BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION: SAFER ENVIRONMENTS, SAFE KIDSTyler Whitehead
YRBS Coordinator/Bullying and Youth Violence Consultant
Oklahoma State Department of Health
WHAT IS BULLYING?
There is no “set” definition of bullying However, there are 3 criteria that are
present in every bullying situation:Aggressive behavior that is unwanted and
negativeA pattern of behavior that is repeated over
time* Involves an imbalance of power
*Current debate on whether or not the behavior(s) need to be repeated to be considered bullying
DEFINITION
“A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."
Dan Olweus
TYPES OF BULLYING Verbal bullying including derogatory comments
and bad names Bullying through social exclusion or isolation Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving,
and spitting Bullying through lies and false rumors Having money or other things taken or damaged
by students who bully Being threatened or being forced to do things by
students who bully Racial bullying Sexual bullying Cyber bullying (via cell phone or Internet)
The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents
and copying one another.
Quentin Crisp
DANGEROUS WORDS TO USE WHEN DEALING WITH A BULLY
It’s just teasing. It’s no big deal. The people in our school would never do….. I know he/she did not mean anything like
that. It’s your fault for dressing so provocatively. You need to learn to handle these things. Just ignore it She/he puts his/her arms around everyone. Why can’t you learn to accept a compliment You must have wanted it or you would have
him/her “no.”
DANGEROUS WORDS TO USE WHEN DEALING WITH A BULLY (CONTINUED)
That’s how they do things where he/she is from.
It’s just a joke. Lighten up! Oh well, boys will be boys. “If you are going to act so ₋ ₋ ₋, then you
should be expected to be treated this way.”
WHY STUDENTS BULLY
Research suggests there are 3 interrelated reasons why students bully Students who bully have strong needs for power
and (negative) dominance Students who bully find satisfaction in causing
injury and suffering to other students Students who bully are often rewarded in some
way for their behavior with material or psychological rewards
Force is all – conquering, but its victories are short – lived.
Abraham Lincoln
IMPACTS OF BULLYING
For the Victim:School is supposed to be a safe place for
everyone, however when students experience bullying, it can have lasting impacts on their health, education, and general well-being: Depression Low self-esteem Health problems Poor grades Suicidal thoughts
IMPACTS OF BULLYING
For the Perpetrators:Students that engage in bullying must be
held accountable for their actions! Often students that bully others tend to: Get into more frequent fights Steal and vandalize property Drink alcohol and smoke Report poor grades Carry weapons Perceive a negative climate at school
IMPACTS OF BULLYING
For the Bystanders:Often people do not realize that bullying
not only impacts the victim negatively, but that the students that observe have negative outcomes from the bullying: Feelings that the school is unsafe Fear Powerless to act Guilt for not acting Pressure to participate
IMPACT OF BULLYING
For the School:The entire school climate is negatively
affected when bullying is allowed to continue: An environment of fear and disrespect evolves Students feel fearful and insecure Students dislike school The staff is perceived as being powerless and
uncaring The staff may also be perceived to be bystanders
or participants of the bullying
BULLYING IS… Not normal conflict between peers, being that there is
not an imbalance of power during normal conflict Bullying can begin as young as age 3, however, the
behaviors peek among middle school aged children and tend to decrease or plateau by high school
It is considered by some to be peer abuse and peer mediation and/or peer mentoring will not help to resolve bullying issues
There is a correlation between bullying behavior in youth and intimate partner violence later in life
Females bully just as often as males, however, males tend to bully more directly, whereas females tend to use more indirect methods, such as gossip and social isolation
Males tend to bully without regard to gender, but females tend to bully only females
Bullying IS a learned behavior!!! Bullying IS a form of violence!!!
In violence we forget who we are.
