What to Avoid

Overstating the problem. With so much discussion of bullying and an Internet rife with false information and misleading statistics, it can be difficult to keep the issue in perspective.

Unfortunately, a majority of bullying stories give an inaccurate picture of the prevalence of the problem. The facts are:

• Bullying is not an epidemic. Rates of bullying nationally have not increased. There may be a local increase in bullying or awareness of bullying, but even this statement requires more reliable evidence than a few striking cases.
• Most young people do not experience or support bullying behavior.
• Many types of aggressive behavior are in fact not bullying (e.g., one-time physical fights, online arguments, incidents between adults).
• Cyberbullying is less prevalent than other forms of bullying.

Creating the impression that bullying is a bigger problem than it is spreads misinformation, which in media reports raises many ethical and professional concerns. Some experts contend that reports depicting bullying as widespread and rapidly growing make youth and adults more likely to see it as common and less likely to try to stop it.

• Adults accept it as part of growing up and think nothing can be done.
• Youth think it is okay because “everyone does it.”

Also, when people don’t understand the actual dimension of a problem, they can make mistaken conclusions or even turn to the wrong solutions.

Finally, the idea that bullying is “everywhere” can contribute to irrational fears that can lead some to overprotective or anxious parenting. Some studies show that anxious parenting may harm children as they grow up.

Stating or implying that bullying caused a suicide. The relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. Many media reports take short cuts, presenting bullying as the “cause” or “reason” for a suicide. The facts tell a different story.

A thorough investigation usually reveals that the cause of a suicide is complex and multifacted. If bullying is involved, it is one of many factors.

Read more about bullying and suicide.

See recommendations for reporting on suicide .

Oversimplifying. Journalists’ efforts to simplify complex bullying issues for readers can be unintentionally misleading. Examples of nuances the public needs to understand include:

• The same young person can play the roles of “bully” and “victim” in different situations.
• Bullying affects all types of youth; it is not restricted to LGBT youth, although they are a higher risk.
• Simple or one-time solutions (e.g., school assemblies) are not likely to work.

Reports that exclude nuances paint an inaccurate and incomplete picture of real-world bullying. This perpetuates myths and may lead parents, educators, and others to miss the bullying in front of them.

Citing unrealistically simple solutions also can hinder efforts to stop bullying. When people observe that these solutions fail, they can give up trying.

Oversimplifying can also lead to unfair anger or resentment, because it enables people to draw conclusions without the full facts. It can result in such problems as blaming a school principal or a parent for a bullying incident.

Using under-qualified sources. It can be difficult to identify true experts in bullying prevention, suicide, and other newsworthy topics. Spokespeople may have expertise in other areas, for example from working as educators, or from personal experience. But they can lack deep knowledge of these complex issues and lead you to misinform your audience.

Check out the Expert Help section.

Poor sources can introduce inaccuracies into reports, which readers and viewers may take as fact and share broadly.

Misinformation perpetuates the problem.

Blaming/criminalizing those who bully. Many times youth who bully are not mentioned in media reports. Some reports paint a one-sided picture of bullying situations, quickly blaming those who bully or even portraying them as criminals. They also may blame the school.

This may be due to laws like FERPA that prevent school officials from providing information about bullying cases. These restrictions protect youth, but make it difficult for journalists to get information about what actually happened in a specific bullying incident.

The facts are:

• Youth who bully often have been bullied themselves.
• Bullying involves a complex dynamic between youth in groups; attributing blame can be problematic.
• Bullying is not a crime, even when a young person involved dies by suicide.
• Youth who bully need help too so they can learn to use power in appropriate ways.

Portraying those who bully in a harshly negative light shuts down healthy dialogue. Parents of youth who have exhibited some bullying behaviors may be unwilling to participate in prevention. Teachers, counselors, and others also can write them off as “no good.”

A report implying that bullying led to a suicide can create public pressure for an inappropriate criminal investigation or civil lawsuit, and even brand the youth who bullied as a “murderer.”

Some experts fear that young people who are bullied may see suicide as a way to punish those who have bullied them.

Blaming also may damage the entire school community, and in the case of suicide, limit or negatively impact healing.

Sensationalizing. Journalists must interest readers. Bullying incidents generally are not covered unless they involve serious injury, a death, many young people, or some other act that makes them newsworthy.

Attention-grabbing headlines often use language that adds to the dramatic element in the coverage.

Often cyberbullying stories are particularly sensational.

The emphasis on the most tragic results of bullying can encourage overprotective or anxious parenting, which studies have shown may harm children as they grow up.

Cyberbullying is misperceived as more prevalent and threatening than facts suggest. Resulting efforts to prevent bullying may focus in the wrong place.

Sensational stories about cyberbullying can lead adults to mistakenly blame the technology and take away access to this important social and learning tool.

The focus on dramatic bullying events misses an opportunity for coverage of positive themes about new research findings or progress achieved through prevention.

Failing to include prevention information and resources. Research has not arrived at what definitely works to prevent bullying, but many media reports do not offer the public what is known.

Media reports often focus on prevention through anti-bullying legislation and policies, or contain very general ideas instead of more specific tips for parents, schools, and youth.

Also, many do not refer to quality public resources, such as StopBullying.gov.

The absence of information about effective prevention strategies for youth and parents implies that bullying has no solution, and does not help move toward one.