Thursday, August 17, 2017

Bullying Prevalence Decreased Over 10 Year Study of Grade School Students



The prevalence of bullying and related behaviors reported by nearly 250,000 students in Maryland schools declined significantly between 2005-2014, according to a study to be published in the June 2017 issue of Pediatrics.

The study, “Ten-Year Trends in Bullying and Related Attitudes Among 4th-12th Graders,”  found that cyberbullying had decreased, along with physical, verbal and relational bullying experiences, as self-reported by students who were surveyed in 109 Maryland schools. The Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence developed the on-line survey system in collaboration with school-based partners, and included a definition of bullying that was consistent with the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The authors conclude that bullying has remained a prevalent, though declining experience for school-aged youth, with 13.4 percent to 28.8 percent of 246,306 students reporting an experience with bullying in the past month. School climate and a reduction in bullying were cited as the greatest improvements. The authors encourage the use of evidence-based programming aimed at reducing school-based bullying to further reduce the problem.


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