Half
of Sixth-Graders Bullied
Nearly
half of urban sixth-grade students say they were
harassed at least once in two-week period, a new
study found.
The
most common incidents involved name-calling, kicking
and shoving.
"These
findings are important because they show that
many more kids are affected by bullying both through
their own personal experiences and by what they
see happening to their classmates than previously
estimated," said lead research Adrienne Nishina
of UCLA's Department of Education.
The
side effects should interest parents and educators,
too.
The bullying is related to negative attitudes
toward school, lack of engagement in class, and
fewer positive experiences in school, Nishina
and colleagues conclude.
Children who reported getting picked on expressed
increased humiliation and anger, while students
who saw a classmate getting picked were more likely
to mention anxiety and dislike of school.
"Students
were bothered by all types of harassment incidents
they personally experienced -- for example, being
the target of insults, physical aggression, or
rumors," Nishina said. "But they were
more concerned about and felt sorrier for peers
who encountered verbal rather than physical forms
of hostility."
The
researchers questioned two separate groups of
more than 90 pupils each. The results are detailed
in the latest issue of the journal Child Development.
"It
appears that a shared 'it also happens to others'
rather than the unique' it only happens to me'
plight can alleviate certain types of emotional
distress, while it can also increase others, such
as anxiety," Nishina said.
Educators
should stress violence intervention with all students,
not just those who are most victimized, Nishina
suggests.