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Research on Bullies 

    Research and Articles by Dr. Kraizer

Studies shed light on bullies and victims:             

National Association of School Psychologists

 1 in 7 schoolchildren is a bully or victim

Bullying affects 5 million school children in U.S.

 

British Medical Journal, September, 1999   Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino

Survey of 16,410  students ages 14-16 in Finland found:

  • 1/3 of children who admitted to bullying frequently said they were also victims of bullying

  • depression was as common among bullies as victims

  •  severe suicidal thoughts were more prevalent in bullies than victims

 

British Medical Journal, September, 1999   Chris Rissel

Survey of 3,918 Australian children ages 11-15 found:

  • half of bullies were also targets of bullying, most were boys

  •  bullies who also were bullied had poorest psychosocial profile

  • these youth reported high rates of smoking as well as  headaches, stomachaches, sadness and trouble sleeping

  • victims scored highest on measures of loneliness, followed by bully/victims

Commentary:

These studies provide additional insights for prevention.  We know that children learn to bully by observing bullying behavior or by being bullied themselves.  This is similar to other forms of abuse in which many children respond to their victimization by either turning their anger inward, sometimes allowing the victimization to continue, or by turning their anger outward becoming the victimizer.  They confirm that low self-esteem, feelings of isolation, anger and the accompanying psychosomatic effects are real threats to the well-being of both victims and abusers or bullies. 

Intervention is required for both groups through systematic training which changes the behavior and which addresses the needs of the individual & the group.  Our programs provide hands on, solution-oriented strategies that enable parents, teachers and kids to help change behaviors associated with being a bully or a victim.

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Copyright © 1996 -2008 Coalition for Children, Inc., Sherryll Kraizer, Ph.D.