1. Creating a Bully Free Alberta What Adults Can Do
Bullying is the social change challenge for our time.
Think about some social changes that we have made progress with:
(open for discussion)
e.g. the use of seatbelts, drinking and driving, smoking, etc.
Much of the progress has been made through community action, information and public awareness and education campaigns.

2. Prevention of Bullying Initiative
Education and awareness, as well as supporting communities in their bullying prevention efforts, is a priority for the Government of Alberta.
Through the Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying Initiative, Government is taking a leadership role in bullying prevention and delivering the message that bullying is not acceptable.
Public awareness and education campaigns have been developed to address bullying amongst children and youth, as well as teaching adults to role model positive behaviour.
I’ll be getting into more detail on these campaigns later in the presentation.

3. What Do You Think Bullying Is?
Activity:
Please respond to the questions on page 3 of your handout.
Discuss your comments with another participant.
But before I do, I’d like to start with a quick activity.
Please turn to page 3 of your handout.
Note to speaker: Ask participants to come up with their own definition of bullying. They can discuss with other participants one-on-one or with the group. Allow (5 mins) to discuss. Following this discussion, ask participants to comment on a time they have been a bystander. They can discuss with other participants one-on-one or with the group. Allow ( 5 mins) to discuss.
After group activity is finished:
Changing bullying behaviour requires social change and it will not happen overnight.
By addressing bystander behaviour, we have a better chance of changing the acceptance of bullying behaviour. We know from research that bystanders are present 85% of the time when bullying occurs (Atlas and Pepler, 1997, Craig and Pepler, 1997)
We also know that bullying stops in less than 10 seconds, 57% of the time when peers intervene on behalf of the victim. (Pepler et al., 1997)
We are also hoping that adults will intervene.

4. The Hundred Dresses
Another excellent resource that is useful when talking to younger children about bullying is the book “The Hundred Dresses”.
This book was written in 1942 and is about three girls who consciously decide to exclude another girl.
Finally, one of the girls decides that she feels bad about what they are doing and steps in.
Although this book was written in the 40’s, the story is still relevant now.

5. Why is bullying on the social change agenda now?
Public incidents
Demand by parents and communities to take action
So why is bullying on the agenda now?
We have certainly talked about bullying before, but recent events have brought the spotlight onto bullying.

6. Columbine
The Columbine shootings are part of the reason that bullying came into the forefront.
Following the tragedy at Columbine, the FBI attempted to develop the profile of a school shooter, and found a few common variables.
typically male;
have relatively easy access to weapons; and
perceived they were being bullied.
Source: The Education Digest
February 2001
Volume 66, No. 6
School shooting happened before Columbine, but not to this extent in middle-class America.

7. “Terror in Taber; Armed teen walks into school and opens fire; one teen dead, another injured in school shooting.”
Edmonton Journal April 29, 1999.
For Alberta the wake up call came soon after Columbine.
On April 27, 1999 a 14-year-old boy opened fire with a .22 calibre rifle at WR Myers Secondary school.
The shooter was described by peers as an unpopular kid who was often the victim of teasing and name-calling, and was described by his mother as a child who was depressed and who had endured constant bullying by schoolmates.
The shooter later pleaded guilty to one count of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, and was sentenced to three years in prison.

8. Provincial Roundtable on Family Violence and Bullying
5 Key Areas for Action:
Social Change
Provincial Leadership
A collaborative, coordinated community response
Services and Supports
Accountability
In the Spring of 2004, the Alberta government hosted a series of community consultations on family violence and bullying.
Government clearly heard from Albertans that:
bullying is not just a school issue but also a community issue and that everyone needs to start to work together towards a solution.
we needed to start with raising awareness of what bullying is and that it is not just a normal part of growing up. Bullying is a relationship problem marked by an imbalance of power.
Government also heard that youth needed to be engaged in a meaningful way.
Creating a province free from family violence and bullying quickly became one of the Alberta government's top priorities.
In follow up to the Roundtable, the government developed the Prevention of Bullying Strategy. This strategy is intended to coordinate efforts to prevent and stop bullying as well as promote positive behaviour and attitudes.
Part of that work is to raise awareness of what bullying is, identify what people can do to stop it, and encourage a change in societal attitudes towards bullying. We all have a responsibility to stop bullying.
To do that, the Alberta Government is working directly with a youth committee, as well as youth serving agencies, school boards, teachers, students, families, parents and communities to increase bullying awareness and promote positive solutions to bullying.
This presentation today falls in line with government’s strategy to build community capacity and to generate awareness.

