School X Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee Training Lisa Pisciotta, LPC, CAC III, Certified Olweus Trainer

2 What? When/ Where? When/ Where? Why? How? Who is Bullied? Who is Bullied? Who Bullies? Who Bullies? ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. Activity 1

Understanding Bullying The easiest way to understand bullying is through these analogies Sexual Harassment Spouse Abuse All involve imbalance of power Perpetrator blames the victim Victim may blame themselves

Types of Bullying Direct hitting taunting name calling 4 Indirect rumors exclusion cyber bullying ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Rough Play Real Fighting and Conflict Bullying Usually friends; often repeated (same players) Usually not friends; typically not repeated Typically not friends; generally repeated Balance of power Power relatively equal Unequal power No intent to harm Intentional harm doing Intentional harm doing Affect is friendly; positive, mutual Affect negative; aggressive, tense, hostile affect Affect negative; aggressive & differs for victim and Aggressor © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004

Three Key Components of Bullying Behavior 1.Involves an aggressive behavior 2.Typically involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time 3.Imbalance of power or strength

Bullying vs. Conflict Normal Conflict Bullying Equal power/between friends Imbalance of power/not friends Happens occasionallyRepeated negative actions AccidentalPurposeful Not serious emotional harmSerious, with threat of physical or emotional harm Equal emotional reactionStrong emotional reaction from victim/ little or no reaction from bully Not seeking power or Seeking power/control attention Not trying to get somethingAttempt to gain power/material things Remorse/takes responsibilityNo remorse/blames victim Effort to resolve problemNo effort to solve problem Garrity, C., Jens. K., Porter, W., Sager, N. & Short-Camilli, C. (2004). Bonds.M. & Stoker, S. (2000).

Bullying is NOT a Conflict a Conflict It is a group phenomenon in which children may play a variety of roles. Bullying is about POWER

“Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself.” Olweus Definition of Bullying: ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. 9

JICDE Policy Definition of Bullying Bullying is the use of coercion or intimidation to obtain control over another person or to cause physical, mental or emotional harm to another person. Bullying can occur through written, verbal or electronically transmitted expression or by means of a physical act or gesture.

Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 2011 Traditional Bullying High SchoolMiddle School Total 19.3%Total 44.2% Males 17.4%Males 41.9% Females 21%Females 46.7% Electronic Bullying High SchoolMiddle School Total 14.4%Total 19.8% Males 11.1%Males 13.1% Females 17.9%Females 26.9% Students Brought Weapon to School High SchoolMiddle School Total 15.5%Total 28.3% Males 23.4%Males 37.8% Females 6.9%Females 18.4

12 Physical bullying - assault Gender bullying - sexual harassment or assault, dating abuse, domestic violence Intimidating for gain - extortion Rumors/Lies - defamation of character Bullying based on race, national origin, sex, or disability – (civil rights violations) Bullying disabled persons - disability harassment Cyber bullying - harassment by communication; stalking Sexting - child pornography Bullying Behavior May Violate Civil or Criminal Law ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

House Bill – School Bullying Prevention and Education Grant Program *Defines bullying as, “any written or verbal expression, or physical or electronic act or gesture, or pattern thereof, that is intended to coerce, intimidate, or cause physical, mental, or emotional harm to any student. * The law explains that “bullying is prohibited against any student for any reason” and goes on to list all the enumerated classes of students.

When is Bullying a Civil Rights Violation? Dear Colleague Letters: Bullying and Harassment Discrimination is on the basis of race, color, or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) Discrimination is on the basis of sex (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972) Discrimination is on the basis of a disability (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)

Steps to Respond to Civil Rights Violations Investigate the incident If an investigation reveals that discriminatory harassment has occurred, a school must take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end the harassment, including Title IX paperwork Eliminate any hostile environment and its effects Prevent the harassment from recurring

Why address bullying? 1. For students and their futures (mental & physical health) 2. For a healthy school climate (academic achievement) 3. For the larger community 4. Risk management for schools 5. It’s a wise investment 6. It’s the law ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. 16

THE IMPACT OF BULLYING 1.6 Million Students are Bullied Every Week Every Month 750,000 Students in the U. S. miss School because they are Afraid 60% of Bullies grades(6-9) have been Convicted of at Least One Crime by Age % of Former Bullies Have 3 or More Convictions by Age 24 Surgeon General Report

© 2012 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, US Effects of Bullying on School Climate Creates a climate of fear and disrespect Interferes with student learning Students may feel insecure and not like school as well Students may perceive lack of control/caring from adults 18 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Effects of Bullying on Bystanders Bystanders may feel: – Afraid – Powerless to change the situation – Guilty for not acting – Diminished empathy for victims over time

Effects of Being Bullied Lower self-esteem Depression & anxiety Absenteeism & lowered school achievement Thoughts of suicide Illness 20 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Health Consequences of Bullying (Fekkes et al., 2004) BulliedNot bullied Headache16%6% Sleep problems42%23% Abdominal pain17%9% Feeling tense20%9% Anxiety28%10% Feeling unhappy23%5% Depression scale moderate indication49%16% strong indication16%2%

Bully Victims Often Suffer Academically Students who were bullied in the 10th grade experienced a.049 points decrease in 12th grade GPA This effect was strongest on high achieving Black and Latino students – Students with 3.5 GPAs in 9th grade and were bullied in 10th grade White students experience a.03 decrease in their 12 th grade GPAs. Black students experienced a.3 points decrease in their 12th grade GPAs. Latino students experience a.5 point decrease in their 12th grade GPAs that were.5 points lower. – Williams (2011) retrieved from the American Association of Suicidology at 2011http:// y.cfm

