Journal article
Evaluation of Iowa’s anti-bullying law
Injury Epidemiology, Vol.3, p.15
06/07/2016
DOI: 10.1186/s40621-016-0080-9
PMCID: PMC4896968
PMID: 27358762
Abstract
<p><h3>Background</h3> <p id="x-x-x-Par1">Bullying is the most common form of youth aggression. Although 49 of all 50 states in the U.S. have an anti-bullying law in place to prevent bullying, little is known about the effectiveness of these laws. Our objective was to measure the effectiveness of Iowa’s anti-bullying law in preventing bullying and improving teacher response to bullying. <h3>Methods</h3> <p id="x-x-x-Par2">Sixth, 8th, and 11th grade children who completed the 2005, 2008 and 2010 Iowa Youth Survey were included in this study (<em>n</em> = 253,000). Students were coded according to exposure to the law: pre-law for 2005 survey data, one year post-law for 2008 data, and three years post-law for 2010 data. The outcome variables were: 1) being bullied (relational, verbal, physical, and cyber) in the last month and 2) extent to which teachers/adults on campus intervened with bullying. Generalized linear mixed models were constructed with random effects. <h3>Results</h3> <p id="x-x-x-Par3">The odds of being bullied increased from pre-law to one year post-law periods, and then decreased from one year to three years post-law but not below 2005 pre-law levels. This pattern was consistent across all bullying types except cyberbullying. The odds of teacher intervention decreased 11 % (OR = 0.89, 95 % CL = 0.88, 0.90) from 2005 (pre-law) to 2010 (post-law). <h3>Conclusions</h3> <p id="x-x-x-Par4">Bullying increased immediately after Iowa’s anti-bullying law was passed, possibly due to improved reporting. Reductions in bullying occurred as the law matured. Teacher response did not improve after the passage of the law.</p>
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Evaluation of Iowa’s anti-bullying law
- Creators
- Marizen Ramirez - University of IowaPatrick Ten Eyck - University of IowaCorinne Peek-Asa - University of IowaJoseph E Cavanaugh - University of IowaAngela Onwuachi-Willig - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Injury Epidemiology, Vol.3, p.15
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40621-016-0080-9
- PMID
- 27358762
- PMCID
- PMC4896968
- NLM abbreviation
- Inj Epidemiol
- ISSN
- 2197-1714
- Number of pages
- 8
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2016
- Grant note
- The Public Health Law Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the design and conduct of the study as well as the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and the preparation of the manuscript (Award number 705057). The Injury Prevention Research Center co-funded the analysis, interpretation of the data as well as the preparation, review, approval and decision to submit the manuscript for publication (Award number 5R49CE002108). Authors have no financial disclosures.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/07/2016
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Biostatistics; College of Law; Injury Prevention Research Center
- Record Identifier
- 9983557574002771
Metrics
259 File views/ downloads
99 Record Views