9. So What is Bullying? Three critical components: Intentionality
Repetition
Power Differential
Page 4 of your handout has definitions of bullying.
Much of the research on bullying to date has followed a 3-part definition developed by Dan Olweus (Ol-Vey-Us), who was the first to undertake a systematic study of bullying in the 1970s in Norway.
 “Olweus explains bullying as when a person is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons.” (Olweus, 1991).
Bullying involves three critical components:
-INTENTIONAL..the bully wants to harm the victim…it’s no accident.
-REPETITION: it is not a random act, nor is it a single incident. Rather, a child is constantly picked on by another child or is the target of harassment from a whole group of children, such that the anticipation of bullying becomes as problematic as the bullying itself.
-POWER DIFFERENTIAL. A fight between two equals is not bullying; bullying is an unfair fight where the bully has some advantage or power over the victim.
Bullying is about power – the abuse of power…in some way the bully has a clear advantage over the victim and uses it.
Bullying is not the same as “playing around”, it is intentional, repeated and is marked by an imbalance of power. Bullying can be explained to children as:
- when people are mean to someone or hurt them on purpose and also happens over and over again.
(Handout page 4)

10. Bullying is about power
Power comes in many forms…
Physical (larger, older)
Numbers (mobbing, scapegoating)
Social (more popular)
Over time, the power imbalance between the bully and victim becomes more established
Children who are victimized are powerless to stop the bullying on their own
Power can take many different forms. We typically think of physical power – the big kid picking on the little kid, the older student harassing the younger student….Power can also come in numbers…when a group of students pick on another child. (Vaillancourt, Hymel & McDougall, 2003)
But there are also social forms of power…these take multiple forms. including such things as greater academic or athletic prowess, of greater social status or popularity
Beware of stereotypes of the bully as a social oaf who resorts to violence because they have no other options. …. recent research from Finland shows that many bullies actually show high levels of social intelligence…
Early studies by Olweus (Ol-Vey-Us) (1973, 1978, 1993) in Scandanavia, by Boulton in England (Boulton, 1999; Boulton & Smith, 1994) and by Pelligrini and colleagues in the US (Pelligrini, Bartini & Brooks, 1999) indicated that bullies tended to be disliked or rejected by their peers, at least eventually.
In more recent research conducted by Vaillancourt and McDougall here in Canada (Bullying is Power, 2003), we too have found that children identified by peers as bullies are generally disliked, but we have also found that many bullies are viewed as powerful and as more popular.
In fact, we have found that about half of the students that are identified by their peers as bullies are actually viewed as both powerful and popular within the peer group. Though they are recognized as bullies, many are seen as having considerable status, as attractive and as leaders.
We are just beginning to understand that bullying is not just a tactic used by children who lack social skills, but rather is a strategy by which competent children maintain their status and power.
Children who are victimized are powerless to stop the bullying on their own.

11. How Common is Bullying? Bullying occurs on average every 7 minutes
Each bullying episode lasts about 37 seconds
One in 7 boys between 4 and 11 years of age bullies others. One in 10 are bullied.
One in 11 girls between 4 and 11 years of age bullies others. One in 14 are bullied.
These are some Canadian statistics that can also be found on page 5 of your handout.
Bullying occurs in school playgrounds every 7 minutes and once every 25 minutes in the classroom – (Pepler et al., 1997)
Each bullying episode lasts about 37 seconds.
One in 7 boys between 4 and 11 years of age bullies others. One in 10 are bullied.
One in 11 girls between 4 and 11 years of age bullies others. One in 14 are bullied.
Source:
Shelley Hymel Faculty of Education University of British Columbia 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
(Handout – page 5)

