UNL research on bullying is featured in a new online resource for parents at Education.com, co-sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators.

Guest editors for the special online edition at Education.com are Shelley Hymel and Susan Swearer, co-directors of the Bullying Research Network headquartered at UNL.

The Education.com special edition Web site is www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing.

In creating the Special Edition on Bullying at School and Online, Education.com and AASA worked with researchers and contributors from around the world to compile new evidence-based, peer-reviewed content to dispel common myths and empower parents and their children to take effective action against bullying. The result is a more than 30 reference articles, video clips, quizzes, online workshops, community forums and quick-fact lists, all available free-of-charge on the Web site.

A highlight on the site is a list developed using research findings reported in the Special Edition of 10 actions parents can take to help address bullying. The list suggests parents spend time at their child’s school, learn the signs that a child is being bullied, and establish household rules about bullying. The complete list is at www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Ten_Actions_ALL.

“Bullying robs kids of the chance to make the most of their potential,” said Hymel, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver who collaborated with Swearer, associate professor of school psychology at UNL.

Swearer said the latest research shows that bullying has serious and long-term effects not only on victims, but also on children who bully and those who witness bullying. The effects include depression, anxiety, social phobias and even delinquent behavior. Equally concerning is the fact that more than half of children and youths report involvement in bullying as a bystander, victim or perpetrator, or both, Swearer and Hymel said.

The Bullying Research Network was founded in 2005 by Swearer and Hymel and is supported by the College of Education and Human Sciences at UNL. It serves as a virtual clearinghouse to support national and international research initiatives in effective bullying prevention and intervention. Visit http://brnet.unl.edu.