Transcript Bullying

Bullying
Presentation for the parents of
Saint Mary’s Academy
By Kit Dennis
Introduction
This presentation has been designed to help
the parents at Saint Mary’s Academy better
understand the Anti-Bullying/Harassment
Laws as well as present some of the evidence
based best practice in preventing and
reducing bullying and harassment.
Purpose
The state of Massachusetts, the diocese of
Springfield and Saint Mary’s Academy are
committed to providing all students with a
safe and civil school environment in which all
members of the school community are
treated with dignity and respect.
In recent years many people have realized
that the significant prevalence of bullying and
harassment is having a negative impact on the
safety and achievement of our students.
Findings
• Harassing and bullying behavior can seriously
disrupt the ability of school employees to
maintain a safe and civil school environment.
• It can also interfere with the ability of
students to learn and succeed.
What is a significant prevalence of
bullying and harassment?
• If we look at the research, this is what we
know about the prevalence of bullying in
Massachusetts and the United States
• Let’s start with a quote and a few sample
stories …
Bullying
“We have this thing about finding some simple
explanation which gives us the illusion that there are
simple solutions…..When you look at school violence
what elevates risk is a whole bunch of things - violence
in the family, violent television, bullying and being
bullied, a culture that promotes violence as a
successful way of getting what you want. It is most
likely that the situation we’re in now is an
accumulation of all these factors as opposed to any
one of them.”
Dr Howard Spivak Professor of Community Health and
Pediatrics at Tufts University
The Stories
• Kelli, a 9th grade girl has just moved to
Massachusetts and starts school in the middle of
the year. She is cute and the boys initially give her
a lot of attention. The girls start rumors about her
and make fun of the way she talks, the clothes
she wears, and even her naturally curly hair. The
boys join in and begin making crude and
unwanted sexual advances. This previously
straight-A and active student drops out of extracurricular activities and fails classes. Her parents
ask the school for help but receive none. She
ended up dropping out of school.
Stories
• Charlie is an 8th grade boy who is studious,
small for his age, and uninvolved in sports.
Charlie has been teased by the popular group
since first grade. By middle school the teasing
escalates to shoves in the hallway, boys calling
him gay, and threats of violence. The principal
suggested that Charlie get involved in sports
to discourage the perpetrators. Nothing
changed and the boy’s parents enrolled him in
a new private school.
Stories
• Jenni is a special needs student. She has Aspergers
Syndrome and has unusual interests and skills. She is a
skilled artist and knows everything you could know
about the history of ballet, but she lacks understanding
of the unwritten code of conduct for teens and is not
up on the last fashion trends. Jenni makes attempts to
connect with peers, but is teased and excluded. After
high school she developed her artistic talents and
became successful in her career and her social life, but
stated that “a lifetime is not long enough to move past
the hurt and self-doubt that exclusion instilled in her.”
Prevalence of bullying and harassment
• Verbal harassment is the most common form
of bullying behavior in middle school and
high school
• Verbal harassment includes name calling,
teasing, and threats.
• It is the most prevalent form of bullying - 34%
of students overall report that it has
happened to them
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Percent of students who reported being bullied at
least once
in the past 30 days
Bullying Behavior by Type
Bullying Behavior by Type
35%
2005 Iowa Youth Survey, state level data
(Approximately 97,000 respondents)
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Prevalence of Bullying
• in the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior survey over
50% of 6th, 8th, and 11th graders reported
being bullied in some way one or more times
in the past 30 days
% of Students Bullied in Some Way in
the Last 30 Days
• This graph is based on eight questions that
asked about different types of bullying. The
percentage represents the students who
reported being bullied in some way one or more
times during the last 30 days. Overall more than
half of all students
• A greater percentage of girls than boys
reported being bullied
• this percentage (50%) could represent 26.5
students in Saint Mary’s 6th and 8th grades
Prevalence of Bullying/Harassment
According to the first 2001 nationally representative U.S. study of
bullying…
17% percent of students reported being bullied
“sometimes” or “more often” during the school
term
19% percent of students reported that they
bullied others “sometimes” or “more often”
during the school term
Bystander Behavior in Bullying
Situation
Policy
• It is the policy of the state of Massachusetts that
school employees, volunteers, and students
shall not engage in bullying or harassing
behavior on school property, at school functions
or during school-sponsored activities.
• School employees, volunteers and students shall
not engage in reprisal, retaliation, or false
accusation against a victim, witness, or an
individual who has reliable information about
such an act of bullying or harassment.
Definitions
A student is being bullied when he or she is
exposed, repeatedly and over time, to
negative actions on the part of one or more
students. Bullying implies an imbalance in
power or strength. The student who is bullied
has difficulty defending himself/herself.
Dan Olweus (1993)
Indirect Bullying Behavior
• Getting another person to assault someone
• Spreading rumors
• Deliberate exclusion from a group or activity
• Cyber-bullying
Direct Bullying Behavior
• Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting…
• Taunting, teasing, degrading racial or sexual
comments
• Threatening, obscene gestures
Relational Bullying
• It can combine direct and indirect bullying
strategies.
