Online and in‐Person Violence, Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying in New Jersey: 2011‐2016

Abstract

BACKGROUND New Jersey (NJ) Safe Schools Program, primarily funded by the NJ Department of Education, has aims concerning safety and health including helping to alleviate harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) in secondary school because HIB can affect learning. We evaluated officially reported adolescent HIB total incidents and estimated rates in NJ public city and county school districts for the 2011‐2016 school years. METHODS A cross‐sectional observational study using population‐based state‐reported public data. We calculated point prevalence and incidence rates for K‐12 students in 22 public city school districts, students in 21 career‐technical‐vocational education (CTE) school districts, and 8 special services school districts during 2011‐2016. RESULTS HIB is prevalent in NJ school classrooms. HIB comprised ≥75% of total officially reported in‐school violence‐related incidents in a given school year. Rates per 100 enrollees of total officially reported incidents for the 5‐year period of 2011‐2016 was highest in special services school districts (5.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.67, 5.34) followed by CTE districts (1.94; 95% CI: 1.86, 2.01), and lowest in city districts (1.46; 95% CI: 1.44, 1.48). The special services school district also had the highest rates per year and the 5‐year period. CONCLUSIONS Data analyses suggested ideas for further research and improvements for school HIB incident reports. Policies and programs could remedy issues observed in state secondary school classrooms. Best practices within districts and schools can help protect students from HIB and promote safety, health, learning, and maturation.

Problematic Behaviors and Predicting Online Risk Behaviors in High School Students

“…Almost all children and adolescents have the experience of attending school and for most it is where they spend the majority of their day. Academic and behavioral concerns can occur throughout academic careers going from elementary school through to college (Simmons et al, 2020). Not surprisingly, academic problems were found in our study to be a predictive behavior for online risk taking.…”

“…Adolescence is a time of extraordinary maturational change in virtually all domains of development, from physical and biological to emotional, cognitive, neuro-cognitive, social, sexual, and behavioral (Bonnie & Scott, 2013; Casey et al, 2008; Iselin et al, 2009; Dow-Edwards et al, 2019; Modecki, 2008; Reyna & Farley, 2006; Steinberg, 2007; Steinberg & Scott, 2003; van den Bos, van Dijk, Westenberg, Rombouts, & Crone, 2011). This transitionary period is marked by profound physical, cognitive, social, and emotional change and growth that is peer-focused and exploratory.…”