Bullying: A Growing Problem in Ontario Schools

1. Bullying: A Growing Problem in Ontario Schools By Ashley Imgrund, Jen Kroetsch, Kim Herbert, and Haily Buettner.

2. “Ontario Unveils Plan to Fight Bullying in Schools” • In an article in the ‘Globe and Mail’ on November 17th, 2005, the provincial government made an announcement regarding mandatory anti-bullying programs in every Ontario School. • The Ontario government has outlined a three-year, $23-million initiative. Each school will receive as much as $2,000 for staff training and resources to create an approved bullying-prevention program. All Ontario schools will also be required to create safe-school teams and anonymous reporting mechanisms, such as drop boxes and peer group interventions. • “This is a serious problem that should not be left unchecked,” says Gerard Kennedy, Ontario’s Education Minister. Gerard Kennedy (Education Minister)

3. (Bill 8, 2000) All members of a school community have the right to expect that schools are safe and free of violence. Zero-tolerance policy for bullying and violence (Ontario Schools Code of Conduct) Sets out clear standards of a behaviour in schools Specifies mandatory consequences for student actions that do not comply with these standards All members of a community are treated with respect Members of the school are expected to use non-violent means to resolve conflict Relation to the Safe Schools Act

4. Presentation Outline In order for us, as future teachers, to understand and prevent bullying, it is crucial that we examine the following aspects: • Statistics of Bullying • What is Bullying? Why do children bully? • Types of Bullying • Confrontation Types in Children • Group Activity • What schools can do? Considerations. • Examples of Programs: Kelso, SNAP, Peacemakers, 2nd Step: Prevention Curriculum. • Wrap Up/Conclusion: Questions

5. Statistics Survey results from St. Anne’s Catholic School in Richmond Hill, Ontario (281 students- Grades 2-7): • 68% of children feel safe in school • 88% believed bullying was a major problem in their school • 62% said they have been bullied at some point or another • 40% said they have been bullies at some point in their school life. • 78% said they have seen someone being bullied • 51% have reported bullying when they have witnessed it in the school yard • 12% are afraid to report because of the fear of being made fun of by the bully. In looking at these statistics, it is quite clear that bullying is a major problem in Ontario schools and MUST be dealt with accordingly.

6. What is Bullying? • Bullying is harmful, deliberate behaviour intended to hurt the victim physically, emotionally and/or psychologically. Bullying is ABUSE and as such needs to be taken very seriously.

7. Why do children bully? Children who bully enjoy having power and control over other children. They often get positive attention from their peers for bullying. Victims of bullies may learn to become bullies themselves. (Victim Services Brant) The intention of bullying is to put the victim in distress in some way

8. Types of Bullying • Physical: This type of bullying involves hitting or kicking the victim, or taking and/or damaging the victim’s property. As these types of bullies get older, their attacks usually become more aggressive. • Verbal: This type of bullying involves using words to hurt or humiliate another person. It includes name-calling, insulting, making racist comments and constant teasing.

9. Types of Bullying • Relational: This is where bullies try to convince their peers to exclude or reject a certain person or people and cut the victims off from their social connections. This is most often seen in girls who spread and create nasty rumours about others or exclude an ex-friend from the peer group.

10. Confrontation Types in Children • “The Terrible-Tempered Atoms”: Regard anger as a way of life, and trust no one. They give out insults where none was intended, at times. • “The Hipshooters”: Are quick to express anger and quick to forget it. They are impulsive, volatile, and often surprised at the negative reaction they evoke. • “The Counterattackers”: Hide their hurt over criticism by criticizing in return. What they are really saying is, “When you hurt me, I’ll hurt you right back!” • “The Displacers”: Handle anger they dare not direct at a powerful figure, such as a parent, by blowing up at someone else…often another child. This rage is out of proportion to the incident that provoked it. • “The Handlers”: Have a repertoire of responses to employ in different situations. They know how to take time to cool off, ventilate, and understand the source of their anger. They attack the problem, not the person! (From “Managing Conflict: A Guide to Conflict Resolution for Educators’”)

11. Group Activity Your group has formed a school committee for anti-bullying. What aspects should and do you think you need to consider when creating a school behaviour management plan? Brainstorm some points you should consider and include in your plan. (5 minutes)

12. What Schools Can do:Six Recommended Components in a Conflict Resolution Program • Curriculum • All students learn how to deal with and resolve problems and conflicts peacefully. • Students gain tools and skills to solve common problems in the classroom and playground.

13. Recommendations continued... • Peer Mediation • Students are trained in conflict-resolution and mediation and can handle common student-to-student problems, such as rumours, friendship arguments, misunderstandings, etc. • Teaches students how to solve disagreements, without consulting with adults. • Peer Mediators are expected to communicate effectively, ensure confidentiality, remain neutral, find the underlying cause of conflict, know the steps for resolving conflicts and maintain self-control.

