Running Head: BULLYING CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS

Analytical Essay: Bullying Causes and Interventions

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BULLYING CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS 1

Bullying Causes and Interventions

Thesis Statement: Although bullying has been a rampant vice in many school, and its causes are

not easy to point out, collaboration among students, parents and educators is the key to

formulating effective intervention programmes to curb this vice.

OUTLINE

Prevalence of Bullying and Aggressive Behavior and Their Relationship to Mental Health

Problems among 12- To 15-Year-Old Norwegian Adolescents

Introduction

This study assesses the prevalence of bullying and aggressiveness towards others and the

psychosocial traits of exposed students and addresses help-seeking behaviors of affected students

and differences between genders.

Methods

The study involved 22 schools with a probability proportional to their size that were

selected using cluster sampling procedure consisting of 2,464 adolescents, 1252 being girls and

1212 boys. The study measured parents’ socioeconomic status, bullying, and aggressive

behavior; and data collected were analyzed using SPSS.

Results

Bullying prevalence was reported by 10% of adolescents, 8% reported teasing, 3.5%

reported exclusion, and 1.9% reported physical assault, whereby, more boys reported weekly

physical assault compared to girls.

Conclusion

Generally, the research showed that family situation relates to aggressive behavior.

Anti-Bullying Intervention: Implementation and Outcome.

Introduction

BULLYING CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS 2

This study evaluated the impact of an anti-bullying intervention programme that was

carried out by class teachers who had attended a one-year training course.

Method

An intervention programme was applied in 48 school classes; and in Grades 4, 5, and 6;

involving 1,220 children; with a mean class size of 25 students. Data was collected through the

use of questionnaires and reports from the teachers.

Results

The study indicated that the intervention programme brought about a positive effect on

several outcome variables such as instances of observed and experienced bullying frequencies,

efficacy beliefs and attitudes, and role behaviors of participants.

Conclusion

Effects of intervention depend on the characteristics of students. Training teachers to curb

bullying is not sufficient if they are not motivated to implement the programme or they are not

provided with the resources.

Effects of a Skills-based Prevention Program on Bullying and Bully Victimization among

Elementary School Children

Introduction

This study tested the Youth Matters (YM) program in 28 public elementary schools under

controlled conditions and results were presented showing the effects of the curriculum on self-

reported bullying and bully victimization of students.

Methods

The study implemented and tested YM curriculum modules in the fourth and the fifth

grades between year 2003 and 2005 in 40 urban elementary schools; and data was measured

using Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and a ‘bullying other students’ scale.

BULLYING CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS 3

Results

The results indicated that bully victimization that was self-reported among students in the

participating schools reduced at a higher rate than bully victimization of students in the control

group schools.

Conclusion

Children acquire the necessary social and assertiveness skills necessary to effectively

deal with bullying incidents as students mature and grow older. In fact, an increase in these skills

in students in any schools, could bring about general decline in bully victimization.

Bullying and Submissive Behavior

Introduction

This study investigates the types and prevalence of bullying and examines the gender

differences in submissive behaviors and categories of bullying among Turkish adolescents.

Method

The study involved 389 participants, 232 males and 157 females from three high schools

in Ankara, Turkey; and data was measured using Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire

and Submissive Acts Scale, then analyzed using a two-way factorial ANOVA.

Results

Verbal bullying, that is, name-calling and teasing were the most frequently mentioned

items in the study. At least a third of the participating students were involved as bully, victim, or

both.

Conclusion

Identifying victims and bullies requires the use various procedures of assessment such as

teacher and peer nomination; or behavioral observation.

Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents: A Profile of Personal Strengths.

BULLYING CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS 4

Introduction

This Resiliency Scales assessed three individual qualities that research shows to be

contributing factors towards resilient functioning.

Method

This study measured data using Sense of Relatedness Scale; Sense of Mastery Scale, and

Emotional Reactivity Scale. The study also measured Sense of Trust, Perceived Access to

Support, and Comfort with subscales such as Sensitivity, Impairment, and Recovery.

Results

The study revealed that various strengths and features make Resiliency Scale a desirable

measure in assessing individual resilience in the school and other field settings.

Conclusion

Resiliency Scales give relevant information that is both clinically useful and practically

useful, can help in identifying youths of high-risk experiencing low resilience levels, and can

help create interventions programs that teach and promote resilience.

BULLYING CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS 5

References

Atik, G., Özmen, O., & Kemer, G. (2012). Bullying and Submissive Behavior. Egitim Bilimleri

Fakultesi Dergisi, 45(1), 191-208.

Jenson, J. M., & Dieterich, W. A. (2007). Effects of a Skills-based Prevention Program on

Bullying and Bully Victimization among Elementary School Children. Prevention

Science, 8, 285–296 DOI 10.1007/s11121-007-0076-3.

Salmivalli, C., Kaukiainen, A., & Voeten, M. (2005). Anti-Bullying Intervention:

Implementation and Outcome. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 465-487

Thorne, K. J., & Kohut, C. S. (2007). Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents: A Profile

of Personal Strengths. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 22(2), 255-261.

Undheim, A., & Sund, A. (2010). Prevalence of Bullying and Aggressive Behavior and Their

Relationship to Mental Health Problems among 12- To 15-Year-Old Norwegian

Adolescents. European Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 11, doi: 10.1007/s00787-010-

01317.