INTRODUCTION

I Hate My Life
By Sarah

I have always been bullied. I don’t know why or anything but it’s something I thought would go away but it didn’t and I often think that I’m going to completely crack. I do have friends and they are the bestis friends that you could possibly ask for but it doesn’t make you feel any better!

I told the school cause it’s really bad now but they haven’t done anything about it and I now suffer from tension headaches because of it. I have exams this year and I don’t want it to get in the way but it probably will and that really ***** me off!*

This story is just one of many cries for help posted on the www.bullying.org Web site, a forum for children and teenagers who have experienced bullying. Daily, students from around the world post stories, poems, plays, and songs that speak to their pain and frustration, as well as their sense that the adults in their lives are unwilling to help.

It is estimated that 30 percent of American children are regularly involved in bullying, either as bullies, victims, or both (National Resource Center for Safe Schools [NRCSS], 2001). Approximately 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 (Hoover & Oliver, 1996; Skiba & Fontanini, 2000).

Despite these numbers, bullying behavior is rarely detected by teachers, and is even less frequently taken seriously (NRCSS, 1999). Overwhelmingly, the research reflects a significant gap between educators’ perceptions and actual incidents of bullying at school. In one study, classroom teachers identified and intervened in only 4 percent of bullying incidents (Skiba & Fontanini, 2000). Part of the problem is that bullying is more likely to occur in places where adults are not. However, lack of understanding of the nature and severity of bullying behavior also contributes significantly to many adults’ inability or unwillingness to get involved (U.S. Department of Education [USDOE], 1998).

The consequences of bullying are far reaching, ranging from 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 (Banks, 2000; NRCSS, 1999). Even students who are not directly involved in bullying are affected: Children and teens who regularly witness bullying at school suffer from a less secure learning environment, the fear that the bully may target them next, and the knowledge that teachers and other adults are either unable or unwilling to control bullies’ behavior (USDOE, 1998).

Clearly, understanding—and taking seriously—the dynamics of bullying behavior among school-aged children is essential if we are to succeed in building safe and effective schools (Banks, 2000). This booklet provides an overview of what is currently known about bullying behavior and successful efforts to address it. The Northwest Sampler section at the end of the booklet profiles a number of anti-bullying programs and offers resources for further research and program development.