Newswise — Washington, DC (March 27, 2012)— Bullying affects millions of students of varying ages, races, and social classes. Studies show that one out of every four kids is bullied and 43 percent of all school-aged children have experienced some form of online bullying. Repeated bullying can have a negative effect on a student’s health, self-esteem, and academic performance.
The upcoming release of the documentary “Bully,” which features the experiences of children who have been bullied, and parents whose children have committed suicide after being bullied, aims to shed light on this national issue. How can parents, school officials, and students tackle this growing problem? How can we better understand the root of bullying as a means to put a stop to it?
Members of the National Communication Association who have studied all forms of bullying, teasing, and harassment are available to provide insight on the following:
• The correlation between teasing and self-esteem• The effect of teasing on how students view school• The difference between teasing and bullying• How new technologies are being used to bully and harass children and teens• How families can talk about bullying• Coping tips for students
WHO:
Carol Bishop Mills, Ph.D.Department of Communication Studies, University of AlabamaHer research focus is on teasing and the impact it has on young children, as well as the difference between teasing and bullying.
John Spinda, Ph.D.Organizational Communication, Murray State UniversityHis expertise includes a focus on the risks and negative outcomes of cyberbullying and/or the use of communication technology to ridicule or harass peers.
Katherine S. Thweatt, Ph.D.Department of Communication Studies, West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeHer research focus is on teasing as a form of verbal aggression in schools.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview with an expert, please contact Arlyn G. Riskind at [email protected] or 202-534-1104.
###About National Communication AssociationThe National Communication Association (NCA) advances communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. The NCA serves approximately 8,000 scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, the NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems.
For more information, visit www.natcom.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/natcomm and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalCommunicationAssociation.
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