DOJ Seal
COPS logo

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing logo
Center for Problem-Oriented Policing 

Got a Problem? Weve got answers! 

Log onto the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing website at 
www.popcenter.org for a wealth of information to help you deal 
more effectively with crime and disorder in your community, 
including: 

 Web-enhanced versions of all currently available Guides 
 Interactive training exercises 
 Online access to research and police practices 
 Online problem analysis module. 

Designed for police and those who work with them to address 
community problems, www.popcenter.org is a great resource in 
problem-oriented policing. 

Supported by the Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services, U.S. Department of Justice. 


Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 
Problem-Specific Guides Series 
Guide No. 12 

Bullying in Schools 

Rana Sampson 

This project was supported by cooperative agreement 
#99-CK-WX-K004 by the Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein 
are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the 
official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to 
specific companies, products, or services should not be considered an 
endorsement of the product by the author or the U.S. Department of 
Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion 
of the issues. 

www.cops.usdoj.gov 

ISBN: 1-932582-11-8 

May 2002 


About the Problem-Specific Guides Series 

The Problem-Specific Guides summarize knowledge about how 
police can reduce the harm caused by specific crime and 
disorder problems. They are guides to prevention and to 
improving the overall response to incidents, not to investigating 
offenses or handling specific incidents. Neither do they cover 
all of the technical details about how to implement specific 
responses. The guides are written for policeof whatever rank 
or assignmentwho must address the specific problem the 
guides cover. The guides will be most useful to officers who: 

 
Understand basic problem-oriented policing principles 
and methods. The guides are not primers in problem-
oriented policing. They deal only briefly with the initial 
decision to focus on a particular problem, methods to 
analyze the problem, and means to assess the results of a 
problem-oriented policing project. They are designed to help 
police decide how best to analyze and address a problem 
they have already identified. (A companion series of Problem-
Solving Tools guides has been produced to aid in various 
aspects of problem analysis and assessment.) 
 
Can look at a problem in depth. Depending on the 
complexity of the problem, you should be prepared to spend 
perhaps weeks, or even months, analyzing and responding to 
it. Carefully studying a problem before responding helps you 
design the right strategy, one that is most likely to work in 
your community. You should not blindly adopt the responses 
others have used; you must decide whether they are 
appropriate to your local situation. What is true in one place 
may not be true elsewhere; what works in one place may not 
work everywhere. 



 
Are willing to consider new ways of doing police 
business. The guides describe responses that other police 
departments have used or that researchers have tested. 
While not all of these responses will be appropriate to your 
particular problem, they should help give a broader view of 
the kinds of things you could do. You may think you cannot 
implement some of these responses in your jurisdiction, 
but perhaps you can. In many places, when police have 
discovered a more effective response, they have succeeded 
in having laws and policies changed, improving the response 
to the problem. (A companion series of Response Guides has 
been produced to help you understand how commonly-used 
police responses work on a variety of problems.) 
 
Understand the value and the limits of research 
knowledge. For some types of problems, a lot of useful 
research is available to the police; for other problems, 
little is available. Accordingly, some guides in this series 
summarize existing research whereas other guides illustrate 
the need for more research on that particular problem. 
Regardless, research has not provided definitive answers to 
all the questions you might have about the problem. The 
research may help get you started in designing your own 
responses, but it cannot tell you exactly what to do. This 
will depend greatly on the particular nature of your local 
problem. In the interest of keeping the guides readable, 
not every piece of relevant research has been cited, nor has 
every point been attributed to its sources. To have done so 
would have overwhelmed and distracted the reader. The 
references listed at the end of each guide are those drawn 
on most heavily; they are not a complete bibliography of 
research on the subject. 
 
Are willing to work with others to find effective 
solutions to the problem. The police alone cannot 
implement many of the responses discussed in the guides. 



They must frequently implement them in partnership with 
other responsible private and public bodies including other 
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, 
private businesses, public utilities, community groups, 
and individual citizens. An effective problem-solver must 
know how to forge genuine partnerships with others 
and be prepared to invest considerable effort in making 
these partnerships work. Each guide identifies particular 
individuals or groups in the community with whom 
police might work to improve the overall response to that 
problem. Thorough analysis of problems often reveals 
that individuals and groups other than the police are in 
a stronger position to address problems and that police 
ought to shift some greater responsibility to them to do 
so. Response Guide No. 3, Shifting and Sharing Responsibility 
for Public Safety Problems, provides further discussion of this 
topic.

The COPS Office defines community policing as a policing 
philosophy that promotes and supports organizational 
strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime 
and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and 
police-community partnerships. These guides emphasize 
problem-solving and police-community partnerships in the 
context of addressing specific public safety problems. For 
the most part, the organizational strategies that can facilitate 
problem-solving and police-community partnerships vary considerably 
and discussion of them is beyond the scope of these guides. 

These guides have drawn on research findings and police 
practices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, 
Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. 
Even though laws, customs and police practices vary from 
country to country, it is apparent that the police everywhere 


v 

experience common problems. In a world that is becoming 
increasingly interconnected, it is important that police be 
aware of research and successful practices beyond the borders 
of their own countries. 

Each guide is informed by a thorough review of the research 
literature and reported police practice and is anonymously 
peer-reviewed by line police officers, police executives and 
researchers prior to publication. 

The COPS Office and the authors encourage you to provide 
feedback on this guide and to report on your own agencys 
experiences dealing with a similar problem. Your agency 
may have effectively addressed a problem using responses 
not considered in these guides and your experiences and 
knowledge could benefit others. This information will be used 
to update the guides. If you wish to provide feedback and 
share your experiences it should be sent via e-mail to cops_ 
pubs@usdoj.gov. 

For more information about problem-oriented policing, visit 
the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing online at www. 
popcenter.org. This website offers free online access to: 

 the Problem-Specific Guides series 
 the companion Response Guides and Problem-Solving Tools series 
 instructional information about problem-oriented policing 
and related topics 
 an interactive problem-oriented policing training exercise 
 an interactive Problem Analysis Module 
 a manual for crime analysts 
 online access to important police research and practices 
 information about problem-oriented policing conferences 
and award programs. 


Acknowledgments 

The Problem-Oriented Guides for Police are produced by the 
Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, whose officers are 
Michael S. Scott (Director), Ronald V. Clarke (Associate 
Director) and Graeme R. Newman (Associate Director). 
While each guide has a primary author, other project team 
members, COPS Office staff and anonymous peer reviewers 
contributed to each guide by proposing text, recommending 
research and offering suggestions on matters of format and 
style. 

The project team that developed the guide series comprised 
Herman Goldstein (University of Wisconsin Law School), 
Ronald V. Clarke (Rutgers University), John E. Eck (University 
of Cincinnati), Michael S. Scott (University of Wisconsin Law 
School), Rana Sampson (Police Consultant), and Deborah 
Lamm Weisel (North Carolina State University.) 

Members of the San Diego; National City, California; and 
Savannah, Georgia police departments provided feedback on 
the guides format and style in the early stages of the project. 

Cynthia E. Pappas oversaw the project for the COPS Office. 
Research for the guide was conducted at the Criminal Justice 
Library at Rutgers University under the direction of Phyllis 
Schultze. Suzanne Fregly edited this guide. 


contents 

About the Problem-Specific Guides Series i

Acknowledgments v 

The Problem of Bullying in Schools 1 

Definition of Bullying 2

Related Problems 3

Extent of the Bully ng Problem 4

A Threshold Problem: The Reluctance To Report 5

Bullying Behavior 6

Bullies 9

Incidents of Bullying 10

Victims of Bullying 12

Consequences of Bullying 12

Chronic Victims of Bullying 13

Understanding Your Local Problem 15 

Asking the Right Questions 15 

The School 15 

Offenders 16 

Victims and Victimization 16 

Locations Where Bullying Occurs 16 

Measuring Your Effectiveness 17 

Responses to the Problem of Bullying in Schools 19 

General Requirements for an Effective Strategy To Counter Bullying in Schools 19 

Specific Responses To Reduce Bullying in Schools 20 

Responses With Limited Effectiveness 23 


Appendix A: Summary of Responses to Bullying in Schools 25 

Appendix B: Sample Letter Educating Parents About Bullying in Schools 29 

Endnotes 33 

References 37 

About the Author 43 

Recommended Readings 45 

Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 49 


The Problem of Bullying in Schools 

There is new concern about school violence, and police have 
assumed greater responsibility for helping school officials 
ensure students' safety. As pressure increases to place officers 
in schools, police agencies must decide how best to contribute 
to student safety. Will police presence on campuses most 
enhance safety? If police cannot or should not be on every 
campus, can they make other contributions to student safety? 
What are good approaches and practices? 

Perhaps more than any other school safety problem, bullying 
affects students' sense of security. The most effective ways 
to prevent or lessen bullying require school administrators' 
commitment and intensive effort; police interested in 
increasing school safety can use their influence to encourage 
schools to address the problem. This guide provides police 
with information about bullying in schools, its extent and 
its causes, and enables police to steer schools away from 
common remedies that have proved ineffective elsewhere, and 
to develop ones that will work. 

Bullying is widespread and perhaps the most underreported 
safety problem on American school campuses.1 Contrary to 
popular belief, bullying occurs more often at school than on 
the way to and from there. Once thought of as simply a rite 
of passage or relatively harmless behavior that helps build 
young people's character, bullying is now known to have 
long-lasting harmful effects, for both the victim and the 
bully. Bullying is often mistakenly viewed as a narrow range 
of antisocial behavior confined to elementary school recess 
yards. In the United States, awareness of the problem is 
growing, especially with reports that in two-thirds of the 
recent school shootings (for which the shooter was still alive 

 Why should police care about a 
safety problem when others, such 
as school administrators, are better 
equipped to address it? One can 
find numerous examples of safety 
problems regarding which the most 
promising part of the police role 
is to raise awareness and engage 
others to effectively manage the 
problems. For example, in the case 
of drug dealing in privately owned 
apartment complexes, the most 
effective police strategy is to educate 
property owners and managers in 
effective strategies so they can reduce 
their property's vulnerability to drug 
markets. 


