Youth on Bullying: Major Study Examines What Students Say Works Effectively and What Does Not

Seattle, WA, November 04, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Youth on Bullying: Major Study Examines
What Students Say Works Effectively And What Does Not

For the first time, a major research effort explores bullying prevention efforts through the experience of students themselves. This study, believed to be the first of its kind, asks youth directly about their experiences with bullying and, more importantly, what they believe effectively prevents it. "Adults have given kids many types of advice about how to deal with bullying over the years," said Stan Davis, a co-author of the study. "We found that when we asked kids to tell us what has worked for them we learned that some of these often-advised strategies work much better than others."

Dr. Charisse Nixon and Stan Davis have been innovating in bullying prevention for many years. When they were not able to find a large-scale research study that helped youth define what works in bullying prevention, they designed the Youth Voice Project. During the 2009-2010 school year, they administered detailed surveys to more than 13,000 students in 31 schools in every corner of the United States. These students (grades 5-12) wrote about the hurtful behaviors they had been exposed to both directly and indirectly. Nixon and Davis heard from these students about increased rates of racially-based mistreatment and increased levels of traumatization experienced by youth of color, and increased rates of disability–based mistreatment and of trauma experienced by youth in special education. This study is the first known large-scale research project that documents students’ perceptions of what works and what doesn’t work when addressing peer victimization. What helps the most? What makes things worse?

Nixon and Davis will be presenting first results of this study in depth for the first time at the 7th Annual Conference of the International Bullying Prevention Association, November 15 – 17 in Seattle, Washington. They will discuss strategies that mistreated youth found more and less helpful and factors that mitigated victimized students’ reported trauma levels. They will discuss strategies for using these data and other research-based techniques to empower youth who are mistreated and to empower bystanders to become effective allies.

The 7th Annual Conference is expected to draw several hundred bullying prevention experts to Seattle, including educators, researchers, authors, media, law enforcement personnel, school board members, parents, and students. The Cartoon Network will conduct a workshop on effective use of media. The conference will also include a full day Youth Risk Online panel of experts from law, media, education, and law enforcement. These experts include NBC contributor Robin Sax, CNN contributor Larry Magid, and authors Anne Collier, Sameer Hinduja, and Justin Patchin. Mr. Davis will also participate in the panel. The conference is sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation, Hazelden Publishing Company, the Committee for Children, and the Cartoon Network.

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