The prevalence and correlates of cyberbullying in adolescence: Results of a five-year cohort study

POSTER 1: The Prevalence and Correlates of Cyberbullying in Adolescence: Results of a Five-Year Cohort Study. Recent media coverage has highlighted th growing prevalence of cyberbullying, however to date this new form of aggressive hebaviour has received relatively little research attention compared to other aspects of bullying behaviour. In this study, 14,281 pupils were surveyed annually over a five year period (approx. 3,000 per year) using an adapted version of the Olweus Bullying Questionaire. The results shoed that over the five-year period, the prevalence of cyberbullying increased from 14.5% to 20.6% particularly among girls. Analysis also found cyberbullying to be the secon most frequently reported type of bullying, following direct-verbal forms of bullying, such as name-calling. Suggestions as to how cyberbullying can be tackled in line with current anti-bullying strategies as well as future directions for research are discussed --- POSTER 2: Text-Messaging as a Form of Bullying: an Analysis of Content: Cybebullying has ben defined as bullying which occirs through communication and media devices such as the mobile (cell) phone. To date, the majority of research on cyberbullying has focused on identifying the prevalence of this behaviour and any age and gender differences that may exist. As part of a larger survey, the aims of this study was to exmaine the nature of text messages reportedely received by 465 victims of cyberbullying --- Note: Both posters are included in the one PDF file. For clarity, the authors recommend printing onto larger paper (recommended A3 size

Men and boys selling sex in the Bradford district

This report provides a summary of key findings from a study commissioned by Yorkshire MESMAC exploring the experiences and needs of men and boys who are involved in selling sex in the Bradford district. This study consisted of three related projects outlined below. Project A: Survey of Agencies in the Bradford Area The first author conducted an interviewbased survey of 31 representatives from 21 local statutory and voluntary sector agencies exploring their perceptions of the issue of men and boys involved in selling sex, and considering ways in which local services could best respond to their needs. Responses indicated that: ● 78% of agency representatives believed that young men selling sex in the Bradford area was an issue that needed to be addressed. ● 52% of agency representatives had direct evidence of young men who were involved in selling sex in the Bradford area. ● 87% felt that action should be taken to address the issue of young men involved in selling sex in the Bradford area. Suggestions offered are outlined on page 9. Project B: Local Awareness of Men Selling Sex Thirty-seven men under the age of 40 completed a short questionnaire (Appendix 2) exploring their levels of awareness and possible involvement in selling/purchasing sexual services. Results indicated that: ● Adverts for men selling sex had been observed by gay/bisexual and heterosexual men in the Bradford district. ● One-third of gay/bisexual men and one young heterosexual man had been approached by a man and offered sex for money on more than one occasion. ● 10% of the gay/bisexual men surveyed reported having sold sex. Executive Summary ● Reasons for offering sexual services or receiving payment for sex included being pressurized to perform in pornographic videos or pictures, or receiving shelter/accommodation for the night. Project C: Men Selling Sex Seven men who sell or have sold sex in the Bradford area were interviewed by the first author using a structured interview schedule (see Appendix 3). Responses suggested that: ● Sex with young men under the age of 16 is sought by men in the Bradford area. ● Men who sell sex on the streets have less control over the types of sex for which payment is offered than those who are house/flat/hotel-based. ● Men who sell sex on the streets face much more violence than those who sell sex from a house/flat/hotel. ● Selling sex on the streets often follows a chance encounter with an exploitative older man during teenage years. ● Selling sex from a house/flat tends to be a deliberate decision by older men. Recommendations ● Provision of a local support service responding to the needs of men and boys who are involved in selling sex. ● Commission further research exploring the issues highlighted in the report

What can we do for LGBQ youth in north Yorkshire

This report is the summary of a five-month project commissioned by Yorkshire MESMAC which investigated the provision of support for lesbian,gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) youth livingin the North Yorkshire sub-region. The projectconsisted of two elements: Study - Part 1 The first part of the study was a mapping exerciseof the current support available to LGBQ youth(16-25) in the North Yorkshire sub-region. Fivevoluntary and 15 statutory sector service providers provided input. Assessment was based on the extent to which each service provider catered for the specific needs of LGBQ youth. Results indicated a deficit in LGBQ specific service provision. Support specifically aimed at the LGBQ population was limited to three voluntary sector service providers and one youth group. Generic service providers varied in their ability to cater for the needs of LGBQ youth and only one was found to adequately address the needs of LGBQ youth. Study - Part 2 The second part of the study involved a qualitative investigation into the experiences and perceived needs of twenty-two LGBQ youth living in the North Yorkshire sub-region. Participants reported a diverse range of needs linked to their perceptions of isolation and a lack of social support. Recommendations Based upon the findings from Parts 1 and 2 of this study, the following recommendations are offered: ● The development of a sub-regional internet site for rural LGBQ youth to access information and online support ● The establishment of LGBQ youth groups across the county, preferably run on weekends, and at times that coincide with the provision of public transport ● The provision of drop-in venues with appropriately trained support staff ● The provision of training opportunities for staff within generic support services. ● Regular evaluation of LGBQ youth provision among generic services and regular monitoring of access by LGBQ youth ● The development and maintenance of links between service providers for LGBQ communities and more generic service providers

