Sticks and Stones, Part 3

Why is a sexual assault agency concerned with bullying? That’s an excellent question. Investigation into the root causes of sexual assault have uncovered several potential factors. The Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center’s “The Burden of a Backpack” addresses those factors.  

First among the connections is the link between bullying and sexual harassment. Important to remember here is that sexual assault is a form of sexual harassment. Though not 100% conclusive, here are a couple of the findings.

“It became clear to me that, left unchecked and unchallenged, bullying might in fact serve as fertile practice ground for sexual harassment.” This statement came from research conducted in the early 90s.

Research in 2001 offer a stronger correlation. “Preliminary evidence from a multi-method, multi-agent longitudinal study suggests that the male perpetrators of sexual harassment at the end of middle school were bullies in elementary school and during the first year of middle school.”

So, there’s evidence for a link between bullying and sexual harassment. What else do we know? We know that sexual harassment, sexual assault, and bullying are plagued by a culture of silence. The Morning Sun in Pittsburg had this to say about bullying, “There tends to be a code of silence about bullying situations. The target does not tell because they may be ashamed of being bullied or afraid of retaliation. They may think that no one can or will help them. The bystander that sees or knows bullying is going on may not tell because they too may be afraid of being hurt.”

In the aftermath of Phoebe Prince’s death, bullying has drawn significant attention. Her tragic suicide left many asking, “How could this have happened?” Time magazine had this insight, “Increasingly, neuroscientists, psychologists and educators believe that bullying and other kinds of violence can indeed be reduced by encouraging empathy at an early age.” This lack of empathy is directly related to acts of sexual violence. Psychologist Dr. Michael Mantell, who has worked with sex offenders  for decades, stated that most do share one similar characteristic. “These are people with tremendous deficits of empathy.”

The Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center’s bullying prevention program, “The Burden of a Backpack,” attempts to counter a culture of silence by encouraging bystander intervention/active witnesses. The program, additionally, promotes empathy by associating a heavy rock-filled backpack with the hurt caused by bullying. The most encouraging result from the program, so far, has been the active participation by known bullies in some of the classes we’ve visited. We know that habits start with small actions. We like to think that each small gesture of empathy will plant a powerful seed. Now, it’s up to all of us to lead by example and keep the seed growing.

For more information:

How Not to Raise a Bully: The Early Roots of Empathy

Family Lifelines - Bullying prevention

Bullying, Victimization, and Sexual Harassment During the Transition to Middle School

Psychology of Education: Major Themes, Vol. 4

RapeLay is Asking For It, Part 2