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Hot Topics in Bullying

School Social Workers and Bullying Presented by: Jon West, MSW, Buncombe County Schools Katherine Sims, MSW, LCSW, Buncombe County Schools. Hot Topics in Bullying. Cyber bullying – “My Space”, “Face Book”, “You-Tube” & “target” websites

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Hot Topics in Bullying

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  1. School Social Workers and BullyingPresented by: Jon West, MSW, Buncombe County SchoolsKatherine Sims, MSW, LCSW, Buncombe County Schools

  2. Hot Topics in Bullying • Cyber bullying – “My Space”, “Face Book”, “You-Tube” & “target” websites • Sexting – Inappropriate pictures being distributed on camera phones. • Gang Affiliation & School Violence • Suicide & Self-Injury

  3. Why Look at Bullying? "What we do in the name of health, safety, and well-being are linked with teaching and learning. Teaching and learning can't take place if students aren't healthy, aren't physically and mentally fit, or aren't safe." ------ William Modzeleski, Director, Safe and Drug-Free School Program U.S. Department of Education

  4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

  5. Why Address School Bullying? NC Senate Bill 526 It’s the law! NC Senate Bill 526: An act to enact the school violence prevention act and to define Bullying or Harassing Behavior

  6. THE NC 2009 SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACT DEFINES BULLYING AS: Pattern of gestures, Written, electronic, or verbal communications Physical act or threatening communication That takes place on school property, the school bus, or any school-sponsored event that: Places a student or school employee in actual and reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property, Creates or is certain to create a hostile environment (defined by the target) by substantially interfering with or impairing a student’s educational performance, opportunities, or benefits

  7. School Violence Prevention Act Senate Bill 526 and State Board of Education policy HRS-A-007 Bullying or harassing behavior includes: Acts reasonably perceived as being motivated by Race, Color, Religion, National origin, Gender, Socioeconomic Status, Academic Status, Gender Identity, Physical Appearance, Sexual Orientation, Mental, Physical, Developmental or Sensory Disability or Association with a Person who has or is PERCEIVED to have one or any of the above characteristics

  8. Percentage of Students Affected by Violence in Schools 2007 Assaults Serious Violent Crime Theft Bullying 1.2% .4% 3% 32.2% Source: Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007, US DOJ

  9. The damage is real.And it can last. • missing school out of fear • trouble studying • trouble sleeping • depression • wanting revenge • suicidal thoughts • substance abuse • self-injury/cutting • school violence • drop-out

  10. 3 Types of Bullying…. • VERBAL (starts it all) Name calling, insults, repeated teasing (persistent), sexual harassment, racist remarks, threats, intimidation, etc. • EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL Gossip, spreading nasty rumors and lies, embarrassment, humiliation, premeditated exclusion, hurtful graffiti, manipulating relationships, cyber bullying (text messaging, Email, web pages, instant messaging), etc. • PHYSICAL Violence defined – is any word, look, sign or act that hurt’s a person’s body, feelings, or things. Hitting, slapping, pushing, shoving, kicking, taking thing, vandalism, etc. www.bullyfreezone.info

  11. The bullying triangle • bullies • targets • bystanders

  12. The bystanders are in the majority.

  13. Relational Aggression • Takes aim at social relationships and hurts by damaging other’s opinions of (and relationship to) its victims.   • Manipulates how others view a particular individual by isolating them, spreading (or posting) vicious rumors and lies about their private lives, exposing secrets, and creating situations of public humiliation.  • Gossip, exclusion, and silent treatment are other forms of relational aggression. http://www.relationalaggression.com

  14. Hazing • Refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate.  • In years past, hazing practices were typically considered harmless pranks or comical antics associated with young men in college fraternities.  http://www.stophazing.org

  15. Sexting • The act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically primarily between mobile phones.

  16. Sexting Statistics • In a 2008 survey of 1,280 teenagers and young adults of both sexes on Cosmogirl.com sponsored by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 20% of teens (13-19) and 33% of young adults (20-26) had sent nude or semi-nude photographs of themselves electronically. • Additionally, 39% of teens and 59% of young adults had sent sexually explicit text messages.

  17. Recent Legal Cases • In Fort Wayne, Indiana, a teenage boy was indicted on felony obscenity charges for allegedly sending a photo of his genitals to several female classmates. Another boy was charged with child pornography in a similar case. • Two southwest Ohio teenagers were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a first-degree misdemeanor, for sending or possessing nude photos on their cell phones of two 15-year-old classmates. • Some states have made teenagers who engage in sexting register as sex offenders.

