How serious is the bullying problem?
Bullying is a pervasive problem for school children in the U.S. as well as internationally. Studies of incidence range from a high of 80%, where "only 20% reported no bullying behavior" in a 30 day period to studies showing a conservative 10% of kindergarten through high school students being bullied. Some groups of children are also at greater risk, for example, Garrity & Barris (1996) reported on a study finding "that 33% of mainstreamed, special-needs children had been targets of bullying, compared to 8% of their normal classmates.Are there differences between boy and girl bullies and victims?
Although bullying is more common among boys, both girls and boys can be bullies or victims. However, boys are more likely to be attacked by boys whereas girls may be attacked by girls, boys, or mixed groups. Boys and girls tend to use different types of bullying behavior. Boys engage in and perpetrate more physical forms of attack whereas girls give and get more indirect forms such as being ridiculed or victimized by rumors.
What kind of kid is likely to become a bully?
Research aimed at identifying psychological factors predictive of bullying found that bullies:
- higher level of anger
- lack confidence in the use of nonviolent strategies
- accept aggression as justifiable and satisfactory
- are unhappy at school
- are impulsive
- have feelings of depression
- lack a sense of belonging in school
- dislike or are dissatisfied with school
- have problems at home
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