Increased Bullying in the Post-COVID Classroom

Increased Bullying in the Post-COVID Classroom

Authors: Sandrine Alouidor and Dr. Paul Privateer, NoSchoolViolence Research Staff

There is strong evidence that as schools reopen there will be an increase in bullying because children will experience a new social reality. Things will be different. Old connections will need to be reformed. New ones may cause a restructuring of pre-existing social orders. Bullying occurs when a social arrangement needs to be re-enforced, changed or dissolved. Schools are essentially social hierarchies in which children find their position. Bullying also occurs when an angry child seeks to overpower another child, mirroring in many ways the very experiences he or she has had as a victim of bullying whether in the home, neighborhood or school.

Here is a quick bullying-tip sheet

What is Bullying?

Simply put, bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among children. For behavior to be bullying, there are two important requirements.

●      Power imbalance: The bully must have some sort of power over the victim. Power comes in many forms, but, commonly, power is physical strength, access to embarrassing information,or popularity. 

●      Repetition: The behavior must be repeated, or be able to be repeated. 

Bullying behavior comes in many forms, but some common ones are saying or writing mean things, spreading rumors, purposeful exclusion, kicking or hitting, and sending mean messages via social media. 

Prevalence

According to recent statistics, about one in 5 students experience bullying. This means approximately 11 million students in the United States are bullied. A analysis of 80 studies found that 35% of American students 12-18 take part in traditional bullying, while 15% of US students take part in cyberbullying.

Effects

Bullying has widespread effects, both on the victim and the bully.

Kids who are bullied are more likely to:

●      Suffer from depression and anxiety

●      Have health complaints

●      Have decreased academic achievement, including lower standardized tests scores and GPAs. 

●      Miss, skip, or drop out of school.

●      In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

Kids who Bully Others are more like to:

●      Abuse alcohol and other drugs

●      Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school

●      Engage in early sexual activity

●      Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults

●      Be abusive towards romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults

Bystanders are more likely to:

●      Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs

●      Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety

●      Miss or skip school

Signs Your Child is Being Bullied

Emotional and behavioural signs of bullying

●      Changes in sleep patterns

●      Changes in eating patterns

●      Frequent tears or anger

●      Mood swings

●      Feels ill in the morning

●      Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem

●      Becomes withdrawn or starts stammering

●      Becomes aggressive and unreasonable

●      Refuses to talk about what is wrong

●      Begins to target siblings

●      Continually 'loses' money or starts stealing.

Physical signs of bullying

●      Has unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches

●      Comes home with missing or damaged belongings or clothes

●      Comes home hungry.

School signs of bullying

●      Doesn't want to go to school

●      Changes their route to school or are frightened of walking to school

●      Doesn't want to go to school on the bus/tram/train

●      School grades begin to fall.

Other signs of bullying

Sometimes signs of bullying can be far more hidden. They can include:

●      Often alone or excluded from friendship groups at school

●      A frequent target for teasing, mimicking or ridicule at school

●      Unable to speak up in class and appears insecure or frightened.

●      Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

Signs Your Child is Bullying

●      Get into physical or verbal fights

●      Have friends who bully others

●      Are increasingly aggressive

●      Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently

●      Have unexplained extra money or new belongings

●      Blame others for their problems

●      Don’t accept responsibility for their actions

●      Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

By looking out for these signs, parents, teachers, and educators can be aware of what bullying looks like and its effects.

References

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