The document summarizes a group project on bullying. It includes sections written by different group members on characteristics of bullies and victims, effects of bullying like depression and suicide, and cases of school shootings linked to bullying. It proposes an intervention plan bringing bullies and victims together with activities to build trust and self-esteem. Positive psychology approaches may open new solutions by addressing factors for both groups.

1. Group 6:Bullying
Group Members:
Michelle Cius –Characteristics of Bullying and a Bully
Rebbeca Reyes- Characteristics of a Victim
Jessica Dehombre- Effects of Bullying
Lauren Clough-Bullying and Homicide
Lianet Navarro-Bullying and Sucide
Raysza Cardoze-Invervention Plan:
Melissa Pena - Intro & Conclusion with Video

3. Bullying
People perceive bullying in different ways, as it can relate
to their own personal experience or the experience to the
people around them. Bullying is a phenomenon which is
not easily defined and measured (Hamarus & Kaikkonen,
2008). Many researchers have tried to label a definition for
bullying for terms of research purposes to find a solution.
Dr. Olweus defines bullying as” A person is being bullied
when she or he is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to
negative actions on the part of one or more
persons.” (Hamarus & Kaikkonen, 2008).

4. • Michelle Cius
The Characteristics of Bullying
and a bully

5. The definition of a bully:
• According to Horn (2002), a bully is someone who knowingly
abuses the rights of others to gain control of a situation and
individual(s) involved.

6. Why is it important to know the
definition of a bully?
• This will help with identifying
• This will help form a plan to help alleviate and hopefully
eradicate this pandemic within the schools
• Self-reflection

7. Types of bullying:
• Physical
• Psychological
• Telling false stories
• The popular kid telling others to unfriend a particular student
• Talking behind someone’s back
• Spreading malicious rumors
• Reminding someone of their shortcomings on a consistent basis
• Cyber-bullying

8. Characteristics of a Bully

9. Types of bullies:
• The clever bully
• The not-so-clever bully or aggressive bully
• The follower
• The bully victim
• A combination of the clever bully and not-so-clever bully
• The relational bully
• Also known as female bullying

10. How does one become a
bully?
• Is an individual born a bully - innate characteristics?
• According to Fried & Fried (1996), many researchers agree that
bullies generally become bullies from their life experiences,
instead of being born a bully
• Olweus (2003) notes that personality combined with physical
strength in boys are important in the development of bully
problems in individual students
• Does the household influence these characteristics?
• According to Olweus’ (2003), these parents tend to have little
time to spend with their children
• Leaving the children without clear guidelines for appropriate
behavior

11. Characteristics of a Victim
• Victims tend to come from unstable backgrounds:
• Broken homes
• Unsafe schools
• Unsupervised environments

12. Characteristics of a Victim
• Victims are said to be:
• Depressed
• Insecure
• Anxious
• Anti-social
• Lonely

13. Characteristics of a Victim
• Victims tend to “fall short” when compared to those who do
not get bullied.
• The areas they seem to singled out for are their social,
psychological and physiological traits.

14. Characteristics of a Victim
• Two types of victims:
• Passive Victims
• Provocative Victims

15. Effects of Bullying
Jessica Dehombre

16. Effects of Bullying
• Bullying effects the victim and perpetrator
• Lasting effects whether physical bullying or emotional
• Children are still developing their own identity and bullying
can stunt or restrict their growth

17. Effects of Bullying
• Physical symptoms (headaches, sleeping problems)
• More absent in school and less involved
• Depressed/lower self esteem
• Feel alone and not safe in the world
• Anxiety and frequent thoughts of suicide

18. Effects of Bullying
• Bullying also has lasting effects on the bully
• Get in to fights and vandalize property
• Engage in early sexual activity
• Abuse spouses and children

19. Effects of Bullying
• A very small number of bullied children might retaliate
through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school
shooting cases in the 1990’s, the shooters had a history of
being bullied.

20. Effects of Bullying
• Not all bullies are easy to spot
• Teens who get away with violence continue to do so in
adulthood
• Bullying should never be taken lightly

21. Bullying & Homicide
by Lauren Clough

22. Bullying
• Bullying is linked to academic issues, delinquency,
crime, and emotional and physical health problems
(Elgar et al., 2013).
• Exposure to inequality biases how social information
is processed such that instrumental goals are valued
more than relational goals and violence is seen as an
effective way to succeed (Elgar et al., 2013).

23. Bullying (cont.)
• Although many victims stated that self-isolation was their
reaction to bullying, one-third reported that they had plans
getting back at their aggressors (Crockett, 2003).
• Homicide is the second leading cause of death for all 15
to 24-year olds, most killed with guns (Crockett, 2003).
• Males are six times more likely to carry a handgun than
females (Crockett, 2003).