  18. Law Enforcement and Charges Students can be criminally charged for bullying, sexting, and cyberbullying incidents.

  19. Cyberbullying Tactics

  20. Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying is bullying through email, instant messaging (IMing), chat room exchanges, Web site posts, or digital messages or images send to a cellular phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) (Kowalski et al. 2008). • Cyberbullying, like traditional bullying, involves an imbalance of power, aggression, and a negative action that is often repeated. http://www.olweus.org

  21. Why Do Kids Cyberbully? According to, "Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard (2009 Corwin Press)" by Hinduja & Patchin, kids cyberbully for the following reasons: 22% motivated by revenge 18.7% said the victim deserved it 10.6 % said they did it for fun 3.9% hated the victim 3.5% pressured by peers 2.8% retaliated against a bully 2.5% venting anger 5.7% other reasons

  22. Types of Cyberbullying • Instant Messaging/text harassment • Blogs/Websites • Internet polling (usually derogatory) • Sending pictures of others without their consent • Sending porn • Impersonation

  23. DIFFERENCES BULLYING • DIRECT • Occurs on school property • Poor relationships with teachers • Fear retribution Physical: Hitting, Punching & Shoving Verbal: Teasing, Name calling & Gossip Nonverbal: Use of gestures & Exclusion CYBERBULLYING • ANONYMOUS • Occurs off school property • Good relationships with teachers • Fear loss of technology privileges • Further under the radar than bullying • Emotional reactions cannot be determined From ‘Demystifying and Deescalating Cyber Bullying’ by Barbara Trolley, Ph.D. CRC, Connie Hanel, M.S.E.d & Linda Shields, M.S.E.d. http://www.nyssca.org/CYBERBULLYING-pp-BT28th.ppt

  24. Cyberbullying Cases Two Massachusetts high school students have been suspended following the suicide of a teen girl who was allegedly bullied at school and online, the BostonHerald.com reported. Friends and school officials told MyFoxBoston.com that Phoebe Prince, 15, had been picked on since moving to Massachusetts from Ireland last fall. School bullies reportedly taunted the teen through text messages, Facebook and other social networking sites. 1/28/2010

  25. Meier hanged herself on Oct. 16, 2006, after being dumped by "Josh," a fictitious boy created by Drew ( a middle –aged woman), in order to find out what Meier was saying about the Drews' daughter. One comment of more than 2500 posted from Drew stated: "You have psychological problems," one began. "Don't burn in hell. Instead, I hope you rot in the dirt with the maggots and other disgusting vermin, since that's the only thing you deserve.“ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,315684,00.html

  26. School’s Role and Discipline Some courts have ruled: • School Districts have every legal right to intervene in cyberbulling and sexting incidents-even those OFF CAMPUS-when it can be shown that the incident resulted in a substantial disruption of the educational environment.

  27. Statistics on Bullying Sixty-six percent of youth are teased at least once a month, and nearly one-third of youth are bullied at least once a month. Six out of 10 American teens witness bullying at least once a day. For children in grades 6 – 10, nearly one in six — or 3.2 million — are victims of bullying each year and 3.7 million are bullies. For every gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender student who reported being harassed, four straight students said they were harassed for being perceived as gay or lesbian. An estimated 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of attack or intimidation by other students. One out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying. http://groundspark.org

  28. Some more disturbing numbers…. 20% to 58% or more of students (varies from school to school) have reported being bullied (some students receive an average of 213 verbal put-downs per week.) 80% of students have engaged in bullying behaviors in the past 30 days. 52% of students report seeing bullying at least once a week Every 8 seconds a child on the playground is bullied. Every 20 seconds a child is bullied. Bullying effects 5 million students. *(Note: Between 2001 and 2003 there was 46% to 59% increase on the above items.) www.bullyfreezone.info

  29. • 88.9% of LGBT students heard “gay” used in a negative way (e.g., “that’s so gay) frequently or often at school, and 86.5% reported that they felt distressed to some degree by this language. • 72.4% of LGBT students heard other homophobic remarks (e.g., “dyke” or “faggot”) frequently or often at school. • 84.6% of LGBT students were verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation and 63.7% because of their gender expression. GLSEN 2009 National School Climate Survey

  30. 30.0% of LGBT students missed at least one entire day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. • 29.1% of LGBT students skipped a class at least once in the past month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. 2010 The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

  31. Seth Walsh – 13 years old From Tehachapi, CA, hanged himself in September 2010. His family said he was harassed by bullies for being gay. He died after being in a coma for nine days. http://abcnews.go.com "He was different. He knew he was different," Seth's mother, Judy Walsh said according to TehachapiNews.com. "He was a very loving boy, very kind. He had a beautiful smile. He liked fashion, his friends, talking on the phone. He was artistic and very bright." http://www.cbsnews.com

