimes bullied others, and 9 percent admitted they bullied

other students at least once a week or more. Meanwhile, 8.5 percent reported they were bullied

sometimes, and nearly the same percentage said they were bullied once a week or more.

Taken in spring 1998 as part of the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School-Aged

Children study, the survey is described as the first nationally representative research on the

frequency of bullying among students in the United States.

The findings come at a time of increasing attention to bullying. In about two-thirds of the school

shootings that the U.S. Secret Service reviewed for a study last year, the attackers had felt

persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others. The agency found that a number of the teenagers had suffered persistent, severe bullying and harassment. ("At School, a Cruel

Culture," March 21, 2001.)

In the case of Charles A. Williams, a 15-year-old youth accused of killing two students in a

shooting rampage at Santana High School in Santee, Calif., on March 5, classmates described him as a constant target of physical and verbal abuse at school. The parents of Elizabeth Catherine Bush, a 14-year-old Pennsylvania student who shot a classmate in the shoulder that same week, said she had been regularly brutalized by bullies.

"Clearly, bullying is not just something kids do that is harmless," said Tonja R. Nansel, a

researcher with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the lead

author of the study, which was published April 25 in the Journal of the American Medical

Association. "It's very likely something that leads to long-term problems."

'Sad Irony'

A majority of the research on bullying has been done in Europe and Australia. Until now, little was

known about the nature or extent of the problem in the United States, experts said last week.

"There's sort of sad irony to that, given the extent of youth violence in America," said Dr. Howard

Spivak, a professor of pediatrics and community health at the Tufts University School of Medicine

in Medford, Mass., who wrote a commentary to accompany the journal report.

Although the WHO survey did not explore the relationship between violent behavior and bullying,

Dr. Spivak said, enough evidence exists to suggest a strong link.

"There is an indirect case to be made here from what we know about the psychosocial

development of children involved in bullying," he said, "and the anecdotal evidence" from recent

school shootings.

The psychological and social problems associated with bullying depend on which end of the

equation a child falls.

Both bullies and victims of bullies were more likely than other children to be involved in fights and

more often reported poor academic achievement. Bullies reported higher rates of tobacco and

alcohol use and were more likely to have negative attitudes about school. Their victims, on the

other hand, were more likely to report being lonely and having difficulty forming friendships.

While more studies are needed, researchers say the findings in the WHO survey and research

conducted in other countries point to the need for immediate but informed action on the part of

policymakers and schools.

"We need to know more about the bullying relationship and some of the longer-term implications,

but I also think there's enough reason to be concerned that we should be looking at strategies to

prevent bullying," Dr. Spivak said. "Those strategies need to be linked to a good understanding of

child development and therapeutic response, rather than just a punitive response."

Ms. Nansel said that although some prevention strategies are being tried in U.S. schools, the

dangers of bullying still aren't taken seriously enough in this country.

"Schools really need to acknowledge bullying is a problem," she said. "We still see administrators

saying, 'We don't have a problem with bullying.' These findings should help raise the awareness

level."

On the Web

Read the abstract of the article, "Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth," from the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The Scottish Council for Research in Education provides bullying information, including advice for families.

The British Broadcasting Company provides Bullying: A Survival Guide. Includes information on the effects of bullying, along with some first-person accounts of superstars who were bullied as children. Provides helpful advice for those in positions of authority on how to tackle the problem.

Here's a page of links to articles on bullying and how to prevent or stop it. From the Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Articles from Predicasts PROMT (http://www.cml.lib.oh.us/):

PR Newswire, April 3, 2002 pNYW07403042002

Connecticut Leads Nation in Anti-Bullying Program for Schools; Unique Partnership Between State Dept. of Ed, UConn and People's Bank Builds Strong Foundation to Benefit Connecticut's Children.

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. -- A successful collaboration between the State Department of Education, the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut and People's Bank has established Connecticut as a national leader in training educators to improve the learning environment for students statewide.

"Don't Laugh At Me" is a program designed for use with elementary and middle school youth to help address the problems of bullying, ridiculing, teasing and harassing that can occur in today's schools. The program was developed by Educators for Social Responsibility, in collaboration with Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, who was deeply impacted by a song of the same name by Steve Seskin.