Drug & alcohol use among LGBTS in the city of Leeds

Project A Representatives from seven drug and alcohol organisations in Leeds were interviewed about the services they provide and how accessible they believe those services to be to be for lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities in the City of Leeds. Key findings: ● Only one of the groups had ever held an LGBT specific support group ● Only one of the groups were aware that they had LGB or, by implication, transgender clients, the rest were unsure as they do not ask such information of their clients ● Two of the groups had attended training sessions on LGBT specific issues ● None of the groups had any specific policies in place for treating/supporting LGBT clients ● Two of the groups had equality statements in their leaflets making LGBTs aware that they would be welcome ● Three of the support groups distributed their leaflets at LGBT support groups and venues Project B 101 participants completed a short questionnaire which asked about their use of alcohol and other substance, whether they had ever accessed any of the services in Leeds and had unprotected sex as a result of drug use. The main findings were as follows: ● 4% of the sample had no know history of substance use, including alcohol ● 21% of the sample reported using a Class ‘A’ substance, the most commonly cited was Ecstasy ● 4% of participants had attended a drug or alcohol support group in Leeds ● Of the 97 who had not accessed any of Leeds’ drug or alcohol services, 64 argued that they did not believe their alcohol/drug use to be a problem ● Of the 64, 20 scored highly on a standardised measure of drug and alcohol addiction risk ● 49% reported having had unsafe sex in the past year while under the influence of alcohol and/or other substances Recommendations The following recommendations are made: ● To increase awareness among drug and alcohol services of the specific needs of LGBTs ● To make drug and alcohol support services more accessible for LGBTs ● To increase awareness among LGBT communities of the existence and location of alcohol and drug services ● To increase awareness of the dangers associated with drug and alcohol us

Children of same-sex couples in the United Kingdom

To further develop an understanding of psychological and social functioning of children raised by lesbian couples, the current investigation compared 18 students ages 12 through 16 raised in families led by female same-sex couples who were identified from a large school-based survey with 18 matched students raised by opposite-sex couples, and the general student sample. Comparisons were made on factors including victimization, social support, and psychological functioning. Results indicated that those students raised by female same-sex couples did not differ significantly from those raised by opposite-sex couples, or the general student sample in terms of reports of victimization, psychological functioning, experience of common adolescent concerns, or prospective use of support outlets provided by family and peers. However, children of same-sex couples reported significantly less likelihood of using school-based support than children of opposite-sex couples, or the general student sample. Findings indicate the need for school administrators, teachers, and psychologists to be knowledgeable of and provide appropriate support and resources for these children. Additional implications for research and application are discussed

Bullying and homophobia in UK schools: A perspective on factors affecting resilience and recovery

This article reports the results of a three-year study focusing on the experiences of a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people in the United Kingdom who were victimized by their peers at school. Data collected from 190 LGBs suggested that experiences of victimization at school were both long-term and systematic, and were perpetrated by groups rather than by individuals. Subsequently, data collected from a sub-sample of 119 participants indicated that over 50 percent had contemplated self-harm of suicide at the time they were being harassed, and that 40 percent had engaged in such behavior at least once. As adults, participants were found to exhibit symptoms associated with negative affect when contrasted with heterosexual and non-victimized LGB peers. Seventeen percent exhibited symptoms associated with PTSD. However, the results also demonstrated that the majority of participants did not differ significantly from comparison groups in terms of self-esteem, and they had a positive attitude towards their sexual orientation. These findings are discussed with reference to the current literature about the development of resilience following exposure to violence and trauma

Observing bullying at school: The mental health implications of witness status

This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying behavior as either a perpetrator or a victim. Observing others was also found to predict higher risk irrespective of whether students were or were not victims themselves. The results are discussed with reference to past research on bystander and witness behavior

The theoretical and empirical links between bullying behavior and male sexual violence perpetration

Bullying experiences and male sexual violence (SV) perpetration are major public health problems, and while extant literature suggests that they may share some developmental correlates, there is no established empirical link between being a perpetrator or victim of bullying and SV perpetration in the literature. Nonetheless, some SV prevention programs in the U.S. include bullying prevention components for elementary and middle-school aged children. Research is needed to test the hypothesized links between bullying experiences and SV perpetration to determine whether bullying prevention programs are likely to prevent SV perpetration. The purpose of this paper is to present results from a review of research on each of these topics and to discuss the potential shared and unique risk and protective factors within a social-ecological framework. The paper concludes with suggested directions for future research

100 GHz Spaced 10 Gbit/s WDM over 10 degrees C to 70 degrees C using an uncooled DBR laser

100 GHz spaced 10 Gbit/s (NRZ, PRBS 2(31)-1) WDM transmission is demonstrated with an uncooled DBR laser. The wavelength of the laser was stabilised within 2 GHz from 10 degrees C to 70 degrees C using a predicting algorithm. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America