Bullying Presentation

1. Action Research Project Presentation Robin N. Inns University of Phoenix June 1, 2009 ADDRESSING BULLYING ISSUES: IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE PREVENTION PROGRAMS

2. YOUR CHILD WAS A VICTIM OF BULLYING? WHAT IF

3. YOUR CHILD WHAT IF WAS THE BULLY?

4. PROTECT OUR CHILDREN HOW CAN WE AND KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE?

5. Students Parents and Families EDUCATE Teachers and ALL Personnel and Community

6. WHAT IS BULLYING? According to Dan Olweus, bullying includes three components: • Aggressive behavior involving unwanted, negative actions. • A pattern of behavior repeated over time. • An imbalance of power or strength.

7. TYPES OF BULLYING • Direct-physical bullying • Hitting, kicking, pinching, tripping, or theft • Direct-Verbal bullying • Name calling, labeling, or singing dirogatory songs • Indirect Bullying • Social isolation • Spreading of rumors • Cyberbullying • Sending threatening text messages, e-mails, or posting hurtful comments on websites

8. BULLIES and VICTIMS Who are bullies? • Boys • physically stronger than others. • Boys and girls • socially skilled • leadership skills (often in aggressive ways) Who are victims? • Boys and girls • unable to defend themselves when challenged. • high and low achievers. • poor social skills.

9. Bystanders Who are bystanders? • Includes everyone except the bully and victim, who is present during a bullying incident.

10. SCHOOL CLIMATE • Value all students equally. • Talk to all students the same and do not dismiss some as lost causes. • Value individuality – not conformity. • Recognize low-level crimes as a problem. • Encourage reporting of bullying. • Set up anonymous reporting procedures. • Staff and teachers MUST intervene. • Monitor areas where bullying is likely to occur: hallways, recess, lunchroom, and bathroom.

11. WORKING WITH BULLIES Stage One: What constitutes unacceptable behavior? Make children AWARE. Stage Two: NO BLAMING. Let perpetrators explain his/her thoughts. (What was he/she doing?)

12. Working with bullies cont’d. Stage Three: • Teach empathy and turn-taking. • Debate rather than argue. Stage Four: • Consider specialist programs or sanctions.

13. KEY FINDINGS ABOUT BULLYING A survey of youth in grades 6 - 10 conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development revealed: • 3.2 million students reported being bullied; • 3.7 million students reported being the bully; • 1.2 million were both the victim and the bully.

14. KEY FINDINGS ABOUT BULLYING cont’d. Breakdown of NICHD’s bullying report:

15. INTERVENTION DO’S & DON’T’S • Do implement a conflict resolution/peer mediation program to help prosocial behavior, empathetic concern for others, and to reduce behavioral problems. • DO NOT implement a conflict resolution program to address bullying problems. RATIONALE: Bullying = empowerment; these programs use compromise and negotiation - putting partial blame on the victim  further victimization.

16. INTERVENTION DO’S & DON’T’S- cont’d. • DO enforce behavior and discipline policies. • DO NOT adopt a zero tolerance policy. RATIONALE:Zero tolerance = high level of suspensions zero information on how to address behavioral change.

17. INTERVENTION DO’S & DON’T’S- cont’d. • DO teach victims how to respond to bullies. • DO NOT advise victims to stand up to bullies. RATIONALE:Unproductive or dangerous without adult support.

18. CURRENT BULLYING TRENDS: CYBERBULLING Percentage distribution of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied at school and being cyber-bullied anywhere by the frequency of bullying at school during the school year and percentage of students who notified an adult: 2007

19. Olweus Bullying Prevention Program EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS • The most wide-known researched-based program, created by Dr. Dan Olweus from Norway. • Targets school wide, classroom, & individual levels - ages 5-15. • Proven 30% - 70% reduction. • Training provided.

20. EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) • Anti-aggression program that produces long-term results. (tested on 1st & 5th graders) • Classroom-based: social coping and problem-solving skills enforced. • Parent training. • Reward system for positive behaviors/reduction of privileges for aggressive behaviors. (emphasis on playground aggression)

21. EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS The incredible years • Anti-aggression program, targeting early years: 2 – 8 years. • Extends service to all children. • Parent, teacher, & service worker training. • Proven results: 80% of children were within target range for problem behaviors vs. 48% who were not in the program.

22. NEWS HEADLINES • Teen Commits Suicide Due to Bullying: Parents Sue School for Son's Death Family Wants No Money but Insists School Address Bullying and Three Other Suicides Eric Mohat, age 17 – Shot himself in the head March 29, 2007. • Carl Joseph Walker Hoover Suicide: Bullying to Blame – 11 yr. old found dead by hanging himself with extension cord.

23. NEWS HEADLINES • MySpace Mom: Pleads Not Guilty in Teen Suicide Case • Megan Meier, age 13, found dead Oct. 2006 by hanging herself after receiving numerous threatening email messages. • 8 Teens Charged With Attacking Girl for YouTube Video • Victoria Lindsay, age 16, brutally beaten by 6 girls, while 2boys were the “lookouts” on March 30, 2008. • Her Teen Committed Suicide Over ‘Sexting.’ Jesse Logan, age 18, hanged herself after nude pictures circulated over internet.

24. YES! CAN YOU HELP? IS BULLYING A PROBLEM? YES!

25. DON’T FORGET THE ‘HELPFUL TIPS’ HANDOUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PARTICIPATION….

26. COMMENTS? QUESTIONS?