Yarrow, a New York resident, visited a training session at the Metropolitan Learning Center in Bloomfield today to praise educators for their commitment to improving students' lives and to thank attendees for their partnership. "I believe this effort is every bit as important as the civil rights movement, the peace movement, the environmental movement," said Yarrow. "Connecticut should be proud of its leadership, and of its leaders. The collaboration we have here between the state Department of Education, the state's flagship university and People's Bank is a role model for other states nationwide."

Don't Laugh At Me is a national initiative launched by Yarrow who has made it his personal mission to reduce violence in America's schools. Operation Respect CT, Inc., was established as a non-profit in September 2001 to support the Don't Laugh At Me initiative in Connecticut.

As a founding partner, People's Bank has provided Operation Respect CT with financial support, office space and equipment and a variety of in-kind services, including strategic planning, public relations and graphic design.

"Positive learning environments are vital to the growth and development of children everywhere," said John A. Klein, People's president and chief executive officer. "The climates of respect we seek to create in Connecticut schools are at the foundation of successful business in Connecticut -- both for working parents of today and the workforce of tomorrow."

Klein and his wife, Carla Klein, an educator from Trumbull with 20 years' teaching experience, are the co-chairs of Operation Respect CT. They are hosting a dinner this evening at the Trumbull Marriott to benefit Operation Respect CT and the Don't Laugh At Me initiative.

Operation Respect CT's "Don't Laugh At Me" program creates environments of respect where children can learn and grow without interference from bullying, teasing, threats or other negative influences. It is offered free of charge to schools and other youth-oriented programs throughout the state. To date more than 3,500 educators in Connecticut have completed the program. These educators include staff such as bus drivers, coaches, lunchroom monitors, recess monitors, PTO members, nurses, social workers and parent volunteers.

In Connecticut, the training is conducted by Jo Ann Freiberg, PhD, co- founder and executive director of Operation Respect CT, in partnership with the state Department of Education with Nancy Pugliese, an educational consultant for the state Department of Education. The Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut is committed to providing the curriculum to all UConn students pursuing careers in education and also is conducting an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in Connecticut.

Operation Respect CT, Inc.

Don't Laugh At Me

Operation Respect CT, Inc., was established in September 2001 as a nonprofit organization providing schools primarily in Connecticut with education, training and technical assistance in creating safe learning environments, building healthy relationships and reducing youth violence within schools and communities. By collaborating with schools, parents, boards of education and community organizations to enhance the relationships that are formed among students, teachers, administrators, school staff/volunteers and parents, Operation Respect CT offers educators professional development opportunities in the Don't Laugh At Me initiative.

The initiative uses music, video and well-tested instructional activities to help students recognize intolerance due to personal differences, understand that differences are positive, develop compassion for others who are different from themselves, and learn that teasing, name calling, exclusion and ridicule are hurtful to others. Teachers are also provided strategies in helping students develop new ways for resolving conflicts positively.

Connecticut was the first state to introduce the Don't Laugh At me curriculum to schools nationally, and continues to be the only entire state to provide education and technical assistance in support of the initiative. Teams from schools and community-based youth service organizations come together for introductory professional development sessions in the Don't Laugh At Me curriculum as well as the principles and practices behind creating and maintaining "climates of respect," which is at the core of the Don't Laugh At Me effort.

* By March 2002, more than 500 public and private schools and

community-based youth organizations throughout the state have been or

will be trained in the DLAM initiative.

* By March 2002, over 90 percent of the 169 school districts in

Connecticut have joined the effort to create climates of respect. This

number continues to grow.

* By the end of the 2001-2002 school year, the second year of the DLAM

initiative, well over 5,000 educators will have participated in DLAM

training program.

* DLAM is designed primarily for the elementary and middle school

populations. It focuses upon healthy expression of feelings,

developing caring, compassionate and cooperative individuals, solving

conflicts peacefully and appreciating differences.

* The DLAM program is the creation of Peter Yarrow of the musical trio,

Peter, Paul and Marry, in collaboration with respected educators and

inspired by the heartfelt song written by Steve Seskin entitled,

"Don't Laugh At Me."

