Prevent Bullying at School

Broward College EPI Institute

The Teaching and Learning Process
EPI 0004
Professor Charlotteaux

A Group Project by
Amy Mayberry, Susan Foltz, Carol Aleguas and Kedisha Daley
When asked for advice on how to deal with bullying,
Barbara Coloroso often quotes an anonymous
Holocaust survivor who said, "Pay attention, get
involved, and never, ever look away." The lessons we
must take from school tragedies over the past several
years are the same. Pay attention—bullying occurs in
all schools. Get involved—with the bully, the bullied,
and the bystander; each has a role. And never look
away—grown-ups tend to dismiss bullying, which
according to Coloroso is a grave mistake
http://cfchildren.org/issues/bully/coloroso
Bullying Affects Learning:

 Students can learn and

achieve at optimal levels
ONLY if they know they are
both physically and
psychologically safe at
school. Furthermore, if they
don’t feel safe they are more
likely to drop out before high
school graduation.
(Rumberger, R.W. (1995) American Educational Research
Journal, 32, 583-625)
What is Bullying?:

 “Bullying” means systematically and chronically inflicting

physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students
or employees.
 It is further defined as: unwanted purposeful written, verbal,
nonverbal, or physical behavior, including but not limited to any
threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, by an adult or
student, that has the potential to create an intimidating, hostile,
or offensive educational environment or cause long term
damage; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably
interfere with the individual’s school performance or
participation, is carried out repeatedly and is often
characterized by an imbalance of power.
www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
Bullying Includes:

1. Unwanted teasing
2. Threatening
3. Intimidating
4. Stalking
5. Cyberstalking
6. Cyberbullying
7. Physical violence
8. Theft
9. Sexual, religious, or racial
harassment
10. Public humiliation
11. Destruction of school or personal
property
12. Social exclusion, including
incitement and/or coercion
13. Rumor or spreading of falsehoods
www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
Statistics:

 17% of students in
grades 6-10 report
being bullied
 23% of students in
grades 4-6 have been
bullied
 20% of students in
grades 4-6 report
bullying others
http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying.page
Bullying is not going away:
 Bullying appears to be on the
rise. A follow-up study by Dan
Olweus in 2002 showed the
percentage of victimized
students had increased by
50%. Serious bullying by
degree and frequency was up
by 65%.
 The number one reason
adolescent boys and girls gave
for being targeted for abuse is “I
don’t fit in”.
 Approximately 160,000 school
children stay home each day
out of fear, often without telling
their parents why.
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying
_prevent_guide.pdf
Facts About Bullying:

 Of second graders identified as bullies, 65% had felony

convictions by age 24 (Johnson Institute 1996)
 Of boys identified as bullies in middle school, 60% had at least
one conviction and 35-40% had three or more convictions by
age 23 (Limber, National School Safety Center, 1996)
 Bullies are more likely to abuse their wives, use harsh physical
discipline to punish their children and raise children to be
bullies (Hodges & Perry, National School Safety Center, 1996)
 28% of Public School Teachers report being verbally abused,
15% have been threatened with injury and 3% reported being
physically harmed. (Johnson, LD, 1993)
www.unf.edu/dept/fie/sdfs/notes/bullying.pdf
Did you know?:
 A national study of 15,686 students
in grades six through 10, published
last year in the Journal of the
American Medical Association (Vol.
285, No. 16) is among the most
recent to document the scope of
bullying in U.S. schools.

 The journal cited that 17 percent of

students reported having been
bullied "sometimes" or more
frequently during the school term.
About 19 percent reported bullying
others "sometimes" or more often.
And six percent reported both
bullying and having been bullied.
What makes someone into a Bully?:

 Research has shown that those

who bully may live in families that
teach their children that those in
power are also the decision-
makers. This can sometimes lead
to an external locus of control,
and can lead children to believe
that their behavior is appropriate
unless they encounter someone
more powerful.
 Students also sometimes
become bullies in part through an
osmosis of violence from their
surroundings. They can learn this
violent behavior from their home,
their friends, or even the media,
though that last is the subject of
some debate.
What are the Characteristics of a
Bully?:

 People of any age, gender, or

background can be both the bully and/or
the recipient of bullying behavior
 Males are more likely to be bullies and
victims of bullying than females. Males
are more likely to be physically bullied,
while females are more likely to be
verbally or psychologically bullied.
 Bullies and victims of bullying have
difficulty adjusting to their environments,
both socially and psychologically. Victims
of bullying have greater difficulty making
friends and are lonelier.
 Bullies are more likely to smoke and
drink alcohol, and to be poorer students.
 Bully-victims who are both bullies and
recipients of bullying--tend to experience
social isolation, to do poorly in school
and take part in smoking and drinking.
www.edgov/admins/lead/safety/training/bullyingT
What are the Characteristics of a
Target?:

