Trying to stop the bullies: A physician's responsibility

The AMA is asking physicians to join with it in taking a stand against the serious youth violence issue of bullying.

Editorial. Dec. 16, 2002.

In a society in which children and adolescents face widely publicized problems including racism, pressure to use alcohol and drugs, and pressure to have sex, the problem of bullying has received little public attention. A 2001 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, however, showed that among 8- to 15-year-olds in this country, bullying was perceived as a greater problem than the more widely discussed issues mentioned above.

This surprising finding was part of a comprehensive evaluation of the problem prepared by the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs and adopted by the House of Delegates at its June meeting. The report defines bullying as behavior involving a pattern of repeated aggression aimed at harming or disturbing a victim despite the apparent distress of the victim, with a more powerful child or group attacking a physically and/or psychologically vulnerable victim.

The council found that bullies represent 7% to 15% of sampled adolescent populations, and victims represent about 10%. In elementary schools, more boys than girls are involved, but the gender difference decreases in middle and high schools. There is also an increase in so-called social bullying, most frequently manipulation done to hamper acceptance into a group. For the victims, the consequences vary, including potentially serious academic, social, emotional and legal problems. [...]

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