Adrianne MarshRESA 7 School Wellness Specialist

Bullying

KidStrong ConferenceJune 13-14, 2012

Coordinated School Public Health

“School Systems are not responsible for meeting every need of their students. But when the need directly affects learning, the school must meet the challenge”.

Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989

Coordinated School Public Health

Are schools providing a safe learning environment???

WHAT IS A SAFE SCHOOL?

Picture an iceberg.

• 30% of an iceberg is visible above the waterline….the real danger is the 70% that is not so obvious.

• The 30% of our iceberg is what people traditionally think of when they think of things that make a school unsafe: theft, personal attack, serious violent crime, school shootings. So, people think that the absence of theft, personal attack, serious violent crime, school shootings equates to a safe school.

SAFE SCHOOL??? The part of our iceberg that we cannot see – the really

dangerous part – is bullying, intimidation, verbal threats, the language of hate.

In a word, incivility.

• Kevin Jennings

Policy 4373 Revisions

Change in Policy Perspective

Change in Policy Perspective

Change in Policy Perspective

Individual System

Personal vision School-wide vision

In my classroom Everywhere in the school

I take responsibility

We all take responsibility

Table of Contents

Ch. 1 Expected Student Dispositions

Ch. 2 Student Rights and Responsibilities

Ch. 3 Planning for Policy Implementation

Ch. 4 Inappropriate Behaviors and Meaningful

Interventions and Consequences

Ch. 5 Procedures for Addressing Allegations of

Inappropriate Behaviors

Ch. 6 Procedures for Taking Action on

Substantiated Inappropriate Behaviors

Level 3Imminently Dangerous, Illegal and/or Aggressive Behaviors-are willfully committed and are known to be illegal and/or harmful to people and/or property.

Battery against a student Defacing school property/vandalism

False fire alarm Fraud/forgery

Gambling Hazing

Larceny Trespassing

Sexual misconduct Harassment/bullying/intimidation

Inhalant abuse Threat of injury/assault against an Imitation drugs employee or student

Substance containing tobacco/nicotine Improper or negligent operation of a motor vehicle

WVDE Bullying Definition…

A student will not bully/intimidate/harass another student. According to WV Code §18-2C-2, “harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any intentional gesture, or any intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act, communication, transmission or threat that: http://wvde.state.wv.us/healthyschools/ElectronicManual4373New.html

What is Bullying?

Bullying is:

the deliberate, repeated

harm or threat of harm

by the same student or group of students

with a real or perceived imbalance of power or strength

against a relatively defenseless student or staff member.

Potential Causes for Bullying/Harassment:

“Race-Color-Religion-Ancestry-National Origin-Gender-Socioeconomic Status-Academic Status-Gender Identity or Expression-Physical Appearance-Sexual Orientation-Mental/Physical/Developmental/Sensory Disability-Other Characteristics”

*clinical definition of bullying(Ch.4, Sec..2)

Nonverbal Bullying Gesture Bullying

Goal is to intimidate the target

10-5-2 rule

– Non-verbal threatening gestures– Glances that convey threatening and frighteningmessages, with the intent of making someone feeluncomfortable or scared

Note Bullying

Goal is to shame—intimidate the target

- In lockers – on Desks – Written on Clothes

Could be:– About self– In reference to clothing– What someone heard

Exclusion Bullying – Social or physical exclusion by not allowing or involvingsomeone in conversation, in the group, in socialactivities and games, etc.– Turning people against one another

• Slander occurs when a false or malicious statement is madeabout a person• Ridicule mocks or humiliates someone in front of othersthrough language or behavior• Persistent name calling intended to be hurtful, insulting orhumiliating. Using a person as a joke and spreading thejoke around• Using abusive and offensive language to others andspreading malicious rumors• Objectification is labeling someone, and making that labeltheir singular defining quality (Joe = “Fatty”)

Verbal Bullying

– Pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, spitting, hittingand tripping. On a more serious level ,these caninclude assaults or threats of physical assault

– Physical bullying can take other forms such asthreatening others, or making them do things theydon’t want to do by force, and even taking ordamaging a person’s property

Physical Bullying

21st Century Bullying Cyberbullying is when electronic mediums are used to

pursue, harass, or contact another in an unsolicited fashion

Various ways to cyberbully

+ Texting + Sexting

+ Picture + Video

+ Email + Chat Room

+ Blogs + Polls

The Truth About Bullying 1 out of 3 students report being bullied.

3 out of 4 students will feel it, see it or do it.

