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Friday, April 2, 2010

Education Research Report: Bullying in Schools

Education Research Report: Bullying in Schools

Bullying in Schools

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Bullying in Schools by the The U.S. Department of Justice provides school administrators, teachers, counselors, and law enforcement officials with practical information on how to identify bullying behavior, reduce the incidence of bullying, and mitigate its impact. The publication also provides guidance to officials on how to determine the extent of bullying in their schools, to address its causes, and to develop effective practices that contribute to student safety.

Bullying has two key components: repeated harmful acts and an imbalance of power. It involves repeated physical, verbal, or psychological attacks or intimidation directed against victims who cannot properly defend themselves because of size or strength, or because the victim is outnumbered or less psychologically resilient.

"Bullying was once viewed by some as a relatively harmless behavior that was an expected part of adolescent interaction," said COPS Director Bernard K. Melekian. "However, we now know that bullying can have a long-term affect on both the bully and the victim, it can lead to other forms of school-based violence, and the advent of cyber-bullying can further exacerbate consequences."