Transcript Slide 1

Overview
Highlight for HIB
In-service
A school-based overview related to NJSA: 18A, 37-15 (3)(b)(3)
In-service presentation, 9/2/08
John C. Lestino, MA
District School Psychologist
Edgewater Park Schools
Three Sound Bites to Remember
• School Climate is most important factor
affecting nature and extent of bullying in
school.
• Bystanders play crucial role in dynamics
of bullying behavior.
• Committed Coordinating Committee is
most important feature of a bullying
prevention program:
– spearheads the effort
– maintains momentum
– keeps issue on front burner
PBSIS Project and the
SWPBS Model
Two Ways in Which Power Is
Determined in Social Groups
Agonic
• Resource-holding
potential
• Toughest wins the
most fights
Hedonic
• Power determined by
social attention
• Achieve status by
showing talent, being
knowledgeable and/ or
attractiveness
Social Development In
Early and Mid-Adolescence
• Increased importance of peer relationships
– Look to peers for guidance on behavior and
affirmation of individual worth
• Development of young person’s racial,
ethnic, religious, sexual/gender identity
– May lead to hostility toward those who are
“different”…i.e. so called non-normative…
• Important period of social development
– Behavior patterns learned during this time usually
persist
LGBT
• Gay Teen's Killing Labeled a Hate Crime
• By REBECCA CATHCART, The New York
Times
• Posted: 2008-02-23 17:20:18
• Filed Under: Nation News
It’s the law…
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2000/Bills/S2500/2408_I1.HTM
NJSA: 18A, 37-15 (3)(b)(3) or “The 10 Commandments
plus, 1…”
1. Prohibition
2. Definition
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Description
Consequences
Procedure(s)
Principal/Promptness
Range of Responses
Prohibition of Reprisals
Falsely Accused
10. Policy Publication
11. Employee Training
A Definition of Harassment,
Intimidation, and Bullying…
“Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any gesture or written,
verbal or physical act that takes place on school property, at any schoolsponsored function or on a school bus and that…
is motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race,
color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability; or
by any other distinguishing characteristic; and
a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that the
act(s) will have the effect of harming a student or damaging the student’s
property; or
has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students
in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial
interference with, the orderly operation of the school…
Reconciliation
Unified Discipline (White, 1996)
• Clearly described school and classroom
rules
• Similar and consistent correction
procedures when students misbehave
• Roles and responsibilities are described
for all school personnel
Doll, et al.
Social and Emotional Learning
CASEL: Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning
Frank J. Epifanio, PhD, NCSP
Rowan University
Special thanks…. For the excerpts on cyber-bullying
adapted from:
Dr. Frank Epifanio…Rowan University, NASP, 2008
20
• Name calling, teasing, insults
• Often considered part of a normal stage of
development
• Teachers may not be sensitive to this type
of bullying (Bauman, 2005)
• Can easily escalate to physical bullying
22

Can also be considered indirect verbal bullying
 (Raskauskas& Stolz, 2007)

Involves rumors or exclusion from a social group

Relational bullying found its home online via
emails, instant messages, web pages, and blogs
23
–Cyber bullying is a form of relational
aggression (bullying) that causes fear,
isolation, and humiliation among its victims
24
• Research has shown that bullying can
seriously affect the mental and physical
health of children and has a deleterious
effect on their academic work.
25
• Children who are bullied are more likely
than non-bullied children to suffer from
anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem
• Victims are also more likely than their agemates to think about taking their own lives
26
• Preliminary research indicates that victims
of cyber bullying experience the same
mental health risks as victims of school
yard bullying
27

Adolescents are “digital natives”
◦ They have been “weaned” on the internet

Teachers, parents, and school administrators are
“digital immigrants”
◦ They are striving to keep up with advances in technology
 Raskauskas & Stolz, 2007
28
• Teenagers are adept at manipulating
photos and posting them online
• With camera phones and camera videos
they are able to take pictures of fellow
students in various situations – lavatories,
locker rooms, etc.
29
• Instant Messaging (IMs)
• Electronic Mail
• Text Messaging (SMS)
• Social Networking Sites
30
• Chat Rooms
• Blogs
• Web Sites
• Internet Gaming
31
• Flaming
• Harassment
• Denigration
• Impersonation
32
• Outing/Trickery
• Exclusion/Ostracism
• Cyber stalking
33
School wide prevention programs are
critical and this prevention needs to
infused throughout the curriculum.
Cyber bullying and bullying prevention need
to be part of the district’s character
education program
Cyber safety also needs to be taught at
every level of technology training for
students and staff
34
• Teach kids to use the save feature
–Save the evidence
• Print copies of messages and websites
• Use the save feature instant messages
35
• Teach kids to use the blocking feature
–Ignore, delete, or block the sender
–Most e-mail, instant message programs, and
cells phones have blocking features
• Blocking may not solve the problem – many kids are
tech savvy and are able to set up proxy servers to
bypass blocks.
36
• Web spaces usually have a link to report
to a moderator
–The link for reporting cyber bullying can
usually be found on the help menu of most
websites
• For example My Space has a help center on its site
that provides a link for reporting offensive or
threatening content
37

Report cyber bullying to police if cyber bullying
contains threats, intimidation, or exploitation
 Agaston, 2007
38
Students need to know that they can tell a
trusted adult.
Many students do not believe that adults
will be helpful and they fear retribution if it
get out that they “ratted”
Set up a system so that bystanders can
anonymously alert adults if they believe a
fellow student is being targeted by a cyber
bully
Agaston,
39

Research shows that bystanders often do nothing
to help but when they do help it makes a
difference
 Agaston, 2007
40
Who can help?
HIB ‘consultation highway’

Confirm discussion with your building
principal and/or designee.

Be prompt.

Relay your perspective of why you are
requesting a HIB consultation.

Discuss your concerns with the parent(s).

Report on-going progress or concerns.

Review appropriate classroom procedures,
discussion, and/or consultation strategies,
interventions, and/or techniques.

Inform other appropriate school staff in a
timely fashion….e.g. Grade-level colleague(s),
counselor(s), school nurse, CST, other staff…