Aggressive,Delinquent, and Violent Outcomes of School Bullying: Do Family and Individual Factors Have a Protective Function?

Bullying perpetration at school is a long-term predictor of aggression, delinquency, and violence. Most research concentrates on risk factors for such developments, whereas protective factors have been rarely addressed. Therefore, the present study investigates potentially protective effects of family and child characteristics in a prospective longitudinal design. The sample contained 519 youngsters (253 boys and 266 girls) from the Erlangen-Nuremberg Development and Prevention Study. Bullying perpetration was measured at age 9.0 years, mothers’ and children's reports on family and individual characteristics were collected at age 10.6, and outcomes in self-reported aggressive/violent offending and mother-reported aggressive and delinquent behavior were collected at age 13.7. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed main effects and interactions. The latter suggest buffering protective effects of consistent discipline in parenting and children's intelligence, positive attitude to school, prosocial behavior skills, low hyperactivity/inattention, and an anxious/depressive mood. The findings varied across the two outcome measures and with regard to gender. Implications for further research and prevention practice are discussed.     

A Comparison of 9th and 10th Grade Boys'and Girls' Bullying Behaviors in Two States

Abstract

This paper compared the bully behaviors of 250 9th and l0th grade boys and girls in four schools in Texas and Nebraska. Nearly one-third of girls and one-fifth of boys observed bullying often. The most common kind of bullying for both boys and girls was hurtful teasing and name-calling. Boys bullied using more physical violence, while girls reported less; however, both boys and girls indicated they were threatened with harm more than 26% of the time when bullied.     

Gender Safety

Abstract

Despite longstanding efforts towards gender equity and current yet intense focus on school safety, the simple right of boys and girls to an equitable and safe school environment-not to have to negotiate inequity or violence as part of their school day-has yet to be secured. In this article we review the development of “gender equity” and “school safety” as concepts out of which various practices have arisen and argue that these conceptualizations have not proved sufficient to eradicate the problems each targets. We then propose a new approach to this goal of creating and insuring an equitable and safe school environment for girls and boys which sifts out, braids together and builds upon key aspects of gender equity and school safety but is grounded in the articulation of a “missing discourse” of gender within each. Gender safety is built on an acknowledgment of gender as a set of ideologies which are produced reproduced and sustained within (and beyond) school classrooms and hallways. We suggest that a lack of attention to these ideologies is a significant and unrecognized barrier in the are nas of both gender equity and school safety. A key feature of our formulation is the psychosocial significance of gender ideologies in adolescents' daily experiences and in school cultures and climates.

Despite longstanding efforts towards gender equity and current yet intense focus on school safety, the simple right of boys and girls to an equitable and safe school environment-not to have to negotiate inequity or violence as part of their school day-has yet to be secured. In this article we review the development of “gender equity” and “school safety” as concepts out of which various practices have arisen and argue that these conceptualizations have not proved sufficient to eradicate the problems each targets. We then propose a new approach to this goal of creating and insuring an equitable and safe school environment for girls and boys which sifts out, braids together and builds upon key aspects of gender equity and school safety but is grounded in the articulation of a “missing discourse” of gender within each. Gender safety is built on an acknowledgment of gender as a set of ideologies which are produced reproduced and sustained within (and beyond) school classrooms and hallways. We suggest that a lack of attention to these ideologies is a significant and unrecognized barrier in the are nas of both gender equity and school safety. A key feature of our formulation is the psychosocial significance of gender ideologies in adolescents' daily experiences and in school cultures and climates.     

A Group Randomized Trial of School-Based Teen Courts to Address the School to Prison Pipeline,Reduce Aggression and Violence,and Enhance School Safety in Middle and High School Students

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the efficacy of School-Based Teen Courts (SBTCs) using a rigorous experimental trial with 24 middle- and high-schools randomly selected to receive SBTCs (n= 12) or to business-as-usual without any SBTC program (n = 12). Analyses examined school-level longitudinal growth models and individual-level pretest-posttest comparisons on school climate, student problems, and suspension rates. Longitudinal growth models revealed that SBTCs were significantly associated with positive changes in school satisfaction and reductions in delinquent friends for high school students, but showed no significant changes on other outcomes. Short-term suspensions decreased more than twice as much in SBTC schools versus comparison schools. There was a 47% reduction in bullying victimization in SBTC schools relative to a 22% reduction in comparison schools. These findings suggest that SBTCs have the potential to positively impact youth development.     

Developing a University-Wide Institutional Response to Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence

SUMMARY

Students may be predisposed to benefit from mandatory service-learning programs based on their gender and upon whether their parents serve as models of helping. The role of each of these variables was examined in a survey of seventh grade students (n = 86) who were required to complete service during the school year. Results demonstrated that girls felt more positively about the specific program and were more likely to intend to help in the future than boys. Students with parental helping models were also more likely to intend to help in the future. Girls with parental models were more likely to have altruistic self-images than girls without parental models whereas the presence of parental helping models had no effect on boys' altruistic self-image. These results are discussed with regard to socialization of prosocial behavior in both boys and girls.     