* The DLAM initiative in Connecticut is made possible through the

collaborative efforts of Operations Respect CT, Inc., People's Bank,

the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Neag School of

Education at the University of Connecticut.

* DLAM is a national movement. The Connecticut initiative is the largest

and only statewide effort.

For more information on Operation Respect CT, please visit http://www.operationrespectct.org/

MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X85665147

Contact: Deborah P. MacDonnell, External Communications Manager of People's Bank, +1-203-338-3255, dpmacdo@peoples.com

Website: http://www.operationrespectct.org/ http://www.peoples.com/

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Companies:

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Ticker:

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Article A84372467

Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

Business Wire, Feb 6, 2002 p2554

New Survey Finds Alarming Increase of Bullying Among Girls; Secret to Self-Esteem Program Addresses Timely Issues Confronting Teen Girls and Boys.

Business & Lifestyle Editors

NOTE TO MEDIA: Photo is available in a Smart News Release(TM) on

Business Wire's Home Page at www.businesswire.com and at www.newstream.com

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 2002

With violence among teens on the rise, Americans can no longer ignore that bullying isn't limited to the typical image of a timid boy's lunch money being stolen by an older, tougher kid.

A survey, conducted by Secret Anti-perspirant and seventeen.com(1) for the Secret to Self-Esteem Program, found that from the more than 3,000 teen boys and girls, ages 13 to 19 who responded, half experienced physical threats or were pushed in a mean way in the past year. Even more alarming is that bullying, once thought of as a problem specific to boys, is also widespread among girls. In fact, of the half that reported threats and violence, 44 percent

were girls and 56 percent were boys.

Bullying Threatens Self-Esteem

Bullying, an aggressive behavior that has potential to cause physical or psychological harm to the recipient, can include name-calling, teasing, verbal threats, social exclusion and pushing. Neither girls nor boys are immune to this behavior, though the survey found the different sexes may fall victim more often to different forms of bullying. Key examples revealed by the survey:

-- Girls are more likely to experience verbal abuse such as being teased about

their appearance (64 percent of girls versus 58 percent of boys) and having

false rumors spread about them (72 percent of girls versus 60 percent of boys).

-- Boys were more often targets of physical aggression such as being beaten up

(11 percent of boys versus six percent of girls) and having property destroyed

(46 percent of boys versus 31 percent of girls).

How do teens cope with bullying? The survey revealed that 22 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys call a friend for support. The major difference: only five percent of girls compared to 19 percent of boys would seek support from an adult.

Dr. Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., Director of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute and leading expert on adolescent issues said, "Through my experience with teenagers, I've learned that day-to-day acts of bullying and victimization have become a frequent problem in many schools across the country. Building self-esteem in teenagers is the primary factor in the prevention of bullying behaviors - for the bullies as well as the victims."

How Girls and Boys Differ in Self-Esteem

The survey found significant differences. One compelling statistic: twenty-six percent of girls report that they cut, burned or inflicted pain to themselves versus 12 percent of boys.

What about differences in perception of body image?

-- Sixty-one percent of girls are dissatisfied with their weight versus 37 percent of boys

-- Nearly 71 percent of girls are currently dieting compared with 38 percent of boys. However, nearly one-third of boys reported their desire to gain weight to be more muscular

-- Sixty-two percent of girls judge themselves by how others see them compared with 47 percent of boys

In terms of relationships, the survey results reflect boys and girls share a feeling of isolation:

-- Forty-three percent of girls and 35 percent of boys reported that they have not experienced many warm and trusting relationships (with family or friends)

-- Thirty-six percent of girls and 31 percent of boys said that people do not listen to them when they want to talk

-- Forty-three percent of girls and 33 percent of boys shared that most of the time they do not fit in anywhere

Dr. Kearney-Cooke and the Secret to Self-Esteem Program are using the survey findings to create a curriculum which helps girls build a healthy sense of self-esteem. "Self-esteem in girls and boys is not mutually exclusive," said Dr. Kearney Cooke. "Boys' actions and opinions often shape girls' views of themselves, which is why we decided to survey both genders on relevant self-esteem issues to determine the differences in the two sexes."

