The number of kids who are being bullied is going down, says a new study from the University of New Hampshires Crimes Against Children Research Center.
Researchers conducted two surveys of children between the ages of 2 to 17. The first survey, of 2,030 children, was conducted in 2003. The second, which examined 4,046 children, was conducted in 2008. Children were asked questions about various types of violence or victimization they might have experienced.
The study found that the number of kids who said theyd experienced physical bullying decreased from almost 22 percent in 2003 to nearly 15 percent in 2008. Researchers believe that one reason behind the trend might be the boost that anti-bullying programs received after tragedies such as the 1999 Columbine massacre.
But even as rates of physical bullying may be on the decline, other child safety experts say cyberbullying is a growing problem. According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), more than 43 percent of teenagers reported that theyd been the victims of cyberbullying in a recent survery.
One thing we can do as parents of grade-schoolers is instill the message in our children that they can talk to us if they experience any form of bullying. (The NCPC survey also found that only 10 percent of those teens whod experienced cyberbullying actually told their parents.) Thats one of the best ways we can help protect our kids against bullying as we enter the preteen and teen years ahead.
Fewer Kids are Being Bullied originally appeared on About.com Parenting School Age Children on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 12:10:25.
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