Bullying is a Relationship Problem:

Implications for Assessment and InterventionWendy Craig, Ph.D.,

Department of Psychology,Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

wendy.craig@queensu.ca

Research funded by: National Centres of Excellence, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Crime Prevention Strategy, Ontario Mental Health Foundation

Estimated Annual Economic Costs of Relationship Violence

• Over $ 9.1 billion

–Child Abuse $ 468 million–Youth Violence $ 6.6 billion–Partner Violence $ 1.1 billion–Sexual Violence $ 33 million–Workplace Violence $ 970 million

• Includes: direct medical, lost earnings and opportunity cost (time, employment and workers productivity), psychological costs, legal services, incarceration

Bullying is a Relationship Problem that Requires Relationship Solutions

Relationship dynamics in bullying are destructive:

• Child who bullies learns how to use power and aggression to control and distress another.

• Child who is victimized learns about loss of power in relationships and becomes trapped in a relationship in which he/she is being abused.

Girls’ and Boys’ Victimization Trajectories

Late Elementary SchoolIndividual & Relationship Risk Factors

for Victimization

Individual Risk Factors• Anxiety

Relationship Risk Factors• Conflict with friends• Time with friends

Individual and Relationship Risk Factors for Victimization in High School

Individual• Anxiety• Eating problems (girls)• Depression (girls)

Relationship• Conflict and trust with parents• Parental monitoring• Conflict with friends• Susceptibility to peer pressure

High School Relationship Risk Factors for Victimization

Girls • Conflict with parents• Trust with parents• Conflict with friends• Susceptibility to peer

pressure

Boys • Parental monitoring and trust• Conflict with friends

Girls’ and Boys’ Bullying Trajectories

Pepler, Jiang, Craig, & Connolly, In Press, Developmental Psychology

Individual & Relationship Risk Factors for Bullying in both Late Elementary & High

SchoolIndividual Risk Factors• Moral disengagement• Physical aggression• Relational aggression

Relationship Risk Factors• Parental trust• Parental monitoring• Parental conflict• Peer bullying• Conflict with peers• Susceptibility to peer pressure

Assessing Children at Risk for Involvement in

Bullying and/or VictimizationDuration

Frequency Severity

Pervasiveness

Implications for Intervention:Address Heterogeneity

• Different trajectories require different types and intensity of intervention.

• For both high victimization and high bullying groups, relationship problems tend to increase from early to middle adolescence.

• Intensive and ongoing support starting in elementary school for this small high risk group may prevent their chronic pathway of victimization or bullying

Interventions for Children at Risk for Bullying and/or Victimization:

Determining Intensity

Level 2: Selective10-15%

Level 1: Universal75-80%

Level 3:Indicated 5-10%

Implications from the Educator Lens• Educating and connecting with parents.

– Communication with parents before a problem begins.– Policy and expectations– Learn about their current family experiences.– Scaffolding and social architecture.

• Assessment and identify early signs of potential involvement in bullying.– Regular check ins with child and with parents– Behaviour rating system– Reporting system

• Prevention and Intervention– Collaborate and support on solutions.

• Advocate by sustaining the connection.– Regular check-ins with positives

Principle 2: Bullying Requires a Developmental Approach

• Bullying changes with the developing capacities and concerns of children and adolescents.

• Bullying starts in preschool and continues into the school years and beyond.

• Form of bullying diversifies with age along with salient developmental issues.

• In many cases, bullying is the result of children learning about power and about relationships.– All children must learn about their power and how

to use power positively.– Almost all children experiment with the use of

power and learn that it is hurtful to use power and aggression in bullying.

– Children learn about how to use power through direct experiences and observations.

BULLYING

DatingAggression

SexualHarassment

Gang/ DelinquencyAggression

MaritalAbuse

WorkplaceHarassment

ChildAbuse

ElderAbuse

Developmental Trajectory of Power and Aggression

Frequent Victims (once a month or more)

0102030405060708090

100

Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8 Gr 9 Gr 10 Gr 11 Gr 12

physically bulliedverbally bulliedsocially bulliedelectronically bullied

Intervention Implications: Developmental Perspective

• Early experiences and development lay foundation for all future learning, behaviour, and health.

• Early intervention is more effective than later.• Start early, before the problem begins and have

regular check-ins.• Developmentally tailor interventions

– Different forms of aggression need to be targeted at different ages

• Assess and identify those at highest risk for involvement.

• Those involved early will experience the most problems and require the most intensive interventions.

Principle 3: Bullying Requires a Systemic Approach

• Successful interventions are comprehensive and systemic.

• Not one solution fits all.• Peers are central to bullying dynamics

and solutions. • Adults support and model for children’s

healthy relationships. • Bullying is a community problem.

The Peer Stage for Bullying

Peers Can Be Part of the Problem• Peers involved in majority of episodes (>85%)• 1/3rd of peers say they would join in bullying• Peers present in bullying fulfill multiple roles• Peers’ joining exacerbates aggression and arousal

Peers Can Be Part of the Solution • Many children (41%) report that they “try to help” • Peers can be supportive to victimized children:

– intervene more frequently than teachers on playground

Peer Solutions to Bullying

When peers were bystanders in bullying episodes:• They spent 25% of their time helping the victim.• They intervened in 19% of bullying episodes.• Majority of peer interventions (57%) were effective

in stopping bullying within 10 seconds.• Peers tended to intervene prosocially with

victimized child and aggressively with bullying child.