 

to report), the attackers had previously been bullied. "In those 
cases, the experience of bullying appeared to play a major role 
in motivating the attacker."2, 

 It is important to note that while 
bullying may be a contributing factor 
in many school shootings, it is not 
the cause of the school shootings.

International research suggests that bullying is common at 
schools and occurs beyond elementary school; bullying occurs 
at all grade levels, although most frequently during elementary 
school. It occurs slightly less often in middle schools, and 
less so, but still frequently, in high schools. High school 
freshmen are particularly vulnerable. 

 For an excellent review of 
bullying research up through 1992, 
see Farrington (1993). 

Dan Olweus, a researcher in Norway, conducted 
groundbreaking research in the 1970s exposing the 
widespread nature and harm of school bullying.3 Bullying is 
well documented in Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, and 
New Zealand, providing an extensive body of information on 
the problem. Research from some countries has shown that, 
without intervention, bullies are much more likely to develop 
a criminal record than their peers, and bullying victims 
suffer psychological harm long after the bullying stops. 

 As young adults, former school 
bullies in Norway had a fourfold 
increase in the level of relatively 
serious, recidivist criminality (Olweus 
1992). Dutch and Australian studies 
also found increased levels of 
criminal behavior by adults who had 
been bullies (Farrington 1993; Rigby 
and Slee 1999). 

Definition of Bullying 

Bullying has two key components: repeated harmful acts and 
an imbalance of power. It involves repeated physical, verbal or 
psychological attacks or intimidation directed against a victim 
who cannot properly defend him- or herself because of size 
or strength, or because the victim is outnumbered or less 
psychologically resilient.4 

Bullying includes assault, tripping, intimidation, rumor-
spreading and isolation, demands for money, destruction of 
property, theft of valued possessions, destruction of another's 


work, and name-calling. In the United States, several other 
school behaviors (some of which are illegal) are recognized as 
forms of bullying, such as: 

 sexual harassment (e.g., repeated exhibitionism, voyeurism, 
sexual propositioning, and sexual abuse involving unwanted 
physical contact); 

 ostracism based on perceived sexual orientation; and 

 hazing (e.g., upper-level high school athletes' imposing 
painfully embarrassing initiation rituals on their new 
freshmen teammates).5 

Not all taunting, teasing and fighting among schoolchildren 
constitutes bullying.6 "Two persons of approximately the 
same strength (physical or psychological)fighting or 
quarreling" is not bullying. Rather, bullying entails repeated 
acts by someone perceived as physically or psychologically 
more powerful. 

Related Problems 

Bullying in schools shares some similarities to the related 
problems listed below, each of which requires its own analysis 
and response. This guide does not directly address these 
problems: 

 bullying of teachers by students 
 bullying among inmates in juvenile detention facilities 
 bullying as a means of gaining and retaining youth gang 
members and compelling them to commit crimes. 


Extent of the Bullying Problem 

Extensive studies in other countries during the 1980s and 
1990s generally found that between 8 and 38 percent of 
students are bullied with some regularity, and that between 
five and nine percent of students bully others with some 
regularity. Chronic victims of bullying, bullied once a week 
or more, generally constitute between 8 and 20 percent of the 
student population.7 

 A South Carolina study found that 
20 percent of students bully others 
with some regularity (Limber et al. 
1998). In an English study involving 
25 schools and nearly 3,500 students, 
9 percent of the students admitted 
to having bullied others by sexual 
touching [Glover and Cartwright, with 
Gleeson (1998)]. 

In the United States, fewer studies have been done. A recent 
study of a nationally representative sample of students found 
higher levels of bullying in America than in some other 
countries. Thirteen percent of sixth- through 10th-grade 
students bully, 10 percent reported being victims, and an 
additional six percent are victim-bullies.8 This study excluded 
elementary-age students (who often experience high levels of 
bullying) and did not limit bullying to school grounds. Several 
smaller studies from different parts of the country confirm 
high levels of bullying behaviors, with 10 to 29 percent of 
students reported to be either bullies or victims. 9, 

 In some of the studies, lack of 
a common definition of bullying 
potentially distorts the estimates of 
the problem (Harachi, Catalano and 
Hawkins 1999). In addition, in the 
United States, the lack of a galvanized 
focus on bullying has resulted in a lack 
of large-scale school research efforts 
(such as those in Scandinavia, England, 
Japan, and Australia). Thus we have 
only limited insights into the problem 
of bullying here. 


Clearly, the percentage of students who are bullies and victims 
varies by research study, often depending on the definition 
used, the time frame examined (e.g., ever, frequently, once 
a week) and other factors. Despite these differences, 
bullying appears to be widespread in schools in every country 
studying the problem. 

A Threshold Problem: The Reluctance To Report 

Most students do not report bullying to adults. Surveys from a 
variety of countries confirm that many victims and witnesses 
fail to tell teachers or even parents.10 As a result, teachers 
may underestimate the extent of bullying in their school and 
may be able to identify only a portion of the actual bullies. 
Studies also suggest that children do not believe that most 
teachers intervene when told about bullying.11 

"If the victims are as miserable as the research suggests, 
why don't they appeal for help? One reason may be that, 
historically, adults' responses have been so disappointing."12 
In a survey of American middle and high school students, "66 
percent of victims of bullying believed school professionals 
responded poorly to the bullying problems that they 
observed."13 Some of the reasons victims gave for not telling 
include: 

 fearing retaliation 
 feeling shame at not being able to stand up for themselves 
 fearing they would not be believed 
 not wanting to worry their parents 
 having no confidence that anything would change as a result 
 thinking their parents' or teacher's advice would make the 
problem worse 

 For the first time, during the 1997-98 
school year, the United States 
participated in an international study 
of young people's health, behavior and 
lifestyles, which included conducting 
surveys on school bullying. (European 
countries have participated in the study 
since 1982.) Researchers gathered data 
on 120,000 students from 28 countries. 
Upwards of 20 percent of 15-year-old 

U.S. students reported they had been 
bullied at school during the current 
term (see "Annual Report on School 
Safety," at www.ed.gov/PDFDocs/ 
InterimAR.pdf). However, a 2000 U.S. 
Department of Education report on 
school crime (based on 1999 data), 
using a very narrowand perhaps too 
limiteddefinition of bullying than the 
earlier report, showed that 5 percent 
of students ages 12 through 18 had 
reported being bullied at school in the 
last six months (Kaufman et al. 2000). 

 The "Annual Report on School 
Safety," developed in response to a 
1997 school shooting in West Paducah, 
Ky., did not until 1999 contain any data 
on school bullying. The 1999 school 
bullying data are aggregate, useful 
only in international comparisons, 
since specific types of bullying are 
not categorized. The report tracks 
thefts, weapons, injuries, threats, and 
physical fights, and some measures of 
harassment and hate crimes. However, 
the proportion of incidents that have 
their roots in bullying is not specified. 

 The words "bully" and "bullying" 
are used in this guide as shorthand to 
include all of the different forms of 
bullying behavior. 



 fearing their teacher would tell the bully who told on him or her 
 thinking it was worse to be thought of as a snitch. 

 Similarly, many sexual assault and 
domestic violence victims keep their 
abuse a secret from the police. Police 
in many jurisdictions see increased 
reporting of these crimes as an 
important first step to reducing the 
potential for future violence, while 
victims often see it as jeopardizing 
their safety. Some of the same 
interests and concerns are found in 
the area of school bullying. 

The same is true of student-witnesses. Although most 
students agree that bullying is wrong, witnesses rarely tell 
teachers and only infrequently intervene on behalf of the 
victim. Some students worry that intervening will raise a 
bully's wrath and make him or her the next target. Also, there 
may be "diffusion of responsibility"; in other words, students 
may falsely believe that no one person has responsibility to 
stop the bullying, absent a teacher or a parent. 

Student-witnesses appear to have a central role in creating 
opportunities for bullying. In a study of bullying in junior and 
senior high schools in small Midwestern towns, 88 percent 
of students reported having observed bullying.14 While some 
researchers refer to witnesses as "bystanders," others use a 
more refined description of the witness role. In each bullying 
act, there is a victim, the ringleader bully, assistant bullies 
(they join in), reinforcers (they provide an audience or laugh 
with or encourage the bully), outsiders (they stay away or take 
no sides), and defenders (they step in, stick up for or comfort 
the victim).15 Studies suggest only between 10 and 20 percent 
of noninvolved students provide any real help when another 
student is victimized.16 

Bullying Behavior 

Despite country and cultural differences, certain similarities 
by gender, age, location, and type of victimization appear in 
bullying in the U.S. and elsewhere. 

 
Bullying more often takes place at school than on the way 
to and from school.17 


 
Boy bullies tend to rely on physical aggression more than girl 
bullies, who often use teasing, rumor-spreading, exclusion, 
and social isolation. These latter forms of bullying are 
referred to as "indirect bullying." Physical bullying (a form 
of "direct bullying") is the least common form of bullying, 
and verbal bullying (which may be "direct" or "indirect") the 
most common.18 Some researchers speculate that girls value 
social relationships more than boys do, so girl bullies set out 
to disrupt social relationships with gossip, isolation, silent 
treatment, and exclusion. Girls tend to bully girls, while boys 
bully both boys and girls. 

 
Consistently, studies indicate that boys are more likely to 
bully than girls. 

 
Some studies show that boys are more often victimized, at 
least during elementary school years; others show that bullies 
victimize girls and boys in near equal proportions.19 

 
Bullies often do not operate alone. In the United Kingdom, 
two different studies found that almost half the incidents 
of bullying are one-on-one, while the other half involves 
additional youngsters.20 

 
Bullying does not end in elementary school. Middle school 
seems to provide ample opportunities for bullying, although 
at lesser rates. The same is true of the beginning years of 
high school. 