Gendered Pathways to Bullying Perpetration via Social Achievement Goals – Mediating Effects of Sense of Belonging and Non-inclusive Group Norms

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the gender-specific effects of social achievement goals – i.e., social development goals, social demonstration approach goals, and social demonstration avoid goals – on bullying perpetration in a sample of 788 adolescents (53.3% girls), taking into account the mediating role of sense of belonging and non-inclusive group norms. Two-group structural equation modeling results indicated that social demonstration approach goals positively predicted bullying perpetration for both genders. For girls, higher social development goals and for boys, higher social avoidance goals decreased bullying perpetration. Gender-specific effects of belonging and non-inclusive group norms on bullying perpetration occurred. For boys, non-inclusive group norms mediated the relation between all social achievement goals and bullying perpetration. Implications for future research and (gender-sensitive) bullying interventions are discussed.     

Sexual Harassment and Bullying Behaviors in Sixth-Graders

ABSTRACT

Sexual harassment is widely viewed as a form of bullying, but has received little attention in studies of middle school students. A survey of 109 6th grade students found that 29% of students reported at least one sexual harassment experience in the past 30 days, with 11% reporting harassment once per week or more. Although boys and girls reported similar rates of harassment, there were important gender differences-boys were more likely than girls to try to ignore sexual harassment, but girls were more likely to tell someone about their experience and to tell the perpetrator to stop. There was high concordance between sexual harassment and bullying for both boys and girls. These findings indicate the need to recognize the role of sexual harassment in bullying in middle school.     

Emerging Risks of Violence in the Digital Age

Abstract

This research focuses on the evolving area of cyberviolence and draws on a pioneering study to discuss benefits and risks of online interaction among adolescent girls. This new area of inquiry introduces educators to the social and cultural communities of the Internet, a virtual venue with unique perspectives on power, identity, and gender for children and youth.

This research focuses on the evolving area of cyberviolence and draws on a pioneering study to discuss benefits and risks of online interaction among adolescent girls. This new area of inquiry introduces educators to the social and cultural communities of the Internet, a virtual venue with unique perspectives on power, identity, and gender for children and youth.     

Adging Up” to “Beef on Sight

Abstract

This qualitative study examined perceptions of the causes and nature of conflicts and violence among African-American girls in an urban high school. In-depth, iterative interviewing was used to explore the perceptions of these girls, male students, teachers, and other school personnel. Ethnographic observation was also used. Conflicts and violence among girls were produced by an insult or accusation made by one girl against another which by group norms required a commensurately aggressive response. Peers actively pressured girls to fight and those that did not were scapegoated by others. However, a mediation service was used by girls to end conflicts successfully.     

保障女童入学，努力实现基础教育的性别平等

女童教育不完全 ,也是义务教育不完全。女童是明天的妇女 ,其素质高低 ,直接影响社会人力资源的发展基础 ,影响社会的民主、平等的建设进程。只有实现基础教育的性别平等,才能做到教育全面发展 ,做到社会性别公正 ,这是人类社会文明进步的重要标志。     

Peer Victimization,Antisocial Cognition,and Delinquency in Early Adolescent Schoolchildren: A Test of the Person–Situation Interface

ABSTRACT

Interactive and mediating effects have the ability to elucidate variable relationships. The goal of the current study was to explore how these two effects potentially clarify the victimization–offending relationship. Examining three waves of longitudinal data, it was predicted that Wave 1 victimization would enhance Wave 2 cognitive impulsivity, Wave 2 victimization would interact with Wave 2 cognitive impulsivity, and Wave 2 cognitive impulsivity and the victimization x cognitive impulsivity interaction would both fuel a rise in Wave 3 delinquency. All predicted relationships were observed when evaluated in a group of 960 early adolescents (457 boys, 503 girls) from the Illinois Study of Bullying and Sexual Violence (ISBSV). When cognitive insensitivity replaced cognitive impulsivity as the mediator, the mediating and moderating effects were no longer significant. These results suggest that victimization stimulates reckless thinking, which, when aided by subsequent victimization, encourages future delinquency.     

Providing Financial Empowerment to Mothers on Welfare

SUMMARY

Three samples of urban Latina and African-American women in hospitality training programs were assessed on their perceived self-efficacy. In Sample 1, the typical Latina (n= 25) and African-American (n= 71) woman was a young, single, mother of three children who had received benefits for over six years and who, at the start of a two-week training program, reported low self-efficacy and moderate social desirability. Sample 2 participants were mostly single Latina (n= 25) or African-American (n= 49) mothers who received six weeks of training/internship, but reported no significant change in their level of self-efficacy, social desirability, or hopefulness from pre- to post-training. Sample 3 (16 Latinas, 36 African-Americans) was a subset of women from the first sample who were interviewed by telephone four months after completing the two-week training program and were now employed. These working women reported a significant increase in their level of self-efficacy compared to the start of training. Results suggest that some minority women may benefit from job skill training in terms of their sense of mastery over their life situation, although the impact of such training may not emerge until after they have been actively employed.     