Mary McCarthy
PARENTAL ROLES Parents play a huge role in their child’s attitudes
toward bullying behaviors It has been found that discipline style is related
to bullying, with either an extremely permissive style of discipline or an exceedingly harsh style of discipline increasing the risk
Also, youth that come from homes in which their parents provide little emotional support, do not supervise their activities, and have little involvement in their lives are shown to have an increased risk of bullying
Bullying is generally a community problem, indicating pro-violence attitudes and tolerance of ostracizing differences
PHYSICAL BULLYING
Physical bullying consists of: Hitting Kicking Pinching Punching Scratching Hair pulling Biting Spitting Damage to or stealing one’s property Any physical attack
VERBAL BULLYING
Verbal Bullying consists of: Name-calling Insulting Making derogatory or offensive remarks Sexist or homophobic jokes, remarks, or teasing Using sexually suggestive or abusive language This is the most common type of bullying Harder to detect, as teasing among peers
may be just normal dialogue among friends
EMOTIONAL BULLYING
Emotional bullying consists of: Spreading gossip, rumors, or generally nasty
stories about someone Exclusion from social groups Being made the subjects of malicious rumors Done more among females Also hard to detect, as it is more indirect
and difficult to find out the origin
CYBER BULLYING
Cyber Bullying is any type of bullying that is carried on through electronic means: Text messaging bullying Picture/video bullying clips via mobile phone
camera Bullying phone calls via cell phones Email bullying Chat room bullying Instant messaging (IM) bullying Website bullying Social networking bullying
WHAT EXACTLY IS CYBER BULLYING?
It is when a child, preteen, or teen is threatened, tormented, harassed, embarrassed, humiliated, or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen, or teen using an electronic means: Must be minor to minor or instigated by a minor If an adult is involved, then it is no longer
considered bullying; it is considered cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking
Usually not a one time event Bullies and victims can fluctuate
CYBER BULLYING LINGO Flaming: Online fights using electronic messages with
angry and vulgar language Harassment: Repeatedly sending nasty, mean, and
insulting messages Denigration: “Dissing” someone online. Sending or
posting gossip or rumors about a person to damage his or her reputation or friendships.
Impersonation: Pretending to be someone else or sending or posting material to get that person in trouble or danger or to damage that person’s reputation or friendships
Outing: Sharing someone’s secrets or embarrassing information or images online
Trickery: Talking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, then sharing it online
Exclusion: Intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group
Cyber Stalking: Repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or creates significant fear
TYPES OF CYBER BULLYING
Cyber bullying can be done two different ways: direct attack and by proxy. Direct attacks involve:
Instant Messaging (IM) and text messaging Stealing passwords Blogs Websites Sending pictures through cell phones and emails Internet polling Interactive gaming Sending malicious code Sending porn and other junk email and IM’s Impersonation
DIRECT ATTACKS
IM and text messaging harassment involves: Sending hateful or threatening messages, without
really realizing the severity of the damage they are doing
“Warning Wars,” which is telling on the user to the Internet Service Providers (ISP) in order to get the target kicked off for a period of time
Creating a screen name that is very similar to another kid’s name and posing as the other person to use their identity to say inappropriate or mean things
Text wars or text attacks, where the victim is bombarded with hundreds or thousands of text messages, creating a huge bill and making their parents angry (can be done by more than one child)
Sending death threats via text messaging or IM, even posting videos or pictures
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
Kids may steal another kid’s password for many reasons: To pose as the other person and say mean or
offensive things to turn others against the victim To change the victims profile to include sexual,
racist, or otherwise inappropriate things to offend others
Can be used to lock the victim out of their own account
Once the password has been stolen, it can be used by hackers to break into the victims computer
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
While blogs may be a fun way for youth to keep up with each other, it can be used to put embarrassing or hurtful information about others: For example, a kid might post mean things or
embarrassing things about a girl after breaking up with her
Can also be a venue for a kid to imposter another kid and say offensive or embarrassing things
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
Youth can also bully through websites and internet polling: Kids may create web pages containing
dangerous personal information, such as address and phone numbers, insulting remarks about others or groups of people, or pictures
“Who’s Hot? Who’s Not?!” “Who’s the biggest slut in 6th grade?” There have been websites created to poll other youth, in which they will name certain kids or post pictures to determine who is the ugliest, fattest, etc…
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
Sending picture/video messages through email or cell phones is another way that youth can bully one another: Kids may send nude pictures/videos or degrading
pictures/videos of other youth through email or cell phones
Kids may use a picture of someone else and impose a picture of another kid’s head on the body
Passing on pictures or videos that they receive to others
Taking pictures in a locker room, bathroom, or dressing room and posting on the internet or sending to others via cell phone or email
I.e. the college student from Rutgers who recently died by suicide after his roommates posted intimate videos of him online
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
Interactive gaming is a way for youth to use gaming systems, such as Xbox or PlayStation, to communicate by chat or live internet phone while playing their games: However, sometimes, this provides a forum for
others to verbally abuse those they are playing with, using threats or offensive language
Can also lock out the other player Or hack into their accounts
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
Youth can bully others by sending pornographic IM’s or signing up another person for marketing lists, mostly pornographic sites, thereby causing their parents to think they have been looking at those types of sites
Additionally, some youth can send spyware, hacking programs, or viruses to another youth, which can either destroy the victim’s computer or allows the sender to spy on them. i.e. Trojan horse programs can allow the bully to
control the user’s computer and erase the hard drive
DIRECT ATTACKS CONT.