Solutions for Girls: Physical, Emotional and Mental Strength

The program, now in its fourth year, focuses on providing middle school-aged girls with tools to develop physical, emotional and mental strength. Another goal of the program is to offer counsel to mothers and mentors on how to nurture self-esteem in teen girls. The survey findings will be one of the topics at a day-long Secret to Self-Esteem Symposium in Washington, D.C. on February 6, 2002 and during a five-city Teen Esteem Tour in February and March.

The symposium and tour feature Dr. Kearney-Cooke and R&B singer Christina Milian, who will share her personal experiences with teens on how she maintains a healthy self-esteem.

Secret(R) Anti-perspirant is the number one selling brand of anti-perspirant and deodorant for women. Secret stands for feminine strength and has embraced as a priority building self-esteem in girls. To find out more about Secret to Self-Esteem, visit www.secret.com.

Procter & Gamble produces and markets 300 brands in more than 140 countries. In fiscal year 1999 - 2000, P&G had worldwide net sales of nearly $40 billion: the Beauty Care Division, including Secret, Pantene and Olay had net sales of $7.39 billion.

(1) Survey was conducted by seventeen.com for the Secret to

Self-Esteem Program, sponsored by Secret Anti-perspirant.

Girls were polled on seventeen.com; boys were contacted

through about.com. 2,120 girls and 944 boys, ages 13 - 19,

responded.

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Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

Business Wire, Oct 20, 2000 p2510

New Anti-Bullying Hotline, New Web Address from Safe Schools.

Business Editors

PRESCOTT, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2000

Anti-bullying hot line run by Safe Schools, Safe Students has a new, user friendly web address. http://www.stopthebully.org is now active.

Bullying, hazing and harassment are everyday occurrences in the lives of thousands of students across our nations schools each day. In fact, a recent U.S. Secret Service Interim Report on the Prevention of Targeted Violence in Schools, addresses why students have targeted each other in violent school attacks as well as what implications these findings mean to the rest of us. One of the primary factors was bullying.

The report notes that attacks such as Columbine are rarely impulsive. Indeed in most of the high profile attacks the students planned their attack for quite some time. One of the top motives being revenge. More than 75 percent of the attackers were known to hold a grievance at the time of the attack and many had indeed confided in others about these grievances prior to the attack.

Bullying played a key role in the majority of cases. In over 2/3 of the cases, the attackers felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others prior to the incident. A number of the attackers had long-standing and severe experiences of being bullied and harassed.

In a number of the cases, attackers described experiences of being bullied in terms that approached torment. That bullying played such a major role in a number of these school attacks should strongly support efforts to combat bullying in schools.

Indeed bullying is pervasive in the workplace and does not magically end when students graduate from high school. In some recent reports as many as 37percent of workers report being 'bullied, harassed, physically and emotionally terrorized' in the previous 30 days while at the work place.

With the number of calls increasing each day the need is obvious and critical. "The national ANTI-BULLYING HOT LINE is currently receiving thousands of contacts each day from students, parents and grand parents concerned about the effects of bullying," says Beaumont. "If there was ever any doubt as to the seriousness of bullying and its affects on our youth this hotline has dispelled all!"

Each day the hotline works with children from first grade through university and college. Now that the hotline has become so effective, and is positively changing people's lives, it is critical to keep it alive.

According to U.S. Department of Justice figures 160,000 students skip school each day due to fear of being persecuted and bullied; 20 percent of high school students are afraid to go to the school restroom because of attacks.

Beaumont is the founder of Safe Schools, Safe Students a nationwide non profit organization providing resources and workshops to schools, churches and communities on school safety including Emergency Management Planning, Bullying and In School Violence and Peer Mediation.

EDITOR's NOTE: For additional information visit their web site at http://www.stwnews.org or call toll free 877/443-9943, ext. 14 -- Mary Harvey.

Donations and contributions are always needed to help maintain the phone coverage, potential donors should contact Mary at the above number, all donations are tax deductible. Beaumont and his staff are available for interview by contacting Mary Harvey.

Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

Seminar focuses on bullying

Tulsa World; Tulsa, Okla.; Apr 17, 2002; Nora K. Froeschle;

Start Page: 7

Full Text:

For some children, just going to school every day is an act of courage.

'We used to tell kids to just ignore it. Now, we know we need to do more,' said Linda Modenbach, president of the Learning Disabilities Association of Oklahoma. She is referring to bullying and its consequences.

Modenbach is attending a free bullying prevention workshop April 27 in Oklahoma City, and invites parents and educators to do the same.

The workshop, which takes place at 5701 N. Portland Ave., is open to the public. Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder, the Oklahoma Parents' Center, the Learning Disabilities Association of Oklahoma and the Autism Society of Oklahoma are sponsoring the event.

'If I were a parent and I had a child suffering this way, I'd go ahead and make the drive.

'We're sponsoring this as a public service to parents and educators,' she said, adding parents of the victims of bullies and parents of the bullies should both consider attending, because the bullies often go on to much more serious crimes.

The Oklahoma legislature recently passed the School Bullying Prevention Act, which will provide schools an anti-bully curriculum plan partially based on the model program being used in the Tahlequah Public School system.

The bills' author, State Sen. Herb Rozell, D-Tahlequah, said he sees no reason why the governor would not sign the bill, which was inspired mostly by parents who talked to him about their concerns with regard to bullying in schools.

Being bullied can wreak havoc with a child's self-esteem, Modenbach said.

'It's frightening to them. Some students stay home from school,' she said.

Vicious teasing, which is bullying, may include personal attacks on a child's appearance, family, disability or ability, said Modenbach, who is also the coordinator of secondary special education for the Jenks School District.

'When it becomes detrimental to an individual's well-being,' adult intervention becomes necessary, she said.

Psychologist and author Michael Thompson, who spoke at Holland Hall April 8 about his book 'Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children,' writes that bullies are often acting out the feelings of the group.

Children who are rejected by the group are fair game, but bullies will be stopped from bullying just anyone.

Sometimes children with Attention Deficit Disorder, which is a condition that can make it hard for a child to pay attention, sit still, or control their behavior, are prime targets for abuse, Modenbach said.

'Children with ADD, and especially with learning disabilities, don't always read body language or pick up on implied messages and they may respond inappropriately,' she said, giving the example of a child who marches up to a group whose members are talking amongst themselves.

'They may get a cue, like a raised eyebrow, warning them not to proceed, but not get it, then say something anyway,' prompting a verbal rebuke from one or more members of the group, she said.

Children with disabilities often do not understand the social code, Modenbach said.

'Things like how close you stand when you talk. Or like if I'm talking and you cross your arms, I get the idea you're bored with me,' said Modenbach.

Someone with ADD might not, she said.

'We know from research that a lot of situations occur on the playground or in the lunchroom,' which are both relatively unsupervised, at least when compared with the classroom, she said.

Intervention by teachers is essential in some cases, and both students and teachers can learn strategies for dealing with bullying, she said.

Call (405) 722-1233 to register for the seminar.

[Illustration]

COLOR PHOTO; Caption: These grade-school aged girls are having a seemingly peaceful recess on their school's playground, but schoolyards and lunchrooms are the places where incidents of bullying occur most often during school hours, Linda Modenbach said.; Linda Modenbach

Credit: World Staff Writer

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SIMPLE HANDS PROGRAM HELPS ; TO CUT VIOLENCE IN COMMUNITY

The Oregonian; Portland, Or.; Apr 13, 2002; FELICIA HEATON - The Oregonian;

Start Page: 07

Full Text:

A 13-word pledge and a simple signed purple cutout are all that's involved in The Hands Project

Three Wilsonville schools will take a pledge next week that's a short statement but a big part of a plan to reduce violence in schools, at home and in the community.

The pledge, part of The Hands Project, has spread so far through 40 states in the United States and five countries. A participant takes this vow: "I will not use my hand or words for hurting myself or others."

Next, the person traces the outline of his or her hand on a piece of purple paper -- the color purple stands for violence awareness -- cuts it out, signs it and hangs it on a wall.