Bully Targets tend to be the same kids year

after year. The only physical feature which
is predictive of victimization is physical
weakness.
Chronic abuse from peers is linked to a wide
variety of adjustment problems and negative
behavior including depression, anxiety, low self
esteem, loneliness, chronic disruptiveness,
violence towards others and suicide.
Many targets:
 Eternalize problems
 Can be argumentative, pushy, disruptive and
irritating
 Are quick to blame others
 React to bullying through anger and violence
 May bring weapons to school
www.unf.edu/dept/fie/sdfs/notes/bullying.pdf
How Girls and
Boys Differ:

Girls:
Girls bully by using emotional violence.
They do things that make others feel
alienated and alone.
Some of the tactics used by girls who bully
include:
 anonymous prank phone calls or harassing
emails from dummy accounts
 playing jokes or tricks designed to embarrass
and humiliate
 deliberate exclusion of other kids for no real
reason
 whispering in front of other kids with the intent
to make them feel left out
 name calling, rumor spreading and other
malicious verbal interactions
 being friends one week and then turning against
a peer the next week with no incident or reason
for the alienation
 encouraging other kids to ignore or pick on a
specific child
 inciting others to act out violently or
aggressively
Boys:
In contrast to girls, boys of any age and
ethnic group tend to be physically
aggressive Also, research shows that
physical abuse tends to occur more often
among boys than girls at all educational
levels.
Some of the tactics used by boys who bully
include:
 Physical attacks
 Name calling, insults
 Extortion (frequently of lunch money, and
handheld game systems)
 Threats
 Unwelcome touch
www.unf.edu/dept/fie/sdfs/notes/bullying.pdf

http://teenadvice.about.com/od/violencebullying/a/girl
bullies.htm
3 Reasons for Bullying:

 According to Olweus, a bullying

prevention program associated
with Clemson University, there
are three reasons why students
demonstrate bullying behavior:

1. being rewarded in some way

for their behavior with either
material or psychological
rewards
2. a strong need for power and
(negative) dominance
3. satisfaction in causing injury
and suffering to other students
Bullying in the Information Age:
 Unfortunately, while technology
has provided us with the ability
to do a lot of things more
efficiently, it has also provided
bullies with new tools and
provided their bullying behavior
with a wider audience.
Community networking sites
like Myspace and Facebook
have provided a new platform
for bullying behavior, and cell
phones and text messages
have made it possible for
rumors, true or not, to spread
like never before through a
school or peer group.
Cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying can take Cyberbullying can include
place in any or all of the the following:
following platforms:  Sending mean, vulgar, or
 Chat rooms or discussion threatening messages or
posts images
 Emails  Posting sensitive, private
information about another
 Instant messaging • person
 Cell phones  pretending to be someone else
 Webpages in order to make that person
look bad
 Blogs  Intentionally excluding
someone from an online group
(http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/cyber-bullying.aspx)
“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.”
- Mark Twain
Creating a Safe School:

 There must be long

term support from all
levels at the school,
from classroom
teachers to
administrators, to
guidance, and all other
employees
A Culture of Bullying:

 Bullying is a behavior that can

spread. If one student is bullied
and adults in charge fail to step
in to help resolve the issue,
other students may learn that
such behavior will be tolerated.
Some of these other students
will themselves become bullies,
and others will become victims.
The culture of the school as a
whole can be affected for the
worse when bullying is
condoned by a lack of action by
adults in charge
How to Create an
Environment of NonViolence:

 School wide commitment to supporting all students academic and social

success
 Challenging and engaging curriculum
 Caring, trusting faculty-student relationships
 Genuine and equal respect for students and teachers of diverse backgrounds,
races & ethnicities
 Clear guidelines for behavior, consistently enforced
 Instruction in social interaction and problem solving skills
 student participation in school decision making
 Mechanisms for communication without fear of reprisal
 Emphasis on pro-social behaviors
 Close working relationships with community agencies and families
 Open discussion of safety issues
(Ormrod p. 506)
Tools for Prevention:
 Training for bystanders on how to be an ally to the target
 Support for targets (self-empowerment, assertiveness skills and social
skills)
 One on One counseling for bullies and targets as needed
 Re-channeling bullies need for power into more positive directions
(leadership skills training, cross-age peer mentoring)
 Effective involvement and training of parents
 Breaking the code of silence to encourage reporting to both school
staff and parents
 Structural changes that reduce the risk of bullying (increased
supervision in places where students are vulnerable, policies such as
buddies for bathroom trips)
 Community involvement
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying_prevent_guide.pdf
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong,
but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold,
but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be
humble, but not timid; be proud, but not
arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Creating a Safe Classroom
Environment:

