CENTER FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & TRAINING

Tools & Resources

School-Based Health Professionals and Bullying Prevention[1]

Susan P. Limber, PhD, Clemson University

Although bullying among school children is hardly a new phenomenon, the topic has received increased attention in the past several years in the United States, due to some highly-publicized media accounts and an expanded research base.

What Do We Know About Bullying Among School Children?

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. Typically, it is repeated over time.  Bullying can take many forms, including hitting or punching (physical bullying); teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying); intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying); and sending insulting messages by e-mail or text messages (cyber bullying). 

Recent research confirms what most school health professionals have long suspected – that bullying is quite prevalent among children at school.  A nationally-representative study of 6^th-10^th graders found that approximately one-third had been involved in bully/victim problems “sometimes” or more frequently during a single semester.[2]  Nineteen percent said they had bullied others, and 17% reported being bullied with some frequency. 

Not only is bullying prevalent, but it can seriously affect the psychological, physical, and academic well-being of children who are bullied.[3]  Children who are bullied are more likely than other children to be depressed, have lower self-esteem, feel lonely, anxious, and think about suicide.  They also are more likely to report that they feel unwell and have more migraine headaches.  Compared with their peers, victims of bullying are more apt to report that they want to avoid going to school and, in fact, have higher absenteeism rates.

Key Roles of School-Based Health Professionals in Bullying Prevention

School-based health professionals play a critical role in bullying prevention and intervention.  Three roles seem particularly important:

            1.  Help to educate school staff about bullying.  Adults frequently hold and perpetuate misunderstandings about the nature and prevalence of bullying among children.  Some school personnel believe that “bullying simply doesn’t exist in my school.”  Others believe that “Bullying is a natural and inevitable part of growing up” or that “Learning to deal with bullying on your own is good for you.”  School-based health professionals can help to better inform their colleagues at school and in the community about bullying and its harmful effects.

            2.  Identify targets of bullying, and work sensitively with them and their parents.  Working in the “trenches,” school-based health professionals often are good positions to identify children involved in bullying problems, particularly those who are bullied by their peers.  School-based health professionals should be vigilant to possible signs of bullying and work sensitively with children, their parents, and other school personnel to help resolve the problems.

            3.  Be a cheerleader for a comprehensive approach to bullying prevention.  Numerous bullying prevention and intervention strategies have emerged in recent years, ranging from the development of “zero tolerance” policies for bullying, to the use of mediation and conflict resolution strategies, to the adoption of curricular or comprehensive bullying prevention programs.  Some of these strategies likely are ineffective, while others (e.g., zero tolerance, mediation) may actually cause more harm than good.[4]  Research to date suggests that reduction of bullying is best accomplished through a comprehensive, school-wide effort that involves everybody within the school environment and focuses on changing the climate of the school and the social norms.  School-based health professionals can help lead efforts within the school for adoption of a comprehensive approach to bullying prevention and intervention.

The National Bullying Prevention Campaign

For those interested in the prevention of bullying, assistance is coming in the form of a nation-wide public information campaign.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has developed the National Bullying Prevention Campaign, which is intended to raise awareness about the impact of bullying on children and youth.  The Campaign, entitled “Take a Stand, Lend a Hand, Stop Bullying Now,” will include entertaining and educational products for children and youth (ages 9 through 13), as well as helpful advice for parents, educators, health professionals, and others through its website.  NASBHS, along with many other national organizations, has been an important partner in the Campaign.  Stay tuned for information about the launch of the Campaign and the availability of its materials.

Web Sites of Interest 

Numerous web sites have been developed in recent years on the topic of bullying.  Several noteworthy sites include:

www.no-bully.com.  This site, developed to support Colorado’s statewide anti-bullying project, contains useful information for teachers, parents, and kids. 

www.bullyingresources.org.  This website was developed as part of the National Bullying Prevention Campaign (see description above) for publishers, authors, and program developers to register books, videos, programs, and other materials related to bullying and bullying prevention.  Relevant resources will, in turn, be included on the official web site for the Campaign, once the Campaign is launched.

www.stopbullyingnow.com.  This site, developed by counselor Stan Davis, contains a great deal of useful information about bullying and bullying prevention.