Bullying in American Schools Quotes

“bullying specifically, defined as, “a specific type of aggression in which (1) the behavior is intended to harm or disturb; (2) the behavior occurs repeatedly over time; and (3) there is an imbalance of power, with a more powerful person or group attacking a less powerful one”
― Dorothy L. Espelage, Bullying in North American Schools

“school staff underestimate the extent of bullying among students and they overestimate students’ willingness to intervene and student confidence in the ability of staff to effectively intervene.”
― Dorothy L. Espelage, Bullying in North American Schools

“students who are bullied perceive less social support from peers and students who perpetrate bullying perceive less social support from parents and teachers.”
― Dorothy L. Espelage, Bullying in North American Schools

“preschool children who are exposed to aggressive youth are at risk for engaging in aggression themselves. This effect appears to be most relevant for boys in preschool, given the tendency for preschoolers to play in gender-segregated groups.”
― Dorothy L. Espelage, Bullying in North American Schools

“There are no simple explanations for bullying—it is often the result of complex psychological and social interactions.”
― Dorothy L. Espelage, Bullying in North American Schools

“In the mid-1900s, Ludwig von Bertalanffy, an Austrian biologist, developed a theory known as General System Theory (GST; von Bertalanffy, 1969) that posited that the same result may be achieved via many different paths. This concept is termed “equifinality.” Applied to the study of human behavior, equifinality refers to the fact that many different early experiences can lead to similar outcomes. In other words, there are many different early experiences that can lead to the same end result. Specific to the study of bullying behaviors, equifinality suggests that there are many different factors that can result in the bullying phenomenon.”
― Dorothy L. Espelage, Bullying in North American Schools