12. Four most common types of bullying:
Verbal
Social
Physical
Cyberbullying
Four most common types of bullying are verbal, social, physical and cyberbullying.
Physical Bullying pushing, spitting, shoving, hitting, kicking, threatening with a weapon, defacing property, stealing
Verbal Bullying mocking, teasing, name-calling, dirty looks, intimidating phone calls, racist, sexist or homophobic taunts, verbal threats, coercion, extortion
Social Bullying gossiping, setting up for embarrassment, spreading rumors, exclusion from group, racist, sexist, homophobic alienation setting other up to take the blame, public humiliation
Cyberbullying using the internet, or text messages to threaten, hurt, single out, embarrass, spread rumors or reveal secrets about others
(Handout page 6)

13. Common Myths Children have got to learn to stand up for themselves.
Children should hit back only harder.
It builds character.
Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you.
That’s not bullying. They’re just teasing.
There have always been bullies and there always will be.
Kids will be kids.
Myth #1: Children have to learn to stand up for themselves.
Reality: Children who get up the courage to complain about being bullied are saying they cannot cope with the situation on their own. Treat their complaints as a call for help. In addition, it is important to provide children with problem solving techniques and assertiveness training to deal with difficult situations.
Myth #2: Children should hit back – only harder.
Reality: This could cause serious harm. People who are bullies are often bigger and more powerful than their victims. This also gives children the idea that violence is a legitimate way to solve problems. Children learn how to bully by watching adults use their power for aggression. Adults have the power to lead by positive example.
Myth #3: It builds character.
Reality: Children who are bullied repeatedly have low esteem and do not trust others.
Myth #4: Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt me.
Reality: Scars left by name calling can last a lifetime.
Myth #5: That is not bullying. They’re just teasing.
Reality: Vicious taunting hurts and should be stopped.
Myth #6: There have always been bullies and there always will.
Reality: By working together as adults, teachers, children and youth we have the power to build a better future for our children. It takes time to change a culture and we need to work together to change attitudes about bullying.
Myth #7: Kids will be kids.
Reality: Bullying is a learned behaviour. That is why it is important we change attitudes toward violence.
(Handout – page 7)

14. The Makeup of a Bully Bullying is a learned behaviour.
Bullies have an air of superiority that often masks deep hurt and feelings of inadequacy.
Page 8 of your handout goes into greater detail about the kinds of bullies.
Notes to speaker: Pick a couple examples from the handout and read aloud.
Bullying is a learned behaviour.
Bullies have an air of superiority that often masks deep hurt and feelings of inadequacy.
At the end of the day, anyone can be a bully.
(Handout – page 8)

15. How Can You Tell If Someone Is Being Bullied?
Activity: Two Minute Brain Storm
Note to Speaker:
Ask the participants to separate into groups of three and jot down on the extra paper at the back of their handout as many behaviours as they can in two minutes that may be a clue that someone is being bullied.
Ask them to compare and contrast their answers with the warning signs on page 19 of the handout.
After activity is finished:
Some signs are:
Depression;
Losing important items like lunch money; and
Withdrawal.
Not many kids will come home and disclose that they are being bullied.

16. Who Gets Bullied? Child or youth who is: different successful
in the wrong place, at the wrong time
finds the victim role reinforcing
If you turn to page 10 of your handout, you will see the common thread between the victims of bullying.
When a bully feels a need to put someone down in order to feel superior, it doesn’t take much to find an excuse to target someone.
Some children find the victim role reinforcing. They attempt to get attention by being the victim. This is not healthy and we need to try and help these children as well in building their self-esteem.
(Handout – page 10)

17. Why Don’t Kids Tell? Ashamed or afraid
Unsure of adults’ abilities to help
Experienced with the ill effects of telling
There are different reasons why kids don’t tell:
They are ashamed or afraid. Some children and youth feel so badly about what is happening to them, they don’t want to share it with anyone. Some are also afraid that telling is tattling.
Kids are unsure of adults’ ability to help or are experienced with the ill effects of telling. Some have told before and nothing was done and so they aren’t willing to open up again.
We need to encourage children and youth to tell someone that they trust what is happening, and to keep asking for help until someone listens.
(Handout – page 12)

