Olweus Biography

Dr. Dan Olweus is a swedish prosessor of psychology who has been involved in research and intervention work in the field of bullying problems among schoolchildren and youth.

In the 80s he launched the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) he was also the first to study the problem of bullying of student by teachers.

Olweus definition of Bully victim

Olweus afirms that "a student is being bullied when another student, or a group of students, say or do nasty and unpleasant things to him or her. It is also bullying when a student is teased repeatedly in a way he or she does not like or when they are deliberately left out of things. But it is not bullying when two students of about the same strenght or power argue or fight. It is also not bullying when the teasing is done in a friendly and playful way."

He also add, "a bully victim is considered for having been bullied at least 2-3 times a month during at least a couple of moths"

Most common victims

Anychild could become bullied, but it occurs more often toward children who are fragile. Furthermore, as poor social skills tend to co-exist with clumsiness or poor motor skills, those factors are a risk for becoming bullied, as well as, coordination disorder, learning disabilities, and psychiatric disorders.

Effects of bullying

Bullying affects students academically, socially and psychologically. Victims cannot learn effectively in an ongoing climate of fear. In addition to the possibility of physical injury, they are at increased risk for absenteeism, loneliness and lowered self-esteem.

Intervention

Some strategies to empower bully victims are individualized motor skill trainings, since it increases self-assertiveness, together with emphasizing and stimulating their strenths and talents.

Source: Poor Performance in Physical Education is a risk factor for bully victimization