Kentucky Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force

Kickoff MeetingOctober 22, 2014

Bullying Issues in Kentucky: Bullying Issues in Kentucky: what educators and what educators and communities can docommunities can do

Jon Akers, DirectorJon Akers, Director

Kentucky Center for School SafetyKentucky Center for School SafetyKentucky Center for School Safety

Basic premise fromBasic premise fromthe U.S. Department of the U.S. Department of

EducationEducation• A culture and climate of safety is A culture and climate of safety is

essential to the prevention of school essential to the prevention of school violence and to the success of all violence and to the success of all students.students.

• Teachers cannot teach and students Teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn in an environment in cannot learn in an environment in which they feel unsafe.which they feel unsafe.

• Any effort that promotes school Any effort that promotes school safety and student well-being also safety and student well-being also promotes the academic mission of a promotes the academic mission of a school.school.

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Kentucky State Board of Education

stand on bullying““The Kentucky Board of Education’s The Kentucky Board of Education’s position of zero tolerance for bullying is position of zero tolerance for bullying is to ensure that schools are preventing to ensure that schools are preventing bullying prompted by any motive. Zero bullying prompted by any motive. Zero tolerance is the only standard that will tolerance is the only standard that will protect all of our students, and no protect all of our students, and no student deserves less than our full student deserves less than our full protection. No reason whatsoever will protection. No reason whatsoever will justify the bullying, or the allowance of justify the bullying, or the allowance of bullying, of a student in our schools, bullying, of a student in our schools, period.” period.” ((David Karem, Chair, Kentucky State Board of David Karem, Chair, Kentucky State Board of Education)Education)

Kentucky Center for School Safety

• At least 160,000 students skip At least 160,000 students skip classes each school day because classes each school day because they fear physical harm.they fear physical harm.

(National Education Association)

Bullying in Kentucky Schools Bullying in Kentucky Schools

• There were 20,172* incidents of There were 20,172* incidents of harassment and/or bullying in Kentucky harassment and/or bullying in Kentucky Schools during the 2013-14 school Schools during the 2013-14 school year… or 4 incidents every minute.year… or 4 incidents every minute.

**KDE-Kentucky School Report CardKDE-Kentucky School Report Card

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Kentucky Center for School Safety

• More than 150,000 school age More than 150,000 school age children bring a gun to school children bring a gun to school each school day.each school day.

U.S. Department of Education and Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Kentucky Center for School Safety

• 70% of those arrested for hate 70% of those arrested for hate crimes are under 19.crimes are under 19.

(U.S. News)

Define BullyingDefine Bullying1.1. Unwanted acts directed toward another Unwanted acts directed toward another

personperson

2.2. Usually repeatedUsually repeated

3.3. Usually involves an imbalance of power.Usually involves an imbalance of power.

4.4. KRS 158.156=Chapter 508 Felony acts…KRS 158.156=Chapter 508 Felony acts…

a.) Assaulta.) Assault

b.) Menacingb.) Menacing

c.) Wanton endangermentc.) Wanton endangerment

d.) Terroristic threateningd.) Terroristic threatening

e.) Criminal abusee.) Criminal abuse

f. ) Stalkingf. ) Stalking

Supplemental requirements to Supplemental requirements to address bullying incidentsaddress bullying incidents

• KRS 158.148 (4) (c) Student Discipline KRS 158.148 (4) (c) Student Discipline Guidelines: required contents must Guidelines: required contents must include:include:

1.1.Identifying, documenting and reporting.Identifying, documenting and reporting.

2.2.Investigating and respondingInvestigating and responding

3.3.Protection from retaliationProtection from retaliation

4.4.Explain the requirements of the code to Explain the requirements of the code to stakeholders and provide training for stakeholders and provide training for school employeesschool employees

5.5.Provide information regarding Provide information regarding consequences for violating the code.consequences for violating the code.

Kentucky Center for School Safety

What efforts are being What efforts are being made in the schools?made in the schools?

1.1. Implementation training for (HB91) Implementation training for (HB91) KRS 158.156 and 158.148 (4)(c)KRS 158.156 and 158.148 (4)(c)

2.2. Refine School Board and SBDM Refine School Board and SBDM policies policies

3.3. Awareness training for staffAwareness training for staff

4.4. Awareness assemblies for studentsAwareness assemblies for students

5.5. Statewide professional Statewide professional development opportunitiesdevelopment opportunities

Who “owns” this and what about “zero tolerance?”

This is This is notnot just a school issue, it’s a just a school issue, it’s a life-long issue. Bullying doesn’t life-long issue. Bullying doesn’t stop after graduation.stop after graduation... .. (unfortunately!)(unfortunately!)