18. The Bystander
Bystanders are present 85% of the time when bullying occurs.
We know that bystanders are present 85% of the time when bullying occurs (Atlas and Pepler, 1997, Craig and Pepler, 1997).
As well, bullying stops in less than 10 seconds, 57% of the time when peers intervene on behalf of the victim (Pepler et al., 1997).
Bystanders need to send out the message that bullying is not ok.

19. Involvement in Bully-Victim Incidents
Across studies using student self reports, we find that:
About 8-10% of students report being victimized by peers on a regular (daily/weekly) basis
Another 10-12% report taking part in bullying others on a regular (daily/weekly) basis
A small but important group of students (usually 1-5%) are bully-victims…. Perhaps most at risk
The remaining 70-80% of students are neither bullies nor victims, although they are often witness to such violence among their peers and can play an important role in the addressing bully-victim problems.
Source: (Vaillancourt, Hymel & McDougall, 2003)

20. Olweus’ Bullying CircleA G
Child Bullying
Defenders B
Followers
So far we’ve focused mainly on the bully or on the victims. But these roles are not the complete story. There could be many participants in a bullying situation, and peers can play many different roles.
Dan Olweus has talked about the expanded circle of bullying episodes. He describes the sequence engagement of these roles as forming a circle, with the victim in the middle.
On the left side of the circle, we have the children who bully others who start the bullying and take an active part in the interaction.
Then we have those children who are followers. They take an active role but follow the ringleaders. They don’t start the bullying but they join in once it’s started.
Then we have the supporters of the children who bully…these children support the bullying, by cheering or egging them on or giving other forms or reinforcement to the child who bullies, such as laughing…but they don’t actually take an active part.
Then we have the passive supporter. These are the children who like the bullying, but don’t display open support. Their presence alone indicates support.
We also have the disengaged onlookers…these are the children who watch the bullying unfold but adopt a “none of my business, not my problem” attitude. They don’t take a stand but you can see that we’re starting to swing to the other side of the circle in favour of the victim.
The possible defenders. These children dislike the bullying and think they should stop it and offer help to the victim but they don’t do it.
Finally, we have the defenders of the children who are victimized who not only dislike the bullying but also try to help the child who is victimized.
We can see that there are a greater number of roles supporting the child who is bullying than there are supporting the child who is victimized. The goal is to change that pattern. F
Possible defenders
Victimized
Child
Supporters C
Passive supporters
Disengaged onlookers E D

21. Bystanders Will be the Agents for Social Change
It’s okay to report bullying to school authorities % yes
It is my responsibility to do something
when I see bullying % yes
If you tell on a bully, people will think
you are a “tattle tale” or loser % yes
Kids who tell on bullies are often the next victims % yes
Across schools….
Agree that it is “better to get involved.” 64%
Believe that there is “something I can do to stop it”. 62%
Do not feel that they are “too frightened to intervene.” 67%
Agree that they are “just glad it’s not me”. 67%
All of these peer witnesses that I just described can be grouped into one category called the bystander. Across schools, most students agreed that it was okay to report bullying, but the majority also believed that if you do you are a “tattle tale” or loser, or, more problematically, the next victim.
Note the variations in the degree to which students believe that they have some responsibility in addressing bullying. The vast majority of students across schools will agree that they should do something if their FRIENDS are being bullied, but the number who feel they should do something whenever such behavior occurs varies considerably across schools.
Across schools we find that students do not want to get involved in bullying. Some believe it is better not to get involved, others feel helpless to stop it, and still others are too frightened to intervene. The majority of our students are just glad that they are not the victims.
Although understandable, such beliefs work against efforts to get everyone involved in addressing the problem.
Source: (Vaillancourt, Hymel & McDougall, 2003)
(Handout – page 13)