  32. Asher Brown – 13 years old • ASHER BROWN WAS “BULLIED TO DEATH” —PICKED ON FOR HIS SMALL SIZE, HIS RELIGION AND BECAUSE HE DID NOT WEAR DESIGNER CLOTHES AND SHOES. KIDS ALSO ACCUSED HIM OF BEING GAY, SOME OF THEM PERFORMING MOCK GAY ACTS ON HIM IN HIS PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS, HIS MOTHER AND STEPFATHER SAID. • THE 13-YEAR-OLD’S PARENTS SAID THEY HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BULLYING TO HAMILTON MIDDLE SCHOOL OFFICIALS DURING THE PAST 18 MONTHS, BUT CLAIMED THEIR CONCERNS FELL ON DEAF EARS. • THE GAY TEEN SHOT HIMSELF IN HIS DAD’S CLOSET ON SEPT. 23 [2010] AFTER BULLYING BECAME UNENDURABLE FOR HIM. www.dallasvoice.com

  33. Asher Brown's worn-out tennis shoes still sit in the living room of his Cypress-area home while his student progress report — filled with straight A's — rests on the coffee table. • The eighth-grader killed himself [in September 2010]. He shot himself in the head after enduring what his mother and stepfather say was constant harassment from four other students at Hamilton Middle School in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Houston Chronicle - Sept. 29, 2010

  34. Tyler Clementi – 18 year-old student at Rutgers University Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old freshman, was a gifted violinist, a good-natured soul who didn't have many close college friends and who mostly kept to himself. On Sept. 22, authorities say Clementi committed suicide by jumping into the Hudson River from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate secretly streamed video of him on the Internet kissing another man, all for the world to see. www.cbsnews.com Sept. 30, 2010

  35. Dangerous Choices Students May Make In An Attempt to Cope With Bullying

  36. Self-Injury Definition The intentional harm of one’s own body without conscious suicidal intent.

  37. Prescription Pills

  38. GANG MEMBERSHIP

  39. Why Youth Join Gangs • Power, Protection, Prestige and Party • Money • Cool Factor • Basic Needs • Born into it • Neighborhood Norm

  40. Gang Impact on Schools • Direct Correlation With Bullying, Intimidation, Sexual Harassment • Greater Fear • Creates Copy-cat “Gangs” • Creates a Sense That Gang Are Normal • Market for Narcotics Sales • Creates Racial Tensions

  41. April 26, 2007None of us will forget this image of Virginia Tech University. VT was the site of the deadliest rampage in U.S. history when a gunman killed 32 people and himself.

  42. Map of U.S. School Shootings 1996-2006

  43. Statistics on School Violencein the U.S.A. from 1996 to 2007 • 50 children killed, 113 wounded • 7 teachers killed, 3 wounded • 5 principals killed, 6 wounded • 1 security guard killed, 1 wounded • 6 shooters age 6-12 • 29 shooters age 13-17 www.bullyfreezone.info

  44. 2 TRAITS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ALL SCHOOL VIOLENCE………(in every case) 1. Someone was Bullied! 2. No one listened! www.bullyfreezone.info

  45. ADDRESSING SCHOOL VIOLENCE Balanced Approach (Combine physical safety, educational practices, programs that support social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students.) Communication (Maintain trust between students and staff so threats will be reported and can be investigated.) Connectedness (Build positive relationships between students and staff so students feel cared for.) Support (Offer research-based violence prevention programs at universal (school-based), targeted (for at-risk students), and intensive (most chronically and intensely at-risk students) levels. National Consortium of School Violence Prevention Researchers & Practitioners www.socialworkers.org

  46. Bullying: What School Social Workers Can Do • Decline the use of labels • Approach students individually • Provide training on warning signs • Advocate for school staff-student connectedness

  47. Best Practice In Bullying Prevention Programs • Early Prevention – Training, Training, & more Training for all staff and parents • Focus on the School Climate • Assess Bullying

  48. Top 10 - Recommendations • Create a warm, caring and supportive school climate. HONOR, DIGNITY and RESPECT…..Following the “Golden Rule”. • Understand what bullying is and what it does to us. • Put in place a bullying prevention program that is modeled and encouraged by school leaders, teachers, staff, parents, students, community members, etc. • Faculty and staff having an open line of communication…..discussing verbal cues, obsessive behavior, trends, data, working together to effectively deal with bullying behavior. • Clearly communicate the role of the bystander in the school and what types of information they need to bring forward and how they can do so. www.bullyfreezone.info

  49. Top 10 – Recommendations(cont’d). • Understand and provide leadership with school/system Crisis Communication Plan, critical response, intruder in the building, evacuation, etc. • Get out of the supervision mode and into the interaction mode. Build positive relationships (S-T, S-S, T-T, T-Parent), and most importantly School to Community. • Understand adults are bullies too. We must be the consummate role model. • Promote the profession of education and support one another. • ACTIVE, ALERT and INVOLVED in the lives of each and every student and “Build a Community From Within!” www.bullyfreezone.info

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