Bullying:

1
Bullying What We Can Do Stuart Green, DMH,
LCSW NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness and
Prevention www.njbullying.org Associate
Director, Overlook Family Medicine Behavioral
Scientist, Overlook Medical Center, Atlantic
Health System
2
Our Students/Their World Key Findings from 2010
Survey of One School Districts High School
Students Almost one in three students regularly
feel hopeless (about their school
careers). Almost one-half of students have no
vision for their future beyond high school. And
more than one-third dont believe that any of us
care. (ref. Jean Synodinos, ICF Macro, OSDFS
National Conference, August 8, 2011)
3

• The Wingspread Declaration on School Connections
  (Journal of School Health, 2004).
• 1) Connectedness from strengthened bonds with
  school.
• 2) Requires high expectations, feel supported,
  feel safe.
• 3) Impacts academic performance, fighting,
  truancy, drop out rates.
• 4) Result improved educational motivation,
  higher classroom engagement, better attendance,
  then higher academic achievement.
• 5) Related (pos. corr.) less disruptive
  behavior, less substance and tobacco use, less
  emotional distress, later age of first sex.
• 6) Built through fair and consistent discipline,
  trust, high expectations, effective
  curriculum/teaching strategies, feeling connected
  to at least one member of the school staff.

4

• WHAT TO DO
• Whole School or Systemic Model (e.g.,
  Olweus/OBPP), or School Climate Model (e.g.,
  Cohen/NSCC), or Elias/Rutgers-CASEL
• school the most common site
• change the culture of schools
• adult-initiated and led (children involved)
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

5
What Does Not Work and What Does (ref. Stan
Davis/Youth Voices Project) Does Not
Work -telling youth to solve their own
problems (leaves least able least
protected) -telling youth to ignore it or say
stop -telling youth bullying is wrong Does
Work -positive staff-student connections -fair/co
nsistent rules and discipline collectively agreed
upon/fairly enforced -staff action to discourage
and interrupt low-level mean student behavior
(fire prevention vs. fire fighting) -supporting
mistreated youth -positive peer norms/actions
6

• Strengthen School Climate
• emphasize warmth, engagement, inclusion,
  community
• positive relations and shared understanding
  between staff
• positive staff-student interactions
• support/inclusion for all (diverse
  clubs/activities, proactive education, increase
  support for vulnerable groups)
• character education /social-emotional learning/
  universal social skills training
• clear/consensus expectations ('how we do things
  here')
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

7

• School-Wide
• Administrative support
• Coordinating group/staff discussions/training
• Assessment (surveys, reporting system)
• Positive staff-staff and staff-student relations
• Proactive effort to identify all
  incidents/relationships
• Supervise high-risk areas (schoolyard,
  lunchroom, school bus, team activities, locker
  room, cyberspace)
• Consistent rules and sanctions (staff consensus)
• (well-known to students, staff, parents,
  community)
• Involve parents

8
Bystander questionnaire Here is a picture of a
person being bullied with a number of people
watching. The person being threatened may be
called the victim. The person threatening is
the bully.
How often does this sort of thing happen at your
school. Place a check by your answer Every
day Most days of the week Once or twice a
week Less than once a week Never or hardly
ever Now please think carefully about what you
think you would do if you were watching what was
happening. Write a sentence or two about what
you think you would do Did you (check one)
___ ignore it. ___ tell the teacher. ___
support the victim. ___ support the bully. Now
write a sentence saying why you checked the one
you did.
9
Bystander behaviour (edited, from
www.kenrigby.net) A classroom approach to
promoting positive bystander behavior 1.
Involve the whole class 2. Provide the
questionnaire, ask students to complete it,
anonymously. 3. Read to students some of the
things they wrote.  4. Begin by selecting
positive things. Some students will spontaneously
own what they wrote. Do not pressure anyone to
do so.  5. Acknowledge misgivings children have
about helping by picking out comments that
indicate reluctance to intervene - discuss
reasons given.  6. Discuss with the class ways
in which bystanders can discourage bullying
without taking unacceptable risks. 7. Consider
as a class a project in which students as
bystanders try out ways of discouraging
bullying.  8. Role play situations and possible
responses by bystanders. 9. Get the class to
report back on actions taken and outcomes.
10
(No Transcript)
11

• Classroom
• Clear, consistent rules
• Regular meetings
• Collaborative learning
• Curriculum integration
• Proactive work on relationships
• Parent involvement

12

• Individual
• Proactive information-gathering on vulnerability
  and relations
• Meeting with each child who was bullied and
  call/see parent (apologize, take responsibility,
  absolve)
• Meeting with each child who bullied and call
  parent
• Consequences for the bullying child (reasonable,
  invariable, escalating), then (post-incident)
  reflection/empathy
• Assure and arrange increased support for the
  bullied child.
• Active monitoring after incidents.