22. Implications Awareness /Behaviour Change
Bullying is a social problem that requires an understanding of human relationships.
We need to purposefully promote positive social development in our youth.
All children involved in bullying incidents -- perpetrators, victims and bystanders - must be included and considered in bullying interventions. We will effect the most change with the largest group – bystanders.
We need to intervene at multiple levels if we are to effect real changes in bullying in our society. 
Bullying reflects difficulties in interpersonal relationships and as such, requires an understanding of human relationships both generally and developmentally in order to address it.
Bullying and victimization are clearly a problem that all of our children face, if not as bullies or victims, as witnesses of interpersonal violence. Schools remain the primary arena in which these problems are exhibited.
Schools are among the most influential contexts for determining the course of human development over the life span.
During the time our children are in school they acquire the basic interpersonal skills necessary to function effectively in a very complex social world.
Although social and personal development is often part of our schools’ mission statements, it is not typically a focus of the curriculum….rather it is a hidden curriculum.
We must remember that the goal of education is to create good citizens, not just good learners.
In understanding that much of the bullying we see is part of the development of social skills we need to begin to treat incidents of bullying, not as a discipline problem but as a teaching moment.
Finally, in order to truly address bullying, we need to intervene at multiple levels…NEXT SLIDE

23. Why Some Kids Do Not Bully
capable, confident, connected
empathy for others
socially competent
loved and cared for by at least one adult
capable of learning from positive adult models
Not all kids bully.
Some have developed the appropriate social skills and are not seeking power through putting down others.
These kids tend to be:
capable, confident and connected;
have empathy for others’ well being;
are socially competent;
are loved and cared for by at least one adult; and
are capable of learning from positive adult role models.

24. What Are the Effects of Bullying?
Negative effect on learning
Can lead to more serious concerns
Bullying is not acceptable and is not a normal part of growing up.
Stress and anxiety caused by bullying and harassment can make it more difficult for kids to concentrate and focus and have a negative effect on learning.
Bullying is painful and humiliating, and kids who are bullied feel embarrassed. If the pain is not dealt with, it can lead to more serious concerns.
(depression, anxiety, etc.)
(Handout – page 15)

25. Levels of Intervention
Specialized Individual Interventions (Individual Student System)
Students with Chronic/Intense Problem Behaviour (1 – 7%)
Targeted
Students At-Risk for Problem Behaviour (5 – 15%)
Selected
Specialized Group Intervention (At-Risk System)
This triangle is used in many fields to describe human behaviour in groups.
Problem behaviour occurs on a continuum from relatively mild and infrequent to frequent and severe. It is recommended that schools and communities develop several integrated systems for responding to the behaviours along the continuum.
Most people live in the green zone. They function well enough in the systems they are asked to work and live in ( family, work, school). Most bystanders are in the green zone.
Some people need a little assistance to be successful behaviourally, emotionally or academically. They fall into the yellow zone.
Some people require a great deal of intervention to be successful and they fall into the red zone.
People in the green zone respond well to universal intervention and prevention systems. They understand and abide by, for example, school wide or work place expectations and rules. They engage in behaviours that prevent mental and physical health issues. People in the yellow zone or selected group require some specialized interventions. They may require additional supports or prompts to be successful at work in the home. People in the red zone or targeted group require intensive, specialized interventions to be successful.
Victims in the yellow zone who have experienced a few bullying incidents will require some assistance to move into the green zone. Well managed, orderly and disciplined school systems see a movement of students from the yellow or selected zone to the green or universal zone. In well managed schools with good specialized interventions, the frequency and severity of aberrant behaviours, including bullying, is often reduced but people in this zone tend to require support throughout their lives.
Source: Horner, R. H., & Sugai, G. (2000). School–wide behavior support: An emerging initiative (Special issue). Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 2, 231–233.
Universal Intervention (School-Wide System Classroom System)
Students without Serious Problem Behaviour (80 – 85 %)
Universal
All Students in School

