Addressing The Problem Of Juvenile Bullying
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
June 2001 #27
Addressing the Problem
of Juvenile Bullying
by Nels Ericson
Bullying, a form of violence among children, is common on
What Is Bullying?
school playgrounds, in neighborhoods, and in homes throughout
Bullying among children encompasses a variety of negative acts
the United States and around the world. Often occurring out of
carried out repeatedly over time. It involves a real or perceived
the presence of adults or in front of adults who fail to intercede,
imbalance of power, with the more powerful child or group at-
bullying has long been considered an inevitable and, in some
tacking those who are less powerful. Bullying can take three
ways, uncontrollable part of growing up. School bullying has
forms: physical (hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing, taking person-
come under intense public and media scrutiny recently amid
al belongings); verbal (taunting, malicious teasing, name calling,
reports that it may have been a contributing factor in shootings at
making threats); and psychological (spreading rumors, manipulat-
Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, in 1999 and Santana
ing social relationships, or engaging in social exclusion, extortion,
High School in Santee, CA, in early 2001 and in other acts of
or intimidation).
juvenile violence including suicide. Bullying can affect the social
environment of a school, creating a climate of fear among stu-
The NICHD survey found that males tend to bully and be bullied
dents, inhibiting their ability to learn, and leading to other anti-
more frequently than females. For males, experiencing physical
social behavior. Nevertheless, through research and evaluation,
and verbal bullying is most common; for females, verbal bullying
successful programs to recognize, prevent, and effectively inter-
(both taunting and insults of a sexual nature) and spreading ru-
vene in bullying behavior have been developed and replicated in
mors are most common. Bullying generally begins in the elemen-
schools across the country. These schools send the message that
tary grades, peaks in the sixth through eighth grades, and persists
bullying behavior is not tolerated and, as a result, have improved
into high school.
safety and created a more inclusive learning environment.
The Effects of Bullying
A recently published report by the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD) on the U.S. contribu-
The NICHD study found that bullying has long-term and short-
tion to the World Health Organization’s Health Behavior in
term psychological effects on both those who bully and those who
School-Aged Children survey found that 17 percent of the re-
are bullied. Victims experienced loneliness and reported having
spondents had been bullied “sometimes” or “weekly,” 19 percent
trouble making social and emotional adjustments, difficulty mak-
had bullied others sometimes or weekly, and 6 percent had both
ing friends, and poor relationships with classmates. Victims of
bullied others and been bullied. The researchers estimated that
bullying often suffer humiliation, insecurity, and a loss of self-
1.6 million children in grades 6 through 10 in the United States
esteem, and they may develop a fear of going to school. The im-
are bullied at least once a week and 1.7 million children bully
pact of frequent bullying often accompanies these victims into
others as frequently. The survey, the first nationwide research on
adulthood; they are at greater risk of suffering from depression
the problem in this country, questioned 15,686 public and private
and other mental health problems, including schizophrenia. In
school students, grades 6 through 10, on their experiences with
rare cases, they may commit suicide.
bullying. In a study of 6,500 middle school students in rural
Bullying behavior has been linked to other forms of antisocial
South Carolina, 23 percent said they had been bullied regularly
behavior, such as vandalism, shoplifting, skipping and dropping
during the previous 3 months and 20 percent admitted bullying
out of school, fighting, and the use of drugs and alcohol. Pioneer-
another child regularly during that time (Olweus and Limber,
ing research by Professor Dan Olweus in Norway and Sweden
1999).
suggests that bullying can lead to criminal behavior later in life:
60 percent of males who were bullies in grades 6 through 9 were
convicted of at least one crime as adults, compared with 23 per-
2 years. Behavioral changes were more pronounced the longer the
cent of males who did not bully; 35 to 40 percent of these former
program was in effect. The school climate improved, and the rate
bullies had three or more convictions by age 24, compared with
of antisocial behavior, such as theft, vandalism, and truancy,
10 percent of those who did not bully.
declined during the 2-year period.
The NICHD study found that those who bully and are bullied
appear to be at greatest risk of experiencing the following: lone-
For Further Information
liness, trouble making friends, lack of success in school, and in-
For more information on the Bullying Prevention Program, contact
volvement in problem behaviors such as smoking and drinking.
Susan P. Limber, Ph.D., Institute on Family and Neighborhood
Life, Clemson University, 158 Poole Agricultural Center, Clem-
Addressing the Problem
son, SC 29634–5205; 864–656–6271; 864–656–6281 (fax);
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/ifnl/index.htm.
A perpetrator’s bullying behavior does not exist in isolation.
Rather, it may indicate the beginning of a generally antisocial and
For information on the Blueprints for Violence Prevention series,
rule-breaking behavior pattern that can extend into adulthood.
contact Delbert S. Elliot, Ph.D., Director, Center for the Study
Programs to address the problem, therefore, must reduce opportu-
and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Uni-
nities and rewards for bullying behavior. The Olweus Bullying
versity of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 439, Boulder, CO
Prevention Program, developed, refined, and systematically evalu-
80309–0439; 303–492–8465; 303–443–3297 (fax);
ated in Bergen, Norway, in the mid-1980s, is the best-known ini-
www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/index.html.
tiative designed to reduce bullying among elementary, middle,
For additional information on bullying and conflict resolution,
and junior high school children (Olweus and Limber, 1999). The
visit the following Web sites: Communities In Schools (www.
strategy behind the program is to involve school staff, students,
cisnet.org), the National Center for Conflict Resolution Educa-
and parents in efforts to raise awareness about bullying, improve
tion (www.nccre.org), the Northwest Regional Educational Labo-
peer relations, intervene to stop intimidation, develop clear rules
ratory (www.nwrel.org), and the Office of Juvenile Justice and
against bullying behavior, and support and protect victims. The
Delinquency Prevention (www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org).
program intervenes on three levels:
x School: Faculty and staff survey students anonymously to
Reference
determine the nature and prevalence of the school’s bullying
Olweus, D., and Limber, S. 1999. Blueprints for Violence Pre-
problem, increase supervision of students during breaks, and
vention: Bullying Prevention Program (Book Nine). Boulder, CO:
conduct schoolwide assemblies to discuss the issue. Teachers
University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Behavioral
receive inservice training on how to implement the program.
Science, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence.
x Classroom: Teachers and/or other school personnel introduce
and enforce classroom rules against bullying, hold regular
Nels Ericson is a Senior Writer-Editor with the Office of Juvenile Justice
classroom meetings with students to discuss bullying, and
and Delinquency Prevention.
meet with parents to encourage their participation.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component
x Individual: Staff intervene with bullies, victims, and their
of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice
parents to ensure that the bullying stops.
Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice,
and the Office for Victims of Crime.
The Bergen research showed that the program was highly effective
among students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools:
FS–200127
Bullying dropped by 50 percent or more during the program’s
FS–200127
act Sheet
F
ate Use $300
v
Penalty for Pri
icial Business
f
Of
DC 20531
ashington,
W
G–91
.
PERMIT NO
DOJ/OJJDP
vention
e
ustice and Delinquency Pr
uvenile J
ice of J
f
Of
AID
GE & FEES P
A
POST
ice of Justice Programs
f
Of
ARD
AND
TED ST
PRESOR
ustice
.S. Department of J
U