Link Between Bullying and Suicide? Chance of suicide increases when these factors occur at same time Biological Factors Risk Factors Warning Signs plus Immediate Trigger or Crisis Association of Suicidology, School Suicide Prevention Accreditation Resource Guide 2009 Bullying can be a trigger or a contributing factor

Bullying and Suicide Children who are bullied are more likely to have: –Depressive symptoms –High levels of suicidal thoughts –Attempted suicide Klomek et al. (2008) study of high school students: –All types of victimization were related to depression and suicidality. –The more types of bullying experienced, the higher the risk. Hinduja & Patchin (2010) study of middle school students: –Youth involved in bullying or cyber bullying as an offender OR victim had more suicidal thoughts and more attempts. –Children who had been bullied had higher rates than those who bullied others. –Experience with bullying explains only a small amount of the variance in suicidality. 24 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

25 Family Risk Factors for Bullying Lack of parental warmth and involvement Lack of parental supervision Overly-permissive parenting Harsh discipline/physical punishment ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

© 2012 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, US 26 School Risk Factors for Bullying Lack of supervision during breaks Students have indifferent or accepting attitudes Staff have indifferent or accepting attitudes towards bullying ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Children who are Bullied Cautious, sensitive, quiet, & withdrawn Anxious, insecure, have low self-esteem Physically weaker than peers (boys) Physically mature earlier (girls) Have few friends--find it easier to associate with adults ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. 27

Children Who are Bullied and Bully Others Tend To... Share characteristics with bullied children Share characteristics with students who bully Be less effective in bullying than other children who bully Behave in ways that cause irritation and attract negative attention ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. 28

Children at Higher Risk of Being Bullied: Children with disabilities, special needs, and health problems Children who are obese Children who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) TG Doc 5 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S Activity 2 Girl Bullying

Children Who Bully Tend To... Have positive attitudes toward violence Be impulsive and have quick tempers Show little empathy for victims Be aggressive to adults Be involved in other antisocial or rule-breaking activities Be physically stronger than peers (boys) NO BULLYING ALLOWED !

What Motivates Children Who Bully? Like to dominate others in a negative way Gain satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering Receive “rewards” by bullying others (prestige, attention, possessions) ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. 31

Common Myths About Children who Bully “Children who bully are loners.” “Children who bully have low self-esteem.” ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S FACTS MYTHS

Popular Students May Use Bullying Behaviors To Maintain Power Who are the most powerful students in your school? How can we help students use their power to help? 33 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Teacher to Student Teacher to Teacher Parent to Teacher Teacher to Parent Administrator to Teachers/Staff Teachers/Staff to Administrators Community Members to Administrators Adults Who Bully 34 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

What Roles Do Students Play In Bullying Situations? B C D H G E F A Start the bullying and take an active part Take an active part, but do not start the bullying Support the bullying, but do not take an active part Like the bullying, but do not display open support Dislike the bullying and think they ought to help, but don’t do it Dislike the bullying, help or try to help the bullied student Student Who Is Bullied Students Who Bully Followers Supporters Passive Supporters Disengaged Onlookers Possible Defenders TG, p ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. Watch what happens, don’t take a stand

36 Group Mechanisms in Bullying Social contagion Weakening inhibitions against aggression Decreased sense of individual responsibility Gradual changes in the view of bullied student(s) ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Cyber Bullying

What is Cyber Bullying? Bullying through instant messaging, in a chat room, or Web site, or through digital messages or images sent to a cell phone

Difference Between Bullying and Cyber Bullying Anonymity Accessibility Punitive Fears Bystanders Disinhibition

Why Should Educators be Concerned about Cyber Bullying? Effects on Self Esteem School Absences Anxiety Depression Weapons in school

How Can Schools Prevent Cyber Bullying? Schools need an effective bullying policy that specifically prohibits cyber bullying Bullying prevention programs with lessons to teach about cyber bullying Schools need to establish a school-wide reporting system Establish effective procedure to respond to reports

Educate your students, teachers and other staff members about cyber bullying, its danger and what to do if someone is cyber bullied Investigate reports of cyber bullying immediately. If it occurs through the school district internet system, you are obligated to take action. Notify parents

Misdirection in Bullying Prevention Zero Tolerance Policy Conflict Resolution Anger management or self-esteem enhancement for children who bully Group Treatment for Children Who Bully Mediation/conflict resolution to resolve bullying issues Selecting inappropriate supplemental materials Simple Short Term Solutions (Colorado Resource Guide, 2011)

about bullying We will not bully others. We will try to help students who are bullied. We will try to include students who are left out. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home. SP (TG Doc #8)

Student Reporting “If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.” 45 ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Use of Positive Consequences to Reinforce Positive Behavior Why are positive consequences critical? Who receives them? Types of behavior to reinforce Types of positive consequences Tips on use of positive consequences

Use of Negative Consequences Why aren’t positive consequences enough? Guidelines for use of negative consequences Types of negative consequences

66 6. Refine the Supervisory System 1.Determine the “hot spots” for bullying 2.Develop strategies to increase supervision in common “hot spots” ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S. Activity 4 Hot Spot

49 6. Refine the Supervisory System (continued) 3. Develop ways to track and report bullying incidents schoolwide (Sample: SWG Doc 23) 4. Consider attitudes of supervising adults 5. Evaluate your school’s physical design to reduce bullying ©2014 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, U.S.

Adults’ Responsiveness to Bullying Adults overestimate their effectiveness in identifying bullying and intervening. – 25% of students agreed (Charach et al., 1995) – 70% of teachers believed that adults intervene almost all the time.

Why Adults Don’t Always Intervene: Have difficulty recognizing bullying Fail to recognize the importance of intervening Uncertain how best to intervene Lack of time