KCSS position is a modified “zero-KCSS position is a modified “zero-tolerance”: (one size doesn’t fit all) tolerance”: (one size doesn’t fit all) investigate every incident and make investigate every incident and make decisions based on the facts of each decisions based on the facts of each casecase..

Kentucky Center for School Safety

What’s the extent of the What’s the extent of the bullying problem in our state?bullying problem in our state?

1.1. The #1 problem The #1 problem

2.2. 80% occurs electronically and usually 80% occurs electronically and usually goes undetected by adults (texting and goes undetected by adults (texting and Facebook…)Facebook…)

3.3. The # of girls bullying other girls has The # of girls bullying other girls has increased significantlyincreased significantly

4.4. It seems as though schools are being It seems as though schools are being asked to handle this “community asked to handle this “community problem.”problem.”

Cyberbullying…Cyberbullying…

• Cyberbullying…is rampantCyberbullying…is rampant• Facebook problems and out-of-school Facebook problems and out-of-school

threats on-linethreats on-line• Attorney Generals office very helpfulAttorney Generals office very helpful• Facebook security folks are great to Facebook security folks are great to

work with.work with.

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Who’s problem is this?Who’s problem is this?

• Bullying is Bullying is everyone’severyone’s problem. problem.• We are all in this together and it’s going to take “The We are all in this together and it’s going to take “The

Village” to effectively address this problem: parents, Village” to effectively address this problem: parents, school officials, students, private sector, churches, school officials, students, private sector, churches, governmental agencies, just to name a few.governmental agencies, just to name a few.

• Let’s do the math: • 24 hrs. in a day X 365 days= 8,760 hours• Schools are in session for 7 hrs. X 180 days= 1,260

hours• This leaves 7,500 hrs. per year (or 86% of the child’s

time per year) “someone else” must model acceptable behavior and monitor the behavior of kids other than the schools.

Some Prevention IdeasSome Prevention Ideas(not all inclusive…just some food for thought)(not all inclusive…just some food for thought)

• With this being such high profile With this being such high profile issue, school principals issue, school principals mustmust demonstrate good faith efforts to demonstrate good faith efforts to investigate investigate any and all any and all reports of reports of bullying/harassment and take the bullying/harassment and take the appropriate administrative action appropriate administrative action when necessary.when necessary.

• It’s important to have “some kind” of It’s important to have “some kind” of prevention plan in place prevention plan in place priorprior to the to the beginning of each school year.beginning of each school year.

• Let’s review some ideas….Let’s review some ideas….Kentucky Center for School Safety

PolicyPolicyEnsure that all staff and students are Ensure that all staff and students are

publicly exposed to and given a copy publicly exposed to and given a copy of the bullying/harassment policy. of the bullying/harassment policy.

For exampleFor example: : have principals discuss have principals discuss the policy with students and staff at the policy with students and staff at faculty, staff, open house/PTA faculty, staff, open house/PTA meetings and student-group meetings and student-group meetings within the meetings within the first couple of first couple of weeks weeks of school. In addition, remind of school. In addition, remind everyone of this policy throughout everyone of this policy throughout the school year. Constantly (and the school year. Constantly (and consistently) call attention to these consistently) call attention to these policies in student and staff policies in student and staff handbooks, School Board policies, handbooks, School Board policies, criminal laws, etc.criminal laws, etc.

New staff trainingNew staff training

Conduct an in-depth training Conduct an in-depth training session on bullying/harassment session on bullying/harassment for NEW staff, both certified and for NEW staff, both certified and classified.classified.

Annual Update Annual Update TrainingTraining

Conduct update training for Conduct update training for current staff memberscurrent staff members beforebefore schools starts for the year or schools starts for the year or shortly thereafter. Include shortly thereafter. Include certified and classified staff certified and classified staff members in the training.members in the training.

When reports are When reports are filedfiled….….

Describe the steps that will be Describe the steps that will be taken by school officials when taken by school officials when they receive a report or witness they receive a report or witness a child being bullied or harassed.a child being bullied or harassed.

Parent notificationParent notification

Send home a copy of the Send home a copy of the bullying/harassment policy to all bullying/harassment policy to all parents/guardians.parents/guardians.

How to report incidents to How to report incidents to officialsofficials

Provide explicit instructions to Provide explicit instructions to students on how to report students on how to report bullying offenses and where and bullying offenses and where and to whom to report them.to whom to report them.

