Bullying & Bullying Prevention Information for School Staff Yevetta Allen – Social Worker Frances Blue – School Counselor Christine Marro – School Psychologist

Bullying Bullying unnecessarily traumatizes millions of children and youth every year. Bullying affects a child’s ability to be successful in school Children need to believe that adults will protect them Bullying is not simply a case of “kids being kids” Bullying is learned anti-social behavior that can be unlearned and prevented

Bullying… Movie Clip from :

Onslow County School Board Policies Prohibition Against Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment  Policy Code: Assaults, Threatening Acts and Harassment  Policy Code: 4331

What is Bullying? An individual exposed, repeatedly and over time, to intentional injury or discomfort, inflicted by one or more persons in which there is an imbalance of power and which violates the rights of others.

National Bullying Statistics Bullying occurs once every 7 minutes 30% of students reported some involvement with moderate or frequent bullying 61.6% of students who are bullied are picked on because of their looks or speech Everyday approximately 160,000 students stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied Bullying peaks in 6 th – 8 th grades Homicide perpetrators more than twice as likely as homicide victims to have been bullied by peers

Types of Bullying Physical  Punching, shoving, acts that hurt people Verbal  Name calling, teasing, making offensive remarks Indirect  Spreading rumors  Keeping certain people out of the “group”  Getting certain people to “gang up” on others Cyber  Sending insulting messages by , text messaging, chat rooms etc

Gender Differences Boys tend to be more direct and girls more indirect Boys tends to engage in bullying more frequently than girls Boys tend to bully both boys and girls Girls tend to target other girls and take the form of teasing and social exclusion Girls are more likely to bully in a group Bullying by girls is often more subtle and harder to detect

Bullying Effects all Students Victims / Targets  Commonly do poorly in school, suffer higher rates of absenteeism, poorer social and emotional adjustment, poorer relationships with classmates, increased loneliness Bystanders  Suffer from feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, develop poor coping and problem-solving skills Bullies  Poor social and emotional adjustment, social isolation, lack of success in school, involvement in problem behaviors. Without intervention, they often continue on a path of even more extreme violence and abusive behavior and often become involved in crime

Where does it occur? It can occur anywhere, however most incidents tend to occur in places with little adult supervision (i.e. playground, hallways, bathrooms etc)

360 School Survey Results Student responses regarding feeling safe:  Classroom 90%  Cafeteria 79%  Bathroom 64%  Bus 61%  Hallways 58%  Playground 53%

Informal Survey of 3 rd – 5 th graders regarding safety & internet activities Do you have a social networking site (i.e. myspace, facebook etc)? Do your parents know that you have a social networking site? Have there been times when you have felt unsafe?  If yes, when?

Results of Informal Survey of 3 rd – 5 th graders Students with social networking 34 % 3 rd 30 % 4 th 45 % 5 th Students report 100% of their parents know they have a social networking site Students who feel safe: 80 % 3 rd 84% 4 th 86 % 5 th Places where they feel unsafe is consistent with 360 survey results.

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Establishing clear consistent consequences for bullying behavior that all children understand Incorporate positive behavioral interventions Clearly define unacceptable behavior Do not rely solely on punishment Include loss of privileges or other consequences for bullying behavior Reinforce the values of empathy, caring, respect, fairness and personal responsibility

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Train all school personnel to prevent and intervene with bullying  Teachers  Administrators  Support Personnel  Bus Drivers, playground monitors, after- school program staff Maintain a focus on supervision

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Never ignore bullying behaviors  Intervene immediately when bullying occurs  Model appropriate behaviors  Praise children when they do the right thing  Offer children alternatives to bullying

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Teach children to work together  Encourage children to stand up to a bully or reach out to excluded peers  Teach children that being a silent bystander enables bullying to continue  Celebrate acts of kindness  Reinforce the availability of adult support  Transform the “silent majority” into a “caring majority”  Teach problem-solving techniques

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Ensure adults are visible and vigilant  Common areas – hallways, cafeterias, playgrounds  Be aware of behavior on the bus and on the way to/from school for children that walk

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Create a culture in which:  Adults stop all bullying immediately  All students learn positive behaviors  All students, parents and staff become part of the anti-bullying solution  The needs of individual students are met

Bullying Prevention What can schools do? Anti-Bullying Pledge (sample pledge) I make a COMMITMENT to take a stand against bullying I will treat others with RESPECT and KINDNESS. I will have the COMPASSION to not bully and the COURAGE to not be a bystander It is my RESPONSIBILITY to help others being bullied and to report bullying SRE School Pledge I am a respectful, responsible, and friendly student at Sand Ridge Elementary School. I will excel in my school work and all that I do. I will strive to do my best every day this year.

Resources See attached handout, “Bullying Websites”

Questions