When a student has 3+ close friends, the chance of being bullied drops dramatically.

Boys tend to use physical aggression to show dominance.

Girls use bullying behavior to bring down another's social status .

Bullying peaks at grades 6 and 7.

When students intervene, behavior stops in 10 seconds in 57% of cases.

Bullying behavior is learned and can start as early as age 3.

A student that is relentlessly bullied will hurt someone else or themselves .

The “Bullied Brain” feels as if it is at war.

The new “Generation Access” has 24 hour exposure to cyber bullying.

Reality TV has resulted in a mentality that “mean girls” gain respect.

Middle School is the Worst Period

42.9

Source: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2008

Prevalence of Bullying Behaviors and the Roles of Gender

Source: Wang, 2009

Some Groups are Singled Out for HarassmentQuestion: “At your school, how often are students bullied, called names or harassed for the following reasons?”

Source: From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America 2005

Peer Intervention Works, but ISN‘T Common

Of bullying episodes in which peers intervened, 57% of the interventions were effective (i.e., the bullying stopped within 10 seconds).

Peers intervene in only 11-19% of all bullying incidents.

Adopted “OMISSION”

• If you hear it and do nothing – it is just as bad as saying it yourself!

Pastor Martin Niemoler Story

Source: Hawkins, Pepler and Craig 2001

Five Universal Truths…

Dr. Thompson’s work can be summarized by his Five Universal Truths of Human Interaction — that all people want to be:

1. Treated with dignity and respect

2. Asked rather than told to do something

3. Told why they are being asked

4. Offered options rather than threats

5. Given a second chance

Change Social Dynamics

GLSEN Safe Space Kit

•The Safe Space Kit is designed to help educators create a safe space for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students.

•Relevant resources for athletic coaches and physical education teachers at www.sports.glsen.org

Ways to Encourage Reporting

Verbal/written reports to any staff/morning greeter

Reporting boxes strategically located

“Bully Button” on school website (directs to report form)

Technology reporting systems (texting/e-mail)

Classroom meetings develop social intelligence

Student leadership teams help students speak up

Facebook.com/safety (students, teachers, parents, & law enforcement can report)

Verbal Strategies

• Once students are able to anticipate conflict, they can construct their pre-planned, practiced response

• Guided discussions, scenario-building and role playing are excellent methods of skill-building

•Responses that discourage inappropriate behavior

• These scenarios MUST require an exit strategy!

Intensity Levels of a Bully—What a target does now…

Intensity Levels of a Bully-Suggestions for the target now…

Facebook for Educators Guide Creator Linda Fogg.   May 17, 2011

Recognizing that social media plays a huge role in the lives of students as well as teachers, Facebook decided to create a guide that explains how to properly use the social networking site and how it can be used as an educational resource.    

facebookforeducators.org/www.facebook.com/fbsafety

STUDENT FREE SPEECHHigh school student sued district, alleging her suspension from school for creating a group on a social networking website to express dislike for a teacher violated her right to free speech. On her own time and from her own computer, she created a Facebook page titled “Ms. [Teacher’s Name] is the worst teacher I’ve ever met” as an electronic “place” for students to express their feelings about the teacher. Some postings were supportive of the teacher; no postings were threatening. The teacher never saw the page, and it did not disrupt school activities. The student removed the posting after two days. After she removed it, the teacher found out about the page. The student prevailed; the court overturned her suspension for “disruptive behavior.”

Evans v. Bayer, 684 F.Supp.2d 1365 (S.D. Fla. 2010)

MIS-ADVENTURES IN CYBERSPACEAn elementary teacher who referred to her 1st grade students as “future criminals” on a Facebook post has lost her job, and the court sided with the school.

District’s need to efficiently operate its schools outweighed teacher’s right to free speech. “Thoughtless words can destroy the partnership between home and school that is essential to the mission of the schools.”

We ONLY recognize this when we see it like see this…

Reality is we see it like this…

Which child is out of place?

Which child is out of place?

Final thoughts…

• Doing nothing encourages badbehavior…

• Being lazy leads to compliancy…

• Compliancy leads to a norm…

• A norm becomes an accepted form ofbehavior…

Final thoughts…

• Who is responsible for the safety of children in schools?

–Parents provide safety for their children…

–Teachers monitor their safety…

–Principals ensure they protect their children…

THANK YOU !!!Adrianne Marsh

RESA 7Regional School Wellness Specialist

304-624-6554 ext. 238aboyers@access.k12.wv.us