Finally, general impersonation of the victim can be quite damaging: Posting confrontational comments on a hate
group chatroom impersonating the victim, often posting contact information, which can cause the group to attempt to retaliate
Sending hateful or offensive messages, while posing as the victim; messages can be sent to either friends of the victim or others who don’t like the victim or don’t even know the victim
Altering a message that the victim sent, making others think that offensive or revealing things were said or shared with others
CYBER BULLYING BY PROXY
Cyber bullying by proxy is done when a third party or parties get involved in the bullying, usually unwittingly
Can even involve adults who may not realize that they are dealing with a youth, one that they may even know
By proxy is considered to be a very dangerous method of bullying, as sometimes it can endanger the youth by causing harassment or threats by hate groups or child molesters
BY PROXY CONT.
Examples of cyber bullying by proxy are: ISP’s, using “warning wars” Parents who punish the youth, thinking that the
youth did something wrong or is being the bully Various chat rooms or discussion boards ,
sometimes involving individuals or groups that could harm the youth
Most often, the bullying youth will pose as the victim and send offensive messages to the friends of the victim, turning them against the victim, unwittingly
At fourteen you don’t need sickness or death for tragedy.
Jessamyn West
PROFILE OF A BULLY Many times, people believe that bullies mask
insecurities and low self-esteem with their behavior, however, this is often untrue They tend to be confident and have a high self-esteem They tend to have low tolerance for frustration and are typically
impulsive They tend to be physically aggressive with pro-violence
attitudes They show little concern for others’ feelings and the way their
actions affect others They tend to have poorer grades, steal, vandalize, use and
abuse substances, fight more frequently, carry weapons, and have negative attitudes towards school*
They may have come from violent homes, in which they either experienced, directly or indirectly, domestic violence*
According to one study, there was a strong correlation between bullying in youth and criminal activity later in life; those described as bullies in 6 – 9 grades had obtained at least one conviction by the age 24
*Not necessarily true in all cases
PROFILES OF CYBER BULLIES In contrast to the typical school yard bully, many cyber
bullies actually tend to be the more tech-savvy, intelligent type of individual, more of the “nerdy” type of student, who is probably the victim of offline bullying at school
The types of cyber bullies fall under four main types: A “vengeful do-gooder” is one who thinks that they are either
protecting themselves or a friend and doesn’t realize that they are bullying; also may be retaliating for something done to them or someone close to them
A “power-hungry” cyber bully tends to enjoy having an audience (even though they will probably only tell friends that they think will be sympathetic) and exerting their authority; probably enjoys the idea that they will not have to confront the victim in person
A “mean girls” type of bully usually bullies with a group of people, mostly for entertainment, with the bullying being ego-based; this type of bullying gets fed by others joining in or standing by and allowing it to happen
An “inadvertent bully” is one who either lashes out unintentionally or is role-playing and doesn’t realize that they are being hurtful
CHARACTERISTICS OF A TARGET
Targets of bullying display common traits, falling into two categories, passive victims and provocative victims: Passive victims tend to be insecure, do not defend
themselves, almost never behave aggressively, and are socially isolated
Provocative victims tend to be highly aggressive and provoke the attacks of others; they also are the most socially isolated
All targets tend to be anxious, insecure, have low self-esteem, and often are isolated or lack social skills
Continued bullying can have long-term consequences, such as depression, increased anxiety, decreased feelings of self-worth, increased isolation, and suicidal thoughts
