Bullying and Peer Victimization E-Book

Amie E. Grills

• Herausgeber: Hogrefe Publishing
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Serie: Advances in Psychotherapy - Evidence-Based Practice
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 172

Beschreibung

An evidence-based guide to Bullying and Peer Victimization Details how bullying occurs Explains the differences between in-person and cyberbullying Describes the best tools and approaches for assessment Explores the most effective school-based prevention programs Includes case studies Provides additional resources in an appendix A concise guide to understanding, assessing, and addressing bullying There has been an explosion of media attention on youth Bullying and Peer Victimization over the last decade, with cyberbullying becoming more prevalent through the use of social media. While any bullying has serious negative physical and mental health effects which can lead the bullied individual to great despair and even suicide, there are also negative outcomes for the bullies themselves. This volume provides clinicians with clear guidance on how to assess and treat this complex behavior. In this evidence-based guide, practitioners learn about bullying, its prevalence, how cyberbullying differs from in-person bullying, what models are available for understanding how bullying occurs, and the best tools and approaches for assessment of these behaviors. The reader is guided through the most effective school-based prevention programs that aim to reduce bullying, and a clinical vignette gives hands-on insight into how a bullying case in a school is managed. Additional resources are provided in an appendix. This book is ideal for educational psychologists, child psychologists, and anyone working with children and adolescents who is committed to helping those being bullied.

Leseprobe

Advances in Psychotherapy – Evidence-Based Practice, Volume 47

Bullying and Peer Victimization

Amie E. Grills

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston University, MA

Melissa Holt

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston University, MA

Gerald Reid

Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston University, MA

Chelsey Bowman

Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC

About the Authors

Amie E. Grills, PhD, is a professor at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher whose work has examined the roles of peer (e.g., bullying), familial (e.g., parental stress), and academic (e.g., achievement) variables on the development of youth internalizing difficulties. She also conducts research on risk and resiliency factors among individuals exposed to traumatic events.

Melissa Holt, PhD, is an associate professor at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Holt’s research focuses on adolescents’ experiences with victimization and identity-based harassment. She has evaluated the overlap among violence exposures, factors that promote resilience among youth exposed to violence, disparities in victimization and its correlates, and the efficacy of school-based prevention programs.

Gerald Reid, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Boston, MA, as well as a part-time faculty member at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education. Dr. Reid has conducted research on the topic of bullying in schools. In his practice, Dr. Reid treats patients who have undergone mental health challenges related to interpersonal stressors, such as bullying.

Chelsey Bowman, PhD, is a postdoctoral psychology fellow at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr. Bowman’s research interests include understanding the impact of a range of victimization forms, including bullying, on the health and wellbeing of youth and college students. Clinically, Dr. Bowman provides evidence-based treatments to youth and their families for chronic and acute medical and psychiatric conditions.

Advances in Psychotherapy – Evidence-Based Practice

Series Editor

Danny Wedding, PhD, MPH, Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri–Saint Louis, MO

Associate Editors

Jonathan S. Comer, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Director of Mental Health Interventions and Technology (MINT) Program, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL

J. Kim Penberthy, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Kenneth E. Freedland, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Linda C. Sobell, PhD, ABPP, Professor, Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

The basic objective of this series is to provide therapists with practical, evidence-based treatment guidance for the most common disorders seen in clinical practice – and to do so in a reader-friendly manner. Each book in the series is both a compact “how-to” reference on a particular disorder for use by professional clinicians in their daily work and an ideal educational resource for students as well as for practice-oriented continuing education.

The most important feature of the books is that they are practical and easy to use: All are structured similarly and all provide a compact and easy-to-follow guide to all aspects that are relevant in real-life practice. Tables, boxed clinical “pearls,” marginal notes, and summary boxes assist orientation, while checklists provide tools for use in daily practice.

