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Bullying and Youth Violence

by Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, Bridgewater State College and Margaret Hannah, M.Ed, Executive Director, Freedman Center for Child and Family Development at The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is a form of violence in which one person repeatedly targets another who is weaker, smaller, or more vulnerable. It is repeated behavior intended to harm or disturb the target. An imbalance of power exists in all bullying situations. Bullying can be physical, verbal, and/or psychological. Verbal bullying includes taunting, name-calling, making threats, and belittling the target. Physical bullying can include hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing, biting, and taking personal belongings. Psychological bullying consists of spreading rumors, social exclusion, intimidation, extortion, and sexual harassment. [More]

NOTE: Choose a location before choosing a topic to limit results to organizations relevant to residents of that community.

Resource Organizations » Bullying and Youth Violence

11 listing(s), including 1 with hotlines

In Massachusetts

Department of Children and Families

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the Massachusetts state agency responsible for protecting children from child abuse and neglect. To report abuse or neglect, call the Child-at-Risk Hotline anytime of the day or night at 800-792-5200. DCF relies on reports from professionals and other concerned individuals to learn about children who may need protection. DCF receives reports on more than 100,000 children each year. Certain professionals are mandated to report child abuse and neglect; however, anyone can report child abuse and neglect.

Adults and Children Together Against Violence (ACT)

Nearly a half century of research has shown that violence is a learned behavior, often learned when a child is very young. But the skills of violence prevention can also be learned at a young age. ACT emphasizes that the early years are critical for learning and that the adults in children's lives can be the primary teachers of violence prevention. The ACT program mission is to educate communities and adults to create safe, healthy environments that protects children and youth from violence. It accomplishes its mission by disseminating research-based information and skills to adults in simple, accessible, user-friendly messages and materials.

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF)

The BCYF supports children, youth and families through a wide range of programs and services. The BCYF Streetworker Program has been hailed as one of the most effective youth prevention and early intervention services provided to Boston's youth. The goal of the program is to connect "hard-to-reach" youth to needed services and resources through direct, targeted street outreach.

Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC)

The Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center is housed at Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. MARC was founded and is directed by Dr. Elizabeth Englander, a professor of Psychology at the College, and an expert in the field of bullying prevention. Its goal is to bring low- or no-cost services to K-12 education, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the area of bullying prevention, cyberbullying education and prevention, and violence prevention. The MARC website includes guides for parents and professionals.

Needham Health Department

The Needham Health Department offers a range of mental health services for citizens of the town. Public Health Nurses provide confidential counseling and referrals to all ages. Short-term home-based services for at-risk teenagers and their families are provided through Riverside Community Care's Alternative Youth Services program. The program includes family counseling, advocacy, information, and referral. Call the Health Department for more information on these free services. The town's Substance Abuse Prevention and Education program provides informational programs, educational resources, and confidential substance abuse support services for Needham youth, adults, and seniors. Contact Carol Read at the Health Department to find out more about inpatient and outpatient treatment, individual and group counseling, and peer support resources regarding substance abuse, addiction and chemical dependency.

Needham Youth Services

This is a town-funded department which provides professional and confidential mental health services to youth and their families in Needham. It offers support, information, and direction on issues such as peer relationships, stress, grief and loss, substance use, suicide, and other concerns. Most services are free of charge. The department collaborates regularly with civic and community organizations on a variety of projects.

Stop Handgun Violence

Stop Handgun Violence is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1995 by a group of businesspeople moved by the increasing number of gun deaths and injuries in America. SHV works effectively to prevent firearm violence through public awareness and sensible legislation - without banning guns.

Public Education:

Since 1995, Stop Handgun Violence has increased public awareness about the epidemic of gun violence. SHV developed several effective media and public education campaigns, the centerpiece of which is America's largest billboard. SHV's message appears on 1,000 billboards around the country. In addition, SHV distributed over 30,000 trigger locks to gun owners across the country, and works to establish gun violence prevention curriculums in schools across the state.