24. School Shootings
• Since the 1990s, school shooters have typically been
affluent white male adolescents (Twemlow, 2008).
• The shooters were often victims of malicious bullying
before they became the aggressor and were not out of the
ordinary until they plotted their revenge (Twemlow,
2008).
• They were considered good kids before they sought
revenge; they were in the top 10-20% of their class, had
no disciplinary problems, no drug problems, and no
psychological impairment (Twemlow, 2008).

25. School Shootings (cont.)
• Statements given to the House Judiciary Committee following
the shooting at Columbine High School suggested that a typical
school shooter ‘‘lonely and isolated. They are highly sensitive
to teasing and bullying, and are deeply resentful, ruminating
over perceived injustices’’ (Leary et al., 2003).
• There are various school shootings that have occurred in the
past few decades:
• Littleton, Colorado (1999)
• Mount Morris Township, MI (2000)
• Santee, CA (2001)
• Blacksburg, VA (2007)

26. Littleton, co (1999)
• Two teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (18 and 17
respectively) opened fire in Columbine High School using
semiautomatic weapons, shotguns, and rifles. They injured 21
people and killed 12 students and 1 teacher. Reports coming
out after the attack found that the shooting had been planned
for over a year. Evidence collected after the shootings
suggested that the incident was, in part, retribution for how
they had been treated by other students.
• Videotapes made prior to the attack show the boys telling of
episodes of teasing and ostracism. In the videos Klebold states,
‘‘I’m going to kill you all,’’ and ‘‘you’ve been giving me
[problems] for years’’ (Leary et al., 2003).

27. Littleton, co (1999)
• In the 50 days following the shooting there were 354
threats in which were a result of the copycat phenomenon
due to the extensive media coverage (Twemslow, 2008).
• Media reports surrounding the shooting stated that the
shooters had been humiliated by other students and
taunted (Leary, Kowalski, Smith, & Philips, 2003).

28. Mount morris township, mi
(2000)
• A six year old boy argued with a female peer and slapped
the girl. The following day after telling her, “I don’t like
you,” he pointed a gun at her and killed her. He was
reported to have wanted revenge by scaring her with the
gun. The boy had been left in the care of an uncle, who
lived in a suspected crack house, so that his mother could
work two jobs (Leary et al., 2003).

29. Santee, ca (2001)
• Andy Williams, age 15, had been severely bullied by
his peers, so he boasted to friends that he would be
causing trouble at school. Williams shot two students
to death and wounded 13 others (Leary et al., 2003).

30. Blacksburg, va (2007)
• Virginia Tech Massacre
• On the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, college senior Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32
people in addition to injuring 17 (6 more were injured trying to
escape classrooms through windows) others in two different
attacks taking place 2 hours apart (Brady et al., 2007)
• A young adult immersed in a bullying dormitory that
exemplified the course of his childhood experiences of bullying
& marginalization (Twemlow, 2008).
• The attacks has been reported to be the deadliest shooting in the
United States (Brady et al., 2007).

31. Bullying & Suicide
By: Lianet Navarro

32. What is bullying known as?
• Bullying is known as the use of force in order to abuse another
individual.
• This force can take the form of a physical or verbal behavior.

33. • Studies have shown that being exposed to bullying can increase
the risk of committing suicide.

34. • Everyone knows someone who has been a
victim by bullying and suicide and the
best prevention is knowing the warning
signs.

35. Warning Signs: Suicide
• If a person talks about:
• Having no reason to live
• Killing themselves
• Being a burden to others
• Feeling trapped
• Unbearable pain

36. Warning Signs: Suicide
• If a person’s behavior is new or has increased after a loss,
painful event or change:
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Looking for ways to kill themselves, such as searching the
internet, pills, firearms.
• Acting recklessly
• Withdrawing from activities
• …Continued on next slide

37. Warning Signs: Suicide
• Isolating from family and friends
• Aggressive behavior
• Giving away prized possessions
• Sleeping too much or too little.
• Feeling hopeless

38. Warning Signs: Suicide
• If their mood changes and they have signs of:
• Depression
• Loss of interest
• Rage
• Irritability
• Humiliation
• Anxiety

39. What we know about bullying:
• Youth who report being bullied and those who report
frequently bullying others are at high risk for suicide related
behavior.
• Youth who reports both being bullies and being bullied (bully-
victims) have the highest risk of suicide related behavior of any
groups that report being involved in bullying.

40. What we know about suicide:
• Suicide: is known as death caused by self directed injurious
behavior with any intent to die.
• Suicide attempt: known as a non-fatal self directed injurious
behavior with the intent to die as the result of the behavior. This
may or may not result in injury.
• Suicidal ideation: this is when you think about, consider, or plan
for suicide.

41. • People who engage in suicide-related behavior often
experience overwhelming feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness.
• Any involvement with bullying behavior is one stressor which
may significantly contribute to feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness that raise the risk of suicide.