Continuing Education Credits

Psychologists and other healthcare providers may earn five continuing education credits for reading the books in the Advances in Psychotherapy series and taking a multiple-choice exam. This continuing education program is a partnership of Hogrefe Publishing and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. Details are available at https://www.hogrefe.com/us/cenatreg

The National Register of Health Service Psychologists is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The National Register maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Library of Congress of Congress Cataloging in Publication information for the print version of this book is available via the Library of Congress Marc Database under the Library of Congress Control Number 2022940899

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Bullying and peer victimization / Amie E. Grills (Wheelock College of Education & Human

Development, Boston University, MA), Melissa Holt (Wheelock College of Education & Human

Development, Boston University, MA), Gerald Reid (Wheelock College of Education & Human

Development, Boston University, MA), Chelsey Bowman (Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC).

Names: Grills, Amie E., author. | Holt, Melissa K., author. | Reid, Gerald (Lecturer in counseling

psychology), author. | Bowman, Chelsey (Ph. D. in psychology), author.

Series: Advances in psychotherapy--evidence-based practice ; v. 47.

Description: Series statement: Advances in psychotherapy--evidence-based practice ; volume 47 |

Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20220273030 | Canadiana (ebook) 20220273081 | ISBN 9780889374089

(softcover) | ISBN 9781616764081 (PDF) | ISBN 9781613344088 (EPUB)

Subjects: LCSH: Bullying. | LCSH: Bullying—Psychological aspects. | LCSH: Cyberbullying. | LCSH:

Bullies. | LCSH: Victims of bullying.

Classification: LCC BF637.B85 G75 2022 | DDC 302.34/3—dc23

© 2023 by Hogrefe Publishing

www.hogrefe.com

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|v|Acknowledgments

This book is dedicated to the children and families who have been affected by bullying and victimization. We would also like to acknowledge the researchers, clinicians, educators, practitioners, and legislators who have worked tirelessly to understand and prevent bullying, enact antibullying policies at the school and state levels, and address consequences of bullying. Finally, we would like to thank the Hogrefe team for their continual support for this important project.

To my husband, Nate, for sharing in the highs and lows of life at my side, raising our amazing children together, and making me laugh at the end of each day with your ridiculous dance moves and longwinded stories. To my children – how I love watching each of you growing into the incredible humans you are. Francesca, you are so thoughtful, caring, and funny – you approach each day like a challenge to conquer (look out F1!). Luciana, you are full of kindness and have the most positive and joyful spirit I have ever known – you approach each day ready to share that with everyone around you (unless they try to mess with your mama!). Conrad, you have so much creativity and bring it to everything you do – you approach each day eager to try something new (just not mashed potatoes!). To my coauthor and dearest friend and colleague, Melissa – looking forward to many years of RAM, MBT, and CPP. And finally, for my dad, who demonstrated for all of us how to lead a life full of grace and benevolence and who was cheering me on as I completed this project as he had all my endeavors – you are missed every day.

A.G.

To Amie, the most spectacular of coauthors, colleagues, and friends – I am forever grateful for the initial invitation to collaborate, which led to all that has followed. To my family: Lowell, who reminds me to slow down; Emmeline, whose joyful way of being brightens my days; Katherine, whose delicious meals nourish me; and Nicholas, for our discussions of education and humanity.

M.H.

Thank you to my family and mentors. Your support and encouragement to develop into the man I am today will always motivate me to do my best to support and encourage others.

G.R.

Mom, thanks for everything.

C.B.

Contents

Acknowledgments

1  Description

1.1  Terminology

1.2  Definitions

1.3  Epidemiology and Course

1.4  High-Risk Subgroups

1.5  Differential Diagnosis

1.6  Correlates/Comorbidities

1.6.1  Mental and Physical Health Correlates

1.7  Summary

2  Theories and Models

2.1  Social-Ecological Theory

2.2  Social Learning Theory

2.3  Group Dynamics

2.4  Cognitive Factors

2.5  Individual Factors for Bullies

2.6  Individual Factors for Victims

2.7  Theories Specifically Focused on Cyberbullying

2.8  Summary

3  Diagnosis and Treatment Indicators

3.1  Assessment of Bullying Experiences

3.1.1  Self-Report Survey Assessments of Bullying and Victimization Experiences

3.1.2  Others’ Reports of Bullying and Victimization Experiences

3.1.3  Observations

3.1.4.  Interviews

3.2  Assessment of Correlates or Difficulties Commonly Associated With Bullying

4  Treatment

4.1  Methods of Treatment

4.2  Mechanisms of Action

4.3  Efficacy

4.4  Variations and Combinations of Methods

4.4.1  Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP)