This can follow the target into adulthood
ROLES OF THE BYSTANDER The bystander is a person who does not take an active
role in the bullying (not the bully, specifically) but does nothing to assist the target or intervene on the target’s behalf; a passive observer
Bystanders can be the biggest defense against bullying Bystanders fall into four categories:
The assistants: These bystanders participate actively in the bullying but do not initiate
The reinforcers: This bystander does not actively participate in the bullying but either provides an audience for the situation or makes encouraging gestures, such as laughing
The outsiders: These kids stay away, not taking sides or getting involved but giving their silent approval by not intervening
The defenders: These youth show anti-bullying behavior by comforting the target, trying to remove the target from the situation, and generally trying to stop the incident
SIGNS THAT BULLYING IS OCCURRING Unfortunately, when a youth is bullied, they
will not always tell an adult, these are some symptoms that he/she may display: Difficulty concentrating in class/easily distracted Wants to take a different route to school or have
different transportation Sudden lack of interest in school activities or
school sponsored events Sudden drop in grades Happy on weekends but unhappy, preoccupied,
or tense on Sundays Uses “victim” body language – hunches
shoulders, hangs head, won’t make eye contact, back off from others
SIGNS CONT. Suddenly prefers the company of adults Has frequent illnesses (i.e. psychosomatic: headaches,
stomachaches, etc.) or fakes illness Suffers from fatigue or has nightmare or insomnia Comes homes with unexplained cuts, bruises, scratches,
etc. Possessions lost, damaged, or destroyed without
explanation Change in eating patterns Develops stammer or stutter Frequently asks for extra money (for supposed school
expenses) Has a sudden change in behavior Talks about running away, dropping out of school, being
depressed, or suicide or attempts Talks about others making fun of him/her, being threatened
or physically attacked, not being able to stand up for himself/herself, or being gossiped about or excluded from social groups
PREVALENCE OF BULLYING Almost 30%, or over 5.7 million, of all youth in the
United States are estimated to be involved in bullying, either as the perpetrator or victim
The U.S. Secret Service recent analyses of 37 school shootings have revealed that the victims had endured ‘“bullying and harassment that was longstanding and severe.’”
18% of Oklahoma students have been bullied on school property in 12 months prior to the survey (2009 YRBS)
4% did not go to school on one or more days in the 30 days prior to the survey because they did not feel safe at school or on their way to or from school (2009 YRBS)
6% had been threatened or injured with a weapon, such as a knife, gun, or club on school property one or more times in the past 12 months (2009 YRBS)
6% carried a weapon, such as a knife, gun, or club on school property on one or more of the 30 days prior to the survey (2009 YRBS)
PREVALENCE OF CYBER BULLYING
18% of students, grades 6-8 said they had been cyber bullied at least once in 12 months; 6 percent said it happened to them 2 or more times (Kowalski et al., 2005)
11% of students in grades 6-8 said they had cyber bullied another person at least a couple of months, and 2 percent said they had done it 2 or more times (Kowalski et al., 2005)
19% of regular Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 reported being involved in aggression, 15% had been aggressors and 7% had been targets (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004)
PREVALENCE CONT.
Of students in grades 6-8: Girls were about twice as likely as boys to be
victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying. Of those students who had been cyber bullied
relatively frequently (at least twice in the last couple of months):
- 62% said that they had been cyber bullied by another student at school and 46% had been cyber bullied by a friend.
- 55% did not know who cyber bullied them.
Of those students who admitted cyber bullying others relatively frequently:
- 60% had cyber bullied another student at school and 56% had cyber bullied a friend.