 Teach students what bullying

behavior is, and alternate tools
for solving their problems or
addressing their issues of
concern.
 Encourage a good relationship
and open communication
between students and their
parents, teachers, and
administrators.
 Parents should be encouraged
to notify school officials and
seek help if bullying is a
concern.
3 Simple Rules for Everyone:

 Respect
Yourself
 Respect Others
 Respect Your
Environment
Create a Cooperative Classroom:
Teachers should establish clear
ground rules for student behavior:

 Listen to others politely and

attentively
 Make sure that everyone has an
equal chance to participate
 Make sure that everyone
understands the material
 Ask clear, precise questions when
confused
 Give encouragement and
assistance to others
 Address differences of opinion
amiably and constructively
(Ormrod p. 468)
Encourage Bystanders to:

 Include students who

are excluded
 Not join in when others
are being targeted
 Join together with other
students to stand up for
the target or report
incidents to adults
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying
_prevent_guide.pdf
Early Intervention:
 Perhaps 10 to 15 percent of our students will need some sort of
intervention to help them interact effectively with peers and
teachers. Such intervention cannot be a one-size-fits-all
approach but must instead be tailored to students' particular
strengths and needs.
 Regardless of their nature, interventions are more effective
when they occur early in the game - before students go too far
down the path of antisocial behavior - and when they are
developed by a multidisciplinary team of teachers and other
professionals who bring various areas of expertise to the
planning table.
 Research shows that when a child reaches age 8 aggressive
tendencies may already be firmly in place
(Ormrod p. 507)
Can Bullies Change?:

Research shows that prevention and intervention can make a

difference. We can teach bullies alternate ways to meet their
needs by:
 Intervening immediately with constructive discipline.
 Creating opportunities for bullies to feel powerful in positive
ways (e.g. making a difference in the lives of others, protecting
more vulnerable youth).
 Nurturing empathy.
 Teaching pro-social skills (e.g. communication, expression of
feelings, problem solving, nonviolent communication.
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying_prevent_guide.pdf
Signs of
Violent Behavior:
 Experts have identified
numerous warning signs
that a student may be
contemplating violent
actions against others. Any
one of them alone is unlikely
to signal a violent attack but
several of them in
combination should lead us
to consult with school
administrators and specially
trained professionals about
the student(s) of concern
(Ormrod p.508)
 Social Withdrawal
 Excessive feelings of isolation, rejection, or
persecution
 Rapid Decline in academic performance
 Poor coping skills
 Lack of anger control
 Sense of superiority, self-centeredness and lack
of empathy
 Lengthy grudges
 Violent themes in drawings and written work
 Intolerance of individual and group differences
 History of violence, aggression and other
discipline
 Association with violent peers


Inappropriate role models
Excessive drug or alcohol use
 Inappropriate access to firearms
 Threats of violence
Signs a Child is
Being Bullied:

All types of bullying may have a Other Signs a child may be a

tremendous impact on targeted bully’s target:
children. They may:
 Avoids activities that used to be fun
 feel depressed,
 anxious,  Unexplained cuts and bruises
 eat or sleep less or more,  Asking for stolen property to be
 have difficulty concentrating on replaced
school work,  Losing lunch money
 have trouble making friends with  Falling out with previous friends
others,
 Lie or steal,
 Suddenly moody and bad tempered
 run away from home,  Suddenly quiet and withdrawn
 avoid school  Refusing to talk about what
 consider suicide. happens at school
Children may not want to tell anyone if  Aggression with siblings
they feel they deserve this type of  Doing less well with schoolwork
treatment, caused it, or that telling would
make it worse (which the bully may have  Talking about not having friends
threatened).
http://www.education.com/reference/article/difference-between-
boy-and-girl-bullies/?page=2
“When a resolute young fellow steps up to the
great bully, the world, and takes him boldly
by the beard, he is often surprised to find it
comes off in his hand, and that it was only
tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.”

