Transcript Dignity for All Students Act

Effective July 1, 2012
 An
intentional act of aggression,
based on an imbalance of power,
that is meant to harm a victim
either physically or psychologically
 Usually
occurs repeatedly and over
time, however sometimes can be
identified in a single event

39% of students reported that bullying, name calling and
harassment pose a serious problem at school.

66% reported that people at school were harassed at least
“sometimes” because of their looks or body size

57% reported that students were bullied or harassed “sometimes”
because of the way they expressed their gender

50% of high school students (2010) admit they bullied someone
in the past year

47% admit that they were bullied or teased or taunted in a way
that seriously upset them in the past year.
(Glsen, 2010) No Law in South Dakota and New Mexico
71% were bullied at least once a week
Who are these kids?
 With learning disabilities
 With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
 With medical conditions that affect
appearance
 With obesity, particularly girls
 Who stutter or have paralysis of one side of
their body
The Dignity for All Students Act prohibits harassment with respect
to certain non-exclusive protected classes including, but not
limited to:
Actual or perceived race
Color
Weight (size)
National origin
Ethnic group
Religion
Religious practice
Disability
Sexual orientation
Gender identity or
Sex
(N.Y. Educ. Law§§ 10-18. 801-a)

Requires all school staff to report any incident of
bullying and CYBERBULLYING to the school principal
or superintendent
“Cyberbullying has become a dangerous trend and this
legislation gives parents and students the tools needed to
overcome it. Standardized policies and procedures will guide
teachers and school staff so that they are better equipped to
respond to harassment and bullying within the classroom and
beyond.”
Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski (D- New City, NY)
Requires districts and schools to prevent, monitor, and address
bullying through:

Designation of a Dignity Act Coordinator to be trained in nondiscriminatory instructional and counseling methods and in
handling human relationships

Staff training to raise awareness and sensitivity of school
employees to issues of harassment and discrimination

Sensitivity and tolerance curricula for students

Revising the Code of Conduct to create a school environment
free from harassment and discrimination

Reporting of bullying incidents to the State through a designated
reporting system
PHYSICAL
Hitting, punching, tripping
Kicking, pushing, scratching
Damaging/stealing property
VERBAL
Name calling, teasing, taunting
Making offensive remark
Making discriminatory remarks
Verbally threatening, intimidating
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL/RELATIONAL
Excluding or threatening to exclude
Spreading rumors, gossiping
Ostracizing, alienating
Using threatening looks or gestures
Extortion
CYBERBULLYING
Use of the Internet or cell phone to
harass and intimidate
MALES
FEMALES
Use physical aggression
such as hitting,
pushing, slapping and
elbowing each other
Use social alienation
tactics and intimidation,
such as exclusion,
manipulation, malicious
gossip, or spiteful notes
Uses extortion
Uses extortion
 A bully at school is often victimized at home
Child is observing mom, dad or siblings as the bully and identifying
with them
The bully frequently comes from a home void of warmth
The bully’s primary caretaker is often premissive and allows aggressive
behavior towards peers, siblings and adults
A bully is often subjected to physical punishment and exposed to
violent outbursts by his/her caretaker
 Bullying
is classified as a “conduct disorder” by
the American Psychiatric Association
 Bullies
have average levels of self esteem
 Bullies
have a strong need for power and
dominance
 Bullies
enjoy being in control and like to subdue
 Bullies
see hostility even when it is not present
others

Bullying incidents are too often unnoticed or ignored

No clear rules and consequences

Culture of “tattling” rather than “telling” or “ratting”
rather than reporting

Little Principal involvement with students

Poor cohesiveness and communication among staff
members and between the staff and the Principal

Lack of respect among all constituents
 The
Bully
 The
Target/Victim
 The
Bystander
Bully may possess a superior trait
Attractive
Athletic
Sociable
Bully leads by intimidating others to follow to
avoid becoming the next target
Bully gains power by the amount of followers –
MORE FOLLOWERS=MORE POWER
 Lack
Empathy
 Display Verbally Aggressive Behavior
 Display Physically Aggressive Behavior
 Possess average levels of self-esteem
 Intimidate Classmates
 Seek Power in Relationships
 Provoke Fights
 Change
the dynamic of power so that the
bully is not overtly or covertly reinforced by
the teacher, coach or other authority figures
 Listen
to the bully and give him/her a point
person to speak with whose role is to help
the bully use their leadership skills in a
positive, cooperative and collaborative
manner
PASSIVE
 Social Anxiety
Disorder
 Lack Social Skills
(socially awkward)
 Pleasers
 Compliant
 Fear of Confrontation


PROACTIVE
 Restless
 Irritating
to others
 Seen teasing and doesn’t
know when to stop
 Likely to fight back, but
lose
 Emotional
 Often diagnosed with
Attention Deficit
Disorder
 Can
be anyone
 Reported
higher rates of depression than
cyber bullies or bully victims
 May
not be able to identify their harasser and
are more likely to feel isolated, dehumanized
or helpless at the time of the attack
 Anxiety
 Loss
of self-esteem into adulthood
 Lower grades
 Lower attendance/involvement
 Decreased socialization/increased isolation
 Physical Symptoms: headache, fatigue,
stomach problems
 Increase in acting out behavior
 Suicide/Homicide
 Provide
class experiences where victim is
paired with other students to increase pool of
relationships and desensitize others to victim
 Encourage
independent thinking for victim
and class, in order to resist bully
 Give
victims a point person to go to for
support and to report incidences.




PASSIVELY accept bullying by watching and doing
nothing
PROVIDE the audience that a bully craves and the
silent acceptance that allow bullies to continue
bullying behavior
INSTIGATE the bullying by provoking the bully
ENCOURAGE the bullying by laughing, cheering
or making comments that further stimulate the
bully
 Identification
with the Aggressor
 Victims
who have been repeatedly bullied
often have an increase in aggression
 When
they are put in a position of control or
power they identify with the bully and do
onto others what has been done to them
 Thus
the victim becomes the bully
 Display
warmth, positive tone, interest and
involvement
 Talk
to each other and students with respect
and understanding
 Alert
other staff members if they are
displaying unacceptable behavior towards a
student
 Structure
activities to minimize opportunities
for exclusion




Be aware of student friendships and create working
partnerships and groups for students that promote
positive interactions
Hold class meetings that allow students to air concerns
and feelings (group guidance, advisory)
Watch out for bullying behavior and intervene...
Follow established guidelines for hierarchal
consequences that have been established for bullying
behavior (physical, social, emotional)
 This
slide will consist on forms that the
Dignity Act Coordinators decide on and may
include:
Reporting form
Class Survey
Interview procedure forms for bully, victim
and bystanders
Adirondack Educational Center
Philip Beaney – CTE Outreach Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (518) 891-1330 ext. 2012
North Franklin Educational Center
Lorraine Childs – Principal
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (518) 483-5230 ext. 3011
Thank you for your time and
attention.