The RAAMUS Academy

SUMMARY

The RAAMUS Academy (Responsible African-American Men United in Spirit) pilot project was initiated to provide a structured after-school learning environment for self development and academic achievement. It is based on “Edu-Culture” the process of using cultural identity as a catalyst for academic motivation. One hundred academy participants were administered a host of behavioral and attitudinal indices on cultural and academic related behaviors and attitudes (schools, sports, play, knowledge of Black history) using a new instrument, the SQAK (Student Questionnaire on Academic Performance, Cognitive Development and Social Knowledge). GPA, and self esteem were also assessed pre and post. Increases were found in knowledge of Black history, frequency of after school academic behavior and self esteem. Modest decreases were seen in social influence by others and social recreation. Parental feedback was highly positive and indicated a strong desire for after school programming for young men. The findings are discussed in the context of further development of the SQAK. and future youth interventions.     

中国农村留守女童状况研究

目前,农村留守儿童问题已经引起了政府和社会的高度关注,但农村留守女童作为一个更加需要关注的群体,却始终没有得到足够的重视,与农村留守女童有关的各项基础信息也十分缺乏。本文利用2005年全国1%人口抽样调查数据估算了全国农村留守女童的规模、结构、地域分布等基本情况,重点阐述了农村留守女童的受教育状况、照料状况和大龄留守女童的就业状况等热点问题。本文还从性别视角出发,分别比较了留守男童和女童的各项指标。     

Protective Factors Interrupting the Continuity From School Bullying to Later Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: A Systematic Review of Prospective Longitudinal Studies

A systematic review is presented, based on prospective longitudinal studies, on protective factors that interrupt the continuity from bullying perpetration at school to externalizing problem behaviors later in life; and from bullying victimization to later internalizing problems. Some common factors were established, which seem to interrupt the continuity from school bullying perpetration and victimization to later maladjustment problems. These included having a good performance at school and good social skills, coming from a stable (undisrupted) family, being attached to parents, and having prosocial friends. Findings are consistent with the wider resilience literature on factors that confer emotional and behavioral adjustment to school youth. This is not surprising given the interconnectedness and common pathways between bullying and other risk behaviors. Effective antibullying and other multicomponent programs may successfully interrupt this long-term continuity. Future intervention research should be informed by the resilience literature and incorporate existing findings in future program planning.     

The Prenatal/Early Infancy Project

Summary

We describe a program of pregnancy and infancy nurse home visitation for families at social risk because of the mother's young age, single-parent status, or poverty. The program sought to prevent a number of maternal and child health problems that emerge early in the life cycle and that might be prevented with improvements in prenatal health habits, care of the child, and the psychosocial context of the family. The nurses carried out three major activities: (1) parent education regarding influences on fetal and infant development and regarding the mother's own education, employment, and family planning; (2) the involvement of family members and friends in the pregnancy, birth, and early care of the child; and (3) the linkage of family members with other health and human services. The nurses emphasized the importance of establishing a caring and supportive relationship with the mother and her family, building upon parents' strengths, promoting parental control over their life circumstances, and adapting the educational content of the program to the individual needs of the family.     

Executive functioning and bullying participant roles: Differences for boys and girls

Bullying is a process of direct (i.e., youth who bully and are victimized) and indirect (i.e., bystanders) social exchanges. Though researchers often examine social and emotional correlates of bullying role behaviors, it is important to also consider the underlying cognitive processes associated with different bullying roles such as socially oriented cognitive processes associated with executive functions. The goal of the current study was to examine executive functions associated with types of bullying role behavior (aggression, victimization, defending, assisting, and outsider behavior) and differences between boys and girls within a sample of 689 third- to eighth-grade students (51% male, 49% female). Victimization was significantly and negatively associated with each executive function. Defending was positively associated with emotion regulation for upper elementary school students, but not for middle school students. Outsider behavior was significantly and negatively associated with self-monitoring, flexibility, and initiation.     

警风建设的基本途径

警风是指公安机关及其人民警察在日常行为中主要是警务活动中所产生、形成的作风、风格、风气，它包括思想作风、工作作风、领导作风、纪律作风和生活作风等。加强譬风建设，应树立人本思想，坚持群众路线；领导充分重视，主体严格自律；完善各项制度，强化制度建警；加强职业道德教育，强化警察意识；提高警务能力，树立警察形象；加强宣传工作，引导涉警舆论。     

Depressive Symptoms in Young,Urban Schoolchildren: Environmental,Social, and Cognitive Risk

This study examined relations among stressors, perceived social competence, attributional style, and depressive symptoms in young urban schoolchildren. Data were collected from 85 5- to 11-year-olds, mostly African American, who attended a public elementary school in a low-income urban area. Social competence was examined as a potential mediator, and attributional style was examined as a potential moderator of the relation between stressful life events and depressive symptoms. Separate analyses were conducted by age and gender. For older children and girls, main effects were found for stressful life events as predictors of depressive symptoms. Mediational analyses indicated that perceived peer acceptance served as a mediator of the relation between stressful life events and depressive symptoms for girls. In addition, attributional style moderated the relation between stressors and depressive symptoms in the older children. Together, findings suggest that significant relations exist among stressful life events, social and cognitive processes, and depressive symptoms in young urban children and that these relations are influenced by gender and development.