4.4.2  Kiusaamista Vastaan (KiVa)

4.4.3  Second Step Social-Emotional Learning

4.4.4  Key Elements Across Effective Programs

4.5  Problems in Carrying Out the Treatments

4.6  Summary

5  Case Vignette

6  Further Reading

7  References

8  Appendix: Tools and Resources

|1|1Description

Maria is a 12-year-old girl who just started seventh grade at a new middle school. She is vibrant, creative, and caring. She tries hard to make friends over the first few weeks of school, but no one invites her to sit with them at lunch or to hang out after school. One day a group of girls ask her to sit with them at lunch and Maria is thrilled! They tell her that they know a boy who likes her. Maria is excited by the news of a potential crush and even more excited to be sitting with a group of potential friends. The ringleader of the girls encourages Maria to message the boy on Instagram and even gives Maria the boy’s Instagram account name. At night, Maria excitedly messages the boy’s account and to her surprise he immediately responds. Over the next few weeks, she begins messaging him every night. He encourages her to share her secrets and dares her to do things that Maria does not feel quite right doing, but does anyway for fear of losing her new friends. At school, this boy never seems to notice or acknowledge her, but online he says this makes their relationship even more special. A few weeks later, Maria walks into English class and feels like everyone is whispering about her. She tries to focus on the teacher, but she hears two students giggling and saying her name. Between classes, Maria returns to her locker and finds that it has been vandalized. Someone has taped a piece of paper that says “Maria is a slut” in large red letters. Scared, crying, and feeling helpless, Maria rips the sign off her locker and runs to the bathroom. Hiding in a stall, she hears two of the girls she sits with at lunch discussing the day’s drama. They are giggling at the fact that they convinced Maria that a boy had a crush on her when in fact they created a fake Instagram account and pretended to be the boy. Maria realizes that the girls she thought were her friends, were actually the ones talking to her on Instagram. Worse, they were sending screenshots of the messages to the whole grade.

Stories like the one above are all too common and reflect the pressing need to address bullying – the full story, including interventions, is provided in Chapter 5. Over the past decade there has been an explosion of media attention on youth bullying. News articles have focused on individual youth who have been bullied at school and/or online and have been driven to the depths of despair. Stories about youth who were perceived as “different” because of their accent, gender identity, skin color, sexual orientation, or interests, and who experienced verbal and physical assaults, online taunting, and other forms of harassment, frequently make headlines. Antibullying laws now exist in all US states, and lawsuits related to bullying have become increasingly common. While always devastating, the stories are rarely as simple as the media coverage. In fact, peer victimization and bullying among youth are typically quite |2|complex interpersonal phenomenon that are situated within rapidly shifting developmental stages. Furthermore, with the advent of social media, bullying can quickly start and spread virally with little to no oversight from parents, teachers, and/or administrators. Although in-person bullying remains the most common, cyberbullying incidents add complications, such as the swift spreading to entire friend groups, grades, and even schools.

In order to address and prevent youth bullying effectively, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of definitions, prevalence, correlates, theoretical perspectives, and available assessments and interventions. In the subsequent chapters, each of these areas will be discussed.

