ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES FROM THE PROFESSIONAL LIBRARY

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Bullying
An Annotated Bibliography

September 2006

Professional Library, Toronto Catholic District School Board

1.      Canter, Andrea S. “Bullying at School: Strategies for Intervention.”  Principal 85, no. 2           

        (November December 2005): 42-45.  

Bullying is a common but often overlooked problem in most schools because of a tolerant culture that ignores or minimizes it.  This article examines the impact of bullying, characteristics of bullies and their victims, and strategies that can be used to identify and minimize bullying in schools.

2.       Carver, Diane. “Taking Aim at Cyberbullying.” http://www.thecanadianteacher.com/archives/221 (2005): 5p.

 The prevalence of Internet use among young people has opened up a new stomping ground for the playground bully, a playground where there are no teachers and few adults to help draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.  The ease with which most teenagers use technology like cell phones and computers makes it far too easy for one child with a grudge to turn life into a living hell for another student.  According to surveys of high school students, educators and parents conducted in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, one in five middle schools and high school students report being a victim of cyber bullying.

3.       Cassidy, Wanda.  “From Zero Tolerance to a Culture of Care.” Education Canada 45, no.3 (Summer 2005): 40-42.  

Our legal system recognizes the context of behavior, factors that precipitated an action, and the best interest of youth. Redemption of youth is the primary goal, not punishment. Under the law, youth are entitled to a knowledgeable advocate to act on their behalf and a hearing where their perspective is heard and given weight. Power does not rest solely with the adults who judge and sentence at the same time. There is no "one size fits all" process or sentence. Further, the legal system is accountable to wider principles, reflected in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The school system is not so generous: "Here is the rule; you knew about it; you broke it; you're gone." The ethic of care literature offers some insightful clues for building a school culture that embraces rather than excludes children, and effectively counteracts bullying and disruptive behavior. Modeling, practice, dialogue and confirmation lie at the heart of the ethic of care. As teachers, school administrators, and support staff model and practice care with each other and with students, find spaces for students to practice caring, make dialogue around care central, and confirm caring when observed, these working principles act as a powerful catalyst for moral development. They emphasize engaging all players in the school (including parents) to build a positive culture of care, rather than reacting to perceived negatives in the environment. '

4.      Chan, John and Fran Rauenbusch. “Bullies and Victims Now Have a Name and a Face.”

   Orbit 34. No.2 (2004): 18-21.  

In a recent study of bullying in elementary schools, J. Chan (2002) queried the assumption that anonymity is a necessary condition for obtaining truthful responses about the nature and extent of bullying in schools. He found that the respondents did not differ in their report of the incidence of either bullying or victimization--regardless of whether they were required to identify themselves or not (Chan, 2002; Chan, Myron, & Crawshaw, in press). J.Chan presented evidence for the viability of a new experimental procedure for collecting data about bullying--namely, the School Life Survey (SLS), which allows a list of bullies' names to be collated from the victims' nomination. J. Chan's survey instrument permits in-depth investigations into the social network and dynamics of student culture, including systemic patterns of bullying and victimization.

5.       Coloroso, Barbara.  “A Bully’s Bystanders are Never Innocent” The Education Digest 70, no. 8 (April 2005): 49- 51.

An article by Barbara Coloroso condensed from Leadership Compass (Winter 2004-2005) is presented.  The bully, the bullied and the bystander are three characters in a tragic play performed daily in schools.  Coloroso comments that even though bystanders are often overlooked, they are not innocent because their role is to aid and abet the bully through acts of commission or omission.

6.       Daley, Michael J. “Bringing Up the Worst Brings Out the Best: Help Your Students Heal from the Pain of Words That Wound” Catechist 38, no.4. (January 2005): 42-44

M. Daley discusses how to heal from the pain of words that wounds and dehumanize the person whether on the receiving or giving end of the public ridicule. Among other things, he cites that one way to break this cycle of physical and mental pain is for us to tell our stories-the ones we’d rather not bring up or admit our involvement.

7.       Dillon, Josephine and Rebecca M.Lash. “Bystanders: The Secret Weapons against Bullying.” Today’s Catholic Teacher (August September 2005): 16-19.

Most students are neither bullies nor victims—they are bystanders. The key to stop bullying lies with those who comprise the majority of the people involved –the bystanders. Like the school in Ohio , Catholic schools across the country are taking proactive measures to prevent bullying from thriving in their Christian communities. Defining and examining bullying in class meetings, equipping students with tools to fight bullying, and focusing on ethical implications are loving responses to a very caustic threat. Such responses allow the focus of the Catholic school to remain fixed on spiritual, emotional, and cognitive growth.

8.      DiPasquale, Glenn.  “Is Bullying Just Kids’ Stuff.” Orbit 34, No. 2 (2004): 6-10                                   

In this article, bullying is defined and described in empirical terms. The author looks at current knowledge about bullying in school and community settings, and how adults tend to react to it. He touches on causes, to the extent that they are understood, and finally he discusses controlling bullying in ways that are appropriate and effective.

9.       Garbarino, James and DeLara, Ellen. “Words Can Hurt Forever.” Educational Leadership 60, no. 6 (March 2003): 18-21.

