NURTURING POSITIVE POWER: An Antidote to Bullying

1. NURTURING POSITIVE POWER:An Antidote to Bullying Lorna Martin lormartin@gov.mb.ca

2. What do we know about the Positive Power? • Contagious • Relieves stress • Self-fulfilling • Cost-effective • Supports an equal power base • Can be learned at all ages and stages

3. What do we know about Bullying? • Bullying involves unequal power and is anti-social • Bullying and victimization do not occur in isolation • Interventions with the bully and/or victim are necessary but not sufficient for change • Bullying is societal and learned • Change must be societal, systemic to be effective

4. What do we know about school safety? • Schools have critical incident plans, tragic event protocols, and codes of conduct to assist them when safety is a concern • Two rare tragedies (Columbine and Taber) have heightened awareness • Schools have strict supervision regimens, causing the classroom to remain one of the safest places for children and youth

5. Mixed Messages on Violence • Children and youth are bombarded by examples of violence and aggression that lead to success, status, and problem solving: • Politicians • Media • TV, movies, video games • War • Role-play games • Gangs

6. Mixed Messages on Violence • Although families are increasingly distressed by: • Violent language and explicit violent acts on television, movies, video games • Possible ‘desensitization’ of young people (and themselves) to acts that may lead to self-harm or harm to others; diminished empathy for others • Increased reports of gang-related activity There does not seem to be a concerted effort to reduce the stressors.

7. Changing Views on Violence • Society no longer tolerates domestic violence and is beginning to have the same lack of tolerance for violence in communities • Media accounts of societal violence and crime cause a perception of increasing danger. Statistically, crime rates have decreased and levels of violence in society are stable. • The school is part of a larger community and its students reflect the parents and community in their beliefs, attitudes and actions.

8. What do we know about Bullying Events? • Most bullying incidents occur • Immediately prior to school or after school • In situations without supervision • Bullying can be direct or indirect: • Direct: face to face confrontation • Indirect: shunning, gossiping, malicious damage to reputation or friends

9. Defining Bullying Bullying is a form of aggression in which there is an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim. The key elements include: • Power imbalance • Bully’s intent to harm • Victim’s distress • Repeated over time (Peplar & Craig, 1988)

10. Bullying versus Hostility • When children and youth interact negatively, the result is not necessarily bullying. For example, • One-time only name-calling, teasing, fighting, and gossiping are name-calling, teasing, fighting, and gossiping (not bullying). • When the negativity includes a power imbalance and occurs repeatedly, bullying is considered.

11. The spectrum of anti-social behaviours

12. Bullying and Human Development • Young children who bully tend to engage in: • Pushing, shoving, calling names, teasing, isolating • Adolescents who bully tend to engage in: • Harassing, attacking in groups or through peers, using sexual comments/gestures, fighting, threatening/intimidating, using internet messaging to gossip, dating violence, emotional blackmail • Adults who bully tend to engage in: • Assault, domestic violence, child abuse, workplace harassment, senior abuse, social aggression

13. Extent of Bullying – the Negatives • Worldwide phenomenon • Approximately 15% of school-aged children and youth are either bullied or initiate bullying (Olweus, 1993) [9% victims/7% bullies]

14. Extent of Bullying – the Positives • Worldwide attention to bullying has provided many programs, strategies, and protocols for reducing anti-social behaviours • Approximately 85% of school-aged children and youth are neither bullied nor initiate bullying (Olweus, 1993)

15. The Context of Bullying Three-tiered model of school discipline and violence prevention AT-RISK STUDENTS: EARLY IDENTIFICATION & INTERVENTION DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS: EFFECTIVE RESPONSES TO DISRUPTION Skiba, Rausch & Ritter(2004) TOTAL POPULATION

16. Nurturing the Positives • With such an overwhelming number of students with positive behaviours and attitudes, schools: • Create safe and caring environments • Offer skill sessions on conflict resolution, friendship, mediation, social responsibility within daily activities and curricular outcomes • Create opportunities for peer assistants, volunteerism • Provide interventions for students having difficulties in pro-social skills

17. Where Bullies Flourish • Places with: • Minimal supervision of activities • Harsh punishments for rule infractions • Little or no acknowledgement of positive behaviour • Little or no affection or trust • Weak or aggressive communication; problem solving through power, aggression, threat or intimidation • High employee turnover and absentee rates • Communities with little police or adult presence