SCHOOL BULLYING PREVENTION ACT (2002)70 O.S. § 24 – 100.2
Effective November 1, 2002, each Oklahoma public school district shall adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation and bullying by students and shall address prevention of and education about such behavior.
Safe School Committees shall study and make recommendations regarding student harassment, bullying and intimidation and consider professional development needs of faculty and staff to implement methods to decrease harassment.
Safe School Committees shall review methods to encourage the involvement of the community and students, the development of problem-solving teams that include counselors and/or school psychologists and review prevention programs.
The State Department of Education shall compile and distribute a list of research-based programs for prevention of bullying. (See program list at <www.sde.state.ok.us> under Safe and Healthy Schools.)
OKLAHOMA TELECOMMUNICATIONS LAWHOUSE BILL 1804 (2005)21 O.S. 2005 § 1172 It is unlawful for a person by means of
telecommunication with intent to terrify, harass, intimidate, or threaten to inflict injury or physical harm to any person or property of that person
With intent to put the party in fear of physical harm or death
Identity is not disclosed of the person making the call with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person at the called number
Includes communication initiated by electronic mail, instant message, network call, or facsimile machine or communication made to a pager
Any person convicted shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
Convicted of a second offense is a felony
OKLAHOMA SCHOOL SECURITY ACTSENATE BILL 1941 (2008)70 O.S § 24 – 100.3 (3) (4)
Effective November 1, 2008, each school district will add “electronic communication” and “threatening behavior” as part of their bullying prevention policy
Policy will include a procedure to investigate reported acts of harassment and bullying
An additional member will be added to each site’s Safe School Committee who is a school official and part of the investigation team
This law “prohibits threatening behavior, harassment, intimidation, and bullying by students at school and by electronic communication, whether or not such communication originated at school or with school equipment, if the communication is specifically directed at students or school personnel and concerns harassment, intimidation, or bullying at school…”
DEFINITIONS70 O.S. § 24 – 100.3
From Senate Bill 1941: Electronic Communications Defined:
“Means of communication of any written, verbal, or pictorial information by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, a celeular telephone or other wireless telecommunication device, or a computer.”
Threatening Behavior Defined: “Any pattern of behavior or isolated action whether or
not it is directed at another person, that a reasonable person would believe indicates potential harm to students, school personnel, or school property.”
SO…WHEN SHOULD SCHOOLS STEP IN?
There is a threat that a rational person would take seriously
Disrupts the normal operation of school Students use Web sites inappropriately at
school Students encourage others to misuse Web
sites at school There is any negative impact on faculty, staff
or students
SCHOOL POLICY TO ADDRESS BULLYING It is state law that schools must address bullying,
even if the bullying is not happening on site It is imperative that schools adopt a systematic
approach to resolve bullying, as it has been demonstrated that prevention and cessation require a multitude of individuals, who educate about positive behaviors
It has further been demonstrated that approaches that just target those who bully are less effective than creating a school-wide commitment to the reduction of bullying
The school should draft an anti-bullying policy, which must be distributed to all staff and outline clear and concise measures that illustrate that bullying behaviors will not be tolerated, with any incidences being taken seriously; the policy must be fairly and consistently applied
ADDRESSING THE ISSUES The school can map problematic or high-risk areas
and provide more coverage during break times and class changes
It is recommended that schools not only enforce the negative consequences for the students who bully but also teach positive behaviors through modeling, coaching, praise, prompting, and other forms of reinforcing
Schools can also teach positive social behaviors by implementing programs that provide students with social skills training, conflict resolution techniques, anger management, and character education
It is additionally recommended that the schools increase parental involvement within the school and community, as there are positive impacts on youth with greater parental involvement and supervision
ADVICE FOR SCHOOL STAFF Know your school’s policy on bullying and cyber
bullying Do not accept or open photos sent electronically
by students Report harmful and threatening
speech/messages/posts to school administrators Identify policies such as technology, possession
and use of cell phones, search and seizure, and student discipline policies and determine whether the policies are current and enforceable
Policies must be legally reviewed to ensure they protect students’ due process rights AND shield administrators from liability in investigation and evidence collection
FURTHER ADVICE FOR SCHOOL STAFF
Many innovative teachers are establishing online environments similar to social networking communities to support high quality instructional activities. It is necessary to take care in the use of such environments for instruction including: establishing clear standards for the kinds of
materials that can be posted ensuring teacher preview of all materials prior to
posting having an effective mechanism to respond to any
concerns about materials posted
I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of
every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS FOR STAFF The bullying will, more times than not, take place
somewhere that no adults will see, such as locker rooms, buses, restrooms, hallways during class changes, etc…
It is important for ALL staff to know the rules and policies pertaining to bullying; this includes administrative assistants, janitors, bus drivers, etc…
If any staff member witnesses a bullying incident: Immediately stop the bullying, standing between the
students if necessary Refer to the bullying behavior and to the relevant school
rules against bullying, using a matter of fact tone of voice to explain the actions done were unacceptable
Support the bullied child in a way that allows him/her to regain self-control, to “save face,” and to feel supported and safe from retaliation, even meeting with the child in private after the situation has diffused Never blame the victim!!! I.e. “Why don’t you stand up for
yourself?”