• Relational bullying targets relationships and
social status to cause harm to peers
• European and US studies have shown that
relational bullying is equally common among
both boys and girls, although their techniques
tend to vary by gender.
Differences in Behaviors & Intent
• Rough
PlayPlay
Real Fighting
Bullying
Rough
• Real Fighting
• Bullying
• Usually
Usually
friends
– oftenUsually
repeated
friends
– often
not friends –
Typically not friends typically not
• repeated
Usually not friends – typically
notrepeated
repeated repeated
• Typically not friends - repeated
• Balance
Balance
of Power
of Power
Power relatively equal
Unequal power
• Power relatively equal
• Unequal power
• NoNo
Intent
to harm
Intent
to harm
Intent to harm
Intent to harm
• Intent to harm
• Intent to harm
• Affect
Affect
is mutual, positive
is mutual, positive
Affect is aggressive,
Affect is aggressive,
• Affect is aggressive, hostile,
negative negative ( differs for victim
hostile, tense,
tense, negative
• Affect is aggressive, negative ( differs for victim
and
aggressor)
and
aggressor)
The Differences in Behaviors
• It is important to note that while none of
these behaviors are acceptable at school
because of safety and disruption to the
learning environment, bullying is more
harmful and causes a long-term impact on
achievement and the emotional and mental
health of students.
Different Behaviors
Different Consequences
Rough Play
• An elementary student
spits on a friend’s soccer
ball & kicks it away.
• Two middle school
students wrestle during
down time in PE.
• A high school student
pushes a friend as he walks
down the hall.
Real Fighting
• Two 4th grade students
come to blows during
recess.
• Two 8th grade students
start a fight with each
other during athletic
practice.
• Two varsity players throw
punches during a Friday
night game.
Different Behaviors – Different
Consequences
• Bullying = Two 4th grade students continually spit on the
new 4th grade student
• Bullying = An 8th grade student continually pushes a 6th
grade student and calls the student gay
• Bullying = A group of high school students continually post
unflattering pictures of students who are perceived to be of
a different sexual orientation
• Rough play and real fighting are not appropriate behaviors
in school or at athletic events; however, the difference is
that rough play behavior is usually not intended to harm
and happens among friends and peers.
Conditions Resulting from
Bullying/Harassment
Harms student’s person or property.
Affects student’s physical/mental health.
Affects student’s academic performance.
Affects student’s ability to participate -benefit
from the services, activities, or privileges
provided to a student.
Conditions Resulting from
Bullying/Harassment
• Most cases of rough play and real fighting can
have immediate and short –term impact on a
student’s person or property, physical/mental
health….. but not the same long-term impact
as does bullying.
Students Who are Bullied
• Can have lower Academic achievement than
their peers
• Suffer from anxiety and depression
• Have suicidal ideation much more often than
their peers
• internalize their feelings instead of acting out
against others. For example, the first story
about the girl with the naturally curly hair.
There are not always obvious signs that
someone is being bullied
17 Classes Protected by Law
Includes but not limited to:
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Age
Color
Creed
National Origin
Race
Marital Status
Sex
Family Status
Sexual Orientation
• Gender Identity
• Physical Attribution
• Physical or Mental
Ability
• Disability
• Ancestry
• Political Party
Preference
• Socio-economic Status
Characteristics of Students Who are
Bullied
• Cautious, sensitive, quiet, withdrawn, & shy
• Anxious, insecure, unhappy, & low self-esteem
• Depressed & engage in suicidal ideation
• Often do not have a single good friend
• Relate better to adults
• Physically weaker than their peers, if they are boys
Characteristics of Students Who
Engage in Bullying Behavior
•
Positive attitude toward violence & use of violent means
•
Strong need to dominate and subdue others
•
Impulsive and easily angered
•
Show little empathy
•
Defiant and aggressive toward adults
•
Involved in other anti-social or rule-breaking activities (vandalism, delinquency,
substance abuse)
•
If boys, physically stronger
What Doesn’t Work…
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Zero Tolerance Policies
Group Treatment for Students Who Bully
Conflict Resolution
Peer Mediation
One Shot Assemblies
Ignoring the Problem
Components of a Quality Bully
Prevention Program
• School Anti-Bullying Policy
• Increase adult supervision
• Intervene consistently & appropriately
• Focus classroom time on bullying prevention
• Continue the effort over time
Parent School Safety Survey
• How is your child’s experience at school?
• Do you ever worry about your child’s experience
at school?
• Who would you/have you talked to if you had
concerns?
• Why did you choose this person?
• Why do you think they would be a helpful
choice?
• In terms of any of the concerns you described
above how will you know if things are better in
the future?
•
Please complete this survey and return to school by Dec 22, 2010
Thank you for your help and cooperation