Bullying bystanders suffer too

LONDON (UPI) -- Students who watch peers be verbally or physically abused by another student could become as psychologically distressed as the victim, British researchers say.

Lead author Ian Rivers of Brunel University and colleagues surveyed 2,002 students ages 12-16 at 14 schools in England. The students indicated whether they had committed, witnessed or been the victim of any of name-calling, kicking, hitting, rumor-mongering or threatened violence during the previous nine-week school term and, if so, how often.

The study, published in Psychology Quarterly, found 63 percent said they witnessed peers being bullied, 34 percent said they had been victims of bullying and 20 percent said they had been perpetrators. About 28 percent said they were completely uninvolved in any bullying episodes.

Students who witnessed bullying were more likely to report greater psychological distress than those students who were bullies or victims.

"It's well documented that children and adolescents who are exposed to violence within their families or outside of school are at a greater risk for mental health problems than those children who are not exposed to any violence," Rivers said in a statement. "It should not be a surprise that violence at school will pose the same kind of risk."



Copyright 2009 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 12/15/2009