Myth Busting: Bullying on College Campuses
by Hillary Morin, M.Ed.
MYTH: Bullying is only experienced by children.
BUSTED: The topic of bullying often is associated with younger students, however, students in higher education are not immune to these behaviors. As entering college students learn to navigate their new and likely wider social networks on campus, they continue to be at risk for experiencing physical, relational, and cyber forms of bullying. Research suggests that bullying is a widespread issue on college campuses, with 60% of college students witnessing a student bully another student and about 25% of college students self-identifying as victims of bullying (Chapell et al., 2004; Pontzer, 2010). Additionally, the rates of cyberbullying victimization among college students range from 1% to 11% (Schenk & Fremouw, 2012; Kraft & Wang, 2010; Smith & Yoon, 2013). College also creates an environment of broader social networks, novel peer interactions, and changes in the balance of power among students (Paludi, 2008).
MYTH: A bully or victim in childhood will not be a bully or victim in college.
BUSTED: Developmental research suggests there is continuity between bully or victim status across childhood, adolescence, and into college (Chapell et al., 2006; Isaacs, Hodges, & Salmivalli, 2008). Among those who identify as bullies or victims of bullying during college, many have had similar experiences during primary and secondary school. Longitudinal studies of children and adolescents indicate that there is a moderate to strong relationship between being peer-nominated as a bully or a victim across different time points. One such study found that a child’s status as a bully or victim at age eight was positively correlated with their status at age 16 as well as in college (Sourander, Helstela, Helenius, & Piha, 2000). Additional studies have found support for the continuity of bullying experiences for both victims and perpetrators of bullying (Bauman & Newman, 2013; Chapell et al., 2006; Isaacs et al., 2008). These studies provide evidence of a relatively high level of continuity between in the experience of bullying across grade school through high school, and into college.
MYTH: There are no resources at USF to help victims of bullying.
BUSTED: USF has a number of important resources available for students who are struggling with bullying behaviors.
CAPS: Staff at USF Counseling and Psychological Services are available for consultation or therapy. Call (415) 422-6352 to schedule an appointment or get additional information about CAPS services.
CAPS After Hours: Struggling with an incident of bullying outside of 9 am – 5 pm CAPS business hours? Call CAPS After Hours at (415) 422-6352 and follow the prompts to be connected to a live therapist who can provide consultation and support.
OSCRR: The USF Office of Student Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities is available at studentconduct@usfca.edu or (415) 422-5330 to answer questions and receive complaints related to USF student conduct, including bullying behaviors.
SHaRE: Support is also available through the resident directors, resident advisors, and community advisors through the office of Student Housing and Residential Education.
Websites: Additional information regarding college student and bullying behaviors is available at: https://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/other-types-of-aggressive-behavior/index.html#young and https://www.nobully.org/.
References
Bauman, S., & Newman, M.L. (2013). Testing assumptions about cyberbullying: Perceived distress associated with acts of conventional and cyber bullying. Psychology of Violence, 3, 27-38.
Chapell, M., Casey, D., De la Crus, C., Ferrell, J., Forman, J., Lipkin, R., Newsham, M., Sterling, M., &Whitaker, S. (2004). Bullying in college by students and teachers. Adolescence, 39, 53-64.
Chapell, M. S., Hasselman, S. L., Kitchin, T., Lomon, S. N., Maclver, K. W., & Sarullo, P. L. (2006). Bullying in elementary school, high school, and college. Adolescence, 41,633-648.
Isaacs, J., Hodges, E., and Salmivalli, C. (2008). Long-term consequences of victimization: A follow-up from adolescence to young adulthood. European Journal of Developmental Science, 2, 387-397.
Kraft, E. M., & Wang, J. (2010). An exploratory study of the cyberbullying and cyberstalking experiences and factors related to victimization of students at a public liberal arts college. International Journal of Technoethics, 1, 74–91.
