Maine’s Best Practices in Bullying and Harassment Prevention A Guide for Schools and Communities Maine Governo - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Maine’s Best Practices in Bullying

and Harassment Prevention

A Guide for Schools and Communities

Maine Governors Children’s Cabinet 2006

Stan Davis, Lyn Mikel-Brown, Chuck Saufler,

Deb Landry, Lauren Sterling & Thomas Harnett

Presentation by Design Team, Ansley Newton,

Pamela Anderson and Lelia DeAndrade

LD # 564

What is bullying?Maine’s new bullying prevention law

Bullying

From the MSMA model policy about bullying:

“Bullying” means any physical act or gesture or any verbally, written, or electronically communicated expression that a reasonable person should expect will have the effect of:

• Physically harming a student or damaging a student’s property;
• Placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm or damage to his or her property; or
• Substantially disrupting the instructional program or the orderly operations of the school; or
• Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, hostile educational environment for the student who is bullied.

• Students who don’t feel safe can’t learn.
• Targets of bullying are more likely to become depressed.
• Youth who bully are more likely to grow into adult criminals.

A statewide 1999 Maine survey of 3rd graders found 30-40% were bullied frequently.

Students who are socially excluded, disabled, “different” in any way, or who are not valued by peers or adults are more likely to be bullied.

Direct:

• Physical
• Verbal
• Nonverbal
• Cyberbullying

Indirect:

• Exclusion
• Rumors
• Cyberbullying
• Indirect hate speech, stereotyping, demeaning comments

Some forms of peer aggression are bullying; some are harassment prohibited under other Maine and Federal law, and should be treated as such.

• Desire the visibility, respect, and power more typically given to boys
• Can be motivated by media ideals of beauty, sexual objectification, popularity, and female perfection; competition over boys; anger at harassment and unfair treatment (at home and/or at school).
• Often talk about their victims in a relationally complicated ways, even feeling sorry for them, sad about the outcomes.
• Not typically impulsive; more talk and forethought
• Not as likely to be aggressive to adults; in fact, can appear quite civilized and "nice"

School administrative units shall establish or modify policies and procedures to address bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in a manner consistent with the sample policy [see handbook].

• Statutory Liability = Harassment, discrimination, Title IX, Maine Human Rights Act, Title VII, LD564.

Common Law Liability = If we know or have reason to know, we MUST take PROMPT, effective remedial action!

Human Rights Amendment = School have responsibility to correct negative climate imposed on gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (GLBTQ) youth “real” or “perceived.”

• Bullying can overlap with DHH
• Discrimination = on the basis of race, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation
• Sexual Harassment = discrimination based on sex
• Hazing = any act or situation, that recklessly or intentionally endangers mental or physical health

Bullying is detrimental to student learning and achievement. It interferes with the mission of the schools to educate their students and disrupts the operations of the schools. Bullying affects not only students who are targets but also those who participate and witness such behavior…

It is not the Board’s intent to prohibit students from expressing their ideas, including ideas that may offend the sensibilities of others, or from engaging in civil debate….

However, the Board does not condone and will take action in response to conduct that interferes with students’ opportunity to learn, the educational mission of the … schools, and the operation of the schools….

• Physically harming a student or damaging a student’s property;
• Placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm or damage to his or her property; or
• Substantially disrupting the instructional program or the orderly operations of the school; or
• Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, hostile educational environment for the student who is bullied.

WHERE: This policy applies to bullying that takes place at school or on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity or event, or while students are being transported to or from school or school-sponsored activities or events. It also applies to bullying that occurs at any other time or place that substantially disrupts the instructional program, operations of the school, or welfare of students.

Who is responsible for implementation?

• The Superintendent/designee will be responsible for developing and implementing procedures for:
• Student and parent reporting of bullying to staff and school administrators;
• Staff reporting of bullying to school administrators;
• Review of reports and investigation of bullying incidents;
• Intervention with and/or discipline of students who engage in bullying;
• Support for students who are victims of bullying;
• Training staff and students in bullying prevention;
• Periodic evaluation of bullying prevention, intervention, and training efforts.

Maine’s Best Practices in Bullying

and Harassment Prevention

A Guide for Schools and Communities

Maine Governors Children’s Cabinet 2006

Stan Davis, Lyn Mikel-Brown, Chuck Saufler,

Deb Landry, Lauren Sterling & Thomas Harnett

Presentation by Design Team, Ansley Newton,

Pamela Anderson and Leila DeAndrade

LD # 564

What works? What doesn’t work?

Bullying Prevention

LD # 564

• Video clip plays here

2006 data from Middle School of the Kennebunks, used with permission

(464 students)

460 students

Telling bystanders to solve the problem without our help.

Focusing on giving advice to targets. Focusing just on a few ‘bad’ kids

One assembly

One training for staff

Learning any subject- whether math or bullying prevention, requires ongoing education, consistency between staff, and support for the learned skills over time.

• Student surveys
• Staff surveys about climate and implementation
• Annual data gathering over time to assess program effects.

Peer to peer aggression

Bullying

Harassment

• 75.4% of students heard derogatory remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” frequently or often at school.
• 89.2% reported hearing “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” – meaning stupid or worthless – frequently or often.
• 41.7% of GLBTQ youth report that they do not feel safe in their school.
• 28% of gay teens drop out annually, three times the national average.

Encourage friendships across peer group boundaries

Consistent staff interventions in ALL school settings with:

• Hate speech
• Indirect harassment
• Peer aggression

Consensus about expectations

Structured consistent consequences

Helping students change unacceptable behavior

Protect students reporting

• Positive staff-student interactions
• Mentoring
• Build inclusive culture

• School is not a safe neutral place for all
• One time fixes don’t work
• Just talking with the students won’t work
• Harassment and bullying are not the same
• Your school CAN make a difference.

• Gather data in an ongoing way
• Develop a core leadership team responsible for overseeing implementation.
• Train ALL staff

• Arrange ongoing diversity training
• Schedule ongoing staff and student discussions
• Involve the community

Goals

• All staff (including bus drivers) intervening effectively in the moment
• A consistent schoolwide response to bullying and harassing behavior
• Positive school tone
• Empowered student bystanders
• Inclusion of all students

Maine’s Best Practices in Bullying

and Harassment Prevention

A Guide for Schools and Communities

Maine Governors Children’s Cabinet 2006