It may sound simple, a little too simple, but the pledge and the program seem to work, say those who have tried it.

So Wilsonville is signing on, too, thanks to Judi Mittelstaedt. A counselor at Boeckman Creek Primary School, Mittelstaedt thought when she heard about the program, "This is it. It's easy, and it's perfect."

Violence isn't a problem at Boeckman Creek, she said, but it is at some homes and in the community. So she hopes parents will participate in kickoff assemblies.

The assemblies are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Wood Middle School, 9:40 a.m. Thursday, April 25, at Boones Ferry Primary and 9:40 a.m. Friday, April 26, at Boeckman Creek. Informational fliers will be sent home with the school's 560 students, inviting their parents to take the pledge at home.

Mittelstaedt plans to include the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce, the city's Parks and Recreation and Community Services departments, and city officials.

"It would be so wonderful to have hands up all over the community," she said. "Adults would be reminded to be role models for children, and the children would be reminded to hold themselves accountable."

Program started in Salem

The program was created in 1997 by Ann Kelly, a martial artist and self-defense specialist in Salem. In her classes, she was hearing stories about domestic violence in schools and the community. Her husband, Bob, an emergency room physician, saw evidence of abuse daily, even hourly.

So Kelly approached teachers and administrators in the Salem- Keizer School District. It's easy, she said. Just say the pledge in the classroom and in assemblies. Shape the program to fit your school's needs. Invite parents and community leaders to join in.

School staff members immediately took to the idea.

Salem's Judson Middle School was the one of the first schools to try it, with Eileen Taylor, an instructional assistant, coordinating the program. The entire school population took the pledge, and the hands were laminated and tacked to the walls as daily reminders.

"I don't have any statistics, but I know that there is less violence at Judson," said Taylor, who works with students who have special needs and discipline problems. "I don't remember the last time we had a fight here. School is really a wonderful place to be now."

A school in Grand Island, Neb., has had similar success. Since Walnut Middle School Principal Vicki Deuel learned about the program through an education conference in St. Louis, her students have taken the pledge daily, immediately following the flag salute.

"We were looking for something simple that could help kids focus on nonviolence, and 'Purple Hands' does that," Deuel said.

Like other schools that use The Hands Project, Walnut sees it as an extra piece for anti-bullying and violence prevention programs.

"It was the icing on the cake," Deuel said. "Now we have a multi- faceted program, and Hands brings it all together."

Has teachers' support

"We'd be naive if we said everyone embraced it 100 percent," Deuel said. "But teachers take it seriously, and that means the students take it more seriously."

Deuel and school counselor Mary Anne Richards have submitted a report to the Journal of School Improvement saying that between the 1998-99 and 2000-01 academic years, behavior problems at Walnut decreased due in large part to The Hands Project and an anti-bullying/nonviolence curriculum. For example, they said, there were 146 reports of assaults and fighting in 1998-99, but 51 in 2000-01.

The project is credited with similar success at Oaklea Middle School in Junction City. A chart provided by the school said that between June 1998 and June 2000, fighting decreased by 50 percent, and use of profanity decreased by 54 percent.

Although the program is most heavily used in schools, it is meant for entire communities. Kelly has expanded the program to include families without school-age children. For example, Gov. John Kitzhaber and his wife, Sharon, signed the Newborn Pledge Certificate after the birth of their son in December 1997.

Celebrities, athletes and politicans also have taken the pledge, including U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., of West Linn.

Mittelstaedt, the Boeckman Creek counselor, said she likes The Hands Project because it is one-size-fits-all.

"It's not curriculum," she said. "That's the last thing teachers need, is more curriculum."

And it's affordable. The only supplies needed are purple paper, scissors and pens. Schools have added banners, pins, magnets and T- shirts on their own.

Mittelstaedt also said the program is "simple and solid," which is the key to its success.

And that was Kelly's intent. She wanted something that could happen now. Her dream, she said, is for the program to spread to everyone, everywhere.

To learn more about The Hands Project, call 888-443-6299 or visit its Web site, www.handsproject.org.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.