 
Bullying by boys declines substantially after age 15. Bullying 
by girls begins declining significantly at age 14. 21, So 
interventions in middle and early high school years are also 
important. 

 
Studies in Europe and Scandinavia show that some schools 
seem to have higher bullying rates than others. Researchers 
generally believe that bullying rates are unrelated to school 
or class size, or to whether a school is in a city or suburb 
(although one study found that reporting was higher in 
inner-city schools). Schools in socially disadvantaged areas 
seem to have higher bullying rates,22 and classes with 

 Results from several countries, 
including Australia and England, 
indicate that as students progress 
through the middle to upper grades 
in school, they become more 
desensitized to bullying. High school 
seniors are the exception: they show 
greater alarm about the problem, just 
at the point when they will be leaving 
the environment (O'Moore 1999). 



students with behavioral, emotional or learning problems 
have more bullies and victims than classes without such 
students.23 

 
There is a strong belief that the degree of the school 
principal's involvement (discussed later in this guide) helps 
determine the level of bullying. 
 
There is some evidence that racial bullying occurs in 
the United States. In a nationally representative study 
combining data about bullying at and outside of school, 
25 percent of students victimized by bullying reported they 
were belittled about their race or religion (eight percent 
of those victims were bullied frequently about it).24 The 
study also found that black youth reported being bullied 
less than their Hispanic and white peers. Racial bullying is 
also a problem in Canada and England. "In Toronto, one 
in eight children overall, and one in three of those in inner-
city schools, said that racial bullying often occurred in their 
schools."25 In four schoolstwo primary, two secondaryin 
Liverpool and London, researchers found that Bengali and 
black students were disproportionately victimized.26 

One of the things we do not yet know about bullying is 
whether certain types of bullying, for instance racial bullying 
or rumor spreading, are more harmful than other types. 
Clearly, much depends on the victim's vulnerability, yet certain 
types of bullying may have longer-term impact on the victim. 
It is also unclear what happens when a bully stops bullying. 
Does another student take that bully's place? Must the victim 
also change his or her behavior to prevent another student 
from stepping in? While specific studies on displacement 
have not been done, it appears that the more comprehensive 
the school approach to tackling bullying, the less opportunity 
there is for another bully to rise up. 


Bullies 

Many of the European and Scandinavian studies concur 
that bullies tend to be aggressive, dominant and slightly 
below average in intelligence and reading ability (by middle 
school), and most evidence suggests that bullies are at least 
of average popularity.27 The belief that bullies "are insecure, 
deep down" is probably incorrect.28 Bullies do not appear to 
have much empathy for their victims.29 Young bullies tend to 
remain bullies, without appropriate intervention. "Adolescent 
bullies tend to become adult bullies, and then tend to have 
children who are bullies."30 In one study in which researchers 
followed bullies as they grew up, they found that youth who 
were bullies at 14 tended to have children who were bullies 
at 32, suggesting an intergenerational link.31 They also found 
that "[b]ullies have some similarities with other types of 
offenders. Bullies tend to be drawn disproportionately from 
lower socioeconomic-status families with poor child-rearing 
techniques, tend to be impulsive, and tend to be unsuccessful 
in school."32 

In Australia, research shows that bullies have low empathy 
levels, are generally uncooperative and, based on self-reports, 
come from dysfunctional families low on love. Their parents 
tend to frequently criticize them and strictly control them.33 
Dutch (and other) researchers have found a correlation 
between harsh physical punishments such as beatings, 
strict disciplinarian parents and bullying.34 In U.S. studies, 
researchers have found higher bullying rates among boys 
whose parents use physical punishment or violence against 
them.35 

Some researchers suggest that bullies have poor social skills 
and compensate by bullying. Others suggest that bullies have 
keen insight into others' mental states and take advantage of 


that by picking on the emotionally less resilient.36 Along this 
line, there is some suggestion, currently being explored in 
research in the United States and elsewhere, that those who 
bully in the early grades are initially popular and considered 
leaders. However, by the third grade, the aggressive behavior 
is less well-regarded by peers, and those who become popular 
are those who do not bully. Some research also suggests that 
"[bullies] direct aggressive behavior at a variety of targets. As 
they learn the reactions of their peers, their pool of victims 
becomes increasingly smaller, and their choice of victims 
more consistent."37 Thus, bullies ultimately focus on peers 
who become chronic victims due to how those peers respond 
to aggression. This indicates that identifying chronic victims 
early on can be important for effective intervention. 

A number of researchers believe that bullying occurs due 
to a combination of social interactions with parents, peers 
and teachers.38 The history of the parent-child relationship 
may contribute to cultivating a bully, and low levels of peer 
and teacher intervention combine to create opportunities for 
chronic bullies to thrive (as will be discussed later). 

Incidents of Bullying 

Bullying most often occurs where adult supervision is low 
or absent: schoolyards, cafeterias, bathrooms, hallways, and 
stairwells.39 "Olweus (1994) found that there is an inverse 
relationship between the number of supervising adults 
present and the number of bully/victim incidents."40 The 
design of less-supervised locations can create opportunities 
for bullying. For instance, if bullying occurs in a cafeteria 
while students vie for places in line for food, line management 
techniques, perhaps drawn from crime prevention through 
environmental design, could limit the opportunity to bully. 


A number of studies have found that bullying also occurs 
in classrooms and on school buses, although less so than in 
recess areas and hallways. Upon greater scrutiny, one may 
find that in certain classrooms, bullying thrives, and in others, 
it is rare. Classroom bullying may have more to do with the 
classroom management techniques a teacher uses than with 
the number of adult supervisors in the room. 

Other areas also offer opportunities for bullying. The 
Internet, still relatively new, creates opportunities for 
cyber-bullies, who can operate anonymously and harm a wide 
audience. For example, middle school, high school and college 
students from Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley area posted 
website messages that were 

full of sexual innuendo aimed at individual students 
and focusing on topics such as the weirdest people at 
your school. The online bulletin boards had been accessed 
more than 67,000 times [in a two-week period], prompting 
a sense of despair among scores of teenagers disparaged 
on the site, and frustration among parents and school 
administrators.One crying student, whose address and 
phone number were published on the site, was barraged 
with calls from people calling her a slut and a prostitute.41

A psychologist interviewed for the Los Angeles Times 
remarked on the harm of such Internet bullying: 

It's not just a few of the kids at school; it's the whole 
world.Anybody could log on and see what they said 
about you....What's written remains, haunting, torturing 
these kids.42

The imbalance of power here was not in the bully's size 
or strength, but in the instrument the bully chose to use, 
bringing worldwide publication to vicious school gossip. 


Victims of Bullying 

 
Most bullies victimize students in the same class or year, 
although 30 percent of victims report that the bully was 
older, and approximately ten percent report that the bully 
was younger.43 
 
It is unknown the extent to which physical, mental or speech 
difficulties, eyeglasses, skin color, language, height, weight, 
hygiene, posture, and dress play a role in victim selection.44 
One major study found "the only external characteristics...to 
be associated with victimization were that victims tended to 
be smaller and weaker than their peers."45 One study found 
that nonassertive youth who were socially incompetent had 
an increased likelihood of victimization.46 Having friends, 
especially ones who will help protect against bullying, 
appears to reduce the chances of victimization.47 A Dutch 
study found that "more than half of those who say they 
have no friends are being bullied (51%), vs. only 11 percent 
of those who say they have more than five friends."48 

Consequences of Bullying 

Victims of bullying suffer consequences beyond 
embarrassment. Some victims experience psychological 
and/or physical distress, are frequently absent and cannot 
concentrate on schoolwork. Research generally shows 
that victims have low self-esteem, and their victimization 
can lead to depression49 that can last for years after the 
victimization.50 In Australia, researchers found that between 
five and ten percent of students stayed at home to avoid being 
bullied. Boys and girls who were bullied at least once a week 
experienced poorer health, more frequently contemplated 
suicide, and suffered from depression, social dysfunction, 
anxiety, and insomnia.51 Another study found that adolescent 
victims, once they are adults, were more likely than non-bullied 
adults individuals to have children who are victims.52 


Chronic Victims of Bullying 

While many, if not most, students have been bullied at some 
point in their school career,53 chronic victims receive the 
brunt of the harm. It appears that a small subset of six to ten 
percent of school-age children are chronic victims,54 some 
bullied as often as several times a week. There are more 
chronic victims in elementary school than in middle school, 
and the pool of chronic victims further shrinks as students 
enter high school. If a student is a chronic victim at age 15 
(high school age), it would not be surprising to find that he or 
she has suffered through years of victimization. Because of 
the harm involved, anti-bullying interventions should include 
a component tailored to counter the abuse chronic victims 
suffer. 

Several researchers suggest, although there is not agreement, 
that some chronic victims are "irritating" or "provocative" 
because their coping strategies include aggressively reacting to 
the bullying.55 The majority of chronic victims, however, are 
extremely passive and do not defend themselves. Provocative 
victims may be particularly difficult to help because their 
behavior must change substantially to lessen their abuse. 

Both provocative and passive chronic victims tend to be 
anxious and insecure, "which may signal to others that they 
are easy targets."56 They are also less able to control their 
emotions, and more socially withdrawn. Tragically, chronic 
victims may return to bullies to try to continue the perceived 
relationship, which may initiate a new cycle of victimization. 
Chronic victims often remain victims even after switching 
to new classes with new students, suggesting that, without 
other interventions, nothing will change.57 In describing 
chronic victims, Olweus states: "It does not require much 

 These figures are based on studies 
in Dublin, Toronto and Sheffield, 
England (Farrington 1993). Olweus, 
however, in his Norwegian studies, 
found smaller percentages of chronic 
victims. 


imagination to understand what it is to go through the 
school years in a state of more or less permanent anxiety and 
insecurity, and with poor self-esteem. It is not surprising that 
the victims' devaluation of themselves sometimes becomes 
so overwhelming that they see suicide as the only possible 
solution."58, 

 A handful of chronic victims make
the leap from suicidal to homicidal 
thoughts. Clearly, access to guns is
also an issue.

