Bullying can be high profile and horrifying, playing out in newspaper headlines, or it can be quiet and insidious, sometimes escaping notice. Whether it makes the headlines or not, bullying and its consequences are big problems, and psychology professor Dr. Wendy Craig is determined to fix them.
Dr. Craig is co-director of PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network), a national initiative that provides youth and adults with knowledge, strategies and tools to prevent violence and promote healthy relationships. Dr. Craig is a leading expert on bullying and its effects, consulting with governments and organizations across the country, appearing on Oprah and advising Lady Gaga on a bullying-related project.
Wendy, along with two other PREVNet directors, Debra Pepler and Joanne Cummings, have released a new book to help parents prevent bullying. Bullying Prevention: What Parents Need to Know explores bullying myths, including the ideas that children grow out of bullying, that only a small number of children have problems with bullying, and that reporting bullying will only make the problem worse.
The long-term effects of bullying can continue well into adulthood for both the child who is victimized and the child who bullies. Dr. Craig’s research shows that children who are victimized are at greater risk of depression, drug abuse and eating disorders while those who bully are more likely to get involved in criminal activity. If we understand what bullying is about and identify evidence-based techniques to address it, Dr. Craig believes we can change attitudes and actions, and put an end to bullying.
