What’s new in Bullying Prevention?

Presented by

Chuck Saufler

8/16/2010

Bullying (peer abusive) Behavior…

• Is learned behavior.

• Is not pre-wired, harmless, inevitable.

• Will spread if ignored, supported, or promoted.

• Involves everyone in the system.

• Can be controlled or prevented.

What else is “bullying”?Bullying is similar to sexual harassment, partner abuse

and child abuse:

• Each involves an imbalance of power.

• The perpetrator blames the victim.

• The target is unable to stop the abuse themselves.

• If not stopped targets begin to blame themselves for

the abuse.

New ResearchMarch 2010

The Youth Voice Project

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

From: The Youth Voice Project 2010

Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon, PhD.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

From: The Youth Voice Project 2010

Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon, PhD.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

From: The Youth Voice Project 2010

Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon, PhD.

Activating Bystanders:Precursors to Action

1. Notice that someone is in distress2. Decide if the victim deserves your help3. Decide whether you have a

responsibility to help.4. Choose what actions to take to help.5. Understand how to implement the

choice safely.Darley and Latane, 1968

The Root of the Problem is Bias

• Nobody is born biased.

• Bias is learned attitudes and beliefs

• Attitude drives behavior

• Bias is learned from models - cultural, print, video, audio, behavioral

What do children learn from models?

• Cognitive scripts - rehearsed and

reinforced or modified by the results

• Successful scripts are stored in memory

and used as guides for behavior and

social problem solving.

What do children learn from models?

• Children not only adopt specific behaviors but also tend to adopt evaluative standards and attitudes employed by the models in their life.

• The child will pattern their thoughts, feelings and actions after a model.This is how bias is taught.

Violent Media Effects• Aggression effect - meanness, violence

• Victim effect - “Mean world syndrome”

• Bystander effect - callousness, insensitivity

• Appetite effect - hunger for more, addiction

• Bias effect - black and white thinking

• “Shallow thinking” effect

Cognitive Models from Mainstream Media

• Us and them thinking - demonizing the “other” side

• Revenge as legitimatizing violence

• Unity at the cost of diversity

• Reinforcing stereotypes and bias

• Sarcasm and abusive language models

• Inappropriate relational models

How do these ideas affect developing brains and

behavior?