Bibliographies
Bullying
Updated December 2009
This bibliography of recent research has been compiled from the library collection of the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Where available online, a link to the document is provided. Most other items can be borrowed from the Institute's library via the interlibrary loan system. Online publications in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Australian Institute of Criminology
Cyber bullying: issues for policy makers (PDF 113 KB)
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2007 (AICrime Reduction Matters no.59)
Bullying that can occur among teenagers through email, chat rooms, mobile phones, text messages, mobile phone cameras and websites is known as cyber bullying. Limited research exists on this topic. This fact sheet outlines the rise of, causes of, and response to cyber bullying, and ways of preventing cyber bullying.
Australian Psychological Society
Parent guide to helping children manage conflict, aggression and bullying
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2007
Many parents are concerned about how to help their children deal with violence, and how to prevent their children from resorting to aggression or being involved in violence. This tip sheet covers ways of disciplining a child effectively, how to stop sibling aggression, how to respond to wrestling and tumbling, angry fights, aggressive and dangerous behaviour in children, children protecting themselves, bullying, teaching children about conflict resolution, how to deal with antisocial behaviour, how to deal with bullying and how to resolve conflict effectively. It is relevant to a range of ages and developmental stages up to early adolescence.
Briggs, Freda; Hawkins, Russell
Personal safety issues in the lives of children with learning disabilities
Children Australia v.30 no.2 2005: 19-27
The aim of this study was to focus on the vulnerability of children with learning disabilities to drugs, sexual abuse and violence. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 116 students, aged 11-17 years. The study confirmed the vulnerability of children with learning disabilities to the risks of drugs, violence, psychological bullying, pornography and sexual abuse. Significant levels of violence in both schools and the home were found. The study also showed the need for special attention for the protection of boys. The authors argued that it was possible that children with learning disabilities were targeted because they were seen as safer targets in terms of an expectation that they would be less aware of the difference between right and wrong and less likely than other children to make a report about any abusive behaviour. If this speculative hypothesis is correct, it means that children with learning disabilities require even more vigilant forms of protection than other children.
Butler, Des
Civil liability for cyber bullying in schools: a new challenge for psychologists, schools and lawyers
Australian Psychological Society. Conference (42nd: 2007: Brisbane, Qld)
In: Moore, K. ed. Psychology making an impact: proceedings of the Australian Psychological Society 42nd Annual Conference, 25-29 September 2007, Brisbane, Qld. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2007, p52-56 (PDF on CD-ROM, whole volume 4.4MB)
Technology has provided an insidious new weapon for bullies, who are now able to reach their target anytime and anywhere. There is a growing number of cases where the target of bullying takes legal action against the perpetrator or the school. Cases involving traditional forms of bullying are apt to involve difficult issues for the law to resolve; cyberbullying will only increase this challenge. These difficulties are likely to be shared by consulting psychologists and psychiatrists, who may be called on in evidence to distort their medical opinions in order to conform to legal formulations of the limits of liability that may, in some cases, have questionable medical validity. This paper considers the various limits on legal liability that would be applied when determining for a child against a school for the alleged failure to prevent cyberbullying. It highlights areas that may be problematic for schools, the law and consulting psychologists and psychiatrists.
Cross, Emma Jane
Bullying and truancy report 2006
London : Beatbullying, 2006
An online survey was used to collect information about the experiences of British children who were being bullied at school and the relationship between bullying and truancy. The survey found that truancy among victims of school bullying was largely attributable to the school's failure to deal with the bullying. This report incudes case studies of some of the victims of bullying.
De Plevitz, Loretta
Take-home lessons for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual school students
Alternative Law Journal v.30 no.4 Aug 2005: 180-183
The bullying of students who are perceived to be gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual (GLTB) is of particular concern. Schools do not treat verbal bullying with the same seriousness as physical attacks on students, and most school policy concerning bullying does not include mention of sexual orientation or identity. This article examines state and federal laws that provide protection to GLTB students who are verbally abused by other students. It discusses the law of civil wrongs, anti discrimination law, direct discrimination, victimisation, vilification, harassment and making a complaint.