14. Recommendations continued... 3.Professional Development • Need to train staff on the conflict-resolution curriculums and for certain roles, such as policy makers, counselors, and administrators. • Teaching staff about programs, how to implement them, and how to model them. • As well, on an ongoing basis, to refresh, develop, and possibly adapt the program.

15. Recommendations continued... 4. Parent/Community Initiatives • Provide training and materials for families to reinforce conflict-resolution strategies at home. • Encourages parents to help at school, as negotiators or facilitators of peer mediation- parents can help facilitate these programs. • Other people in the community can also be involved, like police, business, churches, local government agencies, and community and public services. • With these community agents, schools can create partnerships.

16. Recommendations continued... • School-wide Reinforcement and Behaviour Management Systems • Conflict-resolution programs • The program should be integrated into school policies and procedures and be outlined in the student/school handbook. • Behavioural issues should be disciplined and resolved with cooperation. • Teachers’ classroom management plans should also reflect the school conflict-resolution program/system.

17. Recommendations continued... • Evaluation • Have to evaluate the needs of the school before establishing a program (as each school and neighbourhood experiences different issues and problems). • Need to look at ways to improve issues and maintain areas that are good or working well. • Also need to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and continuously improve various aspects (as school’s needs do change over time).

18. Four Examples of Conflict-Resolution Programs in Ontario Schools • Kelso’s Choices (Conflict Management Program for Children) • Mascot is a green frog named Kelso, as the program is geared towards primary/junior students. • Child can resolve conflict and is capable of being a peacemaker. • Knowing what to do will help students reduce the stress and number of conflicts in the school playground and classroom.

19. Kelso’s Choices If a child has a problem in the school yard, he or she can try 2 of Kelso’s choices: • Wait and cool off • Go to another game • Share and take turns • Talk it out until the issue is resolved and there are no hard feelings • Walk away • Ignore it • Tell him or her to stop and how you feel. • Apologize • Make a deal or compromise (www.shentel.net/school/ales/kelso/kelso.html)

20. Four Examples of Conflict-Resolution Programs in Ontario Schools 2. SNAP Program (Stop, Now And Plan) • Helps students think before they act • Can reduce impulsiveness or reactive responses to conflicts with peers • Encourages students to describe how they feel and think about a situation • Helps students recognize physical and emotional signs before they react to a problem (understand the problem trigger)

21. SNAP PROGRAM STOP- Snap fingers, take deep breaths, put hands in pockets, count to ten, and tell him or herself to stop. NOW- Calm down and make the right choices. AND…. PLAN- pick a plan that will work for him or her in the situation. Example: use words to solve the problem, ignore the issue, and/or ask for help from a friend and teacher.

22. Four Examples of Conflict-Resolution Programs in Ontario Schools • Peacemakers Program • Curriculum-based violence prevention program for upper elementary school students. • 18-lesson psychoeducational curriculum delivered by teachers. • Teaches students positive attitudes and values related to violence, and trains youth in conflict-related psychosocial skills such as anger management, and problem solving. • The program includes a variety of classroom activities, including instruction, role-plays, hand outs, and experiential exercises.

23. Peacemakers Program • After this program is completed by each student in grades 7 and 8, students who score 75% or over in the program are selected to become ‘peacemakers’ or peer-mediators in their school playground at recesses and lunches. • The students, much like lunch monitors, walk around the playground and mediate or assist students who need help in solving conflicts or communicating to say ‘NO’ to bullies. • At an elementary school in Toronto, the school reports indicated that the intervention was associated with a 41% decrease in disciplinary incidents and 67% fewer suspensions.

24. Four Examples of Conflict-Resolution Programs in Ontario Schools • Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum • Classroom-based social skills program for 4-14 years old children. • Aim is to reduce impulsive, aggressive behaviour and to increase social-emotional competence. • The program was created by the Committee for Children, which is a non-profit organization.

25. Second-Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum The program is organized into 3 skill-building units: • Empathy: Teach students to identify and understand their own emotions and others. • Impulse control and Problem Solving: Choose positive goals, evaluate consequences, understand safety, fairness, and the impact on others. • Anger Management: Manage emotional reactions and engage in decision making.

26. Conclusion • Bullying is a very serious problem that is affecting elementary schools in Ontario today. • Whether it is calling others names or physically or emotionally harassing others, these are forms of bullying that affect students. They are damaging to children’s lives, grades, and they impact schools by creating a climate of fear and disrespect. • If we, as future teachers, target this problem at an early age in children then we can prevent more aggressive incidents from taking place. Incidents such as the Columbine School shooting or the most recent incident in Hamilton, on November 22nd 2005, at Glendale Secondary School where 15 boys burst into the school with machetes to avenge the bullying on one of their younger brothers. • If the problem of bullying is tackled early enough with proper education on bullying techniques given to teachers, parents and students, it will hopefully become a PROBLEM OF THE PAST!

27. Any Questions?? “YOU BETTER NOT HAVE ANY…OR ELSE…” HAHA!  We hope you enjoyed our presentation!!