Alberti Center Newsletter

Greetings from the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention! Since getting up and running in July of 2011, we have been busy laying the foundation for our work. One of our first priorities has been to connect with colleagues and community members both within the University at Buffalo and in the Western New York area to learn about ongoing efforts to prevent and intervene with bullying, as well as to share research highlights from our center.

I invite you to learn more about our activities by visiting our website. The Quick Links section of this newsletter can guide you directly to pages that may be of particular interest to you, including Resources, Media Appearances, Conferences and Presentations, and Research and Publications.

We hope you will enjoy and benefit from these quarterly newsletters!

Warm regards,

Amanda Nickerson, Ph.D.

Director, Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention

Bullying is Child Abuse by Children

A Perspective from Jean M. Alberti, Ph.D.

To deal more effectively with the problem of bullying, including cyberbullying, we need to change the label from "bullying" to "child abuse" or "bullying abuse," because it really is abuse. Behaviors that constitute bullying (physical or emotional) are the same behaviors that, if done by an adult, would be considered physical or emotional abuse (spousal, elder, or child). As such, these actions would be prosecuted as crimes: assault and battery, robbery, emotional abuse, slander, libel, etc.

Bullying has been around since Cain and Abel, because it can be viewed as Darwin's Law of Natural Selection in operation--survival of the fittest, the strong pick on the weak and vulnerable. Therefore, too many people, including educators and parents, think it is simply normal child and adolescent development, and/or that children have to learn to take it or learn to stand up to the bully. However, we teach children to curb other natural behaviors (e.g., toilet training, sharing); we can and should also teach children to value differences and to not pick on or punish those who seem different. Until people get outraged enough at bullying abuse, not enough will be done to correct this problem. And, people will not get outraged unless, and until, it is called Child Abuse by Children. Learn more about Dr. Jean M. Alberti.

Tell us what you think about bullying as child abuse.

Getting to Know Us:

Jamie M. Ostrov, Ph.D., Alberti Center Faculty Affiliate

Meet Dr. Jamie Ostrov, Alberti Center faculty affiliate and associate professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo. Ostrov focuses his research on understanding the development of types of aggression in children ages three to five, and serves as a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education in their efforts to develop a uniform definition of bullying. He has also assisted the federal StopBullying.gov initiative in adapting bullying prevention materials for young children. Recently, Ostrov was part of a panel of experts on Sesame Street that addressed the problem of bullying and how parents can help children.

Learn more about Dr. Jamie M. Ostrov.

Featured F.A.Q.

Question: As a parent, how do I know when to get involved in resolving bullying situations and when to provide guidance and let my child try to handle the problem on his or her own?

Answer: This will depend on both the child and the situation. First, thank your child for talking to you. Before taking matters into your own hands, listen, empathize, and problem-solve with your child. Many times this will involve reporting the incident to the school. In some instances, your child may prefer to try to cope with it in other ways, such as getting support from friends, peers, or a trusted adult; standing up assertively and saying no; or diffusing the situation by making a joke out of it. It may also help to role-play and brainstorm what action to take if things continue or get worse. Try to balance your child's sense of self-efficacy in handling difficult situations with the clear message that bullying abuse should not be tolerated and that he or she is not alone. More resources for parents.

Submit a question for the next Featured F.A.Q.

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