Bullying has dropped in schools during the pandemic
(Montreal) The number of bullying children and teens plummeted during lockdown, Ontario study found.
While before the COVID-19 pandemic, 60% of young people were bullied, they were only 40% during lockdown. Likewise, 25% of them intimidated their peers before the pandemic, compared to 13% during. The researchers, who surveyed more than 6,500 Ontarians aged 9 to 18, attribute the drop to health measures that have been taken in schools, such as "a smaller pupil-to-teacher ratio", "partially online courses" and “fewer opportunities to socialize”. According to them, these results show that "bullying is not an individual problem, but a social power dynamic that takes place in a group context within the school system." The solution would therefore be "systemic".
"I did the same study 10 years ago, with the same time frame, and the bullying rates were exactly the same as those just before the pandemic," laments the study's lead author, the psychology professor Tracy Vaillancourt, during an interview. She notes that the health crisis has outperformed any school violence reduction efforts. “Something striking has happened and we have to find out what it was. " The most important factor, she says, is adult supervision of students, which has increased during the pandemic. “If we have more supervision of the children, they will be less likely to have relationship problems with their peers,” she explains. She specifies, however, that the solution is not to add cameras or a police presence, but rather people who have a direct relationship with young people. The same in Quebec Professor Vaillancourt, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Prevention of Violence in Schools at the University of Ottawa, “absolutely” thinks that the results would be very similar in schools in Quebec, since the bullying rates she found "match what many other studies have already found." As the province is currently in a shortage of teachers, Professor Vaillancourt proposes to be “creative” and to “create a special category of adults in the school to help with the supervision”, who would not be themselves. same teachers. A different challenge for girls and boys Girls report being bullied the most, although boys are more likely to report being bullies themselves. This difference, Professor Vaillancourt explains in part by the type of bullying exercised by each genre. “Boys are more likely to commit physical violence, which is more visible and therefore more conducive to intervention,” she says, while girls “get kicked out of the group, or people spread rumors about them” , which is "more subtle". The rate of cyberbullying has also declined, but much less than physical, social or verbal violence. In addition, according to the study, "students belonging to gender diversity or belonging to the LGBTQ community" are more likely to report being victims of bullying. " Vaillancourt, Tracy et al., “School bullying before and during COVID-19: Results from a population-based randomized design”, Agressive Behavior, July 7, 2021
"I did the same study 10 years ago, with the same time frame, and the bullying rates were exactly the same as those just before the pandemic," laments the study's lead author, the psychology professor Tracy Vaillancourt, during an interview. She notes that the health crisis has outperformed any school violence reduction efforts. “Something striking has happened and we have to find out what it was. " The most important factor, she says, is adult supervision of students, which has increased during the pandemic. “If we have more supervision of the children, they will be less likely to have relationship problems with their peers,” she explains. She specifies, however, that the solution is not to add cameras or a police presence, but rather people who have a direct relationship with young people. The same in Quebec Professor Vaillancourt, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Prevention of Violence in Schools at the University of Ottawa, “absolutely” thinks that the results would be very similar in schools in Quebec, since the bullying rates she found "match what many other studies have already found." As the province is currently in a shortage of teachers, Professor Vaillancourt proposes to be “creative” and to “create a special category of adults in the school to help with the supervision”, who would not be themselves. same teachers. A different challenge for girls and boys Girls report being bullied the most, although boys are more likely to report being bullies themselves. This difference, Professor Vaillancourt explains in part by the type of bullying exercised by each genre. “Boys are more likely to commit physical violence, which is more visible and therefore more conducive to intervention,” she says, while girls “get kicked out of the group, or people spread rumors about them” , which is "more subtle". The rate of cyberbullying has also declined, but much less than physical, social or verbal violence. In addition, according to the study, "students belonging to gender diversity or belonging to the LGBTQ community" are more likely to report being victims of bullying. " Vaillancourt, Tracy et al., “School bullying before and during COVID-19: Results from a population-based randomized design”, Agressive Behavior, July 7, 2021
CLARA DESCURNINGES
PRESS
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/education/2021-07-12/etude-ontarienne/l-intimidation-a-chute-dans-les-ecoles-durant-la-pandemie.php
PRESS
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/education/2021-07-12/etude-ontarienne/l-intimidation-a-chute-dans-les-ecoles-durant-la-pandemie.php