Findley, Ian
Shared responsibility: beating bullying in Australian schools
Camberwell, Vic: ACER Press, 2006, 132p
The author discusses bullying and its impacts and strategies for dealing with bullies. He outlines a practical procedure called 'shared responsibility' which schools or 'anyone with basic people skills' can use to respond to and deal with bullying incidents. Its core component is the Shared Responsibility Meeting, an interview process that appeals to empathy by putting a real person with real feelings in the place of the object victim. Examples and stories are used throughout twenty-one short chapters, plus an appendix with a checklist, meeting and survey forms. The process has been trialled at Australian schools with positive results, shown in another appendix.
Gilbert, Lindsay
No bullying! : a practical resource for developing and
implementing anti-bullying policies
London : 4Children, 2006
This book provides advice on designing and implementing bullying prevention policies and practices in schools and other settings for children. It includes group activities for awareness and conflict resolution.
Gillis, John S; Nadeau, Natalie; Claybourne, Marvin
The Child Anxiety Scale as a potential screening device for bullying in young children
Australian Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology v.5 2005: 71-76
The 20 item Child Anxiety Scale (CAS) was administered to 343 elementary school children. Unweighted Least Squares extraction with oblique rotation produced 3 correlated primary factors that were interpreted as matching factors C, L and O of the Sixteen Personality Factors questionnaire for adults. Of particular interest was the factor L pattern which has never been identified before with children. Since the items most highly loading on factor L conveyed a sense of being persecuted by other children, scores on this dimension may prove useful in screening for bullying. Higher order factor analysis confirmed the hypothesis of a general anxiety factor.
Healey, Jean B
Peer abuse as child abuse and indications for intervention in schools (PDF& 459&KB)
Coldstream, Vic: Australian Association for Research in Education, 2005, 23p, (AARE conference paper 2005 HEA05418)
The paper discusses the types, frequency and intensity of bullying behaviour reported in high schools in NSW, arguing that in terms of impact, outcomes and intervention requirements it can be equated with other forms of child abuse. However, it is evident that teachers currently often do not interpret the behaviours as either abusive or bullying, but as mutually aggressive interactions between peers, leaving victims feeling unprotected and unsupported. It is suggested that implementation of legislative requirements for mandatory notification by teachers of all forms of abuse should be considered as a means of intervention and as a protective measure in severe cases of peer abuse. Further, employing bodies need to ensure teachers are aware of the relevance of child protection procedures and requirements to the issue of peer abuse.
Homel, Jacqueline
A life-course perspective on bullying
In: France, A. and Homel, R. eds. Pathways and crime prevention: theory, policy and practice. Cullompton, Devon, UK: Willan Publishing, 2007, p172-194
Bullying can be viewed as the result of complex interactions between individual, social and contextual resources. These interactions become particularly important during developmental transitions, when young people are required to negotiate challenges presented by new social and institutional contexts. The way in which individual, social and contextual resources influence these negotiations can determine whether people continue to form bullying or victimising relationships or are able to break away from negative patterns of interaction. This chapter uses a life course developmental perspective as a framework to explore continuity and discontinuity in bullying. It discusses the implications of this perspective for the prevention of bullying.
Humphrey, Gary; Crisp, Beth R
Bullying affects us too: parental responses to bullying at kindergarten
Australian Journal of Early Childhood v.33 no.1 Mar 2008: 45-49
Preschool age children are often thought of as too young to be able to engage in bullying behaviours. However, when it does occur, there are ramifications not only for the child but also for parents and siblings. This paper explores this issue by reporting on an exploratory study involving interviews with four parents whose child had experienced bullying in a Victorian kindergarten. Parents reported a range of responses, including anger, guilt for not protecting their child, and powerlessness in the face of denial from kindergarten staff that their child had been bullied. Being unable to access information about bullying among preschool children which might validate their experiences, reinforced the sense of isolation these parents experienced. Further research which explores the needs of family members of children bullied in the kindergarten (prior to school) setting is needed.
