School-wide Bullying Prevention A Guidance Services Presentation

Why invest in School-wide bullying prevention? 2  Effective bullying prevention empowers students.  The concepts teach problem solving skills.  The concepts teach students to accept responsibility.  The concepts promote positive behavior and kindness.  To implement an effective program we need…  Bullying prevention that “fits” with existing school wide behavior programs.  Bullying PREVENTION, not just remediation.  Bullying prevention that is manageable and sustainable.

Defining “bullying”  Bullying …  Is an intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act.  Is persistent or pervasive.  Is directed at another student or students.  Occurs in a relationship characterized by an imbalance of power. 3

The effects of bullying  Bullying may result in…  Substantially interfering with a student’s education.  Creating a threatening environment.  Substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school. 4

Principles of prevention  A school climate characterized by acceptance, positive interest, respect and involvement with adults  Efforts must be continual over time, multi-faceted, collaborative among all staff and comprehensive  The relationship between adults and children is based on an authoritative, not authoritarian model  Rules regarding bullying must be simple, clear and firm  All students must be taught expected behavior  Specific instruction to prevent bullying behavior from being “rewarded” by victims and bystanders must be taught  Acknowledgement of appropriate behavior is critical  Consequences must be applied consistently and appropriately  Program implementation should be guided by survey information collected by students and staff 5

09-10 Bullying Lessons Pre/Post Test Results  Results provided evidence of certain trends.  The majority of students feel safe at school.  Bullying behavior most frequently occurs in less structured or less supervised areas such as the school bus, cafeteria, playground and restrooms.  When strategies for “bystanders” are taught, the likelihood that students will take action to prevent or stop bullying increases.  Staff’s actions when addressing bullying behavior, or reports of bullying, are often inconsistent. 6

What does work  Defining, teaching and rewarding school-wide behavior expectations is essential.  Teach students to identify and label inappropriate behavior.  Not respectful, not responsible, not safe  Teach students strategies to employ when faced with bullying behavior.  Have students identify a “trusted adult” at school.  Provide staff with a response sequence to follow when bullying behavior is observed or reported.  Implement a comprehensive program that is consistent throughout the school.  Implement the “Stop, Walk, Talk” concept 7

“Stop ” 8  Students should be taught that if they experience or observe bullying behavior they should tell the perpetrator to “stop”.  Because talking may be difficult in emotional situations, students may choose to use a physical signal for “stop”.  (Time-out!)  Because talking is hard in emotional situations… they may use a physical “signal” to stop (Time-out!)

“Walk ” 9 Sometimes, even when students tell others to “stop”, problem behavior continues. When this happens, students are to "walk” away from the problem behavior.  Walking away removes the reinforcement for problem behavior.  Students should be taught to encourage one another when they use the appropriate response.

“Talk” 10  Even when students use “stop” and they “walk” away from the problem, sometimes students will continue to behave inappropriately toward them. When that happens, students should "talk" to an adult.  Reporting problems to adults  What is the line between tattling, and reporting? Students should be taught the following:  "Talking" is when you have tried to solve the problem yourself, and have used the "stop" and "walk" steps first.  Tattling is when your goal is to get the other person in trouble.  Note: Any time a student is in danger, the “stop” and “walk away” steps should be skipped, and an adult should be told immediately.

“Stop, Walk, Talk” in every elementary school  Every LCPS student in grades K-5 will be taught…  What bullying is.  How to respond to bullying behavior  How to respond if someone tells them to “stop”. Counselors will provide lessons in October (National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month) into November to all grade levels. Additional lessons may be provided throughout the year as needed. 11

Our “3 Steps…” lesson worksheet  Name_______________________  3 STEPS TO STOP A BULLY!  STOP  WALK  TALK  STOP= tell the bully to stop.  (if that doesn’t work…)  WALK= quietly walk away.  (if that doesn’t work…)  TALK=tell an adult you can trust.  If I need to talk, I can talk to_______________. 12

Responding to “Stop, Walk, Talk”  1. Stop what you are doing.  2. Take a deep breath and count to 3.  3. Go on with your day.  Respond this way anytime someone asks you to stop, even if you don’t feel you are doing something wrong. 13

Supporting Staff Behavior 14  When any problem behavior is reported, adults should follow a specific response sequence.  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 bullying still happening?  Is the reporting child at risk?  What does the student need to feel safe?  What is the severity of the situation?  "Did you tell the student to stop?" (If yes, praise the student for using an appropriate response. If no, practice.)  "Did you walk away from the problem behavior?" (If yes, praise student for using appropriate response. If no, practice.)

When a child correctly reports bullying… 15  Reinforce the student for discussing the problem.  Then initiate the following interaction with the “perpetrator”:  "Did ______ tell you to stop?"  If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with next question  If no: Practice the 3 step response.  "Did ______ walk away?"  If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with practicing the 3 step response.  If no: Practice the 3 step response.  Practice the 3 step response.  The amount of practice depends on the severity and frequency of problem behavior.

Collaboration with parents  Survey results from Parent Focus Groups indicated…  A “Bully Free Pledge” for parents may be effective in promoting bullying prevention.  Classroom lessons by counselors and teachers may be effective.  Links with resources on the school website would be helpful.  Parent workshops and presentations would be well received.  A discussion session provided insight that indicated…  There are concerns about the less supervised areas.  There is a desire to empower students with tools to employ when encountering bullying.  That the protocol for reporting bullying needs to be clear for both students and parents. 16

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month  October 2010  Go to to access the following links…  Engage!  Show Your Support – Unite Against Bullying!  Educate!  Use Creative Activities in the Classroom.  Inspire!  Innovative ideas to change the face of bullying and motivate others to care about the cause. 17

Resources provided by Guidance Services Bullying Prevention resources located on the LCPS Intranet include…  Articles, books, DVD’s…  Lesson Plans.  Parent Focus Groups DATA Report.  Powerpoint presentations.  Tip sheets for Administrators and Teachers.  Websites. To locate these and other resources click on Pupil Services, Office of Student Services, Guidance Services to access our Helpful Links and Information. 18