Discusses and role of adults in the protection of middle and high school students against verbal harassment and emotional violence. Provides information on the forms of bullying; components of appropriate supervision in middle and high schools; consequences of lack of action towards bullying and other disrespectful behavior.

10.  Hurley, Stephen.  “Bullies + Technology = Cyberbullying.” Orbit 34, no. 2 (2004): 22-23.

A unique aspect of cyberbullying is the lack of “safe space.”  In the past, victims of bullying have been able to find places to which they could retreat-their homes, or the company of friends.  The ubiquitous and pervasive culture that has bred cyberbullying behavior, in a sense, guarantees that there is no longer a place to hide.  Short of removing oneself from the networked culture completely the victim of cyberbullying is always on edge, wondering whether the next check of email, text or voice messages might bring another attack.  Today, it is not uncommon to find young people with computers in their bedrooms or cell phones and pagers attached to their hips.  This makes cyberbullying behavior even more insidious that it’s “real-time” counterpart

11.  McMullen, Carol S. “Build a Bully-Free Classroom.” Instructor 115, no. 1(August 2005): 33-35.

For most teachers, more important than supplies and a spacious classroom is a happy learning environment in which each child feels welcome and safe. That's why it's so dismaying that according to one recent study, 43% of students worry about going to the restroom for fear of encountering a bully. The same study reported that a child is bullied every seven minutes. If we want our students to feel safe, how do we answer to these numbers? Bullying expert Carol S. McMullen says we must look at it as a "bully-proofing puzzle," in which each developmental piece--problem-solving, recognizing and using personal strengths, and building interpersonal skills--is a crucial part of strengthening community. McMullen adds that we can't confront bullying on our own: "Everyone in the school community needs to know the language, expectations about behavior, and consequences of bullying."

12.   Migliore, Eleanor T.  “Eliminate Bullying in Your Classroom.” Intervention in School & Clinic 38, no. 3 (January 2003): 172-176.

The ways to reduce bullying in schools are discussed in this article:  Significant negative effects have been documented on the physical and emotional health of both bullies and their victims (Weinhold, 2000). Bullying has been defined as behavior that is “intentional and causes physical and psychological harm to the recipient” (Smith & Thompson, 1991). Schools can do a great deal to create climates in which bullying is significantly reduced and where students feel safe and supported (Peterson & Skiba, 2001).  It is important that as educators we are knowledgeable about interventions that can make a difference for students.

13.   Packman, Jill and Lepkowski, William J. “We’re not Gonna Take It: A Student Driven Anti-Bullying Approach.” Education 125, no. 4 (Summer 2005): 546-555.

Bullying is a serious problem in schools today. Most programs that deal with bullying are adult-driven and dependent.  Inspired by the students in one middle school, the authors ask if student-driven anti-bullying programs exist and are effective.  The scope and consequences of bullying is reported.  Research-based responses to bullying are explored and arguments that support more fully incorporating students into these anti-bullying campaigns are presented. Rationale and strategies for students-driven bullying programs are provided.

14.   Salas, Jo. “Using Theater to Address Bullying.” Educational Leadership 63, no. 1 (September 2005): 5-9.

The article reports that acting out personal experiences with bullying fosters compassion and empowers all students, bullies, victims, and witnesses, to stand up for what’s right.  Interactive approaches, also called playback theatre, takes place in schools, public theaters, and community agencies in approximately 50 countries around the world.  First developed in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State in 1975, playback theatre is based on audience members’ true stories, joyful, poignant, funny, or tragic, and operates on the belief that any sincerely told and competently enacted story contains important meaning, both for the teller and for the listener. This exchange of personal experiences forges connections, promotes dialogue, and provides a forum for often-unheard voices.  The extensive training that playback theatre actors receive focuses notability to respond to any story, no matter how sensitive, with compassion, understanding, and respect. Playback theatre leaders also learn to guide to process in a way that fosters safety, inclusiveness, and the special atmosphere of vision and possibility that comes from the presence of art.

15. Whitted, Kathryn S. and Dupper, David R.  “Best Practices for Preventing or Reducing Bullying in Schools” Children & Schools 27, no. 3 (July 2005): 167-175.

Reducing violence in schools is a major concern of educators, parents, and legislators. Violence manifests itself in numerous ways, and there is growing evidence that low-lever or underlying forms of violence have a profound effect on the learning environment of the school.  Bullying is the most prevalent form of low-level violence in schools today and, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious forms of violence.  Consequently, an essential aspect of school violence prevention is the identification and implementation of interventions and strategies designed to prevent or reduce bullying in schools.  The authors discuss various forms of bullying in schools, prevalence rates, and the consequences of bullying for the bully, the victim, and the school community. Practical bullying prevention strategies that target multiple levels (that is, individual, classrooms, and school) are provided, and best practices guidelines for implementing bullying prevention programs in schools are discussed.

16. Will, Jerry D. and Patricia J.Neufeld. “Keep Bullying from Growing into Greater Violence.” The Education Digest 68, no.6 (February 2003): 32-44.

Although shootings, stabbings, and bomb threats receive major headlines, school violence has been defined in a much broader sense by the Center for the Prevention of School Violence as being “any behavior that violates a school’s educational mission of climate of respect, of jeopardizes the intent of the school to be free of aggression against persons or property, drugs, weapons, disruption, and disorder.”