13

• STAFF RESPONSES TO NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS
• Behaviors that violate law - Report/follow policy
• Severe risk of harm - Report/follow rubric
• Moderate severity - Intervene and track behavior
• Unacceptable - Intervene, using own approaches
  (e.g., That behavior is not allowed here
  because..., discuss why the behavior is not
  allowed Why do you think we dont allow those
  words?, use immediate micro-consequences Sit
  over there to help you remember not to say (or
  do) that again., encourage students to reflect
  about their actions What did you do? What was
  wrong with that?, signal the student that the
  action is unacceptable via a look, a signal, a
  short whispered conversation, or a brief talk
  after class is over)
• Negative but acceptable - Use discretion
• (e.g., ignore, advise, use mediation strategies
  if both students have done something wrong, or
  use small, in-the- moment consequences)
• Ref Stan Davis, www.stopbullyingnow.com

14
Seven Measures Which Positively Impact
Bullying 1. collaborative learning models2.
friendship circles3. mentoring to strengthen
school engagement4. diverse clubs/activities 5.
proactive diversity education 6. staff-student
positive relations 7. staff-staff positive
relations S. Green, www.njbullying.org
15
(No Transcript)
16

• WHAT THE NJ LAW NOW REQUIRES OF SCHOOLS
• School district chief appoints a district
  anti-bullying coordinator (ABC)
• Principal in each school appoints an
  Anti-Bullying Specialist (ABS). (a guidance
  counselor school psychologist or other school
  employee similarly trained) (ABS chairs the
  school safety team leads investigation of HIB
  incidents acts as the primary official
  preventing, identifying and addressing HIB
  incidents)
• School safety team (SST) is formed in each
  school SST helps facilitate positive school
  climate. The SST includes the principal or
  designee, teacher, ABS, parent of a student in
  the school others determined by principal. SST
  receives records of all complaints of HIB
  receives copies of HIB investigation reports
  identifies and addresses patterns of HIB reviews
  HIB-related school policies and strengthens
  school climate educates the community (Note
  parent member has no access to confidential
  student information from complaints,
  investigations, or other sources.)
• Report verbally to principal on same day when
  school employee or contracted provider witnesses
  or receives reliable information about any
  incident.
• Report in writing within two days of verbal
  report (the day the incident is witnessed or
  information about the incident received).
• Procedure to include a provision permitting a
  person to anonymously report an act of HIB
  however, this must not be construed to permit
  formal disciplinary action solely on the basis of
  an anonymous report.
• Initiate investigation within 1 day of receiving
  report of incident, conducted by a school
  anti-bullying specialist in coordination with the
  principal.
• Investigation completed no later than 10 school
  days from date of written report of the incident.
• Result of investigation reported to school
  districts chief admin within two school days of
  completion of investigation.

17
What can parents do about bullying? (1)

• Good relations/communication with children.
• Inform yourself.
• Expect/ ask/ demand adequate school action.
• Expect/ ask/ demand that owners of social
  organizations, including networking sites and
  internet providers, address bullying.
• Ask your child how children treat other
  children at school (and how your child is
  treated) listening is more important than
  advice.
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

18
What can parents do about bullying? (2)

• When you hear children speak badly of another
  child, gently express discomfort, and empathy for
  the scorned child.
• Be present at your child's school don't wait to
  be invited, ask to volunteer.
• Take action with other concerned parents. Meet
  (as a group) with school leaders ask
  specifically about the schools approach.
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

19
What can parents do about bullying? (3)

• Never ignore bullying, don't walk by if you
  can't intervene directly, report it.
• Support bullied kids in every possible way.
• Seek legal advice and government support.
• Don't accept leaders who bully, including
  teachers speak out, insist on change.
• Consider changing schools, if possible, as a
  last resort.
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