Alternative Ways of Alternative Ways of ReportingReporting

(In addition to telling an adult or a (In addition to telling an adult or a teacher) teacher) Ensure that multiple “drop Ensure that multiple “drop boxes” are available to students boxes” are available to students throughout the school to report throughout the school to report incidents of harassment/bullying incidents of harassment/bullying that they have that they have experienced/witnessed. Monitor experienced/witnessed. Monitor the boxes every 3 hours.the boxes every 3 hours.

Alternative Ways of Alternative Ways of ReportingReporting

Provide an “after-hour” bullying Provide an “after-hour” bullying tip-line. (Simply use a school line tip-line. (Simply use a school line and add an answering machine and add an answering machine service to it.)service to it.)

Alternative Ways of Alternative Ways of ReportingReporting

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Many students “live” in the virtual world and might feel more comfortable reporting risky behaviors using an On-Line service. (KCSS provides this for school districts at NO Cost. )

Advertise…AdvertiseAdvertise…Advertise

Display Anti-Bullying posters Display Anti-Bullying posters throughout the school in high throughout the school in high profile/traffic areas.profile/traffic areas.

Community help…Community help…• Local businesses have a long history of Local businesses have a long history of

helping schools in their communities…helping schools in their communities…• Ask the local Chamber of Commerce to Ask the local Chamber of Commerce to

distribute literature throughout its distribute literature throughout its membership acknowledging that membership acknowledging that bullying/harassment is a community bullying/harassment is a community threat (in the neighborhoods) as well threat (in the neighborhoods) as well as at school.as at school.

• Engage as many community groups as Engage as many community groups as possible to take the stand against possible to take the stand against bullying: churches, businesses…etc.bullying: churches, businesses…etc.

Parent involvement…Parent involvement…

Publish parent/guardian responsibilities. Make certain they Publish parent/guardian responsibilities. Make certain they understand that:understand that:a. 80% of the bullying takes place a. 80% of the bullying takes place electronicallyelectronically—usually on —usually on the internet. (Social Networks such as Facebook, etc. the internet. (Social Networks such as Facebook, etc. and/or texting.) School officials are and/or texting.) School officials are reliant reliant on the victims or on the victims or parents to report the unobserved bullying incidents.parents to report the unobserved bullying incidents.b. since most of the b. since most of the non-electronicnon-electronic bullying is hidden from bullying is hidden from adults, school officials are, again, adults, school officials are, again, reliantreliant on the victims or on the victims or parents to report the unobserved bullying incidents.parents to report the unobserved bullying incidents.c. c. bullying is a community problembullying is a community problem. It not only occurs in the . It not only occurs in the school, but in neighborhoods and/or homes as well. school, but in neighborhoods and/or homes as well. Neighborhood watch groups are quite effective.Neighborhood watch groups are quite effective.d. parents need to d. parents need to monitormonitor their child’s activities on the their child’s activities on the internet, social networks and child’s cell phone text internet, social networks and child’s cell phone text messages…a minimum of once a week.messages…a minimum of once a week.e. consider meeting early in the school year with students e. consider meeting early in the school year with students who have exhibited bullying behavior at the school in the past who have exhibited bullying behavior at the school in the past and their parents and offer appropriate strategies of and their parents and offer appropriate strategies of preventative support and intervention to them for the preventative support and intervention to them for the upcoming school year. upcoming school year.

Prevention PSA CampaignPrevention PSA Campaign(within the school)(within the school)

Run in-school PSA Run in-school PSA announcements at least once per announcements at least once per month that deal with enhancing month that deal with enhancing a Bully Free environment. a Bully Free environment. (Lafayette H.S., Lexington) (Lafayette H.S., Lexington)

Check out PSA’s and YouTube Check out PSA’s and YouTube offerings on KCSS web site.offerings on KCSS web site.

Have students create their own Have students create their own PSAs and broadcast them at PSAs and broadcast them at schoolschool

External PR CampaignExternal PR Campaign

Work/partner with local media Work/partner with local media outlets and encourage them to outlets and encourage them to run PSA’s on having a bully-free run PSA’s on having a bully-free community.community.

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Document and Advertise Document and Advertise

Document all efforts that are being Document all efforts that are being made to prevent and curb bullying.made to prevent and curb bullying.

Publicize the schools/districts’ Publicize the schools/districts’ efforts via PTA, newspaper, TV, efforts via PTA, newspaper, TV, radio etc.radio etc.

Always include this is a Always include this is a community community problem problem and we all need to work and we all need to work together!together!

  

Questions/CommentsQuestions/Comments

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Call or WriteJon Akers

Eastern Kentucky University105 Stratton Building521 Lancaster Ave.

Richmond, KY 40475Toll Free 1-877-805-4277

jon.akers@eku.edu

Kentucky Center for School Safety

Kentucky Center for School Safety

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