Working Together to Foster Positive Learning Environments In Our Schools If It Hurts, It’s Wrong

1. Working Together to Foster Positive Learning Environments In Our SchoolsIf It Hurts, It’s Wrong August, 2011

3. Learning Objectives: • How to identify • How to intervene\address • How to track

4. Why Address Bullying?

5. How Often Does Bullying Happen? • Research has shown that bullying occurs in school playgrounds every 7 minutes and once every 25 minutes in class. • (Pepler et al., 1997)

6. District 2 Perception Survey Data:2010-2011 school Year STUDENT DATA: • 64.4 % of students agreed that students get bullied at their school • 31.1% of students have been bullied in the past 12 months

7. The Survey • K-2 2290 • 3-12 6837

8. Have You Ever Been Bullied During Any School Year? (3-12) 61% answered yes • If So,Which Type of Bullying Happened the Most? (3-12) Verbal, Social, Physical • How Often Have You Been Bullied This School Year? (3-12) 4% say daily- • Did You Tell an Adult at Your School That You Have Been Bullied? (3-12) 72% no • In This School Year, Have You Seen Others Being Bullied at School? (3-12)

9. Why Address Bullying? Victim Bully Bystanders Teachers Administrators Parents • Positive Learning Environment • Community

10. Why we need to address bullying or hurtful behaviours: Some kids... • Avoid school and school activities • Change schools • Are lonely • Suffer with mental health problems (low self esteem, depression, anxiety) • Quit school • Do not learn • Contemplate\ attempt suicide

11. 160 000 children skip school each day in the US because of bullying by peers. (US National Education Association)

12. How is the Bully Affected? • Children who bully are more likely to engage in other criminal and anti-social behaviors, such as: fighting , vandalism, truancy ,dropping out of school, stealing, smoking , alcohol/and or drug abuse (Robyn Collins and Wendy Nicholas)

13. Research shows that those who bully in childhood & adolescence have a strong correlation to delinquent behaviours in adulthood, as well as child & spousal abuse. • They often suffer a loss of friends, poorly developed social skills, decreased empathy, & an unrealistic & inflated sense of self-worth. Phillips,Linney, Pack; 2008

14. How are the Bystanders Affected? • Are often distracted from their school work • Become desensitized & begin to feel less empathy towards the pain of others • Stop caring but also stop noticing what is going on. Phillips, Linney & Pack; 2008

15. How is the Staff Affected? • Spend a great deal of time with the students who are bullying & with the students who are being bullied • Productivity (interrupted instruction, loss of focus on learning) • Morale • Absenteeism (students must make up work)

16. “Continual emotional distress can create deficits in a child’s intellectual abilities, crippling the capacity to learn.” Daniel Goleman

17. PREVENTION INTERVENTION ____\ ___________________________ ___(strategies to prevent)_______\_____

18. D2- Structure • D2 – Committee • To do research ,To develop policy and procedures ,To prepare the training manual (education\ tools\strategies) for each School Lead and Administrator in District 2To offer program implementation training to each School Lead and Administrator School Leads- (one per school) To lead and adult committee and a student committee per campus Adult Committee- • To train all teachers on program policy and procedures, To oversee student committee on the campus, To assist students in the organizing and planning of education and activities that bring awareness to the topic Student Committee- • To organize events (under the supervision of adults) that bring education and awareness to all students (Bullying Prevention Awareness Week), To organize a school-wide program launch assembly

19. PREVENT- -WATCH -LISTEN -ADDRESS

20. Obstacles To Implementing Consequences • Adults are not responding consistently • Students are not reporting

21. Why Teachers Don’t Respond Consistently • Teachers only see the tip of the iceberg • Many forms of bullying go undetected by school staff

22. In one study, teachers were asked how often they intervened to bullying. Most replied “all of the time”. However, further studies showed that teachers only intervene 5% of the time. This huge disparity shows that bullying goes far beyond the behaviours that adults see.

