1. Bully Prevention in PBS
Bruce Stiller; Rhonda Torki 1

2. Session Goals
Review Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support (Stop/Walk/Talk) -- What we have learned after 3 years of implementation
Present feedback from middle school students and staff regarding how to make Bully Prevention in PBS developmentally appropriate for secondary students
Review results of School Climate Survey
Present Expect Respect -- a program in development for Bully and Harassment Prevention at the secondary level

3. Bullying & Harassment
Bullying and harassment are serious issues in schools that can influence a student’s ability to complete school and advance to higher education.
30% of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million)1 are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both.
1Nansel et al. (2001). Bullying Behaviors Among U.S. Youth. JAMA.

4. Literature Review of Existing Bully Prevention Programs
Outcomes less than ideal (efficacy data is sparse -- many have evidence only that student knowledge of what to do improves, not that actual behavior changes)
Efficiency a major issue
Most do not target behavior of bystanders 4

5. Core Features of Bully and Harassment Prevention in Positive Behavior Support
Define, teach and reinforce school-wide behavior expectations.
Teach all students to identify and label disrespectful behavior.
Teach students a universal Stop Signal to use when they experience disrespectful behavior.
What to do as recipient
What to do as perpetrator
What to do as bystander 5

6. Stop/Walk/Talk Program
One Primary Lesson minutes -- delivered to all students the same day
Class discussion of disrespectful behavior
Introduction of Stop Signal
Role Playing
Follow Up Lessons as needed
Gossip; Rumor Spreading
Exclusion
Cyberbullying
Coaching from supervisory personnel is ongoing and critical 6

7. Lesson Delivery: Teach Students the “Stop Signal”
If someone is bothering you, or someone else, deliver the “Stop Signal”.
Bystanders are asked to help by using the “Stop Signal” or by taking the victim away from the situation if they see someone else being harassed, teased, or treated disrespectfully.
If disrespectful behavior continues after the stop signal is delivered, walk away and/or report to an adult 7

8. Coaching Students: Accepting Reports
When problem behavior is reported, adults follow a specific response:
Reinforce the student for reporting the problem behavior (i.e. "I'm glad you told me.")
Ask who, what, when and where.
Ensure the student’s safety.
Is the problem still happening?
Assess severity of the incident
Assess likelihood of retaliation
Devise Safety Plan if needed
Ask the Student if he/she Used the Stop Signal -- Coach as needed 8

9. Coaching Perpetrators
If the problem behavior included harassment or physical assault, complete an Office Discipline Referral and turn in to office
For chronic offenders, implement a reminder, warning, consequence correction sequence (timeout on the bench or an office referral, depending severity/frequency) in addition to the previously described coaching steps 9

10. Checking In -- Continued Follow-Up
For chronic victims of bullying or harassment
On a regular basis, an adult should check in with students to determine if the problem behaviors have ceased.
Continue to reinforce students for confiding and seeking assistance 10

11. Problem Behavior During Recess
Jeff
Incidents of Problem Behavior at Recess
Bruce
Composite Peer
Day 11

12. 12

13. 13

14. Key Findings: First 3 years of Implementation of BP-PBS
Contextual fit -- get student input on which hand signal students like best
Re-teach/prompt on a regular basis -- students needs lots of reminder to use the Stop Signal, especially in context
Cumulative effect is likely if the program is implemented over a period of several years and becomes more of a standard feature of the school culture 14

15. Fidelity Study - Spring 2009
Fidelity Study Spring 2009 included playground observations; interviews with students and staff; and student focus groups
Fidelity Study completed in a 4J elementary school -- one of the schools most invested in Stop/Walk/Talk
Results:
Students had learned the expected behaviors and could tell researchers what they were supposed to do
Adults couldn’t remember all of the coaching steps
Students complained that the adults weren’t listening to them

16. 4J Climate Survey (Pilot): Overview
Pilot study designed by 4J School District to assess harassment and bullying in schools
24 questions about different types of harassment; where & when bullying occur; available resources and problem-solving strategies
1581 students assessed from 4 schools in spring 2009
1 high school (Churchill); 3 middle schools (Spencer Butte, Kelly, Roosevelt) 16

17. Safety and Respect* 17

18. Observations & Experiences of Bullying, Teasing, Offensive Language*18

19. Bullied or Harassed* (in past year)19

20. Participation in Bullying, Harassment or Teasing*20

21. Seeking Adult Help & Reporting Bullying21

22. Problem-Solving Strategies for Bullying and Harassment*22

23. *Data reported by percent of responses.
Harassment Observed on the Bases of…*
*Data reported by percent of responses. 23

24. Significant Findings: Gender
Girls reported:
observing more gender-related harassment
feeling less safe from teasing
that offensive language is a problem
Boys reported:
fighting back is more likely to solve a problem
using more computers and other devices to intimidate other students
being less likely to talk to an adult for help 24

25. Stop/Walk/Talk for Middle School?
Pilot implementation at 4J Middle School
Student input: “This will be lame if we let the adults do it”
Student taught lessons with adult facilitation
End of year Focus Group
Steps for recipients need to be different for middle school students because reporting is plain old not going to happen
Interrupting behaviors have to be more elegant and age appropriate (e.g. “I expect respect” v. “Stop”) Students choose the interrupting behavior
Need for ongoing dialogue
Only when there is danger of someone being hurt is it appropriate (from their point of view) to report 25

26. Stop/Walk/Talk for Middle School = Expect Respect
Critical Features of Expect Respect
Student Driven (it won’t happen if it’s not)
Removal of Social Reinforcers
Interrupting Behavior (tools to interrupt bullying): catch phrase, stop signal, etc.
Lessons: Combination of 4 adult lead lessons and 4 student forums (on alternating months)
Expect Respect on staff meeting agendas: School-wide initiative and staff buy-in necessary

27. Differences -- Stop/Walk/Talk v. Expect Respect
Hand signal paired with verbal
Role plays more directed; specific
Adult driven strategies for interrupting disrespect and for resolving conflicts
One primary lesson
Most incidents resolved with one or two adult contacts
Expect Respect
Interruption behaviors more developmentally advanced with multiple options
More sophisticated role plays
Strategies for interrupting disrespect are student driven
8 primary lessons including student forums
More emphasis on continuing dialogue and follow through

28. Expect Respect: Creating the Curriculum
8 contacts with students throughout the year
4 Adult-lead Lessons: Mix of discussion and experiential lessons (“Getting on the Bus; You-Tube vignettes)
4 Student forums: All students invited, open forum with a lesson or topic for discussion, “take-away” point to share with classes

31. Plan for Next Year
Expect Respect will be piloted in 2 middle schools that want to implement the program
Participation in the pilot will involve:
Key people at each school willing to coordinate implementation of the curriculum
Teacher and staff participation
Completion of pre and post surveys and questionnaires
Updates at staff meeting and research team meetings