Kids Help Line
Bullying: still on the agenda (PDF 145 KB)
Kids Help Line Oct 2005: 2-3, figures
Information on school bullying and how to change this behaviour is presented in this article. The article discusses why bullying occurs, the 'culture of cruelty' that exists among boys, how to tell if your child is being bullied, and how to help children cope with bullying.
Kids Help Line
Callers from Indigenous backgrounds (PDF 39 KB)
Red Hill, Qld: Kids Help Line, 2005, 2p, tables, figures, (Infosheet no.8)
The report summarises three financial years (2002-2004) of data collected from calls made by Indigenous children and young people who made up 3.6% of calls to Kids Help Line. The information sheet discusses: caller profiles; main problems; family relationships and disconnection from parents and family; peer relationships; partner relationships; bullying; violence; emotional and behavioural management; child abuse; leaving home and homelessness; and drug or alcohol use.
Kids Help Line
Callers of non-English speaking backgrounds (PDF 38 KB)
Red Hill, Qld: Kids Help Line, 2006, 2p, tables, figures, (infosheet no.9)
The information presented in this report is based on data collected between 2001 and 2005 about children and young people from non English speaking backgrounds, compared to their Anglo-Australian counterparts. Information is provided on: main problems; gender and age differences; family relationships; peer relationships; intimate relationships; bullying; child abuse; study issues; and call outcomes.
Kift, Sally
Cyberbullying by young people: a criminal matter for psychologists?
Australian Psychological Society. Conference (42nd: 2007: Brisbane, Qld)
In: Moore, K. ed. Psychology making an impact: proceedings of the Australian Psychological Society 42nd Annual Conference, 25-29 September 2007, Brisbane, Qld. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2007, p228-232 (PDF on CD-ROM, whole volume 4.4MB)
Cyber bullying, as a misuse of technology to harass, intimidate, tease, threaten, abuse or otherwise terrorise, is discussed in terms of its criminal legal ramifications in Australia for young people. In extreme instances, cyber bullying can constitute criminal conduct on the part of the perpetrator, especially when the behaviour is seriously threatening, harassing or intimidating. Whilst criminal sanctions might seem an extreme response, it is not inappropriate for all stakeholders - young persons, parents, schools, education authorities and psychologists - to be aware of the potential for criminal liability, especially when the consequences of the cyber bullying conduct are serious for the target and/or where there is simply no other basis on which the conduct might be impeached, occurring as it frequently does beyond temporal and physical school boundaries. This paper considers prevention and intervention strategies for cyber bullying from a criminal legal point of view.
Lewis, Robert; Gurry, Tim
Don't be a bully bystander.
Malvern, Vic: Ryebuck Media with the support of the Catholic Education Office and VicHealth, 2006, 56p + 1 DVD (10 min.)
This classroom resource aims to help schools address bullying behaviour and equip students with strategies to deal with bullying in their own lives. The DVD demonstrates typical school situations that involve bullying behaviour and the response of students. The booklet explores issues raised in the film. The following topics are examined: what bullying behaviour is; what is wrong with bullying behaviour; who bully bystanders are; some good strategies for involving bystanders; understanding the bullying community; and what schools should do about bullying behaviour. The resource kit includes classroom strategies, activity worksheets, and other resources.
Linke, Pam.
Dealing with bullying together : prevention and resolution
Early Childhood Australia.
Watson, A.C.T.: Early Childhood Australia, 2009. 27 pp. Research in practice series v. 16, no. 2.
Aimed at child care workers and early childhood educators, this booklet provides advice on dealing with bullying from an early age. It describes strategies to help children who are bullied as well as children with bullying behaviours, and to gain skills in objectively assessing situations. Other chapters discuss the responsibility of early childhood educators and strategies for working with parents.