• Intervention was more likely from same-sex peers and from popular status children.

Intervention Implications: Peers

• Engaging the majority will positively change the minority who are involved in bullying.

• Creating positive peer groups for students.• Having close friends and belonging to a peer

group is protective of victimization.• Educating peers about their role.• Involving peers in the solutions and

empowering them to address the issue. • Supporting peers in their efforts.• Creating and supporting relationship

solutions.

The Role of Adults• Playground supervisors intervened in 4% of bullying

incidents.• Classroom teachers intervened in 14% of bullying incidents.• Only 46% of children who are victimized report having

talked to their teacher about the problem.• Children who do talk to an adult are less likely to be bullied

in the following school year.• Children involved in bullying have poor relationships with

their teachers, including little or no mutual warmth, caring, or positive feelings generally.

• Strong, positive attachments between children and teachers are protective factors that reduce the risk of aggression problems.

• Warm, secure attachments between teachers and students can foster social and academic success.

Craig & Pepler, & ,Atlas, 2000

Adult Leadership is the Foundation for Systems

Change

• Leadership by the school principal generates support and action.

• Leadership by teachers is critical in program delivery and support of healthy relationships.

• Other adults are also important in promoting healthy relationships.

Intervention Implications:Role of Adults

• Adults are essential for children’s healthy relationships and are responsible for:– creating positive environments that promote capacity

and competencies for healthy relationships. – minimizing contexts for negative peer interactions.

• Children involved in bullying have poor relationships with their teachers, including little or no mutual warmth, caring, or positive feelings generally.

• Strong, positive attachments between children and teachers are protective and foster social and academic success.

• Adults can construct social experiences in ways that: – protect and support children’s developing relationship

capacity– minimize the likelihood of bullying.

• All adults are models for children and must lead by example and refrain from using power aggressively.

School Climate

• Schools that create a caring and nurturing climate can have a positive and enduring influence on children.

• Students’ academic achievement is affected by school climate: – high expectations of success, orderly school

environment, high morale, positive treatment of students, active engagement of students, and positive social relations in school.

• Punitive climate versus a restorative climate– In punitive individual attributions of blame, high social

control and low social support to community members and children who are victimized

– In restorative climates violation of relationships, not rules, increasing support to wrongdoers rather than punishing and isolating them, considers wider social context, and solutions extend to community.

Intervention Implications: School Climate

• Positive relationships– Examination of relationships among all people in the

school community. – Relationships with students must be warm and caring.– Relationships among all staff must be respectful.– Conflicts resolutions should preserve the dignity and

self-worth of all involved. – The adult relationships serve as models to students.

• Collaborative decision making – Engaging students.

• Success experiences– Develop competence and experience success

academically and interpersonally.

What Works in Bullying Prevention?

A Review of Bullying Prevention • The majority of programs were successful at reducing

bullying and victimization at school. • Some programs have negative results

– THE PROBLEM WAS INCREASED• Having a program is better than not having one.• The same program did not have similar effects in all

schools.– Programmatic and moment-to moment– Implementation– Significance of adult leadership– Student involvement and leadership

• Safe schools are the responsibility of community partnerships among ministries, administrators, teachers, trustees, support staff, students, parents, police and community partners (i.e., schools not alone)

Craig, Pepler, Murphy, McCauig Edge, in press

Characteristics of Top 5 Successful Programs

• Three levels of intervention:– universal programs for the entire population;– indicated programs for students in the early

stages of involvement in bullying or victimization;

– selected programs for those who have serious problems with bullying and/or victimization.

• To prevent bullying, addressed children’s:– thinking and attitudes– interactions with others– emotional and behavioural skills

• Parent involvement • Community collaboration.

Craig, Pepler, Murphy, McCauig Edge, in press

Principles For Choosing a Program• Evidence based (i.e., draws from the current scientific

understanding of bullying). • Program has been scientifically evaluated, with

evidence of positive results • Program content is based on the current theoretical

understanding of bullying problems (i.e., developmental and systemic). – Promotes relationship competence and capacity– Recognizes cultural diversity– Involves partnerships

• The program is feasible (i.e., it can be implemented in the school). – Ensures sustainability and long term change

Bullying Prevention Does Not Come in a Box

• Not just a single program but there are characteristics. • Awareness of potential problems.

• Catch problem EARLY; ongoing support.

• Moment-to-moment scaffolding – connections between adults and students.

• Communication among adults, between children and adults, between home and school, etc.

• Support for the most vulnerable children and youth.

• Match supports and services to the needs and strengths of individuals.

• Establish quality standards and monitor service delivery regularly.

Successful Bullying Prevention is about

• Understanding that bullying is a relationship problem that undermines healthy development.

• Focusing on promoting positive relationships.• Assessing and having ongoing evaluations.

– Formal and informal• Developing partnerships.

– Required in all settings where children live, learn, work, and play.

• Having adult leadership.– Youth understand the complexity of their lives,

but adults are responsible for socialization.• Sustainability.

– Occurs with structure and support in moment to moment interactions.

Why Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence?

• Healthy development depends on healthy relationships.

• Developing the capacity for healthy relationships is essential.

• Relationship problems affect children’s development and have a long-term impact on families, communities, and society.

• Relationship problems can transfer to the next generation.

• Knowledge of the processes within relationships that shape development is crucial for prevention and intervention to promote healthy development.

By Bridging Research and Practice

www.prevnet.ca

Preventing and Intervening in Bullying