20

• WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO (1)
• Proactively identify all incidents/relationships
• Actively scan for bullying involvement, consider
  bullying as a factor or even cause of
  problems/behavioral changes
• Actively identify/track at-risk children
• Anticipatory education/support when students
  likely to be targeted
• Intensify/focus on (creative) support for at-risk
  children through activities, relationship-building
  , collaboration with counseling resources
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

21

• WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO (2)
• Have a bullying-aware classroom (materials,
  meetings)  
• Address/engage negative peer 'leaders
• Be clear about what works and doesnt work
• Model positive relations with other
  teachers/staff
• Increase positive staff (teachers, aides, any
  adults in classroom) and student interactions
• S.Green, www.njbullying.org

22

• WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO (3)
• Self-aware of biases and compensate
• Pay as much positive attention to improvement as
  to achievement
• Emphasize/support/value diversity (even more so
  if low staff-student matching
• Use character education /social-emotional
  learning /universal social skills approaches
• Clear (ideally consensus) expectations ('how we
  do things here')
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

23

• WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO (4)
• Consistent rules/sanctions (well-known to
  students, staff, parents, community)
• Be part of coordinating group/staff
  discussions/training
• Help monitor/survey/data-collect on bullying
• Let students provide anonymous data (to you, and
  to pass along to admin)
• Actively supervise high-risk areas/activities
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

24

• WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO (5)
• Collaborative learning (jigsaw Aronson)
• Curriculum integration (all subjects)
• Parent involvement
• Normative attitude that bullying is wrong
• An atmosphere of warmth, acceptance and support
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

25
What Can Professionals Do?

• Screen for bullying involvement, consider
  bullying as a factor or even a cause of
  presenting problems
• Proactive identification of at-risk children,
  creative support through school action and/or
  preventive counseling
• Have a bullying-aware office
• Challenge negative leaders
• As a community leader, expect schools to address
  bullying, raise parental expectations
• Be clear about what works and doesnt work
• Advocate for stronger law
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

26

• Systemic approach works
• shown to reduce bullying in intervention studies
  in multiple countries, including the U.S., with
  improvements in subsequent years if
• if administrative commitment and support
• if staff buy-in
• if ongoing
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

27

• Be clear about what doesnt work
• Zero tolerance or 3 strikes
• Social skills training/psychotherapy
• as primary modalities and only directed at those
  bullying or those bullied when incidents have
  occurred
• Peer mediation and conflict resolution
• One-shot (e.g., assemblies)
• or short-term interventions.
• (NY Times, 3/6/12, The wrong approach to
  discipline. Re Fed DOE/OCR report)
• S. Green, www.njbullying.org

28

• Iatrogenic Effects of Interventions for Youth w/
  Anti-Social Behaviors
• It is common to group students with anti-social
  behaviors together in anger management, social
  skills, and similar intervention classes
• Research demonstrates that in most cases, these
  students reinforce each others negative beliefs
  and attitudes, greatly diminishing intervention
  effects, sometimes making things worse
• It can be more effective to develop partially
  heterogeneous intervention groups that include
  some less at-risk participants
• Such groups require highly trained and
  experienced group facilitators to help minimize
  these iatrogenic effects
• In addition to participating in interventions,
  youth with anti-social behaviors can benefit from
  activities with more pro-social youth, suggesting
  that schools need to promote such opportunities
  

29
Current Zero Tolerance Discipline Practices Lack
Scientific Support
Zero tolerance is not effective. Suspension is
associated with poorer student outcomes.
30

• Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution Approaches
• Inadvisable to address bullying incidents
• Children who are bullied can be traumatized by
  such engagement with the peers who harmed them
• Bullied children may be subjected to further
  bullying as a result
• Conflict resolution misconstrues bullying as
  peer conflict rather than a type of personal
  assault.
• Peer mediation often sends a message that each
  person is partly right and partly
  wronginappropriate for bullying
• Apart from HIB, conflict resolution (lacking a
  strong evidence base) can be prudently used for
  mild forms of conflict and to promote social
  problem solving
• Matthew Mayer, Rutgers University

31
OLWEUS Our moral obligation to help bullied
children.
32
RESOURCES NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness
and Prevention www.njbullying.org, (908)
522-2581 Stan Davis Schools Where Everyone
Belongs www.stopbullyingnow.com) National School
Climate Center (www.schoolclimate.org) www.stopbu
llyingnow.hrsa.gov www.cyberbullying.us www.bull
yinginfo.gov www.csriu.org www.responsiveclassro
om.org www.kenrigby.net