23. Why? • The term “bullying” is confusing • The “bullies” vary • Bullying often happens among friends

24. By not responding….. • We are giving the wrong message to the perpetrator, the victim and the student bystanders who are watching • We are condoning the behaviour

25. Many kids don`t report bullying They are afraid to be called a `tattle tale` • Adults in schools may not have a clear picture as to the procedure of the school in addressing bullying and as a result may not respond appropriately • Kids then begin to think that there is no point in telling and become afraid that the school will only make it worse.

26. So how do we address bullying? “On the Spot Intervention”

27. On The Spot Intervention • SOUNDS LIKE THIS: “At this school we don’t treat people like that; you will be tracked.” This in itself is an intervention and works well to prevent future hurtful behaviours from occurring

28. Behaviour Tracking Form • Date: • Please circle the time of the incident : Before School Recess After School Period 12345 • Please circle location of the incident: Hallway Bathroom Cafeteria Classroom Stairway Outside Extra Curricular Event Other • Name of student who chose the inappropriate behavior:___________________________ • Name of student who was victimized:_________________________________________ • Witnesses_________________________________________________ • Please check one of the following boxes to describe the incident: • Physical____ • Non Verbal___ • Verbal___ • Cyber___ • Social/Relational___ • Referring Teacher___________________________________________ • Please submit the following form to the designated staff member for tracking purposes and\or follow up. If this incident requires further intervention please indicate below: • Tracking purposes only___ • Further Intervention by administration___

29. Tracking Forms

30. Tracking Forms The student needs to be made aware that they will be tracked Tracking forms are passed in to one person in the school- typically an administrator Not all students tracked need to be seen for their behaviour The purpose of the tracking forms is to determine patterns of behaviour The forms are not called “Bullying Forms”

31. What Teachers Need to Know and Do • On the Spot Intervention & Tracking • Thank students for telling • Listen • Use language carefully • Ensure Confidentiality • Encourage kids to keep telling- (i.e.: implement an individual tracking system) • Devise a safety plan

32. What Teachers Need to Know and Do • Help kids understand that bullying may continue after an intervention but that they need to keep telling so it can continue to be addressed • Watch students during unstructured time • Assess support system • Inform all of teachers • Talk to students to get an accurate picture

33. What Teachers Need to Know and Do 13. Keep abreast of what is happening in your classroom 14. Post rules regarding your expectations about bullying in your classroom 15. Inform the parents 16. Tell & Take it away 17. Use your adult committee for support

34. What should we avoid doing if a child reports bullying?

35. If a child reports bullying…. • Do not mediate-bring the bully and the victim together • Do not ask a student why they did not report sooner • Do not use the word `tattling` when kids come forward • Do not tell the students to work it out on their own

36. If a child reports bullying…. • Do not tell them to ignore the bullying or pretend that they’re not being bothered (“sticks and stones”) • Ensure that kids are not marginalized • Do not force an apology • Do not meet with a group of students who are bullying- meet with these students one by one

37. What if….. a parent reports that their child is being bullied but you have not seen anything?

38. Thank the parent for coming forward and tell them that you will address the situation • Meet with a couple of trusting students and ask them if they have witnessed anything • Talk to other teachers- sometimes teachers will have witnessed other incidents that may give a more accurate picture of the situation

39. Have teachers track all inappropriate behaviours of the alleged bully • Consider forming a peer support group for the victim • Consider establishing a daily tracking system for the victim where an adult is made responsible for monitoring the bullying incidents each day

40. Resources.... • D2 Portal • Consequences Doc • Survey • Biblio

41. The vision...

42. Next steps... (for you) • Review and revise your school and classroom rules to include you policy on bullying prevention • Post your expectations in your classrooms and in your schools- review these until kids “get it” • Make sure kids know that it’s safe to report and how to report • Form Adult Committees\Student Committees • Create a plan for how you will respond to these behaviours • Prepare and deliver a school-wide assembly to review your expectations with all kids at the beginning of each year

43. Next steps... (for us) • We will continue to provide support and resources to assist you in doing your work • We will work with adult committees to assist them in bringing information and training back to your school

44. This is a journey-- not an event.