In the United States, courts appear open to at least hearing 
arguments from chronic victims of bullying who allege that 
schools have a duty to stop persistent victimization.59 It has 
yet to be decided to what extent schools have an obligation to 
keep students free from mistreatment by their peers. However, 
early and sincere attention to the problem of bullying is a 
school's best defense. 

Teri DeBruhl 

Image of students in school hallway
School bullying takes many forms including assault, tripping, intimidation, 
rumor-spreading and isolation, demands for money, destruction of property, 
theft of valued possessions, destruction of another's work, and name-calling. 
In this photo, a bully assaults the victim as another student watches. Studies 
suggest only between 10 and 20 percent of noninvolved students provide any 
real help when another student is victimized. 


Understanding Your Local Problem 

The information provided above is only a generalized 
description of bullying in schools. You must combine this 
general information with a more specific understanding of 
your school's problem. Analyzing a school's problem carefully 
will help you design a more effective response strategy. 
Police who work with schools may even find that many of 
the thefts, assaults and batteries, hate crimes, and threats on 
school campuses (elementary, middle and high school level) 
are symptoms of bullying and are perpetrated by a small 
percentage of chronic tormentors. 

Asking the Right Questions 

 The problem of bullying requires 
extensive surveying of those affected. 
It is recommended that police link 
with local colleges, universities or 
researchers to prepare and pretest 
survey instruments. Internationally 
valid questionnaires, adapted from 
Olweus' questionnaires, are available 
to survey students, classroom 
teachers and other staff involved 
in managing bullying problems. 
These have been used as part of 
a comparative project in Japan, 
Norway, England, the Netherlands, 
and the state of Washington, and 
require written permission for use 
from Dan Olweus (Research Center 
for Health Promotion, Christies Gate 
13, N-5015, Bergen, Norway). The 
value of using these questionnaires 
is the ability to make comparisons 
among a wide range of other sites. 
If you use anonymous written 
surveys of students, it is important 
to develop some other means for 
gathering information from students 
on the specific identities of chronic 
victims and chronic bullies. Once 
gathered, compare this information 
with that in school records and with 
teachers' observations to see if there 
is some agreement. For additional 
information on bullying surveys, 
also see the European Commission's 
TMR Network Project on bullying, 
involving collaboration among five 
European countries, at www.gold. 
ac.uk/tmr. 

The following are some critical questions you should ask in 
analyzing your particular problem of bullying in schools, even 
if the answers are not always readily available. The answers 
to these and other questions will help you guide the school in 
choosing the most appropriate set of responses later on. 

The School 

 Does the school believe it has a problem with bullying? 
 Is the school aware of the long-term harms associated with 
bullying and chronic victimization? 
 Is the school aware of the different types of behavior that 
constitute bullying? 
 Does the school know how often bullying occurs on the 
campus each year? 
 How does the school's level of bullying compare with that 
of other schools that have examined bullying? 
 Does the school have a policy to guide teachers and other 
staff in handling incidents of bullying? 
 How does the school identify bullies? Are records kept? Are 
they adequate? Are school counselors in the loop? 


 What insights do teachers have about bullying? Can they 
identify some of the chronic victims and bullies? 
 How are others (e.g., parents, police) brought into the loop, 
and at what point? 
 Given that most bullying occurs in areas where there are 
no teachers, is the current method for identifying bullies 
adequate? 

Offenders 

 Where do bullies operate at the school? 
 What are the consequences for bullying at the school? Are 
they applied consistently? 
 Does the bullying stop? How is this determined? 

Victims and Victimization 

 Does the school know all the victims of bullying? 
 How does the school identify victims? Given that most 
victims and witnesses do not report, is the current system 
for identifying victims adequate? Who are the chronic 
victims? What has the school done to protect them? 
 What are the most common forms of bullying 
victimization? Does the school policy address them? 
 Does the school have a policy regarding the reporting of 
bullying and the role of bystanders? 

Locations Where Bullying Occurs 

 Where does bullying most often occur? Do data support 
this? 
 When does bullying occur at those locations? 
 Are those who supervise the locations during those times 
trained to identify and appropriately handle bullying 
incidents? 
 Has the school made changes to the locations to minimize 
bullying opportunities? 


Measuring Your Effectiveness 

You should encourage the school to measure its bullying 
problem before implementing responses, to determine how 
serious the problem is, and after implementing them, to 
determine whether they have been effective. Measurement 
allows school staff to determine to what degree their efforts 
have succeeded, and suggests how they might modify their 
responses if they are not producing the intended results. 
For more detailed guidance on measuring effectiveness, see 
the companion guide to this series, Assessing Responses to 
Problems: An Introductory Guide for Police Problem-Solvers. 
The following potentially useful measures of the effectiveness 
of responses to bullying should be taken using before-andafter surveys: 

 percentage of victims, by type of bullying 
 number of repeat victims 
 number of chronic bullies 
 frequency of victimization (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly) 
 percentage of bullying incidents reported to parents or 
authorities 
 number of students who are knowledgeable about bullying 
and how they should respond 
 percentage of students who witness bullying who report it 
to teachers or parents 
 willingness of students to step in and help someone being 
bullied 
 attendance, tardiness, behavior, and disciplinary reports of 
chronic victims and bullies 
 bullying rates at specific bullying hot spots (e.g., bathrooms, 
cafeteria, schoolyard). 


Responses to the Problem of Bullying in 
Schools 

Your analysis of your local problem should give you a better 
understanding of, among other things, the extent of the 
problem, including the level of bullying and the identification 
of bullying hot spots, chronic victims and chronic offenders. 
Outlined below are approaches used to address bullying, along 
with information about their effectiveness. 

General Requirements for an Effective Strategy To 
Counter Bullying in Schools 

1. 
Enlisting the school principal's commitment and 
involvement. The school principal's commitment to and 
involvement in addressing school bullying are key. In fact, in 
comparing schools with high and low bullying rates, some 
research suggests that a principal's investment in preventing 
and controlling bullying contributes to low rates.60 A police 
officer's knowledge of and interest in the problem may serve 
to convince a principal to invest the time and energy to 
collaboratively and comprehensively tackle it. 

2. 
Using a multifaceted, comprehensive approach. A 
multifaceted, comprehensive approach is more effective 
than one that focuses on only one or two aspects of school 
bullying. A multifaceted, comprehensive approach includes: 

 establishing a schoolwide policy that addresses indirect 
bullying (e.g., rumor spreading, isolation, social exclusion), 
which is more hidden, as well as direct bullying (e.g., 
physical aggression) 
 providing guidelines for teachers, other staff and students 
(including witnesses) on specific actions to take if bullying 
occurs 



 educating and involving parents so they understand the 
problem, recognize its signs and intervene appropriately 
 adopting specific strategies to deal with individual bullies 
and victims, including meeting with their parents 
 encouraging students to report known bullying 
 developing a comprehensive reporting system to track 
bullying and the interventions used with specific bullies and 
victims 
 encouraging students to be helpful to classmates who may 
be bullied 
 developing tailored strategies to counter bullying in specific 
school hot spots, using environmental redesign, increased 
supervision (e.g., by teachers, other staff members, parents, 
volunteers) or technological monitoring equipment 
 conducting post-intervention surveys to assess the 
strategies' impact on school bullying. 

Specific Responses To Reduce Bullying in Schools 

3. Using the "whole-school" approach. Olweus developed 
and tested the whole-school approach in Scandinavia. It 
contains elements listed under requirement 1 and 2 above 
(school principal's involvement and the multi-faceted, 
comprehensive approach) and it has undergone repeated 
evaluations in other countries, including the United States, 
with a range of successful results, including a 50 percent 
reduction in bullying in 42 schools in one area of Norway. 
However, most other applications of this approach achieve 
improvements in the 20 to 30 percent range, which is 
significant.61 In some studies, the results are achieved 
primarily in the second year. This approach can reduce 
the level of bullying and other antisocial behavior, such 
as vandalism, fighting, theft, and truancy, and improve the 
"social climate," order and discipline in class. 

 Some research refers to the whole-
school approach as the "schoolwide" 
approach or "organizational" 
approach. The three are identical, 
requiring interventions at the school, 
class and individual level. 


The whole-school approach is somewhat easier to implement 
in elementary schools, due to their size and structure. 
Students in these schools generally interact with only one or 
two teachers a year, guaranteeing higher levels of consistent 
messages from teachers to students.62 However, significant 
gains can also be achieved in middle and high schools.63 
Research tells us that the whole-school approach requires 
renewed effort each year (reinforcing anti-bullying strategies 
with returning students, their parents and school staff), which 
may be at odds with a school's, or even a police department's, 
concern about tackling the latest hot topic. However, one
time efforts will be less effective. Thus, schools must prepare 
themselves to maintain momentum for anti-bullying initiatives 
year after year. 

4. 
Increasing student reporting of bullying. To address 
the problem of students' resistance to reporting bullying, 
some schools have set up a bully hot line. One in England 
received thousands of calls shortly after it was established. 
Some schools use a "bully box"; students drop a note in the 
box to alert teachers and administrators about problem bullies. 
Other approaches to increase reporting are also used. In one 
Kentucky town, a police officer, keen to increase reporting, 
developed a short in-class segment titled "Hero vs. Snitch," 
in which he discussed why reporting is heroic behavior, not 
tattling. 

5. 
Developing activities in less-supervised areas. In these 
areas (e.g., schoolyards, lunchrooms), trained supervisors spot 
bullying and initiate activities that limit opportunities for it. 
Such activities must be of interest to bullies and curb their 
behavior. 


6. 
Reducing the amount of time students can spend 
less supervised. Since much bullying occurs during less-
supervised time (e.g., recess, lunch breaks, class changes), 
reducing the amount of time available to students can reduce 
the amount of bullying. 

