Many aspects of life have returned to their pre-pandemic state \u2014 and school bullying is sadly no exception, says Brock University researcher Tony Volk.<\/p>\n
As people prepare to don their pink shirts Feb. 22<\/a> in recognition of anti-bullying awareness, the Brock University Child and Youth Studies Professor is drawing attention to findings that suggest a further increase in bullying may be on the horizon.<\/p>\n Since the fall, Volk and his team have been surveying almost 1,000 Grade 8 to 12 students<\/a> in Niagara, hoping to learn more about bullying trends before and after the most impactful days of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n While data from around the world has shown bullying rates were down during COVID, Volk\u2019s data shows they have since returned to pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n \u201cThis rebound suggests that bullying is a deeply-rooted behaviour that doesn\u2019t depend on short-term cues,\u201d says Volk, a member of the\u00a0Brock Research on Aggression and Victimization Experiences (BRAVE)<\/a>,\u00a0one of Canada\u2019s largest teams of child and youth bullying experts.<\/p>\n While bullying has returned to pre-pandemic rates, incivility has further increased, he says. This form of misbehaviour, which is more reliant on short-term learning, includes actions such as not lining up, talking out of turn, eating during class and being rude.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s important, because a lack of civility can lead to future bullying,\u201d Volk says. \u201cWe are monitoring the data to see if this rise in incivility is temporary or if it will also increase bullying moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n