18. Where Bullies Flounder • Places with: • Logical consequences related to actions • Consistent, reasonable rules and discipline • Discretion; the ability to learn from mistakes • Warm and accepting social climate • Caring and supportive adults and young people • Observable, appropriate, affectionate parental behaviour • Open discussion to solve problems • Adult supervision • Gradual increase of responsibility based on behaviour

19. Positive Signs – the Role of the Family • Parents are becoming involved in school planning and decision making • Families are taking advantage of recreational and educational opportunities in the community • Parents are volunteering at schools and becoming involved with their students • Parents are attending parent sessions and parent-teacher interviews

20. Positive Signs – the Role of the School • Schools are addressing school climate in their annual and divisional planning • School counsellors, social workers, school psychologists, resource teachers, classroom teachers and administrators are working as planning teams to address individual cases • School codes of conduct are being revised in light of safe schools legislation and the need for discretion • Crisis intervention plans and threat assessment protocols have been developed in preparation for unforeseen events that include violence • Parent education sessions are available

21. VIOLENCE CONTINUUM Preventing Violence To reduce and prevent violence… BEGIN HERE… NOT HERE!

22. Victim Warning Signs • MANY VICTIMS: • Moody, sullen, withdrawn • Depressed • Lose interest in school or group activities • Lose appetite and have difficulty sleeping • Torn clothing, unexplained bruises • Refuse to attend school, group activities or specific location • Want to carry protection

23. Bully Warning Signs • MANY BULLIES: • Few long term friends • Angry, aggressive, avoidant, anti-social • Unkind to animals, to self, to others • Bruised/scraped knuckles, broken school equipment • School and sports equipment used as weapon • Secretive online messaging • Lack empathy, responsibility, habitually blame • Sense of urgency for control/domination • Engage in violent role-play games • Have been bullied

24. Bystander Warning Signs • Witnesses to bullying tend to: • Accelerate violent behaviour by creating an audience when the bullying is physical • Accelerate the bullying by gossiping when the bullying is emotional • Circle the ‘action’ and support the bully • Avoid reporting the incident • Exaggerate events or downplay events

25. Reducing Bullying • KEY: Do not ignore bullying. It is not a “phase”. • Schools, communities and families work together to create opportunities for change. • School counsellors, psychologists and social workers are trained in addressing the needs of victims, bystanders and perpetrators. • Teachers are trained in anti-bullying programs and responding to incidents. • Safe School Student Committees • Safe Community Parent Groups

26. School-based programs: Positive Behaviour Support Virtues Project RespectEd Second Step Lion’s Quest Conflict Resolution Peer Assistants Conflict Managers School-based services: Teacher intervention Administrative intervention Guidance Counselling Referrals School-based Protocols: Code of conduct Threat assessment procedures Emergency preparedness procedures Counselling pre- and post-suspension Administrative discretion Attendance policies In-school alternatives to suspension Building Resilient School Environments

27. Nurturing Positive Power in School Settings • Prevention • Anger management sessions • Conflict resolution in practice • Interactive role modelling of pro-social behaviours • Discipline • Consistency and fairness (heightened security, zero tolerance and punitive discipline are not effective in deterring violence – punishment alone does not change behaviour and can increase misbehaviour – suspensions weaken students’ connections to schools and worsen academic performance)

28. Nurturing Positive Power in School Settings • Environmental Strategies • Respectful behaviour is modelled and expected • High levels of caring and academic expectations • Teachers know students individually • Students actively engaged academically • Pro-social approaches to teaching and learning • Co-operative education practices • Good extracurricular activities • Recognition and respect for student’s diverse backgrounds • Mentoring, monitoring, follow-up • Bullying incidents are addressed swiftly

29. Nurturing Positive Power in Community Settings • Community policing • Citizens on patrol • Block parents • Home/School liaisons • Youth Justice Committee • Volunteer program • Youth centre/drop in centre • Continuing education/parenting courses • Non-competitive recreation opportunities • Supervised recreation facilities • Safe shelters

30. Nurturing Positive Power at Home • Open dialogue; pro-social skill development • Caring supervision balanced with sense of privacy • Appropriate consequences for misbehaviour • Discretion • Sense of belongingness • Autonomy for age/stage appropriate decision-making • Recognition for individual differences and strengths

31. RECAPPING • Bullying begins with anti-social behaviours such as discourtesy, disrespect and lack of empathy • Bullying is learned and can be unlearned • Bullying is negative power-related and can therefore be reduced or eliminated through systemic support for positive power • Any form of bullying or violent behaviour is distressing. Fortunately, incidents are few and schools have programs, protocols, and trained personnel in place to address issues and concerns. • Together, communities, families and schools can make the world a safer, kinder place.