7. 
Staggering recess, lunch and/or class-release times. 
This approach minimizes the number of bullies and victims 
present at one time, so supervisors have less trouble spotting 
bullying. However, supervisors must be mindful that most 
bullies are in the same grade as their victims. 

Sean Lynch 
Image of school hallway during class change
Image of teacher monitoring hallway during class change
The photo on the left illustrates a school hallway during class release time. 
The photo on the right shows two of the strategies the school adopted to 
reduce bullying behavior in the hallways: staggered class release times 
(evidenced by fewer students in the hallway) and teacher monitoring of 
hallway behavior during class release time.

8. Monitoring areas where bullying can be expected (e.g., 
bathrooms). Adult monitoring can increase the risk that 
bullies get caught, but may require increased staffing or 
trained volunteers. 


9. 
Assigning bullies to a particular location or to 
particular chores during release times. This approach 
separates bullies from their intended victims. Some teachers 
give bullies constructive tasks to occupy them during release 
times. Careful victim monitoring is required to ensure that 
bullies do not pick on victims at other times. 

10. 
Posting classroom signs prohibiting bullying and 
listing the consequences for it. This puts would-be bullies 
on notice and outlines the risks they take. Teachers must 
consistently enforce the rules for them to have meaning. 
Schools should post signs in each classroom and apply age-
appropriate penalties. 

11. 
Providing teachers with effective classroom 
management training. To address bullying, schools should 
ensure that all their teachers have effective classroom 
management training. Since research suggests that classes 
containing students with behavioral, emotional or learning 
problems have more bullies and victims, teachers in those 
classes may require additional tailored training in spotting and 
handling bullying. 

12. 
Having high-level school administrators inform late-
enrolling students about the school's bullying policy. 
This removes any excuse new students have for bullying, and 
stresses the importance the school places on countering it. 

Responses With Limited Effectiveness 

13. Training students in conflict resolution and peer 
mediation. A number of schools adopt conflict resolution 
and peer mediation training to address bullying (and other) 
problems. "Because bullying involves harassment by powerful 



children of children with less power (rather than a conflict 
between peers of relatively equal status), common conflict-
resolution strategies or mediation may not be effective."64 
In fact, they may actually further victimize a child.65 The 
training often offers too little for those students who really 
need it, and too much for those who already have the skills. 
The whole-school approach, in contrast, does not assume that 
students alone can solve the bullying problem; interventions at 
all levels are required: school, class, individual, teacher, parent, 
and peer. 

 In terms of peer mediation, one 
Flemish study found that elementary- 
and many middle school-age students 
lack confidence in successfully 
intervening (Stevens, Van Oost and 
De Bourdeaudhuij 2000). In another 
study, researchers found that only 
small numbers of students were 
willing to go to peer-support training, 
and that it was harder to get boys 
or male teachers involved (Naylor 
and Cowie 1999). In one study in 
Australia, however, Peterson and 
Rigby (1999) found a tremendous 
number of peer interventions, as 
part of a whole-school approach. 
The result was a modest decline in 
reported bullying of students in their 
first year of high school, but not 
in the other years. The authors still 
found this significant because the 
transition year into high school can 
be intense for bullying. 

14. 
Adopting a "zero tolerance" policy. Some schools, in 
their rush to "do something" about bullying, adopt a "zero 
tolerance" policy against it, without an in-depth analysis of 
their specific problem or the comprehensive involvement 
of administrators, teachers, other staff, student-witnesses, 
parents, bullies, and victims at the school, class, and individual 
level. This approach may result in a high level of suspensions 
without full comprehension of how behavior needs to and 
can be changed. It does not solve the problem of the bully, 
who typically spends more unsupervised time in the home or 
community if suspended or expelled. Zero tolerance may also 
ultimately have a chilling effect on reporting of bullying. 

15. 
Providing group therapy for bullies. Some schools 
provide self-esteem training for bullies. This may be 
misdirected: research suggests that most bullies do not lack in 
self-esteem.66 

16. 
Encouraging victims to simply "stand up"to bullies. 
Without adequate support or adult involvement this strategy 
may be harmful and physically dangerous for a victim of 
bullying.67 


Append x: A 

Appendix A: Summary of Responses to 
Bullying in Schools 

The table below summarizes the responses to bullying in 
schools, the mechanism by which they are intended to work, 
the conditions under which they ought to work best, and 
some factors you should consider before implementing a 
particular response. It is critical that you tailor responses to 
local circumstances, and that you can justify each response 
based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy 
will involve implementing several different responses. Law 
enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing 
or solving the problem. 

Response 
No. 
Page No. Response How It 
Works 
Works 
Best If 
Considerations 
General Requirements for an Effective Strategy To Counter Bullying in Schools 
1. 19 Enlisting the 
school principal's 
commitment and 
involvement 
Police officers 
convince the 
principal of the 
importance oftackling bullying 
officers are 
aware of best 
practices 
Officers may need 
to engage others, 
such as parents, 
to help influence 
the principal; 
unfortunately, in 
some cases, only a 
crisis will galvanize 
the principal's 
attention 
2. 19 Using a 
multifaceted, 
comprehensive 
approach 
Once baseline 
surveys are 
completed, the 
school adopts a 
comprehensive 
series of 
strategies to 
address the 
specific survey 
findings 
the principal 
assigns a high-
level project (or 
team) manager 
to ensure the full 
implementationand progress ofthe strategies 
Sometimes it is 
difficult to isolate 
the effectiveness 
of individual 
interventions 


Response 
No. 
Page No. Response How It 
Works 
Works 
Best If 
Considerations 
Specific Responses To Reduce Bullying in Schools 
3. 20 Using the 
"whole- school" 
approach 
Baseline data 
reveal the details 
of the problem; 
interventions are 
implemented at the 
school, class and 
individual level 
school 
administrators are 
fully committed 
to addressing the 
problem, and are 
knowledgeable of 
the components 
of the approach 
Availability and use of local 
resources, such as university 
researchers, to assist in survey 
development and testing, or 
alternatively, use of Olweus' 
survey; parental permission may 
be needed to survey students; 
community's and school's 
commitment to uncovering the 
full details of the problem 
4. 21 Increasing 
student 
reporting of 
bullying 
Increases bullies' risk 
of getting caught 
students 
are convinced 
that reporting 
is appropriate 
behavior 
Some schools establish a hot 
line, while others install a bully 
box where students can leave 
notes alerting school personnel 
to bullying; non-anonymous 
reporting should be encouraged 
to lessen student fear of reprisal 
5. 21 Developing 
activities in less- 
supervised areas 
Increases the effort 
bullies must make 
by decreasing their 
opportunity to bully 
the activities 
interest bullies 
and are designed 
to limit their 
ability to victimize 
others 
Requires staff or volunteers 
(students, parents, seniors) and 
age-appropriate programming 
6. 22 Reducing the 
amount of 
time students 
can spend less 
supervised 
Increases the risk 
that bullying will be 
exposed and reduces 
the amount of time 
for it to occur 
supervisors are 
trained to spot 
and respond to 
bullying 
Requires scheduling changes 
7. 22 Staggering 
recess, lunch 
and/or class-
release times 
Ensures fewer 
bullies and victims 
are together 
at the same 
time, increasing 
supervisors' ability 
to spot bullying 
bullies and 
victims are not in 
the same classes 
or, if they are, 
supervisors are 
well trained to 
spot and respond 
to bullying 
If some bullies are in the same 
classes with their victims, other 
remedies are also needed 
8. 22 Monitoring 
areas where 
bullying can be 
expected (e.g., 
bathrooms) 
Increases bullies' risk 
of getting caught 
it is done 
frequently enough 
to make the risk 
real 
May require increased staffing or 
trained volunteers 

 For examples of policies for the school, class, students, and parrents, see Glover and Cartwright, with Gleeson (1998). 


Response 
No. 
Page No. Response How It 
Works 
Works 
Best If 
Considerations 
9. 23 Assigning bullies 
to a particular 
location or to 
particular chores 
during release 
times 
Increases the 
effort bullies 
must make to 
bully because this 
separates bullies 
from victims 
careful 
consideration is 
given to which 
of the two 
approaches is 
more appropriate 
for each particular 
bully 
Isolating bullies may 
further anger them 
and cause additional 
problems for their 
victims 
10. 23 Posting classroom 
signs prohibiting 
bullying and 
listing the 
consequencesfor it 
Removes the 
excuse of 
ignorance and 
underscores the 
risks 
signs are posted 
in all classrooms 
Signs and 
consequencesshould be age-
appropriate 
11. 23 Providing 
teachers with 
effective 
classroom 
management 
training 
Increases 
bullies' risk of 
getting caught in 
classrooms, and 
decreases victims' 
risk of harm 
teachers are 
committed 
to stopping 
classroom 
bullying, and 
those teaching 
higher-risk 
classes are 
given additional 
specializedtraining 
Identifying those 
teachers who need 
extra assistance 
must be handled 
delicately, although 
it should be noted 
that most U.S. 
teachers receive 
no instruction 
on classroom 
management 
techniques, so it is 
not surprising that 
some have fewer 
skills in these 
12. 23 Having high-
level school 
administrators 
inform late- 
enrolling students 
about the school's 
bullying policy 
Decreases late-
enrolling students' 
risk of bullying or 
being bullied 
done at 
the time of 
enrollment and 
by someone 
perceived as 
having a high 
level of authority 
Schools may 
consider having 
late-enrollingstudents sign "bullyfree agreements" 
acknowledging 
the rules and the 
consequences for 
violations 


2 

Response 
No. 
Page No. Response How It 
Works 
Works 
Best If 
Considerations 
Responses With Limited Effectiveness 
13. 23 Training students 
in conflict 
resolution and 
peer mediation 
Allows students 
to play the key 
role in resolving 
bullying problems 
conflicts are 
between students 
of relatively equal 
status, and not 
between bullies 
and weaker 
victims 
May be more 
appropriate for 
problems other 
than bullying (e.g., 
conflicts between 
peers of equal 
power or status) 
14. 24 Adopting a "zero 
tolerance" policy 
Guarantees that 
bullies who get 
caught will be 
penalized on the 
first offense 
used as a last 
resort, after other 
responses have 
failed 
Bullying is too 
widespread,
longstanding and 
complex for it to 
stop simply due to 
such a policy 
15. 24 Providing group 
therapy for bullies 
Intended to build 
self-esteem of 
bullies 
bullies suggest 
that they have low 
self-esteem and 
it is the cause of 
their bullying 
Most bullies do not 
have low-esteem 
16. 24 Encouragingvictims to simply 
"stand up" to 
bullies 
Directly pits 
victim against 
bully 
accompaniedby adequate 
support or adult 
involvement 
May be harmful or 
physically dangerous 


Appendix B: Sample Brochure Educating 
Parents About School Bullying 

The _________________ School District is collaborating 
with the _________________ Police Department to 
implement the Bullying Prevention Program to address 
bullying among children in grades ____ to ____. 