Paludi, M. (Ed.). (2008). Understanding and preventing campus violence. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Pontzer, D. (2010). A theoretical test of bullying behavior: parenting,personality, and the bully/victim relationship. Journal of Family Violence, 25, 259–273.
Schenk, A. M., & Fremouw, W. J. (2012). Prevalence, psychological impact, and coping of cyberbully victims among college students. Journal of School Violence, 11, 21–37. doi:10.1080/15388220.2011.630310
Smith, J. A., & Yoon, J. (2013). Cyberbullying presence, extent, & forms in a midwestern post-secondary institution. Information Systems Education Journal, 11, 52-78.
Sourander, A., Helstelä, I., Helenius, H., & Piha, J. (2000). Persistence of bullying from childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal 8-year follow-up study. Abuse and Neglect, 24, 873-881.
Quick Links
Sexual Assault Reporting
Click here to report to usf: reporting form
Emergency
If you are in the midst of an emergency, please call USF Public Safety at 415-422-2911.
Medical Care
If you need immediate medical attention, please visit:
Trauma Recovery Center / Rape Treatment Center(TRC/RTC)
San Francisco General Hospital
2727 Mariposa St., #100
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 437-3011
traumarecoverycenter.org/
On-Campus Free and Confidential Support:
USF Counseling and Psychological Services(CAPS)
Gilson Hall, Lower Level
(415) 422-6352
University Ministry (ask to speak to a clergy member)
Toler Hall, Lower Level
(415) 422-4463
San Francisco Resources
San Francisco Women Against Rape: (415) 647-7273 or sfwar.org
Community United Against Violence (CUAV) - (415) 333-4357 Serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning communities
Domestic Violence - Riley's Center Crisis Line - (415) 255-0165 Advocates available for victims of domestic violence
La Casa de las Madres - Adults – (877) 503-1850;
Teens – (877) 923-0700
Counseling, information, resources, and referrals for survivors of domestic violence
Rape Treatment Center - (415) 437-3000
Those who have suffered from trauma, violence, and loss
Suicide Prevention - (415) 781-0500 Helping people who are having suicidal thoughts
WOMAN, Inc. - (415) 864-4722
Serving battered women in San Francisco and the larger Bay Area
24-Hour Crisis Lines
National Domestic Violence Hotline - (800) 799-SAFE
Advocates available for victims of domestic violence
National Sexual Assault Hotline - (800) 656-HOPE
Advocates available for victims of sexual assault
Victim of Crime Resource Center - (800) 842-8467
McGeorge law students provide resource and referral information to victims and their families, victim service providers, and other victim advocates.
Youth Crisis Line - (800) 843-5200
Youth needing assistance or in crisis situations
Digital Abuse
ThatsNotCool.com
www.thatsnotcool.com
Domestic/Dating/Intimate Partner Violence
Abused Women's Services, Marin
(415) 924-6616 (crisis)
(415) 924-3456 (Spanish crisis line)
(415) 457-2464 (main office)
(415) 457-2421 (TTY)
www.maws.org
Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Intimate Partner Violence
www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse(CORA), San Mateo
Languages: English and Spanish
(800) 300-1080 or (650) 312-8515 (crisis)
(650) 259-1855 (legal services line for victims only)
(650) 652-0800 (office)
www.corasupport.org
Narika
Languages: South Asian languages
(800) 215-7308 (help-line message machine will return calls in 24 hours)
(510) 444-6068 (office)
www.narika.org
National Institute of Justice: Intimate Partner Violence
www.nij.gov/topics/crime/intimate-partner-violence/
Office for Victims of Crime
Domestic and Family Violence
http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/topic.aspx?topicid=27
A Safe Place, Oakland
(510) 536-7233 (crisis)
(510) 986-8600 (office)
www.asafeplacedvs.org
Shalom Bayit
Counseling for Jewish Women
(866) SHALOM-7 (help-line toll free)
(510) 451-8874 (office)
www.shalom-bayit.org
STAND! against Domestic Violence, Concord
(925) 676-2845 (office)
(888) 215-5555 (crisis)
