Donna Cross Child Health Promotion Research Unit Edith Cowan University

1. Donna Cross Child Health Promotion Research Unit Edith Cowan University Helping to make schools even safer: Where policy meets the playground

2. Not more work…

3. Presentation map… • How important are safe schools to academic and other outcomes? • What’s the practical evidence to support efforts to enhance children’s perceptions of safety at schools? Child Health Promotion Research Unit

4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Child Health Promotion Research Unit

5. Feeling safe at school 11 year old students were much more likely (33x - boys and 14x - girls) to report they felt safe at school if they were not bullied – compared to those that were bullied sometimes or frequently. Child Health Promotion Research Unit

6. What does bullying in your school... Look like? Feel like? Sound like?

7. What is bullying? • Repeated and unjustifiable behaviour • Intended to cause fear, distress and/or harm • Physical, verbal, psychological, relational • By a more powerful individual or group • Against a less powerful individual unable to effectively resist Child Health Promotion Research Unit

8. Prevalence In a class of 30 Year 4-5 children: • 3 - bullied most days/every day • 5-bullied about once a week • 8 -bullied at least once last term • 1-2 - bully others most days/every day Child Health Promotion Research Unit

9. Prevalence • Of those who are bullied, 30% will tell no-one • Boys (anger) tell less than girls (depressed) • friend (5% boys Vs 32% girls) • teacher (8% boys Vs 22% girls) • parents (18% boys Vs 22% girls) • 22% ask person bullying to stop • 19% report they bully back Child Health Promotion Research Unit

10. Mental Health Depression Anxiety Suicide ideation Low self esteem Physical Health Somatic Complaints Poorer health Physical harm Effects of Bullying and Being Bullied (frequently) Child Health Promotion Research Unit

11. Social effects lonely fewer friends feel rejected by peers Other effects dislike of school unhappy at school fear going to school higher absenteeism lower academic competence Effects of Bullying and Being Bullied (frequently) Child Health Promotion Research Unit

12. Longer term effects... All mental social and physical effects track to adulthood and ALSO • Bully others frequently- criminal record / violence • Bullying is often intra-generational and inter-generational. • Frequently bullied - interpersonal difficulties Child Health Promotion Research Unit

13. Previous research limitations • No published Australian RCT in primary school settings • Limited measurement of bullying and psychological well-being • Limited intervention research • Few studies involve whole-school capacity building including parents Child Health Promotion Research Unit

14. Straight Talking About Resilience & Self-esteem STARS PROJECT CHILD HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCH Bullying Prevention and Reduction Research 1999 Successful Principles to Reduce Bullying Formative Study 2000 Friendly Schools 2001 Friendly Schools Friendly Schools Friendly Families 2002 Friendly Schools Friendly Families 2003 2004 Friendly Schools & Families 2005 Child Health Promotion Research Unit

15. Health Promoting Schools Model Formal Curriculum Teaching & Learning Classroom Organisation, Home - School Community Links Policy & Ethos Whole School Families Child Health Promotion Research Unit

16. Experts Evidence-based research Schools Practitioners Principles for Success Validation Evidence Literature Principles for Success Friendly Schools & Families Program Friendly Schools Project Tested Linked to National Safe Schools Framework Friendly Schools Friendly Families Project Child Health Promotion Research Unit

17. “You can’t pull up your socks if you don’t know what your socks are” From The Football Wisdom of Guru Bob 1998 Child Health Promotion Research Unit

18. Review: Principles for Success Handout Child Health Promotion Research Unit

19. Theoretical Model Interpersonal variables (eg: friends) Bullying behaviours Demographic variables Contextual variables Psychological factors Attitudes Child Health Promotion Research Unit

20. Both FS & FSFF Projects • Randomised control trial • Universal intervention plus some counselling (indicated and selective) • Intervention based on Health Promoting Schools Model • 2-year intervention, 4-year follow-up • FSFF – capacity building across school community Child Health Promotion Research Unit

21. Study design • 3 study conditions • 20 schools • 450+ teachers • 4,000+ (Grades 2-7) students • 6,000 male and female parents/carers • 20 whole school teams Child Health Promotion Research Unit

22. Friendly Schools Friendly Families Project Design High Mod Low • Baseline O1 O1 O1 • Program 2002 X1 X2 X3 • Post test 1 O2 O2 O2 • Program 2003 X4 X5 X6 • Post test 2 O3 O3 O3 • Post test 3 O4 O4 O4 Child Health Promotion Research Unit