What is bullying? 

Bullying occurs when one child or group of children 
repeatedly hurts another child through actions or words. 
Bullying may involve physical aggression, such as fighting, 
shoving or kicking; verbal aggression, such as name-calling; or 
more subtle aggression, such as socially isolating a child. 

Why focus on bullying? 

All of us are concerned about the levels of violence among 
young people in our communities and schools. Studies have 
shown that 60 percent of children identified as bullies in 
middle school go on to have arrest records. We need to 
address these children's behavioral problems at an early age, 
before they become even more serious. In addition, victims 
of bullies may have problems with depression, poor school 
attendance and low self-esteem. It is important to help create 
a school environment where all children feel safe and can 
learn to the best of their abilities. 

 This brochure is copied (with 
minor changes) with the permission 
of its author, Susan Limber, Clemson 
University, Institute on Family and 
Neighborhood Life. This particular 
brochure is most appropriate for 
parents of elementary or middle 
school students. 


What does this program involve? 

The Bullying Prevention Program involves the total effort 
of all school staff (teachers, principals, guidance counselors, 
cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, etc.), as well as 
students, parents and other community members, to reduce 
bullying. 

The school's efforts will include: 

 
identifying bullies and their victims, to address individual 
problems and needs 
 
establishing schoolwide rules and applying consistent 
sanctions against bullies 
 
holding regular classroom meetings to discuss bullying with 
children 
 
increasing supervision of children at school 
 
rewarding children for good social behaviors 
 
holding schoolwide assemblies on bullying 
 
using videos, books and other resources on bullying. 

Will this program help? 

Studies have shown that the Bullying Prevention Program can 
be very effective in reducing bullying and related antisocial 
behavior among schoolchildren. In places where this program 
has been used, bullying has been reduced by 25 to 50 percent. 
Fighting, vandalizing, drinking, and other antisocial behaviors 
also have decreased, and children and school personnel 
involved in the program have reported that they felt more 
positive about school. 


How can parents get involved? 

 
Through mailings, PTA meetings and other school events, 
we hope to inform you about the Bullying Prevention 
Program and the many problems associated with bullying. 
 
We will discuss ways to determine whether your children 
may be bullies or victims of bullying, and we will suggest 
strategies and resources for you. 
 
We will encourage you to become involved in a variety 
of creative projects developed by your school to raise 
awareness of the problems of violence and of efforts to 
reduce bullying at school and in the community. 

How can I tell if my child is being bullied? 

Your child may be the victim of bullying if he or she: 

 
comes home from school with torn or dirty clothing, or 
damaged books 
 
has cuts, bruises or scratches 
 
has few, if any, friends to play with 
 
seems afraid to go to school, or complains of headaches or 
stomach pains 
 
doesn't sleep well or has bad dreams 
 
loses interest in schoolwork 
 
seems sad, depressed or moody 
 
is anxious or has poor self-esteem 
 
is quiet, sensitive or passive. 

If your child shows several of these warning signs, it's 
possible he or she is being bullied. You may want to talk 
with your child to find out what is troubling him or her, and 
schedule a conference to discuss your concerns with school 
staff. 


How can I tell if my child is bullying others? 

Your child may be bullying others if he or she: 

 
teases, threatens or kicks other children 
 
is hot-tempered or impulsive, or has a hard time following 
rules 
 
is aggressive toward adults 
 
is tough or shows no sympathy for children who are bullied 
 
has been involved in other antisocial behavior, such as 
vandalism or theft. 

If your child shows several of these warning signs, it's 
possible that he or she is bullying others. You may want to 
spend some extra time talking with your child about his or her 
behavior, and schedule a conference to talk about the issue 
with school staff. 

For more information about the Bullying Prevention 
Program, please contact _________________ at _________ 
________. 


Endnotes 

1 
Batsche and Knoff (1994). 

2 
U.S. Secret Service (2000). 

3 
Olweus (1978); an earlier edition was published in Swedish in 1973. 

4 
Smith et al. (eds.) (1999); Farrington (1993); Smith and Brain (2000). 

5 
U.S. Department of Education (1998). 

6 
Olweus (1992). 

7 
Olweus (1992); Rigby and Slee (1999); Ortega and Lera (2000); Salmivalli (1999); 
Farrington (1993). 

8 
Nansel et al. (2001). 

9 
Perry, Kusel and Perry (1988); Harachi, Catalano and Hawkins (1999), citing 
Bosworth, Espelage, DuBay, Dahlberg, and Daytner (1996); Hoover, Oliver and 
Hazler (1992); Olweus and Limber (1999), citing Melton, Limber, Cunningham, 
Osgood, Cambers, Flerx, Henggeler, and Nation (1998). 

10 Rigby and Slee (1999); Smith, Morita, Junger-Tas, Olweus, Catalano and Slee 
(1999). 

11 Farrington (1993), citing Whitney and Smith (1991). 

12 Clarke and Kiselica (1997). 

13 Hoover, Oliver and Hazler (1992); Australian students reported similarly [Rigby 
(1996)]. 

14 Limber (1998), citing Hazler, Hoover and Oliver (1991). 

15 Salmivalli (1999); also see Olweus and Limber (1999). 

16 Salmivalli (1999); Stevens, Van Oost and De Bourdeaudhuij (2000), citing Pepler 
(1994). 

17 Clarke and Kiselica (1997). 

18 Rigby and Slee (1999). 

19 Limber et al. (1998). 

20 Smith and Sharp (1994). 

21 Rigby and Slee (1999); Ortega and Lera (2000). 

22 Farrington (1993), citing Stephenson and Smith (1991), and Whitney and Smith 
(1991). 

23 Farrington (1993), citing Zeigler and Rosenstein-Manner ( 1991), and Stephenson 
and Smith (1991). 

24 Nansel et al. (2001). 

25 Farrington (1993), citing Ziegler and Rosenstein-Manner (1991). 


26 Home Office (1996). 

27 Farrington (1993). 

28 Olweus (1978); Smith and Brain (2000); but see Bernstein and Watson (1997). 

29 Bernstein and Watson (1997). 

30 Farrington (1993). 

31 Farrington (1993) reporting on his earlier research. 

32 Farrington (1993). 

33 Rigby and Slee (1999). 

34 Junger-Tas and Van Kesteren (1999). 

35 Harachi, Catalano and Hawkins (1999). 

36 See generally Smith and Brain (2000) for a discussion of the research on this 

topic. 

37 See Harachi, Catalano and Hawkins (1999) for a discussion of these different 

avenues of recent bullying research. 

38 Stevens, De Bourdeaudhuij and Van Oost (2000). 

39 Farrington (1993); Zeigler and Rosenstein-Manner (1991). 

40 Clarke and Kiselica (1997). 

41 Banks, Kaplan and Groves (2001). 

42 Banks, Kaplan and Groves (2001), quoting therapist Veronica Thomas. 

43 Farrington (1993), citing Whitney and Smith (1991). 

44 Farrington (1993); also see Bernstein and Watson (1997), citing Olweus (1978); 

Perry, Kusel and Perry (1988). 

45 Bernstein and Watson (1997), citing Olweus (1978). 

46 Schwartz, Dodge and Cole (1993). 

47 Hodges and Perry (1997). 

48 Junger-Tas and Van Kesteren (1999). 

49 Smith and Brain (2000). 

50 Farrington (1993). 

51 Rigby and Slee (1999). 

52 Farrington (1993). 

53 Junger-Tas and Van Kesteren (1999). 

54 See Bernstein and Watson (1997) for a discussion of the research on chronic 

victims; also see Perry, Kusel and Perry (1988). 

55 Farrington (1993); Olweus (1993). 

56 See generally Bernstein and Watson (1997). 

57 Bernstein and Watson (1997); also see Salmivalli (1999). 

58 Olweus (1992). 


59 Harachi, Catalano and Hawkins (1999). 

60 Farrington (1993), citing Stephenson and Smith (1991); for 
similar conclusions, also see Roland (2000). 

61 Olweus and Limber (1999); Pitts and Smith (1996); also see 
the evaluation by The Center for the Study and Prevention 
of Violence, at www.Colorado.EDU/cspv/blueprints/ 
model/ten_bully.htm. 

62 Stevens, De Bourdeaudhuij and Van Oost (2000); Stevens 
found zero outcomes in secondary schools. 

63 Pitts and Smith (1996); but see Stevens, De Bourdeauhuij 
and Van Oost (2000). 

64 Limber et al. (1998). 

65 Personal correspondence from Sue Limber to the author, 
November 9, 2001. 

66 Personal correspondence from Sue Limber to the author, 
November 9, 2001. 

67 Personal correspondence from Sue Limber to the author, 
November 9, 2001. 


References 

Banks, S., K. Kaplan and M. Groves (2001). "Web Site Where 
Students Slung Vicious Gossip Is Shut Down." Los Angeles 
Times, March 3, p. A1. 

