Tying Bullying to Traumatic Stress

Van der Kolk, McFarlane, and Weisaeth (2007) state, “Trauma in childhood
can disrupt normal developmental processes. Because of their dependence
on their caregivers, their incomplete biological development, and their
immature concepts of themselves and their surroundings, children have
unique patterns of reaction and needs for intervention.” Many of the
children who are affected by traumatic stressors such as bullying can have
their developmental processes and parts of their brains affected by the
traumatic events (Ziegler, 2002).

If the child also lacks family support, the effects can be more devastating.
As the child attempts to make sense of the traumatic event, new behavioral
problems can emanate from re-experienced traumatic events. In addition,
some children affected by traumatic events may disassociate themselves
from the traumatic situations and absorb themselves in behaviors that
generate negative attention. These new behavioral adaptations may
become so potent that opportunities for typical development and growth are
ignored as the child attempts to ensure her own safety.

For instance, a child who has been repeatedly bullied on the playground
may exhibit oppositional behaviors in class or may turn in incomplete work
just to ensure that she has to stay inside while others are on recess. The
child doesn’t pay attention in class, and her thoughts revolve around
staying away from the playground. The fear of reprimand for the behavior is
less than the fear of being bullied at recess.

The number of youths who experience bullying is alarming. In a recent

survey of 1,965 students in seventh through twelfth grades, 48 percent
reported being harassed in some way (Anderson, 2011). Since many cases
of bullying include violent actions intended to create fear (name-calling;
physical attacks; acts of humiliation, denigration, and mistreatment),
bullying can cause traumatic stress responses. With these acts of bullying
being continuous and going unnoticed, many children who are bulled can in
fact develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (van der Kolk,
Weisaeth, & McFarlane, 2007).

Understanding Why Bullying Occurs

Numerous researchers, educators, and psychologists have theories about
why bullying occurs. Although these groups have different semantics for
explaining why bullying occurs, there is always a common theme: power
and control. From my own experience of dealing with students who have
been bullied and students who behave as bullies, it’s clear to me that
dominating others provides an element of control to the individual doing the
bullying. As Wolk (2010) noted, “Bullies are about power and control, and
confronting them or stepping in to stop them usurps their sense of power.”

Unfortunately, in many instances, school officials deal with incidents of

bullying much too late. By the time intervention occurs, the psychological
damage and pain has become almost indelible. This damage affects not
only the bully and the target(s), it also affects the bystanders. Wolk (2010)
states, “Most bystanders do not like witnessing another person being
bullied. It puts one into an uncomfortable psychological state known as
cognitive dissonance to witness a bullying incident and do nothing about it.
Cognitive dissonance occurs when our actions do not match our internal
code of ethics and morality.”

Steps Schools Can Take to Stop Bullying

School officials must take time to review how they respond to acts of
bullying. Wolk (2010) states that “harassment in schools violates Title VI
and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of the Education Amendments of 1972.”
And in addition to the legal violations, there are emotional and traumatic
costs to the individuals involved in bullying situations.

Bullying needs to be addressed swiftly. The consequences should include

recommendation for counseling for the bullies. As noted earlier, many
bullies have themselves faced terrible difficulties of their own. Some of
these difficulties may be abuses (physical and verbal), violent episodes at
home, chaotic lifestyles, and other disturbing experiences. As a result of
these factors, these individuals displace their pain on others. (Such factors,
incidentally, are also linked to self-harm behaviors.)

It is also powerful for school officials and counselors to perform reflective

interviews with bullies. Reflective interviews can involve placing the bully in
the shoes of his victim and asking him to think about how his actions have
affected the victim.

I have found it especially helpful as a school principal to meet with the bully
first, and to have him process and reflect on the situation. I then invite the
victim to my office and have the bully and the victim meet. Making things
right with the victim lessens the bully’s sense of power and control over the
victim. This process also allows me to empower the victim and provide him
with new tools of confidence and assertion.

Victims must be encouraged to report the acts and actions of bullies.

School leaders and/or leaders in other settings that support youths should
be vigilant in sending a clear message to bullies that bullying is not
tolerated in their setting. They must also send a clear message to victims
that failure to report a single act of bullying will ultimately give bullies the
notion that it is okay to continue to bully.

References

 Anderson, J. (2011). National study finds widespread sexual

harassment of students in grades 7 to 12. Retrieved
from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/education/widesprea
d-sexual-harassment-in-grades-7-to-12-found-in-study.html
 Anderson, N. (2010). Obama administration campaign takes on anti-
gay bullying in school. Retrieved
from www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102506037.html
 Eckholm, E. (2011). Two students plead guilty in bullying of teenager.
Retrieved
from www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/05bully.html?_r=1&ref=
cyberbullying
 van der Kolk, B. A., Weisaeth, A. C., & McFarlane, L. (2007).
Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind,
body, and society. New York: The Guildford Press.
 Wolk, D. (2010). Beyond the bullies: Bystanders and instigators
enable aggression. Retrieved from www.hepg.org/blog/35
 Ziegler, D. (2002). Traumatic experience and the brain. Phoenix:
Acacia Publishing, Inc.