26. How Do We Change Human Behaviour?
TEACH – teach specific skills in the natural environment
REINFORCEMENT/CONSEQUENCES – behaviour based interventions
– use (4 to 1 ratio)
MODIFY THE ENVIRONMENT
– change schedules, traffic patterns, for example, to set children up for success
These are some interventions we may use in schools or communities to change problem behaviours.
Teach social skills. Teach, rehearse, coach and reinforce the behaviours you want people to engage in.
Reinforce the behaviour you want. Expect it, teach it and reinforce it. It is critical to deliver four positive reinforcements for every negative consequence or correction if we are to shape behaviour.
Change the environment to set people up for success. Bullying most often occurs among children and youth when there are no adults around. Set up the environment so the adults can see young people at all times. Use space to your advantage. A crowded locker room with no adults supervising may become a hotspot for bullying. Simple things like walking a figure 8 during recess means supervisors can see more of the playground and identify hot spots for bullying behaviour.

27. Effective Interventions
EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION – modifications and adaptations
SCHOOL BONDING
– positive involvement in school activities, positive relationship with at least one adult at school, peer mentorship programs
This is very important in schools, but also in community groups and sports too.
4. We have to begin with the level children and youth are at. Setting them up for success ensures they will build competences and develop skills. Competent, confident, capable children and youth tend not to bully others.
5. School bonding really refers to building relationships. In a meta-analysis of students at risk, school bonding presented as the reason why students chose to stay in school. In other words, they had one adult in the school who cared about them. (Najaka et al, 2002)

28. Jigsaw Activity
Strategies if a child is being bullied (handout pages 17-20).
Strategies if a child is a bystander (handout pages 20-23).
How can adults help (handout – pages 24-29).
Review the section of the handout assigned to your group. Highlight key points.
At the signal return to your HOME GROUP and report what you have learned.
Record highlights on chart paper.
Speaker Notes:
This is a jigsaw activity.
First ask participants to form groups of three. This is their HOME GROUP.
Ask them to number themselves one, two and three.
At your signal ask participants to move to the table that has their number
(one, two or three) This is their EXPERTGROUP
In your EXPERT GROUP, you will go over the following pages of the handout:
1. Strategies if a child is being bullied (handout pages 17-20).
2. Strategies if a child is a bystander (handout pages 20-23).
3. How may adults help (handout – pages 24-29).
Review the section of the handout assigned to your group.
Highlight key points.
At the signal return to your HOME GROUP and report what you have learned.
Record highlights on chart paper.

29. Strategies- Children Tell Children to: Have a friend and be a friend.
Ask a friend to help you.
Make sure you are part of a group.
Ask adults for help, and keep asking until you get it. Keep them informed of the situation.
Use a calm voice to explain what happened.
Talk, Walk, Squawk
The handout includes several strategies and ways for children to address bullying behaviour. We have also included fact sheets for children and youth that may be helpful for you when working with this age group.
Explain to children and youth to:
have a friend and be a friend to others;
ask for help from others;
make sure that they are involved as part of a group;
ask adults for help and keep asking until they get the help they need.
Children and youth also need to be calm when explaining the bullying situation.
Talk, walk, squawk:
whenever safe to do so, stand up to the bully and tell them to stop;
walk away;
tell someone you trust.
(Handout – pages 17-20)

30. Strategies (schools and communities)
Immediately stop the bullying
Refer to the relevant rules against bullying
Support the bullied child
If appropriate, impose immediate consequences
When you see or hear bullying:
Include the bystanders in the conversation
Do not require the children to meet and “work things out”
Provide follow-up interventions, as needed
As adults we must also be responsible to speak up against bullying.
Remember to:
Refer to the relevant rules against bullying.
Support the bullied child in a way that allows him/her to regain self-control, to “save face,” and to feel supported and safe from retaliation.
If appropriate, impose immediate consequences for children who bully others.
Include the bystanders in the conversation and give them guidance about how they might appropriately intervene or get help next time.
Do not require the children to meet and “work things out”.
Provide follow-up interventions, as needed, for the children who were bullied and for those who bullied.

31. Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is using the computer or other technology to harass or threaten another person.
Examples:
Threatening, hateful or insulting s or instant messages
Stealing passwords
Building websites
The Internet has created a whole new world of social communications for young people who are using , websites, instant messaging, chat rooms and text messaging to stay in touch with friends and make new ones. In your package you will also find a fact sheet on cyberbullying.
While most interactions are positive, kids are increasingly using these communication tools to antagonize and intimidate others. The anonymity of online communications means kids feel freer to do things online that they would never do in the real world. This is known as cyberbullying.
There are several ways that young people bully others online. They do it by:
Sending s or instant messages containing insults or threats directly to a person.
Spreading hateful comments about a person through , instant messaging or postings on Web sites and online diaries.
Stealing passwords and sending out threatening s or instant messages using an assumed identity.
Building entire websites, often with password protection, to target specific individuals.
©2006 Media Awareness Network. Adapted with permission.

32. What Can Adults do About Cyberbullying?
Learn about technology
Be available
Teach responsible internet use
Put the computer in a visible, high traffic place
Install and use blocks
Encourage children and youth to speak up
Adults have a role to play in cyberbullying too.
Adults often don’t address cyberbullying, either because we don’t know what’s going on or we are intimidated by the latest technology.
Some tips are:
Learn everything you can about the internet.
Be available in the event anybody says something on line that is uncomfortable or threatening.
Teach responsible internet use – Teach children and youth not to participate in Cyberbullying – Do not respond to hateful messages or messages from people you do not know.
Teach them never to post on the internet messages they would not want others to read, including you.
Put the computer in a visible, high traffic place.
Install and use blocks.
Encourage children and youth to speak out whenever they see someone being mean to another person on line.

33. Adults matter Adult guidance and intervention is so important.
Adults may model and reinforce behaviours that support collaboration, cooperation or at the very least, a peaceful co-existence
Children being victimized require adult assistance, support, direction and guidance.
To promote positive relationships, everyone involved in bullying or in the three zones (green, yellow and red) requires interventions however, it is not wise to counsel bullies and victims together.
Adult guidance and intervention is so important.

34. Bullying is a Community Issue
bullying can happen anywhere
schools play a leadership role
need the support and involvement of all systems: home, school, sports teams, recreation centres, neighbourhood
We need to remember that bullying is a community issue and not just a school issue, and needs to be addressed that way.
Bullying is a community problem because bullying occurs in all environments where individuals congregate to work, play and learn.
As the primary institution and a major socialization force in children’s lives, schools play a leadership role in addressing bullying problems.
In efforts to reduce bullying, schools need the support and involvement of all systems in children’s lives: home, sports, recreation centres, and in the neighbourhood.
By providing consistency across systems in the messages, responses and support to address bullying problems, we can promote healthy relationships for all children.

35. Adults Are Essential Positive role model Good listener
Refrain from using power negatively
Adults are responsible for creating positive environments that promote children’s capabilities for healthy relationships. They are also responsible for minimizing negative contexts in environments where bullying and other negative peer interactions can flourish.
By observing the interpersonal dynamics in children’s lives, adults can construct social experiences in ways that protect and support children developing positive relationship capacity and minimize the likelihood of bullying and harassment.
All adults are models for children and must lead by example and refrain from using their power aggressively.
As adults we have a very large role to play. No one is born a bully.
It is our responsibility to be positive role models and to take appropriate action when a child or youth is being bullied or bullying others.
We must listen to what children and youth are telling us and not brush it off as part of growing up.
Most importantly, adults must lead by example and refrain from using power aggressively (e.g. road rage incidents, being rude to clerks at stores, etc.).

