Our students’ emotional and physical well-being are very important to us!

 Prince William County Public Schools, including King Elementary, utilize strategies from the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program to assist in PREVENTING bullying in our school.  The Olweus Program is comprehensive and involves stakeholders from the school and community.

3 School-wide Individual Classroom Community © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

4 A student is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students and is having a hard time defending him/herself. © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

5 The student who is bullied has difficulty defending himself/herself. © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

 PWCS Code of Behavior- any words or actions that harm or threaten another person’s body, property, self –esteem, or group acceptance; includes all oral, written, electronic or nonverbal forms of ridicule or intimidation e.g. taunts, threats, gestures, insults, gossip, humiliation, teasing, pushing, tripping, hitting, and exclusion ( ). 6

 Direct Bullying  Indirect Bullying  Both are targeted at a specific student and done repeatedly and over a period of time.

 Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting…  Taunting, teasing, degrading racial or sexual comments  Threatening, obscene gestures 8 © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

 Getting another person to assault someone  Spreading rumors  Deliberate exclusion from a group or activity  Cyber-bullying 9 © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

 Appear tough, show little compassion for victims  Be aggressive to adults  Be good at talking themselves out of situations 10 © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004 NO BULLYING ALLOWED!

 Have more positive attitudes toward violence than peers  Have quick tempers, are easily frustrated  Have difficulty conforming to rules  Be stronger than peers (boys) 11 © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004 NO BULLYING ALLOWED!

On-the-spot interventions Follow-up discussions with children who are bullied Follow-up discussions with children who bully Staff information-sharing Parental involvement

 Intensify our observations of the possible victim and situation  Confer with colleagues  Collect information from students  Contact parents

 Intensify your observations of the possible victim  Confer with colleagues  Collect information from students  Contact parents 14 © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

 Encourage your child to gather with other students to expand the role of the bystander. Empower that group of students to help protect the victim so he/she is not isolated and a target for the bully.  When bystanders are a large group and stand with the victim, often the bullying behaviors can be diffused. A bully is much less likely to bully an entire group of students.

16 The Bullying Circle: Students’ Mode of Reactions/Roles in an Acute Bullying Situation B C D V G E F A Starts the bullying and take an active part Takes an active part, but do not start the bullying Supports the bullying, but do not take an active part Likes the bullying, but do not display open support Watches what happens * Is none of my business * Doesn’t take a stand Dislikes the bullying and think they ought to help, but don’t do it Dislikes the bullying, helps or tries to help the victim The one who is exposed Victim Bully/bullies Follower Henchman Supporter Passive Bully/bullies Passive Supporter Possible Bully Disengaged Onlooker Possible Defender of the victim © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004 Teacher’s Handbook, Ch.3: Pg. 21

 School rules posted and discussed  Consistent use positive and negative consequences  Regular class meetings on Mondays  Incorporation of bullying themes across the curriculum  October Bullying Prevention Month Activities 17 © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

 King Elementary is committed to Bullying Prevention EVERY Month, but to support Bullying Prevention Month…  We have a bullying kick off assembly on October 15, 2012 sponsored by our supportive PTO.  Bullying Prevention Spirit Week. Each day our students will participate in a special activity to bring school unity and awareness to bullying prevention.

 Our students will each take a bullying pledge and sign a poster indicating they are committed to preventing bullying at King School.  We have special announcements on our morning news program continuing the bullying prevention theme!!

 My child was called mean names on the bus once or twice this month by a fellow bus rider?” “  Is this bullying?  True or False?

 Your child has most likely interacted with a student who is demonstrating poor manners or making a negative behavior choice.

 “ My child hoped to be invited to a birthday party of one her classmates and did not receive an invitation.”

 It is not bullying IF, other students of the same gender were also not invited and IF the host/hostess continues to act respectfully to your child. The parents may placed limits on how many students could attend the party.

 “Usually my child loves lunch time, but last week she remarked her friend would not sit with her ”.

 One isolated incident of friends not sitting together is typically not bullying behavior.  IF, NO ONE would sit with your child and this happens on multiple occasions, then YES, it would be TRUE.

 * Role play at home difficult situations that may arise at school. Empower your child with words and actions.  *If you feel your child is a victim of bullying, please contact our school. Encourage your child to remember/record as much specific information about the incidents at possible.

 Our school division website, has a variety of resources for families. Use the left hand menu bar and click STUDENTS and then select BULLYING PREVENTION.

 If your child is not comfortable speaking to our staff when other students are present, please encourage him/her: *To his/her teacher or school staff *Drop a note off to the office secretaries to place in a teacher’s mailbox *Leave a phone message at King School *Use the Prince William County Schools Tip Line

 Please do not hesitate to ask our school staff if you have any additional questions.