Batsche, G., and H. Knoff (1994). "Bullies and Their Victims: 
Understanding a Pervasive Problem in the Schools." School 
Psychology Review 23(2):165174. 

Bernstein, J., and M. Watson (1997). "Children Who 
Are Targets of Bullying: A Victim Pattern." Journal of 
Interpersonal Violence 12(4):483498. 

Clarke, E., and M. Kiselica (1997). "A Systemic Counseling 
Approach to the Problem of Bullying." Elementary School 
Guidance and Counseling 31(4):310335. 

Eron, L., L. Huesmann, E. Dubow, R. Romanoff, and P. 
Yarmel (1987). "Aggression and Its Correlates Over 22 
Years." In D. Crowell, I. Evans and C. O'Donnell (eds.), 
Childhood Aggression and Violence: Sources of Influence, 
Prevention and Control. New York: Plenum Press. 

European Commission (updated 2001). "TMR Network 
Project: Nature and Prevention of Bullying." www.gold. 
ac.uk/tmr. 

Farrington, D. (1993). "Understanding and Preventing 
Bullying." In M. Tonry (ed.), Crime and Justice: A Review 
of Research, Vol. 17. Chicago and London: University of 
Chicago Press. 

Glover, D., and N. Cartwright, with D. Gleeson (1998). 
Towards Bully-Free Schools: Interventions in Action. 
Buckingham (England): Open University Press. 


3 

Harachi, T., R. Catalano and J. Hawkins (1999). "United 
States." In P. Smith, Y. Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, R. 
Catalano, and P. Slee (eds.), The Nature of School Bullying: 
A Cross-National Perspective. London and New York: 
Routledge. 

Hodges, E., M. Malone and D. Perry (1997). "Individual 
Risk and Social Risk as Interacting Determinants of 
Victimization in the Peer Group." Developmental Psychology 
33(6):10321039. 

Home Office (1996). Preventing School Bullying: Things You 
Can Do. London: Home Office, Police Research Group. 

Hoover, J., R. Oliver and R. Hazler (1992). "Bullying: 
Perceptions of Adolescent Victims in the Midwestern 
USA." School Psychology International 13(1):516. 

Junger-Tas, J., and J. Van Kesteren (1999). Bullying and 
Delinquency in a Dutch School Population. The Hague 
(Netherlands): Kugler Publications. 

Kaufman, P., X. Chen, S. Choy, S. Ruddy, A. Miller, J. Fleury, 

K. Chandler, M. Rand, P. Klaus, and M. Planty (2000). 
Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2000. Washington, 
D.C.: U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. www. 
nces.ed.gov/pubs2001. 

Limber, S., V. Flerx, M. Nation, and G. Melton (1998). 
"Bullying Among School Children in the United States." 
In M. Watts (ed.), Contemporary Studies in Sociology, Vol. 18. 
Stamford (Conneticut): Jai Press Inc. 


References 

Nansel, T., M. Overpeck, R. Pilla, W. Ruan, B. Simons-
Morton, and P. Scheidt (2001). "Bullying Behaviors Among 
US Youth: Prevalence and Association With Psychosocial 
Adjustment." Journal of the American Medical Association 
285(16):20942100. 

Naylor, P., and H. Cowie (1999). "The Effectiveness of Peer 
Support Systems in Challenging School Bullying: The 
Perspectives and Experiences of Teachers and Pupils." 
Journal of Adolescence 22:467479. 

Olweus, D. (1992). "Bullying Among Schoolchildren: 
Intervention and Prevention." In R. Peters, R. McMahon 
and V. Quinsey (eds.), Aggression and Violence Throughout the 
Life Span. Newbury Park (California): Sage Publications. 

(1978). Aggression in the Schools: Bullies and 
Whipping Boys. Washington, D.C.: Hemisphere Press.

Olweus, D., and S. Limber (1999). "Bullying Prevention 
Program." In D. Elliott (ed.), Blueprints for Violence 
Prevention. Boulder (Colorado): Institute of Behavioral 
Science, Regents of the University of Colorado. 

O'Moore, M. (1999). "Critical Issues for Teacher Training To 
Counter Bullying and Victimisation in Ireland." Aggressive 
Behavior 26:99111. 

Ortega, R., and M. Lera (2000). "The Seville Anti-Bullying in 
School Project." Aggressive Behavior 26:113123. 

Perry, D., S. Kusel and L. Perry (1988). "Victims of Peer 
Aggression." Developmental Psychology 24(6):807814. 


Peterson, L., and K. Rigby (1999). "Countering Bullying at an 
Australian Secondary School, With Students as Helpers." 
Journal of Adolescence 22:481492. 

Pitts, J., and P. Smith (1996). Preventing School Bullying. Police 
Research Series, Paper 63. London: Home Office. 

Rigby, K. (1996). "Preventing Peer Victimisation in Schools." 
In C. Sumner, M. Israel, M. O'Connell, and R. Sarre (eds.), 
International Victimology: Selected Papers From the Eighth 
International Symposium. Griffith (Australia): Australian 
Institute of Criminology. 

Rigby, K., and P. Slee (1999). "Australia." In P. Smith, Y. 
Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, R. Catalano, and P. Slee 
(eds.), The Nature of School Bullying: A Cross-National 
Perspective. London and New York: Routledge. 

Roland, E. (2000). "Bullying in School: Three National 
Innovations in Norwegian Schools in 15 Years." Aggressive 
Behavior 26:135143. 

Salmivalli, C. (1999). "Participant Role Approach to School 
Bullying: Implications for Interventions." Journal of 
Adolescence 22:453459. 

Schwartz, D., K. Dodge and J. Cole (1993). "The Emergence 
of Chronic Peer Victimization in Boys' Play Groups." Child 
Development 64:17551772. 

Smith, P., and P. Brain (2000). "Bullying in Schools: Lessons 
From Two Decades of Research." Aggressive Behavior 
26:19. 

Smith, P., and S. Sharp (1994). School Bullying: Insights and 
Perspectives. London and New York: Routledge. 


Smith, P., Y. Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, R. Catalano, and 

P. Slee (eds.) (1999). The Nature of School Bullying: A Cross-
National Perspective. London and New York: Routledge.

Stevens, V., I. De Bourdeaudhuij and P. Van Oost (2000). 
"Bullying in Flemish Schools: An Evaluation of Anti-
Bullying Intervention in Primary and Secondary Schools." 
British Journal of Educational Psychology 70:195210. 

Stevens, V., P. Van Oost and I. De Bourdeaudhuij (2000). 
"The Effects of an Anti-Bullying Intervention Programme 
on Peers' Attitudes and Behaviour." Journal of Adolescence 
23:2134. 

U.S. 
Department of Education (1998). Preventing Bullying: A 
Manual for Schools and Communities. Washington, D.C.: U.S. 
Department of Education. Available by order at www. 
ed.gov/pubs. 
U.S. 
Secret Service (2000). An Interim Report on the Prevention 
of Targeted Violence in Schools. www.treas.gov/usss. 

Zeigler, S. and M. Rosenstein-Manner (1991). Bullying in 
School. Toronto: Board of Education. 


About the Author 

Rana Sampson 

Rana Sampson is a national problem-oriented policing 
consultant and the former director of public safety for the 
University of San Diego. She was previously a White House 
Fellow; National Institute of Justice Fellow; senior researcher 
and trainer at the Police Executive Research Forum; attorney; 
and patrol officer, undercover narcotics officer and patrol 
sergeant with the New York City Police Department, where 
she was awarded several commendations of merit and won 
the National Improvement of Justice Award. She is the 
coauthor (with Michael Scott) of Tackling Crime and Other 
Public-Safety Problems: Case Studies in Problem-Solving, which 
documents high-quality crime control efforts from around 
the United States, Canada and Europe. She is a judge for 
the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-
Oriented Policing, a former judge for the police Fulbright 
awards, and a commissioner with California's Commission on 
Peace Officer Standards and Training. Sampson holds a law 
degree from Harvard and a bachelor's degree from Barnard 
College, Columbia University. 


Recommended Readings 

 
A Police Guide to Surveying Citizens and Their 
Environments, 
Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1993. This 
guide offers a practical introduction for police practitioners 
to two types of surveys that police find useful: surveying 
public opinion and surveying the physical environment. It 
provides guidance on whether and how to conduct cost-
effective surveys. 
 
Assessing Responses to Problems: An 
Introductory Guide for Police Problem-Solvers, 

by John E. Eck (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services, 2001). This guide 
is a companion to the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series. 
It provides basic guidance to measuring and assessing 
problem-oriented policing efforts. 

 
Conducting Community Surveys, by Deborah Weisel 
(Bureau of Justice Statistics and Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services, 1999). This guide, along with 
accompanying computer software, provides practical, basic 
pointers for police in conducting community surveys. The 
document is also available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs. 
 
Crime Prevention Studies, 
edited by Ronald V. Clarke 
(Criminal Justice Press, 1993, et seq.). This is a series of 
volumes of applied and theoretical research on reducing 
opportunities for crime. Many chapters are evaluations of 
initiatives to reduce specific crime and disorder problems. 


 
Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing:The 
1999 Herman Goldstein Award Winners. This 
document produced by the National Institute of Justice 
in collaboration with the Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services and the Police Executive Research Forum 
provides detailed reports of the best submissions to the 
annual award program that recognizes exemplary problem-
oriented responses to various community problems. A 
similar publication is available for the award winners from 
subsequent years. The documents are also available at www. 
ojp.usdoj.gov/nij. 
 
Not Rocket Science? Problem-Solving and Crime 
Reduction, 
by Tim Read and Nick Tilley (Home Office 
Crime Reduction Research Series, 2000). Identifies and 
describes the factors that make problem-solving effective 
or ineffective as it is being practiced in police forces in 
England and Wales. 
 