www.standffov.org
Victim of Crime Resource Center
(800) 842-8467
www.1800victims.org/
Health Services
HealthRight 360
558 Clayton St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 746-1950
Lyon Martin Health Services
Provides health care to women, lesbians, and transgender people
1748 Market St, Suite 201
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 565-7667
www.lyon-martin.org
San Francisco City Clinic
356 7th St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 487-5500
www.sfcityclinic.org
San Francisco Free Clinic
4900 California St.
(Cross street 11th Ave.)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 750-9894
www.sfccc.org/san-francisco-free-clinic/
Trauma Recovery Center / Rape Treatment Center(TRC/RTC)
San Francisco General Hospital
2727 Mariposa St. #100
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 437-3011
traumarecoverycenter.org/
Women's Community Clinic
1833 Fillmore St, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 379-7800
https://www.facebook.com/WomensCommunityClinic/
Law Enforcement
San Francisco Police Department
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: (415) 553-0123
Note: When calling 911 on a cellular phone near a highway, the call is connected to The California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatch center. In other areas in San Francisco, the call will connect directly to SF dispatch. You can also dial directly to SF dispatch: (415) 553-8090
Legal Help
Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic(CROC)
(415) 864-1790 (office)
(415) 252-2844 (intake line)
US Department of Justice, Office of Violence against Women
www.justice.gov/ovw
US Department of Justice, Defending Childhood
www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
(regional office)
50 Beale St., Suite 7200
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 486-5555
TDD
(877) 521-2172
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
(national office)
(800) 872-5327
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/title-ix-rights-201104.html
Victim Services Division(SF DA’s Office)
850 Bryant St. #320
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 553-9044
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (call for available intake times)
www.sfvictimservices.org/
LGBTQIA
Community United Against Violence(CUAV)
427 South Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 333-4357 (safety line)
(415) 777-5500 (office
)
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
www.cuav.org
Male Survivors
Male Survivor
www.malesurvivor.org
Sexual Assault / Rape
Bay Area Women Against Rape(BAYWAR)
470 27th St.
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 845-7273 (24-hour crisis line)
(510) 430-1298 (office
)
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
www.baywar.org
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault(CALCASA)
1215 K. St., Suite 1850
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 446-2520
www.calcasa.org
Rape Abuse & Incest National Network(RAINN)
(800) 656-HOPE (4673)
www.rainn.org
San Francisco Women Against Rape(SFWAR)
3543 18th St. #7
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 647-7273 (24-hour hotline)
(415) 861-2024 (office)
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
www.sfwar.org
Trauma Recovery Center / Rape Treatment Center(TRC/RTC)
San Francisco General Hospital
2727 Mariposa St., #100
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 437-3011
www.traumarecoverycenter.org
Shelters
Asian Women's Shelter
Languages: multiple Asian languages spoken
(415) 751-0880 (crisis)
(877) 751-0880 (crisis)
(415) 751-7110 (office)
www.sfaws.org
La Casa de las Madres
Languages: Spanish and English
(415) 503-0500 (office)
(877) 503-1850 (crisis)
(877) 923-0700 (teen line)
www.lacasa.org
Riley Center and Emergency Shelter
(415) 255-0165 (crisis)
(415) 552-2943 (office)
https://svdp-sf.org/what-we-do/riley-center/
Stalking
Loveisrespect
(866) 331-9474
text "loveis" to 22522
https://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/What_Is_Stalking.pdf
Stalking Resource Center
www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center
Street Harassment
Cards Against Harassment
www.cardsagainstharassment.com
Hollaback!(San Francisco)
sanfrancisco@ihollaback.org
www.ihollaback.org
Stop Street Harassment(San Francisco)
(571) 449-7326
www.stopstreetharassment.org
Other Support Organizations
A Call To Men
www.acalltomen.org
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
www.incite-national.org
Men Can Stop Rape
https://mcsr.org/
My Strength
www.mystrength.org
Office on Women's Health
https://www.womenshealth.gov/