It started as a simple look at bullying. University of Texas at Arlington criminologist Seokjin Jeong analyzed data collected from 7,000 students from all 50 states.
He thought the results would be predictable and would show that anti-bullying programs curb bullying. Instead - he found the opposite.
Jeong said it was, "A very disappointing and a very surprising thing. Our anti-bullying programs, either intervention or prevention does not work."
The study concluded that students at schools with anti-bullying programs might actually be more likely to become a victim of bullying. It also found that students at schools with no bullying programs were less likely to become victims.
The results were stunning for Jeong. "Usually people expect an anti-bullying program to have some impact - some positive impact."
The student videos used in many campaigns show examples of bullying and how to intervene. But Jeong says they may actually teach students different bullying techniques - and even educate about new ways to bully through social media and texting.
Jeong said students with ill intentions "...are able to learn, there are new techniques [and gain] new skills." He says students might see examples in videos and then want to try it.
According to Jeong, some programs even teach students how to bully without leaving evidence behind. "This study raises an alarm," he said. "There is a possibility of negative impact from anti-bullying programs."
Jeong and others like him believe that until the message delivered by anti-bullying programs improves - some programs may be doing more harm than good.
By their very nature, anti-bullying programmes are doomed to failure anyway. There's nothing more revelatory in a child's education than, being as it were 'under the cosh', and against all expectations, finding a small window in the fabric of abuse in which to turn around and lamp the living daylights out of ones tormentor, then sitting back to watch all systems fall. You can't create a programme for that.
Empathy, sympathy etc, are often misunderstood in terms of right action. It's not always nice to be nice. Result B doesn't always follow action A.
I watched a documentary about the life and suicide of singer-songwriter Nick Drake the other day, "A Skin Too Few - The Days of Nick Drake." I couldn't help thinking that if someone had possessed the fortitude to sit the guy down in a room and shout at him for three hours, the result might have been very different....
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