Lodge, Jodie
Working with families concerned with school-based bullying.
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2008, 9p (AFRC briefing no.11)
Bullying and harassment are pervasive problems in schools and continue to be a matter of great concern among parents, teachers and others working with children and young people. This paper examines bullying and its impact on young people's health and wellbeing, and the significance of family relationships in dealing with bullying behaviour. Family relationships practitioners can play an important part in managing bullying concerns with affected families by offering a collaborative approach to the school-based bullying problem. Strategies discussed in this paper include providing helpful information, making referrals to appropriate resources, and guiding families through the process of working together with the school to address the concern.
Maher, Damian
Cyberbullying : an ethnographic case study of one Australian upper primary school class.
Youth Studies Australia; Vol. 27, Issue: 4; Dec 2008: 50-57
The issue of cyberbullying has been reported on widely in the press with extreme cases generally presented as the norm. In this article, the interactions of Australian primary children aged 11 to 12 years are presented to illustrate some bullying practices that young people engage in. The findings suggest that while cyberbullying occurs, it is generally not extreme in nature. Some differences in cyberbullying between girls and boys were found and examined. The article concludes with several recommendations to help minimise and manage cyberbullying.
Morrison, Brenda
School bullying and restorative justice: toward a theoretical understanding of respect, pride and shame.
Journal of Social Issues v.62 no.2 2006: 371-392.
Three theories that support the use of restorative justice as a response to school bullying are discussed: Scheff's theory of unacknowledged shame; Braithwaite's reintegrative shaming theory; and Tyler's procedural justice theory. The article presents results of a study on bullying and victimisation that involved children and parents in the Australian Capital Territory. The study aimed to test shame acknowledgement, shame displacement, respect, pride and emotional group value in bullies, victims, non bullies and non victims. The article discusses shame, alienation, bullying and restorative justice; social status and social bonds; social norms, pride and shame; shame and social connectedness; and restorative justice and social emotions.
Reid, Jen
Surviving the bully in early childhood - without the broomstick.
Every Child v.11 no.3 Winter 2005: 14-15
A recent Canadian study shows that aggression develops in the first year of life. This article discusses the implications of the study for preschool educators and child care centres in dealing with behavioural problems that may lead to bullying, and helping children develop the resilience to protect themselves against bullying.
Rowe, Leanne.; Bennett, David,; Tonge, Bruce J.
I just want you to be happy : preventing and tackling teenage depression
Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin, 2009. 215 pp.
One in five teenagers will experience a mental health problem before they are eighteen years of age. This book is a guide to identifying, managing and preventing depression in teenagers. It discusses the difference between sadness and depression, parenting styles that can assist in prevention, how to resolve conflicts between parents and teenagers, and how to live a healthy lifestyle that is conducive to mental health. Management of stress and positive experiences at school are also covered, and parents need to know that depression may be prevented and treated without medication. The book looks at the additional problems teenagers increasingly face, those of bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, eating disorders, unwanted pregnancy and homelessness. It concludes by listing useful resources for help.
Helen Sara.
Optimistic carers and children : pathways to
confidence and wellbeing Canberra : Early Childhood Australia, Inc., 2009.
Series Title: Research in practice series; v. 16, no 3
This book includes tips for developing a bullying policy at your service and information on how personal experiences can influence our reactions to bullying
Szarkowicz, Diane L; White, Jennifer; Tyson, Graham A
Bullying behaviour, empathy and social cognition: cool manipulators or social misfits?
