For this month's issue of Reaction we talked to kids about bullying. How do they handle it? How has it affected their lives? Kids live in a very complex social environment. Whether you sell to kids, manage programs to assist them or develop content to entertain or educate them, Reactorz qualitative research can help you navigate the dark and light sides of the playground.
There was a time when adults would consider bullying a normal part of growing up. But we are becoming more aware of the impact of bullying as we read much-publicized headlines of suicides and murders linked to schoolyard bullying. But what do the kids think about all of this?
Recently Reactorz members started voicing their concerns and opinions within discussion boards, spawning numerous topics from first-hand experiences to how to handle a bullying situation and opinions on the effectiveness of "tips" culled from other adult sources. From their comments, Reactorz realized that the discussion areas offered a safe place of comfort that encouraged the members to be open.
From a study done by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in 2002 of Ontario students, we have learned that 25% of students in grades 7 to 13 report being bullied at school. However, when Reactorz members between the ages of 18 and 22 were asked if they were ever bullied, an alarming 46% admitted to being harassed in some form - a much higher rate than that reflected by the CAMH.
What is merely teasing and what is bullying? Many of the Reactorz members didn't see a distinction or felt that both are harmful. If a distinction had to be made, teasing was verbal and bullying was physical. However, the kids felt strongly that anything that helps a person to feel bad about themselves, whether it was called teasing or bullying, was 'wrong'.
What to do about it? Most kids decided that telling an adult they trust was a good way to handle bullying, though the younger the kids were the more they saw this as the best option. Tweens and early teenagers are more independent and more likely to advocate another popular tactic: saying "NO" firmly, and calmly withdrawing from the situation. Expert advice includes 'give up your stuff - things can be replaced' when confronted with a bully. Not a single member advocated following that advice. In fact, while fighting back was discouraged there was a strong desire to defend self and property from a bully and not look 'silly' or give the bully a reason to return for more. This is a very fine distinction that the kids make between defense and responding with equal force.
Wise words from Reactorz members - from many online discussions there was a clear desire from the older members to help the younger in "real-life" bullying situations. Older members offered advice like "avoid the situation" and "stay calm and don't act upset" as effective means in avoiding confrontations. Through their experiences the older Reactorz members gave the younger more insight and better perspective that may empower them and cope with bully teasing and taunting.
What about the bullies? Almost 32% reported being the bully in the CAMH research. Reactorz members told us that quite often kids play both roles at different times and situations in their lives, which deepens their understanding of bullies. It isn't a battle between good and evil played out on the playground when the players could be bully, victim or bystander at any given time.
Insight: Bullying is considered to be a lot more than threats of physical violence. Using that broader definition bullying is probably more widespread than current quantitative research suggests. Advice on how to deal with bullying needs to consider both the broader definition and kids desire to maintain their self-esteem in any confrontation. The schoolyard is a complex world and a child's place in it isn't static.
As youth market specialists, we need to understand and consider the sensitivity of this issue when it comes to our content and marketing strategies. We assume that kids want to aspire to be the most popular, best looking and the one who has it all. Advertisers are happy to show a group of kids in a "wannabe cool" scenario but we need to be aware of what the kids are seeing. We're prepared to show the ideal but realistically youth have many underlying concerns. A lot more is going on beneath the surface and we need to project a positive message to all kids and reflect our understanding of that complexity.
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To find out more about Reactorz contact us online at
www.reactorzresearch.com. Or call 416-516-0705.
Reactorz is a youth-powered research engine. Our online community of kids ages 7 to 22 provide their opinion and insight into current events, issues, creative & product design, entertainment and communications strategies. Reactorz parent company Big Orbit gathers this information and empowers clients by connecting them with this target group through strategic consulting and creative development. For over a decade, Big Orbit has worked with corporate, government and non-profit organizations such as: Kraft Canada, Junior Achievement of Canada, Concerned Children's Advertisers and Key Porter Books. For a complete list of clients and case studies please visit
www.bigorbit.com or
www.reactorzresearch.com.