Outside Massachusetts

Cyberbully 411

Cyberbully411, created by Internet Solutions for Kids, is an effort to provide resources for youth who have questions about or have been targeted by online harassment. The site offers information to youth on cyberbullying and its consequences, as well as guidance on what to do and how to talk to parents in a cyberbullying situation. There is also an online discussion forum.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is a unique collaboration of academic and community-based service centers whose mission is to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for traumatized children and their families across the United States. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and attention to cultural perspectives, the NCTSN serves as a national resource for developing and disseminating evidence-based interventions, trauma-informed services, and public and professional education. The website includes information on the types of traumatic stress and resources for parents and caregivers whose children are experiencing traumatic stress.

Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Violence is a serious public health problem in the United States. From infants to the elderly, it affects people in all stages of life. In 2005, more than 18,000 people were victims of homicide and more than 32,000 took their own life. The number of violent deaths tells only part of the story. Many more survive violence and are left with permanent physical and emotional scars. Violence also erodes communities by reducing productivity, decreasing property values, and disrupting social services. This CDC website includes information on a variety of topics related to violence prevention, including youth violence, relationship violence, and suicide.

Wired Safety

Wired Safety is dedicated to helping protect children in cyberspace. It does this by a combination of educational programs, online information and resources, and one-to-one help. Help is provided through live chat, instant-messaging, peer counseling of victims of cybercrime and abuse, and e-mail reportlines. There is also a partner website, www.stopcyberbullying.org, which offers specific information about cyberbullying for children, parents, educators, and law enforcement.

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Additional Sources of Information

Bullying

• Direct from the Field: A Guide to Bullying Prevention (PDF), from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (press release here).
• Anti-Bullying Program for Parents: “The Role of Parents in Reducing Bullying and Cyberbullying” (VIDEO)
• Specific Strategies to Teach Your Child to Deal with Teasing
• One Tough Job, from the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund, offers the following articles (slide the age slider to 12-15 and choose from the sidebar links):
  • Bullying—What Parents Should Know
  • I Think My Child Is Being Bullied—What Should I Do?
  • I Think My Child Is A Bully—What Should I Do?
  • How Can I Prevent Bullying in My Child’s School & Neighborhood
• Eyes on Bullying, a multimedia project developed at Education Development Center, offers an excellent toolkit (PDF) for parents and caregivers.
• The Biology of Bullying: “Mice Lacking Social Memory Molecule Take Bullying in Stride,” from NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health).
• The Stop Bullying Now! initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a wealth of information for students as well as for parents and educators.
• Suzanne Gilfix and Dave Shannon, presenters of The Anti-Bullying Solution workshop for parents at numerous elementary schools in the greater Boston area, offer “Bullying: Tips and Tricks for Parents.”
• The Newton Public Schools' elementary library teachers have compiled an overview of bullying and a list of recommended resources (PDF).
• Lisa Sjornson, founder of Helping Kids Thrive, offers teachers and administrators “Bullyproof Your School: 10 Places to Start.”

Cyberbullying

• Cyberbullying and Parenting: Back to the BASICS
• Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids about Being Online (pdf)
  This guide offers adults “practical tips to help kids navigate the online world.”  Published by OnGuard Online, www.onguardonline.gov/, a joint effort of the federal government and the technology industry to help citizens stay safe online.

Violence Prevention

American Psychological Association

• What Makes Kids Care?: Teaching Gentleness in a Violent World
• Warning Signs of Youth Violence

The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention maintains an online library of documents on violence prevention, including:

• Key Strategies for Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention I: Working with Children and Families (PDF)
• Key Strategies for Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention II: Working with the Classroom and the School Environment (PDF)

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Publications

List of books, articles and other publications on Bullying and Youth Violence.

36th Annual National Suicide Prevention Week, September 5th - 11th, 2010. See Families, Community Systems and Suicide, from the American Association of Suicidology.

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The work of Project INTERFACE is supported in part by the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project (MCPAP).