1.1  Terminology

Unfortunately, youth can experience and witness many types of victimization during childhood. They may experience abuse or neglect at the hands of their parents or guardians (see the 2nd edition of volume 4 in this series, Childhood Maltreatment by Wekerle et al., 2019) or by their siblings (sibling abuse). They may witness domestic violence between adults within their home (see volume 23 in this series, Growing Up With Domestic Violence by Jaffe et al., 2012) and in their community (community violence). They may experience abuse within a dating relationship (see coming volume in this series, Dating Violence by Franco et al., in press) or be sexually assaulted by a peer, family member, or stranger (see volume 17 in this series, Sexual Violence by Holcomb, 2010). They can also be victimized by friends, classmates, or peers; whether in person or online, this form of victimization is known as peer victimization.

When peer victimization is characterized by intentionality, repetition, and a power imbalance, it is commonly referred to as bullying. Decades of research highlights that peer victimization and bullying can occur at any age and can negatively impact an individual’s health and well-being. Indeed, studies have shown that bullying occurs among youth (e.g., Modecki et al., 2014), college students (e.g., Lund & Ross, 2017), and adults in the workplace (e.g., Samnani & Singh, 2012). However, this book focuses specifically on peer victimization and bullying experiences among youth. Appendix 1 includes a list of several websites, apps, and events that can be referenced for additional information and updates.

1.2  Definitions

Terms such as teasing (e.g., “Your mom’s so fat…”) and rough-housing (e.g., play-wrestling) have long been used to describe common interactions among youth (Roberts & Morotti, 2000). However, over the past 40 years, there has been increasing recognition of the fact that these interactions may be harmful or maladaptive, and that they may lead to detrimental outcomes. From research studies to popular press, a variety of labels emerged (e.g., peer victimization, bullying, taunting, mobbing, cyberbullying) to refer to forms |3|of teasing that are unwelcome. Oftentimes, attempts to identify markers for determining when these behaviors deviated from normative, nonhurtful youth experiences have been made and they typically include: (1) the manner in which the behaviors were delivered, (2) their intensity, (3) their frequency or incidence, and (4) the target’s perception of them (Roberts & Morotti, 2000). In addition, subgroupings of peer victimization experiences are sometimes described, for instance to distinguish between direct or openly confrontational (e.g., physical or verbal assaults), indirect or covertly manipulative (e.g., ostracism, social manipulation), and technology-delivered bullying (e.g., via email, text messages, internet sites; Mynard & Joseph, 2000).

An early comprehensive definition emerged after years of work studying youth in Norway by Dan Olweus, who defined bullying as repeated exposure to negative actions (i.e., an intentional attempt or infliction of discomfort which may take the form of physical contact, words, facial expressions and gestures, intentional defiance of one’s wishes or requests, or social isolation and exclusion) from at least one other person over time, with an imbalance of power, real or perceived, between the perpetrator and target (Olweus, 1993). More recently, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a similar definition of bullying that states, “Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm” (Gladden et al., 2014).

A separate set of terms has emerged for describing youth who are involved in bullying, such as: (1) bully (an individual who solely perpetrates acts against other[s]); (2) victim (an individual who is the recipient of bullying behaviors); (3) bully–victim (an individual who both perpetrates acts against others and is the recipient of bullying behaviors); (4) bystander (an individual who is not directly involved as a bully or a victim, but who witnesses such behaviors); and (5) comparison (an individual who does not report being involved in bullying behaviors). While these terms often emerge in research studies interested in examining categorical distinctions, it is likely that bullying behaviors fall along a continuum and vary across contexts. Further, research has demonstrated that bullying involvement roles are not static, but that students’ roles can fluctuate throughout their schooling due to a number of factors and transitions (e.g., Kljakovic & Hunt, 2016).

1.3  Epidemiology and Course

Prevalence estimates of peer victimization vary greatly as a function of the definition and inclusion criteria employed (Furlong et al., 2010). It may be that broader or less well-defined terms contribute to discrepancies in reported behaviors. For example, students who were provided with a definition of bullying and repeated exposure to the word “bully” reported significantly less bullying behavior compared to students whose surveys did not include the word “bully” (Kert et al., 2010). Therefore, in attempting to evaluate behaviors |4|