Eleven young adults with an intellectual disability were interviewed for this exploratory study aimed at charting their experiences of growing up in homes where at least one parent had the same or a similar disability. Two main themes emerged from the interviews. Firstly, a clear majority of the young adults had positive experiences of family life during their upbringing, as expressed especially through their memories of their grandparents. Secondly, the study participants all described experiences of being bullied and harassed outside the family context. The results obtained in this study highlight the importance of the parents, the family, and informal networks in the upbringing of these children. The study also considers the consequences that the study participants' negative experiences of peer contacts and their sense of exclusion might have for their prospects in later life.
The effects of school-based antibullying programs have typically been examined on small samples, with number of schools ranging from 1 to 78 (Farrington & Ttofi, 2009). This study investigated the effectiveness of the KiVa antibullying program in the beginning of its nationwide implementation in Finland.
METHOD:
At each time point, the participants included 888 schools with approximately 150,000 students in 11,200 classrooms in Grades 1-9 (8-16 years of age; 51% boys and 49% girls). Victims and bullies were identified with the global questions from the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (Olweus, 1996), utilizing the criteria suggested by Solberg and Olweus (2003). The program effects were examined by calculating odds ratios based on a cohort-longitudinal design, correcting the standard errors for clustering.
RESULTS:
During the first 9 months of implementation, the KiVa program reduced both victimization and bullying, with a control/intervention group odds ratio of 1.22 (95% CI [1.19, 1.24]) for victimization and 1.18 (95% CI [1.15, 1.21]) for bullying.
CONCLUSIONS:
Generalized to the Finnish population of 500,000 students, this would mean a reduction of approximately 7,500 bullies and 12,500 victims.
Health Promot J Austr. 2011 Dec;22(3):172-7.
Content analysis of school anti-bullying policies: a comparison between New Zealand and Victoria, Australia.
Marsh L, McGee R, Hemphill SA, Williams S.
Source
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dundedin, New Zealand. louise.marsh@otago.ac.nz
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED:
To undertake a detailed analysis of the content of anti-bullying policies in schools in New Zealand (NZ) and Victoria, Australia.
METHODS:
The content of anti-bullying policies from 253 NZ schools and 93 Victorian schools were analysed in terms of definitions of bullyingbehaviour; reporting, recording and responding to bullying incidents; communicating and evaluating the policy; and outlining strategies for preventingbullying.
RESULTS:
There was a wide range in 'policy scores' between schools, and Victorian schools scored higher on nearly every area compared with NZ schools. In both regions, definitions rarely included bullying on the grounds of homophobia, religion or disability; or bullying between adults and students. Policies also lacked detail about the responsibilities of non-teaching staff in dealing with bullying, and rarely described follow-up after abullying incident. Few policies explained how the policy would be evaluated, and many failed to mention preventive strategies.
CONCLUSION:
This study highlights some important areas that are deficient in NZ and Victorian school anti-bullying policies, and emphasises the need for guidance on how schools can develop an effective anti-bullying policy. Having more comprehensive anti-bullying policies will give schools a much better chance of reducing bullying.
Health Promot J Austr. 2011 Dec;22(3):223-7.
Smoking is rank! But, not as rank as other drugs and bullying say New Zealand parents of pre-adolescent children.
Glover M, Kira A, Min S, Scragg R, Nosa V, McCool J, Bullen C.
Source
Centre for Tobacco Control Research, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand. m.glover@auckland.ac.nz
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED:
Despite the established risks associated with smoking, 21% of New Zealand adults smoke. Prevalence among Māori (indigenous) and Pacific Island New Zealanders is disproportionately high. Prevention of smoking initiation is a key component of tobacco control. Keeping Kids Smokefree--a quasi-experimental trial--aimed to do this by changing parental smoking behaviour and attitudes. However, little is known about parents' attitudes to smoking in comparison with other concerns.
METHOD:
Parents of 4,144 children attending five urban schools in a high smoking prevalence population in Auckland, New Zealand, were asked to rank seven concerns on a paper-based questionnaire, including smoking, alcohol and bullying, from most to least serious.
RESULTS:
Methamphetamine and other illicit 'hard' drugs were ranked as most serious followed by marijuana smoking, alcohol drinking, bullying, cigarette smoking, sex and obesity. Never smokers ranked cigarette smoking as more serious than current or ex-smokers.
CONCLUSION:
Parents' under-estimation of the serious nature of tobacco smoking relative to other drugs could partly explain low participation rates in parent-focused smoking initiation prevention programs.
