NCJ Number
170198
Date Published
1996
Length
234 pages
Annotation
This volume discusses school bullies and their victims, explains practical techniques for intervention and prevention of bullying, and presents step-by-step instructions for helping bullies and victims improve their relationships.
Abstract
The text is intended for use by mental health professionals, teachers, parents, bullies, victims, and bystanders. Individual sections explain the nature, extent, and impacts of bullying. The characteristics of bullies and victims are next discussed, with emphasis on the issues of power and control, success identity, learned behaviors, verbal and relationship skills, physical characteristics, attitudes toward school, academic performance, maturation, and family and societal factors. A model for therapy is presented that is called Promoting Issues in Common. The text explains the model's three phases: gaining control and moderating tension levels, evaluation of all parties' individual needs and abilities and the needs common to their relationship, and the use of intervention steps to help participants eventually deal with their relationship problems in a joint format. Four additional chapters describe direct actions that schools, communities, teachers, mental health professionals, bullies, victims, bystanders, and parents should take with respect to each of the model's three phases. Case examples, index, and 57 references