STAFF INTERVENTIONS CONT. Include bystanders in the conversation and
give them guidance about how they can appropriately intervene or get help next time Will also need to meet with them in private, so as
not to put them on the spot If appropriate, impose immediate
consequences for the student that bullied Do not require the student to apologize
immediately and connect the behavior to the consequence logically; document and notify colleagues
Do not require the students to meet and “work it out” As there is a power imbalance, this does not
improve relations between the students
FOLLOW – UP AND SUPPORT Provide follow-up interventions as appropriate
Determine the severity and levels of interventions as well as who should be involved in this
Notify the parents of the situation as appropriate Support the bullied student in processing the circumstances
of the bullying They may need to vent their feelings, get support, assistance
identifying friends, assistance reading social cues, assistance with building self-esteem, and practicing asserting themselves
Assist the student that bullies in recognition of their behavior Students that bully may need assistance in taking responsibility
for their behavior, developing empathy, finding ways to make amends, and learning to use power in socially appropriate ways
When there are suspicions of further bullying: Try to utilize the bystanders by offering opportunities to practice
intervention techniques outside of the “heat of the moment,” gather more information from them, offer positive incentives to helpful, active bystanders to increase student involvement, and intensify supervision and observation among staff
REMEMBER!!
As an educator you are teaching much more than reading, writing, and arithmetic – you are a role model for the students!
“Children have never been very good listening to their elders, but they have never failed to
imitate them.”James Baldwin
WHY STUDENTS DON’T REPORT BULLYING AND CYBER BULLYING
Embarrassment Fear of retaliation Fear of loss of Internet or phone privileges Fear of becoming a target (bystanders) Diminish the negative behavior on the part of
the bully “Diffusion of responsibility” (bystanders)
WHAT CAN TARGETED STUDENTS DO?
Ignore the bully – try to walk off Agree with those bullying Tell a joke Refuse to fight Be friendly Talk back Fool the bully Tell someone
TO AVOID BULLYING SITUATIONS Sit near the bus driver on the school bus Take a different route to and from home Leave a little earlier or later to avoid a
confrontation with a bullying student Do not bring expensive items or lots of money
to school Make sure you are not alone in the bathroom
or locker room Take different routes through the hallways
when changing classes or walk with someone, such as a friend or school personnel
Avoid unsupervised areas of the school and situations in which you are isolates from others
ADVICE TO STUDENTS WHO ARE BULLIED
When you are being bullied: Be firm and clear Get away from the situation Tell an adult
After you have been bullied: Write it down and give it to a teacher or an adult Tell your family or a trusted friend If you are scared to tell a teacher, have a friend
go with you Keep on speaking up until someone listens Do not blame yourself for what has happened
ADVICE CONT. When you are talking or writing about being
bullied, be clear about it: What has happened to you? How often has it happened? Who was involved? Who saw what was happening? Where did it happen? What have done about it already?
