There’s NO Room for Bullying in Youth Sports

1. There’s NO Room for Bullying in Youth Sports Designing a plan to avoid and eliminate bullying in your youth sports program

2. Bullying Defined • Takes many forms • Physical – violence (higher in boys) • Emotional – written, verbal or electronic • Relational – excluding from groups/activities (higher in girls) • Those involved • Bully, Victim, Bystander • How do you define it?

3. PA Definitionfor the Schools: • "bullying" shall mean an intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act, or a series of acts: • directed at another student or students; • which occurs in a school setting; • that is severe, persistent or pervasive; and • that has the effect of doing any of the following: • substantially interfering with a student's education; • creating a threatening environment; or • substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school; and "school setting" shall mean in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated bus stop or at any activity sponsored, supervised or sanctioned by the school. 

4. Definitions and Facts • Bullying is: • Repeated pattern • Deliberate with an intent to harm • Power imbalance (real or perceived) • Widespread and serious (nearly 30% school aged children involved somehow – Peckham, 2007) • Bullying will often lead to problems: • Academically (160,000 kids miss school each day –U.S. DOJ, Nat. Assoc. of School Psychologists, 2005) • Socially • Emotionally • With the law

5. What Bullying is Not • Just teasing or joking around • Right of passage • Needed for initiation to group or team • Boys being boys or girls being girls • Natural competition • A way to toughen up kids • Survival of the fittest • The same as conflict, which is a difference of opinion that can lead to positive change and understanding • Something that can be dealt with using conflict resolution or peer mediation • Something that kids should deal with on their own

6. Who gets bullied? • Kid who doesn’t fit – depends on the area/school/team • Gender • Religion or Ethnicity • Disability • Social class • Sexual orientation • Intelligence or lack there of • Physical appearance including obesity • Peaks in middle school

7. Who Does the Bullying? • Peers – usually in groups (one or more bullies with one or more supporters) • Coaches • Parents or siblings • Teachers

8. Sport TeamsEncourage Bullying? • Not always – but certain things facilitate bullying on a sports team • Competition against each other for position, playing time, being favorite of the coach • Bullying generally happens in groups – supporters make it seem like more acceptable/normal behavior • Often kids get “put” in sports by parents in order to learn to fit in – but that takes time

9. Impact Of Bullying On Youth Sports Participants • Short term issues • Reduced enjoyment of sport or quit sport • Low team morale for all athletes • Low self-esteem • Health issues • Substance abuse • Depression • Suicidal thoughts/acts • Long term implications • Victims become bullies • Higher chance of criminal activity (bully) • Often experience loneliness as adults

10. Impact of Bullying on Your Agency & Program • Low morale and players dropping out • Risk management • Duty to protect players • From each other • From coaches or parents who bully

11. Developing A Plan To Prevent & Eliminate Bullying • Policy • Procedure • Plan • Partners • Proving success

12. Anti-Bullying Policy • Where does your agency/youth sports program stand on bullying? • How do you define bullying? Be specific so there are no doubts!!! • Just because the school district has a policy doesn’t mean you are off the hook • Can model the school district’s policy or create your own • Take a firm stand!

13. Procedures • Procedures when bullying occurs (can model school district’s procedures) • Procedure for dealing with bully • Penalties • Counseling/workshops/training • Procedure for helping victim • Informing parents • Counseling • Procedure for dealing with passive bystanders • Penalties • Counseling/workshops/training

14. Bullying Prevention & Intervention • Gather data at the beginning • Questionnaire for the players • How frequently? What types? Where? Reported? • Spread the word • Policies – bullying not tolerated! • Procedures – here’s what will happen if… • Strategies for prevention • Educate, train, remind, reward – all athletes, parents, coaches, administrators • Strategies for intervention • Make reporting easy and safe and timely • Give coaches the tools to intervene and guidance to know when to report to admin. and/or police

15. Working with Family & Community Partners • Contact school district for resources, ideas, copies of their program! • Get parents involved at the planning level – task force • Contact local youth organizations for resources, guidance • Contact local legislators to inquire about funding

16. Working with Athletes to Prevent Bullying • Pep rally/party/kick off - to bring attention to anti-bullying program • Post definition and rules and send home, to coaches, to volunteers, to officials • Work the program as outlined in your procedures – be consistent! • Keep in touch with parents • At the end of the season – evaluate program and adjust policies and procedures accordingly

17. Evaluating YourAnti-Bullying Program • How do we know if it’s working? • Observed bullying decreases – coaches & parents • Perceived bullying decreases – athletes • Perceived relationships improve – A’s/C’s/P’s • Attitudes towards each other improve – athletes • Attitudes about program positive – A’s/C’s/P’s • Increased reporting – data • Increased bystander intervention/reporting – athletes and data • What are we currently doing that is working? • Training of coaches – regularly • Educating of parents – regularly • Educating of athletes – regularly • Ease of reporting

18. Questions and Wrap-Up • Cool resources: • www.herointhehallway.com • www.stopbullying.gov • www.safe4athletes.org • www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.com/bullying/index.shtml • www.bullypolice.org • www.pacer.org/bullying & www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org • www.olweus.org/public/bullying.page • www.standtogether.tv • www.kidsareworthit.com • www.stopbullyingnow.com • www.tolerance.org