Do people ever consider the possibility that, if they're exposed to increased reports about a social problem, it's the reporting that has increased rather than the problem?
Do
people
ever
consider
the
possibility
that
,
if
they
're
exposed
to
increased
reports
about
a
social
problem
,
it
's
the
reporting
that
has
increased
rather
than
the
problem
?
It's increasingly clear that this is the case with school bullying: Only news reports about it have increased, not the behavior itself.
It
's
increasingly
clear
that
this
is
the
case
with
school
bullying
:
Only
news
reports
about
it
have
increased
,
not
the
behavior
itself
.
In fact, both bullying and fear of it are down among US middle school students
In
fact
,
both
bullying
and
fear
of
it
are
down
among
US
middle
school
students
The rate of students who reported fearing an attack or harm at school at all has dropped dramatically, from nearly 12% in 1995 to less than 4% in 2011.
The
rate
of
students
who
reported
fearing
an
attack
or
harm
at
school
at
all
has
dropped
dramatically
,
from
nearly
12
%
in
1995
to
less
than
4
%
in
2011
.
For black and Hispanic students, it's an even more encouraging shift--from more than 20% of both groups of students worried about being attacked at school to less than 5% in 2011.
For
black
and
Hispanic
students
,
it
's
an
even
more
encouraging
shift
--
from
more
than
20
%
of
both
groups
of
students
worried
about
being
attacked
at
school
to
less
than
5
%
in
2011
.
The decline in actual physical violence in schools is even more dramatic: It was down 74% between 1992 and 2010, according to the latest US Department of Justice data.
The
decline
in
actual
physical
violence
in
schools
is
even
more
dramatic
:
It
was
down
74
%
between
1992
and
2010
,
according
to
the
latest
US
Department
of
Justice
data
.
What about cyberbullying?
What
about
cyberbullying
?
Online harassment increased from 6% in 2000 to 9% in 2005 to 11% in 2010 between, and it's interesting to note that it increased less between 2005 and '10 than in the first 5 years tracked.
Online
harassment
increased
from
6
%
in
2000
to
9
%
in
2005
to
11
%
in
2010
between
,
and
it
's
interesting
to
note
that
it
increased
less
between
2005
and
'10
than
in
the
first
5
years
tracked
.
Because social media is very much a reflection of school social life for young people, the peer aggression seen in social media is a lot like the peer aggression seen on school bathroom walls.
Because
social
media
is
very
much
a
reflection
of
school
social
life
for
young
people
,
the
peer
aggression
seen
in
social
media
is
a
lot
like
the
peer
aggression
seen
on
school
bathroom
walls
.
So once it finds its "dead level," it will probably decline in the same way verbal and written aggression have.
So
once
it
finds
its
``
dead
level
,
''
it
will
probably
decline
in
the
same
way
verbal
and
written
aggression
have
.
Besides education and crime prevention at the social level, medicine treatment and better access to mental healthcare also contribute to this downward trend in victimization of self and others.
Besides
education
and
crime
prevention
at
the
social
level
,
medicine
treatment
and
better
access
to
mental
healthcare
also
contribute
to
this
downward
trend
in
victimization
of
self
and
others
.
The rise of social media is what people don't typically think of as a positive force in society.
The
rise
of
social
media
is
what
people
do
n't
typically
think
of
as
a
positive
force
in
society
.
But Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire says, "These technologies might have prevented crime and bullying by providing more ways of help, more forms of social supervision, and interesting activities that destroy forms of alienation that lead to crime".
But
Finkelhor
,
director
of
the
Crimes
Against
Children
Research
Center
at
the
University
of
New
Hampshire
says
,
``
These
technologies
might
have
prevented
crime
and
bullying
by
providing
more
ways
of
help
,
more
forms
of
social
supervision
,
and
interesting
activities
that
destroy
forms
of
alienation
that
lead
to
crime
''
.
Do people ever consider the possibility that, if they're exposed to increased reports about a social problem, it's the reporting that has increased rather than the problem? It's increasingly clear that this is the case with school bullying: Only news reports about it have increased, not the behavior itself. In fact, both bullying and fear of it are down among US middle school students  The rate of students who reported fearing an attack or harm at school at all has dropped dramatically, from nearly 12% in 1995 to less than 4% in 2011. For black and Hispanic students, it's an even more encouraging shift--from more than 20% of both groups of students worried about being attacked at school to less than 5% in 2011.  The decline in actual physical violence in schools is even more dramatic: It was down 74% between 1992 and 2010, according to the latest US Department of Justice data.  What about cyberbullying? Online harassment increased from 6% in 2000 to 9% in 2005 to 11% in 2010 between, and it's interesting to note that it increased less between 2005 and '10 than in the first 5 years tracked. Because social media is very much a reflection of school social life for young people, the peer aggression seen in social media is a lot like the peer aggression seen on school bathroom walls. So once it finds its "dead level," it will probably decline in the same way verbal and written aggression have.  Besides education and crime prevention at the social level, medicine treatment and better access to mental healthcare also contribute to this downward trend in victimization of self and others.  The rise of social media is what people don't typically think of as a positive force in society. But Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire says, "These technologies might have prevented crime and bullying by providing more ways of help, more forms of social supervision, and interesting activities that destroy forms of alienation that lead to crime".