Monitor on Psychology - February 2012 - (Page 54)

W Photos.com hether it takes the form of hallway shoving or threatening text messages, bullying is surprisingly common. Nearly one in three students experienced bullying in the 2007-08 school year, and administrators at one in four schools described bullying as a daily occurrence, according to the federal report Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010. Such harassment isn’t just a case of kids being kids, psychologists say. For perpetrators, bullying can begin a trajectory of trouble, including conduct disorders, substance abuse, truancy and crime. Victims suffer physical and emotional pain, and consequences can extend into adulthood. Among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) victims, bullying motivated by their LGBT status (or perceived status) may lead to greatly increased risk of depression and suicide, according to a May 2011 study in the Journal of School Health. Even students who aren’t directly involved in bullying are affected by it — a climate of fearful distraction making learning harder for everyone, says Catherine Bradshaw, PhD, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence. “That’s why I consider it more a public health problem, rather than just an individual experience, or an individual problem, because it does pose significant concerns for the overall school environment,” Bradshaw says. With help from President Barack Obama — who hosted M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y • F e b ru a ry 2 0 1 2 54

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - February 2012

Monitor on Psychology - February 2012
Letters
President’s column
Contents
From the CEO
APA files two briefs in support of same-sex couples
New registry seeks to understand addiction recovery through ‘crowdsourcing’
APA launches a database of tests and measures
Watch for new member benefit: “APA Access”
Apply now for APA’s Advanced Training Institutes
PsycTHERAPY, APA’s new database, brings therapy demos to life
In Brief
APA scientists help guide tobacco regulation
A-mazing research
‘A machine for jumping to conclusions’
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Righting the imbalance
The beginnings of mental illness
Science Directions
Improving disorder classification, worldwide
Protesting proposed changes to the DSM
Interventions for at-risk students
Harnessing the wisdom of the ages
Anti-bullying efforts ramp up
Hostile hallways
R U friends 4 real?
Support for teachers
Speaking of Education
Record keeping for practitioners
Going green
At the intersection of law and psychology
Division Spotlight
Grants help solve society’s problems
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - February 2012