36. What is Alberta Doing? Cross-Ministry Strategy Community Grants
Free Resources
Awareness Campaigns
Demonstration Projects
The Government of Alberta has taken a leadership role in addressing bullying.
The work being done through the Government of Alberta is lead through a cross-ministry working group co-chaired by Alberta Children’s Services and Alberta Education.
They are currently in the middle of a phased three-year public awareness and education campaign to raise awareness of what bullying is, identify what we can do to stop that behaviour in ourselves and others, and to encourage a change in societal attitudes towards bullying.
The government has also dedicated grant funds to community incentive fund projects where grants are given specifically to those organizations addressing family violence and bullying. Approximately 40% of the community projects funded by the Community Incentive Fund are targeted at bullying prevention. More information is available on the Children's Services website at
Demonstration Projects have included: mental health therapy in school and Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Program which mentors the bully.
For more information on the provincial strategy, please contact Carri Boulton, Alberta Children’s Services. Her number and address is at the end of the power point, a copy of which you have in your package.

37.
The S-Team Heroes campaign was targeted at children 3-11.
is a site that centres around an online interactive game. The S-Team Heroes game walks children through real life bullying scenarios and encourages them to use their problem-solving skills to best handle each situation..
This site launched in June 2005, and as of February 2007, this site has received over 2 million visits.

38.
B-free.ca is a youth-friendly website. This website was by youth for youth, in partnership with the Alberta Prevention of Bullying Youth Committee. This youth committee plays a critical role in providing the Alberta Government with a youth perspective and helps to identify important issues around bullying for youth in Alberta.
The website includes information and strategies to help youth who are dealing with bullying as well as specific information on cyberbullying.
B-Free.ca was launched in May 2006, and as of February 2007 has received over 180,000 visits.

39.
This primarily adult-focused website helps parents and community members take control of this issue by giving them the tools they need to prevent or intervene in a bullying situation.
On this site, adults can find useful tips on:
What to do if their child is a victim of bullying;
If their child is the one being the bully; and
If their child sees someone else being bullied.
The site also offers a number of free and downloadable resources including the S-Team Heroes comic book series, posters and fact sheets. Since its launch in June 2005, this site has received over 160,000 visits (as of February ‘07).

40. Bullying Helpline
Last year, the Government of Alberta implemented a Bullying Helpline. This line is toll free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is staffed by trained counselors.
Anyone who is struggling with bullying, children, youth and parents can call the line and receive help.

41. Web Resources www.bullyfreealberta.ca www.B-Free.ca www.teamheroes.ca
These are some online resources that you might find helpful.

42. Guided Practice Form groups of 3 or 4.
Work through a few of the guided practice activities identifying a recorder and reporter.
(Handout – pages 31-35)

43. “In conclusion, there is no conclusion to what children who are bullied live with. They take it home with them at night. It lives inside them and eats away at them. It never ends. So neither should our struggle to end it.” Sarah, age 17

44. Action Plan
How do you climb a mountain or change the world? One step, one conversation at a time.
Name one thing you can do this week to change bystander behaviour.
Check back with participants and see if their definition of bullying has changed since the beginning of the presentation.

45. Contacts Carri Boulton, Sandra Woitas, Alberta Children’s Services
(780)
Paula Coombs,
Alberta Education
(780)
Sandra Woitas,
Alberta Education
(780)
Colleen McClure,
(780)
I would like to provide you with the contact information of some of the key people involved in this initiative.
If you have any questions that come up following this presentation, please feel free to contact any of the above. All of the contacts above are located in Edmonton, but you can reach them toll free by first dialing
Or, you can call the provincial bullying helpline at
Government Toll Free:

46. Acknowledgements
Dr. Tanya Beran, Professor, Division of Applied Psychology – Education, University of Calgary
Dr. Barbara Coloroso, Educational Consultant Dr. Marliss Meyer, Alberta Education Sandra Woitas, Alberta Education Karen Bain, Behavioural Programming Specialist, Edmonton Public Schools Dr. Tony McLellan, Alberta Education
Dr. Shelley Hymel Professor, Department Head University of British Columbia, Faculty of Education Audrey Cole, National Coordinator, Canadian Initiative for the Prevention of Bullying Dr. Wendy Craig, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University Dr. Shelley Pepler, Professor of Psychology, York University Dr. Tracy Vaillencourt, Assistant Professor, Associate Chair, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University
Alberta’s Bullying Prevention Strategy is based on extensive public consultation and research.
This is a list of bullying experts who have contributed to the strategy.