Childhood Bullying and Testing: What School Personnel, Other Professionals, and Parents Can Do.
Dorthea M. Ross, Ph.D.
<www.nea.org/schoolsafety/bullyingadvice2pupils.html>
HOW CAN THE BYSTANDER HELP? Bystanders can be a powerful defense against bullying Bystanders can intervene appropriately by:
Choosing not watch and walk way (taking away the audience)
Being kind to other student being bullied at a different time Telling the bullied student that they don’t like the bullying
and asking them if there is anything that can be done to help (tell someone or go with them to tell someone)
Telling the students doing the bullying that you don’t like it and you want it to stop (but only if it feels safe to do so)
“Scooping up” the bullied student by taking them by the arm and saying something like “Come on, we need you for our game.” (again only if it feels safe to do so)
Witnessing, validating and supporting the bullied student’s experience afterwards, which reassures the victim that they were supported
Taking opportunities to contribute to the anti-bullying culture of the school by projects or activities which may include poster, video, or film contests pertaining to anti-bullying
It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that
their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not
comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others.
Sydney J. Harris
WHEN IMPLEMENTING A BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM… Make sure you get buy-in from the entire staff Survey the staff to find out if they will support
such an initiative Involve parents Form a steering committee or use safe school
committee Set school and classroom rules on bullying Design the program so it is easily implemented
into the teaching curriculum Make sure staff deals with bullying consistently
and enforces the anti-bullying rules
Source: Prevent Bullying: Proactive Tips to Tame Aggressive Behavior
AT THE NEXT STAFF MEETING, ASK What is our district policy on bullying and harassment? What is our school’s definition of bullying? Will we survey the students as to the prevalence of
bullying? What is our school’s discipline or consequence plan? What documentation is required? Will a staff form be
used? To whom is it given? Does the plan include a “skills” class or Student
Assistance Group, counseling or “teen court” approach?
Are parents required to attend an educational awareness session on bullying and harassment with their “suspended” student?
Who will follow-up on the effectiveness of the prevention program?
We challenge the culture of violence when we ourselves act in the certainty that violence is no longer acceptable, that it's tired and outdated no matter how many cling to it in the stubborn
belief that it still works and that it's still valid.
Gerard Vanderhaar
SAFE-CALL 1-877-SAFE-CALL EXT 651
Anonymous, toll-free telephone line for educators, students and citizens to share their concerns about potentially disruptive or dangerous situations in public schools
Monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week Within half an hour of an anonymous phone call,
a faxed transcript is sent to the local school superintendent for his/her info and further investigation
If it is an emergency call—bomb threat, weapons report, threat to kill, suicide threat, etc—the school superintendent is notified ASAP. If no school officials can be reached, local law enforcement officers are notified
SOURCES AND RESOURCES http://www.sde.state.ok.us/Schools/SafeHealthy/pdf/
ResourceBrochure.pdf http://stopcyberbullying.org/ http://www.athinline.org/ http://www.thatsnotcool.com/ http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov http://www.webwisekids.org http://www.isafe.org http://www.cyberbullying.us http://www.cyberbullying.ca http://aacap.org/page.ww?
name=Bullying§ion=Facts+for+Families http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html
RESOURCES CONT. http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/HHS_PSA/pdfs/
SBN_Tip_4.pdf http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/pdf/
Bystanders_and_Bullying.pdf http://www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-
teasing/ http://www.safeyouth.gov/Pages/Home.aspx http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.php?
option=content&task=view&id=1640&Itemid=835 http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-
s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/rg-
bullying_harassment_schoolbasedviolence.html http://www.olweus.org/public/index.page http://www.sde.state.ok.us/Schools/SafeHealthy/pdf/
Bullying.pdf
FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
State Department of Education:
Gayle Jones, Director of Safe & Healthy Schools(405) 521-2107
[email protected] www.sde.state.ok.us/Schools/SafeHealthy
THANK YOU!
Contact Information:
Tyler Whitehead, YRBS Coordinator and Bullying Consultant
Support for this presentation is provided by the Maternal and Child Health Service Title V Block Grant