Getting Tough on Bullying

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When the researchers administered the survey to a group of 175 third- and fourth-graders in an Arizona school, they found that almost 60 percent of the children reported participating in at least one bullying behavior, and 90 percent of the youngsters reported being on the receiving end -- victimization -- of at least one bullying behavior.

Consequences of bullying can affect both the bullies and the victims, Tarshis said. Victims may suffer a loss of self-esteem, and they may miss school, because they're afraid of being bullied.

Ironically, Tarshis added, "Bullies probably suffer worse long-term consequences, as they're more likely to use drugs or end up in jail in the future."

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But, he said, as more and more research is highlighting these long-term effects, the mindset of "toughing it out" is slowly starting to change.

"There needs to be a community-based change approach," Tarshis said. "It has to start with the school district, the principals, the teachers and support staff. When kids come in with complaints, they can't be ignored. You also have to involve parents, and you need the innocent bystanders to intervene and let other kids know that this behavior is not OK."

"Bullying used to give kids some sort of status at school, but a bully shouldn't receive special status, but should be ostracized for bullying behavior. The entire culture of the school has to change," he said.

Gallagher said many school systems are now taking a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, and the most effective programs are ones that are designed to help both victims and bullies.

"Kids bullying other kids may need anger-management training, or they may need further help because of something that's happening at home. Victims may need help in learning to be more assertive, and they may need additional help to recover from intense bullying," he said.

More information

To learn more about bullying, visit the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

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