Joint Conference of the Australian Psychological Society and the New Zealand Psychological Society (2006: Auckland, NZ)
In: Katsikitis, M. ed. Psychology bridging the Tasman: science, culture and practice: proceedings of the 2006 Joint Conference of the APS and NZPsS, 26-30 September 2006, Auckland, NZ. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2006, p400-404 (PDF on CD-ROM, whole volume 8.4MB)
While aggressive behaviour is often characterised by deficits in social information processing, bullies, a subcategory of aggressors, generally have a good understanding of how others are thinking and feeling. What is not known is if this understanding is used in the same way by different types of bullies. The current study investigated if relational bullies, who include social relationship manipulation in their bullying, have higher cognitive empathy and social cognition skills but lower emotional empathy, than other types of bullies and non bullies. A sample of 187 Australian secondary and tertiary undergraduate students participated in this study. All completed the Little, Johns, Henrich and Hawley Aggression Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and responded to two vignettes. No significant difference was found between any of the bullying and nonbullying groups on empathy and social cognition but the relationship between aggression and empathy was found to be different for males and females.
Tucci, Joe, Mitchell, Janise, Goddard, Chris
Children's sense of safety : children's experiences of childhood in contemporary Australia (PDF 2,6 MB)
Ringwood, Vic. : Australian Childhood Foundation, 2008.
This research report is the third in a series of studies undertaken by the Australian Childhood Foundation, Child Abuse Research Australia and Quantum that seek the views of children and young people about their experiences of childhood in Australia today. It specifically seeks to further explore children's sense of safety. A national representative sample of 600 children and young people aged between 10-14 years across Australia completed an online survey in April 2007.
Wade, Emma; Reece, John; Little, Emma
BRAVO! Building resilience and victim's optimism: an intervention program for victims of school bullying.
Australian Psychological Society. Conference (42nd: 2007: Brisbane, Qld)
In: Moore, K. ed. Psychology making an impact: proceedings of the Australian Psychological Society 42nd Annual Conference, 25-29 September 2007, Brisbane, Qld. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2007, p401-405 (PDF on CD-ROM, whole volume 4.4MB)
Both bullying and resilience have received increased attention in Australian research over the last decade. Bullying is of concern because of the serious consequences faced by both victims and perpetrators of bullying. Resilience research has shown that individuals, when faced with trauma, will respond in a range of ways: some will succumb to the effects of the trauma, while others will not only tolerate the circumstances, but will continue to thrive. The current paper describes an intervention program developed for use with victims of school bullying. The program was designed to increase students' resilience to the typical negative effects suffered as a result of being victimised. The program had four main areas of focus: social variables (social skills and social support), optimism, coping, and self esteem / self concept.
Wade, Emma; Reece, John; Little, Emma
Resilient victims of bullying: psychosocial correlates of positive outcomes.
Joint Conference of the Australian Psychological Society and the New Zealand Psychological Society (2006: Auckland, NZ)
In: Katsikitis, M. ed. Psychology bridging the Tasman: science, culture and practice: proceedings of the 2006 Joint Conference of the APS and NZPsS, 26-30 September 2006, Auckland, NZ. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2006, p460-464 (PDF on CD-ROM, whole volume 8.4MB)
Bullying is a common occurrence in schools; it is a phenomenon that often has serious psychological consequences for the victims. The present study consisted of two phases. The first identified 'resilient victims' of school bullying, and the second examined eight psychosocial correlates with theoretical links to general resilience: individual protective factors, optimism, coping, social support, social skills, self esteem, self concept and emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 867 (Phase 1), and 111 (Phase 2) Years 7, 8, and 9 students who completed two batteries of questionnaires. The key finding was that four variables were the strongest correlates of bullying resilience: coping, optimism, social skills and social support, and self esteem and self concept.
Yoneyama, Shoko; Rigby, Ken
Bully/victim students and classroom climate.
Youth Studies Australia v.25 no.3 Sept 2006: 34-41
Using a range of measures, this research compares individual student perceptions of 'school climate' in several South Australian single sex and coeducational schools. The results indicate that some students' perceptions of their 'classroom climate' may reflect their involvement in bully/victim interactions with their peers. These findings suggest that it may be possible for teachers to identify victims, bullies and bully victims among those students who are unhappy in the classroom situation. School staff may then be able to work with these students to reduce bullying in the school context.