Opportunity Makes the Thief: Practical Theory 
for Crime Prevention, 
by Marcus Felson and Ronald V. 
Clarke (Home Office Police Research Series, Paper No. 98, 
1998). Explains how crime theories such as routine activity 
theory, rational choice theory and crime pattern theory 
have practical implications for the police in their efforts to 
prevent crime. 
 
Problem Analysis in Policing, by Rachel Boba (Police 
Foundation, 2003). Introduces and defines problem analysis 
and provides guidance on how problem analysis can be 
integrated and institutionalized into modern policing 
practices. 


 
Problem-Oriented Policing, by Herman Goldstein 
(McGraw-Hill, 1990, and Temple University Press, 1990). 
Explains the principles and methods of problem-oriented 
policing, provides examples of it in practice, and discusses 
how a police agency can implement the concept. 
 
Problem-Oriented Policing and Crime Prevention, 
by Anthony A. Braga (Criminal Justice Press, 2003). 
Provides a through review of significant policing research 
about problem places, high-activity offenders, and repeat 
victims, with a focus on the applicability of those findings 
to problem-oriented policing. Explains how police 
departments can facilitate problem-oriented policing by 
improving crime analysis, measuring performance, and 
securing productive partnerships. 
 
Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the 
First 20 Years, by Michael S. Scott (U.S. Department of 
Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 
2000). Describes how the most critical elements of 
Herman Goldstein's problem-oriented policing model have 
developed in practice over its 20-year history, and proposes 
future directions for problem-oriented policing. The report 
is also available at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 
 
Problem-Solving: Problem-Oriented Policing in 
Newport News, by John E. Eck and William Spelman 
(Police Executive Research Forum, 1987). Explains the 
rationale behind problem-oriented policing and the 
problem-solving process, and provides examples of 
effective problem-solving in one agency. 


4 

 
Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing 
Crime and Disorder Through Problem-Solving 
Partnerships by Karin Schmerler, Matt Perkins, Scott 
Phillips, Tammy Rinehart and Meg Townsend. (U.S. 
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services, 1998) (also available at www.cops.usdoj. 
gov). Provides a brief introduction to problem-solving, 
basic information on the SARA model and detailed 
suggestions about the problem-solving process. 
 
Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case 
Studies, 
Second Edition, edited by Ronald V. Clarke 
(Harrow and Heston, 1997). Explains the principles and 
methods of situational crime prevention, and presents over 
20 case studies of effective crime prevention initiatives. 
 
Tackling Crime and Other Public-Safety Problems: 
Case Studies in Problem-Solving, 
by Rana Sampson 
and Michael S. Scott (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services, 2000) (also available 
at www.cops.usdoj.gov). Presents case studies of effective 
police problem-solving on 18 types of crime and disorder 
problems. 
 
Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guidebook 
for Law Enforcement, 
by Timothy S. Bynum (U.S. 
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services, 2001). Provides an introduction for 
police to analyzing problems within the context of 
problem-oriented policing. 
 
Using Research: A Primer for Law Enforcement 
Managers, 
Second Edition, by John E. Eck and Nancy G. 
LaVigne (Police Executive Research Forum, 1994). Explains 
many of the basics of research as it applies to police 
management and problem-solving. 


Other Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 

Problem-Specific Guides series: 

1. 
Assaults in and Around Bars. Michael S. Scott. 2001. 
ISBN: 1-932582-00-2 
2. 
Street Prostitution. Michael S. Scott. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-01-0 
3. 
Speeding in Residential Areas. Michael S. Scott. 2001. 
ISBN: 1-932582-02-9 
4. 
Drug Dealing in Privately Owned Apartment Complexes. 
Rana Sampson. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-03-7 
5. 
False Burglar Alarms. Rana Sampson. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-04-5 
6. 
Disorderly Youth in Public Places. Michael S. Scott. 2001. 
ISBN: 1-932582-05-3 
7. 
Loud Car Stereos. Michael S. Scott. 2001. ISBN: 1-932582-06-1 
8. 
Robbery at Automated Teller Machines. Michael S. Scott. 2001. 
ISBN: 1-932582-07-X 
9. 
Graffiti. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-08-8 
10. 
Thefts of and From Cars in Parking Facilities. Ronald V. 
Clarke. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-09-6 
11. 
Shoplifting. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-10-X 
12. 
Bullying in Schools. Rana Sampson. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-11-8 
13. 
Panhandling. Michael S. Scott. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-12-6 
14. 
Rave Parties. Michael S. Scott. 2002. ISBN: 1-932582-13-4 
15. 
Burglary of Retail Establishments. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002. 
ISBN: 1-932582-14-2 
16. 
Clandestine Drug Labs. Michael S. Scott. 2002. 
ISBN: 1-932582-15-0 
17. 
Acquaintance Rape of College Students. Rana Sampson. 2002. 
ISBN: 1-932582-16-9 
18. 
Burglary of Single-Family Houses. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 
2002. ISBN: 1-932582-17-7 
19. 
Misuse and Abuse of 911. Rana Sampson. 2002. 
ISBN: 1-932582-18-5 
20. 
Financial Crimes Against the Elderly. 

Kelly Dedel Johnson. 2003. ISBN: 1-932582-22-3 


21. 
Check and Card Fraud. Graeme R. Newman. 2003. 
ISBN: 1-932582-27-4 
22. 
Stalking. the National Center for Victims of Crime. 2004. 
ISBN: 1-932582-30-4 
23. 
Gun Violence Among Serious Young Offenders. Anthony A. 
Braga. 2004. ISBN: 1-932582-31-2 
24. 
Prescription Fraud. Julie Wartell and Nancy G. La Vigne. 2004. 
ISBN: 1-932582-33-9 
25. 
Identity Theft. Graeme R. Newman. 2004. ISBN: 1-932582-35-3 
26. 
Crimes Against Tourists. Ronald W. Glensor and Kenneth J. 
Peak. 2004. ISBN: 1-932582-36-3 
27. 
Underage Drinking. Kelly Dedel Johnson. 2004. 
ISBN: 1-932582-39-8 
28. 
Street Racing. Kenneth J. Peak and Ronald W. Glensor. 2004. 
ISBN: 1-932582-42-8 
29. 
Cruising. Kenneth J. Peak and Ronald W. Glensor. 2004. 
ISBN: 1-932582-43-6 
30. 
Disorder at Budget Motels. Karin Schmerler. 2005. 
ISBN: 1-932582-41-X 
31. 
Drug Dealing in Open-Air Markets. Alex Harocopos and Mike 
Hough. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-45-2 
32. 
Bomb Threats in Schools. Graeme R. Newman. 2005. 
ISBN: 1-932582-46-0 
33. 
Illicit Sexual Activity in Public Places. Kelly Dedel Johnson. 
2005. ISBN: 1-932582-47-9 
34. 
Robbery of Taxi Drivers. Martha J. Smith. 2005. 
ISBN: 1-932582-50-9 
35. 
School Vandalism and Break-Ins. Kelly Dedel Johnson. 2005. 
ISBN: 1-9325802-51-7 
36. 
Drunk Driving. Michael S. Scott, Nina J. Emerson, Louis B. 
Antonacci, and Joel B. Plant. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-57-6 
37. 
Juvenile Runaways. Kelly Dedel. 2006. ISBN: 1932582-56-8 
38. 
The Exploitation of Trafficked Women. Graeme R. Newman. 
2006. ISBN: 1-932582-59-2 
39. 
Student Party Riots. Tamara D. Madensen and John E. Eck. 2006. 
ISBN: 1-932582-60-6 


Other Gu des n Th s Ser es 

40. 
People with Mental Illness. Gary Cordner. 2006. 
ISBN: 1-932582-63-0 
41. 
Child Pornography on the Internet. Richard Wortley 
and Stephen Smallbone. 2006. ISBN: 1-932582-65-7 
42. 
Witness Intimidation. Kelly Dedel. 2006. 
ISBN: 1-932582-67-3 

Response Guides series: 

 
The Benefits and Consequences of Police 
Crackdowns. Michael S. Scott. 2003. ISBN: 1-932582-24-X 
 
Closing Streets and Alleys to Reduce Crime: Should 
You Go Down This Road? Ronald V. Clarke. 2004. 
ISBN: 1-932582-41-X 
 
Crime Prevention Publicity Campaigns. 

Emmanuel Barthe. 2006 ISBN: 1-932582-66-5 

 
Shifting and Sharing Responsibility for Public Safety 
Problems. Michael S. Scott and Herman Goldstein. 
2005. ISBN: 1-932582-55-X 
 
Video Surveillance of Public Places. Jerry Ratcliffe. 
2006 ISBN: 1-932582-58-4 
Problem-Solving Tools series: 

 
Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory 
Guide for Police Problem-Solvers. John E. Eck. 2002. 
ISBN: 1-932582-19-3 
 
Researching a Problem. Ronald V. Clarke and Phyllis A. 
Schultz. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-48-7 
 
Using Offender Interviews to Inform Police Problem 
Solving. Scott H. Decker. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-49-5 
 
Analyzing Repeat Victimization. Deborah Lamm 
Weisel. 2005. ISBN: 1-932582-54-1 


Upcoming Problem-Oriented Guides for Police 

Problem-Specific Guides 
Domestic Violence 
Bank Robbery 
Drive-by Shootings 
Disorder at Day Laborer Sites 
Crowd Control at Stadiums and Other Entertainment Venues 
Traffic Congestion Around Schools 
Theft from Construction Sites of Single Family Houses 
Robbery of Convenience Stores 
Theft from Cars on Streets 

Problem-Solving Tools 
Risky Facilities 
Implementing Responses to Problems 
Designing a Problem Analysis System 

Response Guides 
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design 

For more information about the Problem-Oriented Guides for 
Police series and other COPS Office publications, please call 
the COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 or visit 
COPS Online at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 


For More InForMatIon: 

U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W. 
Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details on COPS programs, call the 
COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 

Visit COPS Online at the address listed below. 

e07063414 Updated: July 2006 
ISBN: 1-932582-11-8 

www.cops.usdoj.gov