42. Taking Action
• It is recommended to start prevention early. It is beneficial to
intervene in bullying among younger children and assess both
bullies and victims with risk factors associated with suicide.
This is beneficial as children enter the developmental stage
when suicide risk is rising.
• Keeping up with technology, because bullying can take place
in cyberspace, through the use of social media and internet.

43. Taking Action Continued…
• We must pay special attention to the needs of LGBT youth
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) and youth who do not
conform to gender expectations.
• This youth group is at increased risk of bullying and suicidal
behavior.
• We must use a comprehensive approach. Reducing the risk of
bullying and suicide requires interventions that main focus is
young people and the environment they live in.

44. Taking Action Continued…
• Be willing to listen to the victims problems.
• Be non-judgmental.
• Give a helpful resource
• Be compassionate
• Encourage them to seek help and talk to someone for help,
such as a counselor, family member, a friend.
• Most importantly: Seek help from agencies who specialize in
suicide prevention

45. American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention (AFSP)
• “In order to be effective, statewide suicide prevention plans must
address suicide prevention among a wide variety of vulnerable
populations. And for those plans to have meaning there must be
ongoing funding available from the state or other sources to make
prevention activities and programming possible. Collaboration and
coordination among state and local agencies is critical to developing a
comprehensive and effective statewide approach to suicide
prevention.”
• AFSP monitors state suicide prevention activities and advocates for
state plans that:
• Address suicide prevention across the lifespan;
• Are fully implemented;
• Are funded, sustainable, and evaluated.

46. The Intervention
We’d meet with each group separately, making it a point not to use
these labels when identifying the groups (bullies and victims).
Objectives for meeting with each group:
Students write a short essay describing “Who Am I?”
Discuss self-esteem
Activities to build self-esteem
• Role play
• Positive statements of affirmation
• Self-portraits/drawings

47. The Intervention
Individual counseling
• The meetings would occur twice a week, during school hours. The whole intervention
program would be two months. One month for each group separately and the final
month, the two groups would be interacting and working together.
• The final phase of the intervention would be to bring the two groups together and this
will show how effective the exercises were and if the students will apply their new
knowledge in a real setting.
Objectives:
• Activities to build trust
• Activities demonstrating commonalities
• School staff, i.e. teachers would be asked to provide weekly updates of the students’
progress after the intervention. A month after the intervention, a second survey would
be administered to compare the results of pre-intervention vs. post intervention.
Students would be asked to write an essay once again, describing themselves in their
own words. This will show if their personal self-perspective has changed and if it has
any correlation to their behavior and interaction with others.

48. Conclusion
Bullying affects children of all ages, gender and race.

49. Bullying is worldwide and a solution needs to be the most effective as possible.
Positive Psychology might just open a new door to many possible ideas on
prevention and solutions for many areas of need.

50. Positive psychology is fairly new, but it can possibly open
the door to a new prevention idea. The ideas can possible
help not just victims but the actual bullies. People focus on
the victims, but there needs to be some focus put on the
bully as well.

51. Victims have factors that possibly make them the victim, the same
goes for the bully. Some of these factors are social status, economic
status and overall childhood experiences. This is why it is
important to make a prevention plan that focus on both parties

52. This video was directed by my daughter with
assistance from the Drama Club in her
school

53. The video is in black and white to reflect the mood of the
victim after being bullied. Once a helping hand approaches,
the video is in color to reflect how one person can make a
difference in someone’s life.

54. The intervention plan we designed is to bring the victim and bully
together, so they can see how if they give each other the
chance, they might have many things in common. While they
work together they can learn to know each other.

55. Positive psychology can be a step towards a positive
light in the gloomy path that bullying brings.

56. References:
• http://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/suicide-warning-
signs
• http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-suicide-
translation-final-a.pdf
• http://www.sprc.org/sites/sprc.org/files/library/Suicide_Bullyi
ng_Issue_Brief.pdf
• http://www.prevent7.org
• https://www.afsp.org/advocacy-public-policy/state-
policy/state-suicide-prevention-initiatives-and-plans

57. References
• Brady, E., Gomez, A., Heath, B., Hortobagyi, M., Toppo, G., & Zinn, B. (2007,
April 17). 33 dead after gunfire at dorm, in classrooms. USA Today, p. 01A.
• Crockett, D. (2003). Critical issues children face in the 2000s. School Psychology
Quarterly, 18(4), 446.
• Elgar, F., Pickett, K., Pickett, W., Craig, W., Molcho, M., Hurrelmann, K., &
Lenzi, M. (2013). School bullying, homicide and income inequality: A cross-
national pooled time series analysis. International Journal of Public Health,
58(2), 237.
• Leary, M. R., Kowalski, R. M., Smith, L., & Phillips, S. (2003). Teasing,
rejection, and violence: Case studies of the school shootings. Aggressive
Behavior, 29(3), 202.
• Twemlow, S. (2008). Assessing adolescents who threaten homicide in schools: A
recent update. Clinical Social Work Journal, 36(2), 127.