Bullying: A Systemic Approach to Bullying Prevention and Intervention

(1)

An Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Program

Session 3 — Educators and Teachers

Bullying:

A Systemic Approach to

Bullying Prevention and Intervention

icare.ebrschools.org

An Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention ProgramAn Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Program

(2)

School Risk Factors For Bullying

Bullying

Ignoring antisocial behavior, inconsistent consequences, alienating interactions.

Victimization

Lack of recognition, communication, and openness around victimization.

School Risk Factors For Bullying

Bullying

Ignoring antisocial behavior Inconsistent consequences

Alienating interactions

School Risk Factors For Bullying

Victimization Lack of recognition Lack of communication

Lack of openness

(3)

School Staffs’ Involvement in Bullying and Victimization?

School staff is generally unaware of the extent of bullying and victimization problems.

(4)

Why Bullying Now?

Study suggests that a bullying climate may play an important role in student test performance.

Students attending high schools dominated by students who bully are more likely to have lower standardized test scores.

Students’ performance drops as much as 6 percent amid climate of bullying.

This research underscores the importance of treating bullying as a school-wide problem rather than just an individual problem.

CCYS 2010 Data

Students Indicating Bullied in Past Year

Percentage of Students

(5)

CCYS 2010 Data Students Avoiding School Due to

Bullying in Past Year

Grades Percentage of Students

Other reasons to address peer aggression?

Students who don’t feel safe can’t learn.

Targets of peer aggression are more likely to become depressed or have other mental and emotional deficits.

Aggressive youth are more likely to grow into adult criminals.

•

(6)

An Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention ProgramAn Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Program

•

Teachers/Counselors/Educators…...

•Educate the child about what bullying is and why it is not acceptable.

•Discussions

• Defining bullying

•Strategies

• Role playing

Teachers/Counselors/Educators…...

•Consistently enforce class rules that reflect school policy.

•letter of apology

•reading and reporting on bullying story

•Model behaviors/role play to develop empathy.

•caring acts

•Implement a buddy system.

(7)

Teachers/Counselors/Educators…...

•Utilize research-based, effective prevention curricula (Second Step/TGFDV).

•Determine ways in which students can develop positive forms of leadership and experience power in prosocial ways.

Peer Involvement Data

•

11% of children report they almost always try to stop bullying. Peers intervene in 11% of playground episodes.

•Intervention has a 50% success rate.

•80-90% of peers report that it is unpleasant to watch bullying.

•Peers are present in 85% of bullying episodes on the playground.

isafe.org

Peer Involvement Data

•1/3 of children report they could join in bullying someone they don’t like.

•Peers assume many roles in bullying: co-bullies, supports, bystanders, interveners.

isafe.org

(8)

Challenges of Interviewing Parents of Bullies

•Encountering myths:

Denial Not my child

Children need to stand up for themselves Not a real problem

•Unsupportive to school’s concerns

•Aggressive and challenging

•Lack the personal resources to deal with problem

•Helpless

•Dismissive

•Heightened emotion Anger Frustration Anxiety

•Need for retribution

•Helplessness regarding the problem

•Wanting the school to do more

•Being Dismissive

Challenges of Interviewing Parents of Bullies

How has your school addressed bullying in past?

 Research indicates:

Short term solutions – assemblies, one time speakers

‘Program of the day’ approaches

Group treatment or self-esteem programs for bullies

Anger management training for bullies

Mediation to resolve bullying X

X X X X

(9)

Avoid the MYTHS………

•Bullying is a normal part of growing up.

•Children who bully will just grow out of it.

•Children are always best left to resolve their own conflicts.

•Children’s conflicts reflect play fighting and teasing which do no real harm.

•Sometimes victims provoke attacks.

•Adults should not encourage tattle-telling. Telling is to get someone out of trouble, whereas tattling is to get someone into trouble. It is essential that children tell an adult when they or someone else is not safe.

X X

Missteps

•Calling everything bullying.

•Labeling students as bullying.

•Belief that girls are bullied more than girls.

•Excusing bullying behavior: “boys will be boys”

& “girls will be girls.”

•Belief that girls are bullying more than boys.

•Bringing students together to present their side of the story.

•Bringing together the student bullying and student being bullied.

•Asking students to apologize, shake hands or be friends.

•Bullying can be resolved by peer mediation.

Other Missteps……..

•Treating bullying and teasing the same.

•Treating bullying and fighting the same.

•Treating bullying and horseplay the same.

•Assuming anger management is the reason students bully others.

•Using conflict resolution in resolving bullying incidents.

•Using zero-tolerance approach for the bully and the victim acting in self defense.

•Assuming that students that bully have a low esteem.

(10)

Schools……….

•Record the problem behavior and provide consequences.

•Educate children about what bullying is and why it is not acceptable.

•Withdraw privileges (recess, lunch) and provide formative replacement activities

•letter of apology

•reading and reporting on bullying story

•caring act

•role playing victim with teacher to develop empathy

•Determine ways in which this student can develop positive forms of leadership and experience power in a prosocial way.

•Assess the complexity of the bully’s problem.



For Children Who Experience Bullying!

Bullying is serious and requires prolonged,

comprehensive intervention. 5-10%

Experiences of bullying may be more concerning and enduring. These children

require support and intervention to get them back on track. 10-15%

Problems are negligible and transitory. Minor intervention and support is needed. These children’s problems will