23. Friendly Schools Friendly Families intervention • Health Promoting Schools model • Needs / strengths assessment • Capacity building staff and parents • Grades 2,4,6 classroom curricular • Family activities • Whole school policy/ethos activities • Physical and social environment change • Support activities e.g.: data, newsletter,parent booklet, assembly items Child Health Promotion Research Unit

24. Capacity building activities • Formal staff assessment of capacity • Project team appointed by school • Active involvement of principal • Staff capacity building training and manual • Prevention strategies (Classroom and playground) • Management strategies • Formal links to school policy, planning and processes eg:BMP Child Health Promotion Research Unit

25. Friendly Schools/Familieslearning concepts • Open communication about bullying • Consistent positive school response • Coping responses (resilience building) to being bullied • Social skill / competence development • Peer support for students being bullied (as bystander) • Peer discouragement of bullying behaviour (bystander) Child Health Promotion Research Unit

26. Bystander rights and responsibilities • Dobbing • getting someone into trouble • Seeking help for someone being bullied • getting someone out of trouble Child Health Promotion Research Unit

27. Odds of telling if in the intervention group Child Health Promotion Research Unit

28. Odds of being bullied or bullying if in the control group Child Health Promotion Research Unit

29. How would you rate your school in terms of what is being done to reduce bullying and build social skills? 10 - the best there ever was 5 - ok 1 - pretty awful Child Health Promotion Research Unit

30. Evidence about how to reduce bullying “It was not one single ingenious thing that made a difference, but the sum of many small moves.” Child Health Promotion Research Unit

31. Evidence-based whole school bullying prevention program Child Health Promotion Research Unit

32. Many small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL (Policy and action) • Consensus of needs/policy • students, parents and teachers • Principal’s commitment • Whole school consistency • eg: relief teachers • Involving parents • student presentations Child Health Promotion Research Unit

33. More small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL(Connectedness) • Establish school traditions • school pride campaigns • school song / ethos written by students • transition ceremonies Child Health Promotion Research Unit

34. More small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL(Capacity building) • Staff training • classroom management • Shared Concern / No Blame techniques • peer-support skills • cooperative work with parents • breaking up ‘poor behaviour’ sub-groups Child Health Promotion Research Unit

35. More small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL(Safety) • Safety measures for students and adults • high visibility of duty teachers • peer support teams • hot spots • Method of Shared Concern • social rules development Child Health Promotion Research Unit

36. More small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL(Positive climate) • Modify physical environment • lunchtimes • safe areas • stimulating grounds • Improvement in aesthetics of physical environment • deliberate use of student work • chairs Child Health Promotion Research Unit

37. More small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL(Pro-social peer groups) • Use of sports and other extra-curricular activities • break up deviant sub-groups, promotion of pro-social behaviours • Change social norms and normative expectations Child Health Promotion Research Unit

38. More small moves…WHOLE SCHOOL(Behaviour management/support) • Higher risk program (monitoring, tutoring, counselling) • eg: in school suspensions/norms • Inter-professional cooperation • Eg: school and child welfare authorities Child Health Promotion Research Unit

39. NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS FRAMEWORK Vision Statement: “All Australian schools are safe and supportive environments” Child Health Promotion Research Unit

40. LINKING TO NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS FRAMEWORK • Supporting schools to implement the National Safe Schools Framework 2. Supporting schools’ audit process 3. Supporting schools to build a coherent planning implementation and monitoring process. Child Health Promotion Research Unit

42. ETHOS POLICY DEVELOPMENT PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CLASSROOM PRACTICE STUDENT MANAGEMENT & SUPPORT FAMILY LINKS NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS: SIX KEY ELEMENTS • School, values,ethos,culture, structures and student welfare • Policies, programmes and procedures • Education/training for school staff, students and parents • Managing incidents of abuse/victimisation • Providing support for students • Working closely with parents Child Health Promotion Research Unit

43. Links to National Safe Schools Framework Handout Child Health Promotion Research Unit

44. We are responsible not only for what we do, but also for what we do not do… Jean-Baptiste Moliere …Application to our practice Child Health Promotion Research Unit

45. Contact Details Child Health Promotion Research Unit Edith Cowan University Ph: 9273 8047 Email: chpru@ecu.edu.au Child Health Promotion Research Unit