Strategies to Alleviate Bullying in Middle Schools

By

[Name of student]

[Name of institute]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Introduction1

Background9

Problem Statement10

Nature of the Study15

Research Questions16

Purpose of the Study16

Theoretical framework18

Definition of Terms20

Bully20

Victim20

Bullyinq20

Direct Bullying20

Indirect Bullying20

Direct Verbal Aggression21

Scope21

Limitations21

Chapter Summary and Transition21

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW22

Introduction22

Study 122

Bullying Definitions and Types22

Definitions of Bullying23

Prevalence25

Childhood Bullying27

School Violence and Bullying29

Elementary/Middle School Bullying30

Study 232

Factors Which Impact Bullying32

Family Influences upon Childhood Bullying34

Sex Differences and Bullying36

Study 337

Types of Bullies37

The Aggressive Bully37

Passive or Anxious Bully37

The Bully/Victim38

The Passive or Anxious Bully38

Reinforcement for Bullying39

Study 440

Types of Victims40

The Passive Victim40

Provocative Victim41

Social-Cognitive Skills of Victims42

Family Characteristics of Victims42

Study 543

Bullying and the Educator43

Teacher Non-Intervention43

Reasons Why Teachers Do Not Intervene44

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Bullying46

Psychosocial Responses to Peer Bullying52

Internalizing Distress52

Externalizing Distress54

Rampage School Shooter54

Children's Coping Strategies for Bullying56

Approach and avoidance coping strategies57

Use of appraisals60

Age/gender differences and coping styles60

Study 663

Specific Intervention Strategies for Bullies and Victims63

Dissemination of Accurate Information to Students and School Staff63

Development of a Student Code of Conduct64

Student Watch Programs and a Telephone Hotline64

Parent and School Collaboration65

Counseling and Support Groups65

Peer Mentoring Cooperative Group Work67

Assertiveness, Social Skills, and Skill Replacement Training Programs68

Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management Training69

Classroom Management Techniques70

Proactive Curricular Approaches71

Using Children's Literature, Drama, and Role Play72

Video-Monitoring and Patrolling Isolated Areas of the School73

Bully Courts74

Anti-Bullying Programs Bully-Proofing Your School74

A Comprehensive Approach for Elementary Schools74

Fair Play75

Family Group Conferencing76

The No Blame Approach to Bullying and The Common Concern Method77

Play Fair79

Summary79

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY82

Introduction82

Research Philosophies83

Overview of Quantitative Research Method83

Overview of the Interpretivism Approach to Research83

The reflexive process of analysis83

Ethnography and positivism83

Interpretivist critique84

Phenomenology85

Overview of Research Design and its Rationale86

Inductive & deductive approaches87

Strength and weakness of the mixed research88

Strengths88

Weaknesses88

Methods of data collection89

Primary research89

Instrumentation90

Interviews90

Questionnaire90

Participant/Population90

Sample Selection and Recruitment90

Sampling90

Sample selection92

Data analysis techniques92

Limitations92

Analytic Framework93

Rapport93

Statement of Confidentiality94

Issues of Trustworthiness95

Ethical Consideration97

Triangulation98

Reliability and Validity99

Chapter Summary102

REFERENCES103

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

I know a lot about bullies. I know they have a specific social function: they define the limits of acceptable conduct, appearance and activities for children. They enforce rigid expectations. They are masters of the art of humiliation and technicians of the science of terrorism. To this day, their handprints, like a slap on the face, remain stark and defined on my soul (Coie, 2004).

School violence is an issue that has been recently forced upon society's consciousness. In the last decade, violence in the educational environment has become an increasingly frightening phenomenon. The National Education Longitudinal Study (1990) found that 8.1% of tenth grade students identified themselves as feeling "unsafe" in school. While student victimization rates have been relatively stable over the past few years, more students feel unsafe while attending or traveling to and from school as compared to students surveyed in previous years.

Unfortunately, the precursors of violence in the educational setting are often ignored because educators are unsure to whom such a problem belongs, as well as what remedies to apply.

We need only review the recent media coverage of violence in schools in order to recognize that children are committing destructive acts which threaten peers and educators alike. While the incidence of overall reported school crime has declined, the problem of violence in schools has become so troubling that students and their parents have increasingly sought legal remedies as a ...