TORONTO, October 30, 1996--York University Professor Dr. Debra Pepler has won a national award from the Psychology Foundation of Canada for her pioneering research into bullying.

The Foundation honoured Pepler, who teaches psychology and serves as Director of York's LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution, with its Contribution to Knowledge Awardon October 28 for her work on "bullying and its impacts on child mental health, scholastic performance and family life." Pepler's approach -- to share her research results with educators, mental health professionals, policy makers and parents -- is consistent with the Foundation's objective "To give Psychology away."

"Dr. Pepler's award-winning, socially relevant work is exactly the kind of scholarship for which York has become known," said York University President Dr. Susan Mann. "We salute Dr. Pepler's excellence and her commitment to this important area of study," says Mann.

Pepler recently completed a four-year study into the bullying tactics of school-age children between the ages of six and 12, videotaping them in classrooms and playgrounds. Her research documented bullying and aggressive behaviour of children in school to evaluate an anti-bullying intervention project in selected downtown Toronto schools.

Preliminary results show that schools can be very effective in reducing bullying. One school reduced recordings of bullying and victimization by 50 per cent, both in the playground and classroom. Other interventions were not as successful. Pepler said the most effective anti-bullying intervention involves parents, teachers and principals: "It appears that the parents were very involved in one school and really worked with school staff to respond to these problems. The staff and parents worked together to develop a code of behaviour which is the central piece of any anti-bullying program."

Pepler's research, which was recently highlighted on CBC TV's 5th Estate, also shows that bullying appears to peak at about grades four and five. Gender does not appear to be a determining factor: Girls can be bullies, too, though their aggression was often indirect, such as gossiping or excluding other children from groups.

Pepler says she was surprised by the extent to which some children seemed to enjoy the dynamics of bullying: "When bullying goes on, other kids come in, they form the audience and everybody watches. Sometimes, watching our tapes reminds me of Lord of the Flies, where children take justice into their own hands."

Pepler's research continues. She and some colleagues will be looking at 1,800 students in grades five to eight to examine factors related to bullying and victimization. This research will concentrate on whether bullies continue to bully into adolescence and whether their victims are at greater risk of being targeted (for things such as date rape) as they enter their teen years.

For more information, contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor for Media Relations
(416)736-2100, x 22087
sinem@yorku.ca
YU/054/96