- Harvey Firestone
What to do if Bullying Occurs in Your
Classroom:

 "As teachers our frequent

interactions with students
put us in an ideal position to
identify those who may need
intensive intervention....
Although we must be ever
vigilant about indicators that
a student may be planning
to cause harm to others.. we
must never use the warning
signs as a reason to unfairly
accuse, isolate or punish a
student"
(Ormrod p. 507)
Teacher Responsibilities:

 As with most situations,

teachers need to keep
accurate and detailed records
of each bullying incident they
observe. This can help to not
only keep any conferences on
track with just the facts and
prevent difficulties involving
hazy memories, but can also
help the school differentiate
between an isolated incident
and a pattern of behavior.
Demonstrate Leadership:
 Your role is to perpetuate the
tone set by the school as a
strong leader for young people.
A leader does not always have
the answers to a problem but
rather poses the questions.
They make it safe for others to
make mistakes and help them
learn from them. A leader
treats the classroom as a stage
for learning rather than a
platform for performing.
 Take the necessary steps to
make your classroom a model
for cooperative learning.
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying_prevent
_guide.pdf
What to Do…

 Report all bullying immediately.

Guidance counselors and
administrators should be made
aware of these situations.
 Ensure that students
understand not only what
traditional bullying is, but what
cyberbullying is as well.
 Ensure that school and district
rules and policies adequately
address bullying, and that those
policies are enforced.
 Know the policies and
procedures in place at your
school
Destructive behaviors develop in part from a
complex web of familial, economic and cultural
circumstances. These factors are part of the fabric
of life and difficult to attack. Yet strategies that
help children develop the resilience to cope
adaptively with modern day stresses can be
effective and it is there schools need to focus their
efforts.
-Collaborative for the Advancement of Social and
Emotional Learning.
Broward County School District
Policies and Procedures on Bullying:

 By August 2011, each school will have a designated school violence

and safety liason. This individual will be trained in and will be
responsible for disseminating threat prevention training, prevention
methods, intervention, and curriculum, for bullying and other issues
that impact the school.
 At each school, the principal/designee is responsible for receiving oral
or written complaints alleging violations of this policy, as with all
infractions from the Student Code of Conduct. All District faculty and
staff are required and must report, in writing, any allegations of bullying
or violations of this Policy to the principal/designee or appropriate
area/district administrator. Failure to report will result in discipline,
consistent with the collective bargaining agreement provisions, up to
and including termination of employment.

www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
Incident Reporting Requirements:
 The procedure for including incidents of bullying in the school’s
report of safety and discipline data is required under F.S.
1006.09(6). The report must include each incident of bullying
and the resulting consequences, including discipline,
interventions and referrals. In a separate section, the report
must include each reported incident of bullying or harassment
that does not meet the criteria of a prohibited act under this
policy, with recommendations regarding said incident. recorded
on the specified data system, as with other infractions from the
Code of Student Conduct.

www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
Student Complaints:
 Any student (and/or the parent on that complainant's behalf if the
complainant is a minor) who believes he/she is a victim of bullying (or any
individual, including any student who has knowledge of any incident(s)
involving bullying of students) is strongly encouraged to report the
incident(s) in writing to a school official.
 Anonymous reports may be made utilizing the Broward County Public
Schools Anonymous Bullying Report Form. This reporting form can be
found on the School District’s website www.browardschools.com (click on
special investigative unit; click on report anonymous tips), at each school’s
front office, or at each area/district/department site. Anonymous reports
may be delivered to the school administration’s front office, put in the
school’s reporting box, or through the Special InvestigativeUnit via their
internet website www.broward.k12.fl.us/siu or Emergency/Silence Hurts
Tipline at (754) 321-0911.
 Complaints should be filed as soon as possible after the alleged incident
and noted on the specified data system, but must be filed within ninety
(90) school days after the alleged incident
www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
Bullying Complaints and Resolution:

 The investigation of a reported

act of bullying of a student,
school-based employee, or
other persons providing service
to the school is deemed to be a
school-related activity and
begins with a report of such an
act. The principal will document
all complaints in writing and
through the appropriate data
system to ensure that problems
are addressed in a timely
manner.
www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
Referral for Intervention:
 Referral of a student to the collaborative problem-solving team for consideration
of appropriate services is made through the school problem-solving process by
school personnel or parent. Parent notification is required. When such a report
of formal discipline or formal complaint is made, the principal will refer the
student(s) to the collaborative problem-solving team for determination of need
for counseling support and interventions.
 School-based intervention and assistance will be determined by the
collaborative problem-solving team and may include, but is not limited to:
1. counseling and support to address the needs of the victims of bullying.
2. counseling interventions to address the behavior of the students who bully
(e.g., empathy training, anger management).
3. intervention which includes assistance and support provided to parents.
4. analysis and evaluation of school culture with resulting recommendations
for interventions aimed at increasing peer ownership and support.
www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
“You must be the change you wish to see in
the world”
-Mohandas Gandhi
Innovative Anti-Bullying Programs:

 The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program was initially

developed in Norway, and has shown some success in
preventing bullying in scientifically designed tests administered
in the United States. This school wide program includes
conducting regular, usually weekly, classroom meetings in
which the class focuses on bullying and other peer relations.
This is one reason the program has had limited implementation,
as teachers are under pressure to use all the time available to
them for content instruction. In order for meetings to be
successful, teachers should be skilled in facilitating discussions
about student behavior. http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/
STEPS TO RESPECT:

 Teachers often shrink back from the idea of adding

one more curriculum to their list of initiatives, but the
STEPS TO RESPECT program helps support some
of the critical needs that schools already face: "We
have to relate to one another—let's do it consciously.
We have to read books—let's get kids reading
conscience-raising books [that deal with] getting
along with others and problem solving.“ says
Barbara Coloroso, (author of “The Bully, The Bullied and The
Bystander”).

www.tooter4kids.com/bullying.htm
Don’t Laugh at Me:

 Operation Respect: Don’t Laugh at Me, founded by Peter

Yarrow of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, the organization
disseminates educational resources such as the Don’t Laugh at
Me (DLAM) programs; one for grades 2-5, another for grades 6-
8, and a third for summer camps and after school programs.
Through music, video, and classroom activities, the "Don't
Laugh at Me" (DLAM) programs help sensitize children to the
painful effects of behaviors that too often are accepted as
necessary rites of passage in childhood - ridicule, disrespect,
ostracism and bullying.
Available through www.dontlaugh.org
Two Prevention Ideas:
 One school in Gloucester, MA has an adult greet every bus
each morning to see if there were any incidents needing
following up. This approach has proved extremely effective in
reducing bullying on the bus.
 In Lowell, MA a teacher died after sustaining injuries breaking
up a student fight on school grounds. Now after reciting the
pledge of allegiance all student members recite this poem:
I shall use my hands for peace, not pain
I shall use my heart for love, not hate
I shall use my voice for song, not slurs
I shall strive each day to grow and learn
I shall live my life so all will gain
What Works to Prevent Bullying?:

 Fairly consistent evidence suggests that children's bullying

behavior can be significantly reduced by well-planned
interventions. The chance of success is greater if the
intervention incorporates a whole-school approach involving
multiple disciplines and the whole school community. The
school staff's commitment to implementing the intervention also
may play a crucial role in its success. The use of curriculum or
targeted social skills groups alone less often results in any
decrease in bullying and sometimes worsens bullying and
victimization. Caution should be exercised in supposing that
antibullying interventions invariably produce the intended
results.
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/161/1/78
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow
yourself to be made a victim. Accept no
one's definition of your life, but define
yourself.”
- Benjamin Disraeli
Web Resources:

http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying.page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Meier
http://cfchildren.org/issues/bully/coloroso
www.tooter4kids.com/bullying.htm
http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/bullying
www.browardschools.com/schools/pdf/bully/anti-bullypolicy
www.edgov/admins/lead/safety/training/bullyingT
http://teenadvice.about.com/od/violencebullying/a/girlbullies.ht
m
www.unf.edu/dept/fie/sdfs/notes/bullying.pdf
http://www.education.com/reference/article/difference-between-
boy-and-girl-bullies/?page=2
Books & Articles:
Books:
Espelage, Dorothy L. and Susan M. Swearer. Bullying in American Schools. New Jersey:
Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, 2004.
Roberts, Walter B. Working with Parents of Bullies and Victims. California: Corwin Press,
2008.
Barton, Elizabeth A. Bully Prevention, Second Edition. California: Corwin Press, 2006.
Besag, Valerie E., Ian Rivers, and Neil Duncan. Bullying. Connecticut: Praeger, 2007.
Bean, Allan L. Protect Your Child from Bullying. California: Jossey-Bass, 2008
Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis Educational Psychology, Fifth Edition. Ohio: Pearson, 2006

Articles:
Laura Parker-Roerdan, David Rudiweck and Donald Gorton, Direct From the Field; A Guide
to Bullying Prevention Sponsored by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying_prevent_guide.pdf

Rachel C. Vreeman MD and Aaron E. Carroll MD, MS, A Systematic Review of School-
Based Interventions to Prevent Bullying , Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine,
Vol 161(1) 2007