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July 2006 - New study on bullying |
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Dr Jean Healey, an educational psychologist at the University of Western Sydney, has released the results of a 10-year study into bullying. The study demonstrates that bullying in the playground can result in the same level of psychological damage as produced by child abuse.
The study was based on surveys carried out on over 3000 students attending four high schools. The survey examined the public and private sectors and included single-sex, co-educational and denominational schools.
Reflections on the findings
The study discovered that bullying and child abuse resulted in comparable psychological damage and involved a similar relationship of power:
Not only are the actual behaviours often the same, there is plenty of evidence that peer abuse can have equally serious and permanent repercussions as other forms of abuse.
There is also a similarity in the statistics:
- 33.3 per cent males and 15 per cent females said they had endured physical abuse.
- 36 per cent of abuse carried out on children up to the age of 17 is physical.
Recommendations
Healey used her findings to highlight the fact that there was much more abuse of young people than was currently acknowledged. She argued that it is vital that bullying be legally accorded the same status as child abuse:
Legislation mandates early notification of all forms of abuse and increases both the level of responsibility and liability for litigation of teachers and schools for failure to offer an appropriate level of protection to victims.
She also pointed out that it is important for parents to acknowledge if their child is a bully:
One of the first things parents need to do is to recognise bullying in their own child. Quite often parents interpret it as play or [just play-fighting].
Healey warned that 'Child bullies often grow up to be adult bullies.'
Further reading
11 July – Study reveals schoolyard bullying is just like child abuse
11 July – Young and abusive – bullies rule
13 July – Breaking the hold of school bullies
NSW Department of Education 'Anti-bullying plan for schools'
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 July 2006 )
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