Strategies for Bully-Proofing: Embedding Practices in School-wide PBS

1. Embedding Bully-Proofing in School-wide PBS Scott Ross Rob Horner University of Oregon www.pbis.org

2. Goals • Define a set of core features for Bully Proofing • Define how to embed Bully Proofing into existing School-wide Expectations. • Provide current update from one research effort.

3. Main Ideas • “Bullying” is aggression, harassment, threats or intimidation when one person has greater status, control, power than the other. video

4. Main Ideas • Bullying behavior typically becomes more likely because the “victims” or “bystanders” provide rewards for bullying behaviors. • Social attention • Social recognition • Social status

5. Main Ideas • All “bully proofing” skills are more effective if the school has first established a set of school-wide behavioral expectations.

6. Creating Effective Learning Environments • Create environments that are: • Predictable • Consistent • Positive • Safe

7. An Approach • What does NOT work • Identifying the “bully” and excluding him/her from school • Pretending that Bullying Behavior is the “fault” of the student/family/victim. • What does work • Define, teach and reward school-wide behavior expectations. • Teach all children to identify and label inappropriate behavior. • Not respectful, not responsible., not safe • Teach all students a “stop signal” to give when they experience problem behavior. • What to do if you experience problem behavior (victim, recipient) • What to do if you see someone else in a problem situation (bystander) • Teach all students what to do if someone delivers the “stop signal”

8. Do not focus on “Bullying” • Focus on appropriate behavior. • What is the behavior you want • “Responsible” • “Respectful”

9. Teaching Social Responsibility • Teach school-wide expectations first • Be respectful • Be responsible • Be safe • Focus on “non-structured” settings • Cafeteria, Gym, Playground, Hallway, Bus Area • Teach Bully Prevention “SKILLS” • If someone directs problem behavior toward you. • If you see others receive problem behavior • If someone tells you to “stop”

10. Teach students to identify problem behavior. • The key is to focus on what is appropriate: • Teaching school-wide expectations, and teach that all problem behaviors are an example of NOT being appropriate. • Define most common problem behaviors. Use these behaviors as non-examples of school-wide expectations.

11. Teach a “stop” signal • If someone is directing problem behavior to you, or someone else, tell them to “stop.” • What is the “Stop Signal” for your school? • “Stop” • “Enough”

12. Teach how to use the “Stop Signal” • How do you deliver the “stop signal” if you are feeling intimidated, harassed, bullied? • How do you deliver the “stop signal” if you see someone else being harassed, teased, bullied?

13. Teach “walk away” • Most socially initiated problem behavior is maintained by peer attention. • Victim behavior inadvertently maintains taunt, tease, intimidate, harassment behavior. • Build social reward for “walking away” • Do not reward inappropriate behavior.

14. Teach “getting help” • Report problems to adults • Where is the line between tattling, and reporting? • Did you request, “stop” • Did you walk away?

15. Social Responsibility Matrix

16. Social Responsibility Matrix

17. Embedding Bully-Proofing: One Example • How Bully-Proofing was taught in one school • How data was recorded • Current status of research effort

18. How it was taught • School Rules: • Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible • Problem Behaviors • Basketball, Four square, In between • Why do kids do it? • Stop, Walk, Talk

19. How data are recorded • When problem behavior is reported, staff follow a specific school-wide response: • Reinforce the student for reporting the problem behavior (i.e. "I'm glad you told me.") • "Did you tell the student to stop?" (If yes, praise the student for using an appropriate response) • "Did you walk away from the problem behavior?" (If yes, praise student for using appropriate response)

20. How data are recorded • When students report problem behavior appropriately, staff initiate to following response: • "Did ______ tell you to stop?" • If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with step 2 • If no: Practice the 3 step response. • "Did ______ walk away?" • If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with step 3 • If no: Practice the 3 step response. • Practice the 3 step response.

21. How data are recorded

22. Current Status of Research Effort: • Observed 3 students recognized by the school for exhibiting problem behavior outside the classroom. • Observed recess for • Physical Aggression • Verbal Aggression • Recipient Responses • Bystander Responses

23. Activity • Review school-wide Expectations • Define a “stop signal” • Define how “stop signal” should be used • By individual • By witness • Define “walk away” procedure • Emphasize not rewarding bad behavior • Define rules for reporting inappropriate behavior. • What is the difference between tattling and reporting?