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Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism Paul Schwartzman, M.S., L.M.H.C., D.A.P.A. North Carolina Fire & Life Safety Education Conference February 9, 2011 Chapel Hill, NC

Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

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Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism. Paul Schwartzman, M.S., L.M.H.C., D.A.P.A. North Carolina Fire & Life Safety Education Conference February 9, 2011 Chapel Hill, NC. Introductions & Presentation Overview. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting:

Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Paul Schwartzman, M.S., L.M.H.C., D.A.P.A.North Carolina Fire & Life Safety Education

ConferenceFebruary 9, 2011Chapel Hill, NC

Page 2: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Introductions & Presentation Overview

• Discuss relationship between bullying and firesetting

• Review dynamics of bullying• Illustrate how a JFSI program spearheaded

community action– Benefit to a community concern– Increase awareness of JFSI

Page 3: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Monroe County Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Task Force

• Formed in 2001 with several community professionals to support JFSI Program

• Address issues as prevention, education, mental health treatment & increasing community awareness

Page 4: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Monroe County Juvenile Fire Prevention Task Force

• Met Bi-monthly• Agendas go out 1 month prior to meeting

– Members are encouraged to set agenda• Committees Report• Numbers Reviewed• Each Meeting had an educational component

– Examples include• Gang Awareness, Drug Abuse, Confidentiality Issues, Satanism

& Ritualistic Behaviors, Meth Labs, etc.

Page 5: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Monroe County Juvenile Fire Prevention Task Force Members

• Fire Service

• Law Enforcement

• Educators

• Therapists– Psychologists– Social Workers– Counselors

• Media

• Insurance Companies

• Medical Field Reps

• Parents

• Probation

• Surrounding Counties

Page 6: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Task Force Initiatives

Page 7: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Public Service Announcements & Media Events Committee

• Strong Relationship with Local Media– Arson Awareness

Week clips– Safety First Mondays– PSA’s– Cable Access Talk

Show

Page 8: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Public Service Announcements & Media Events Committee

• PSA’s– Arson Awareness

Week Poster Contest– Converted into

billboards

Page 9: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Moving Forward with Monroe County

• Cable Access Talk Show• Video

Page 10: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Mental Health Committee

• Regular Case Reviews

• Training of Mental Health Treatment Providers

• Development of a referral network

• Recently joined mental health consultants/providers from FLRBA

Page 11: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Prevention & Education Committee

• Research w/DSS, Health Dept. & school districts– Predictive behaviors of fire involvement

• Development of Education Programs– Tools for JFSI Educational Intervention

• Development of Prevention Programs

Page 12: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

EDITH DVD

Page 13: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

James Elliot Schwartzman

Page 14: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Bullying Committee

• Discovered relationship between bullying and firesetting

• Established committee to explore issues and needs• Sosfires 2003 study finds additional relationship

– Average of 79% report being bullied– Average of 45% report acting as a bully

Page 15: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Myths versus RealityTypes

Prevalence

Page 16: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Three Markers of Bullying

• Imbalance of POWER

• INTENT to harm

• THREAT of further aggression

B. Coloroso, 2003B. Coloroso, 2003

Page 17: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Underlying Messages

• Some people do not deserve to be treated with kindness.

• Some people have the right to be cruel.

Page 18: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Types of Bullying

• Physical

• Verbal

• Emotional

• Sexual

• Hazing

Page 19: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Cyber BullyingComputers & Cell Phones

AYSOS

GALJT

:8)

:-)))BM

Page 20: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Flaming

• Online fights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language.

– Joe and Alec’s online exchange got angrier and angrier. Insults were flying. Joe warned Alec to watch his back in school the next day.

Page 21: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Harassment

• Repeatedly sending nasty, mean, and insulting messages.

– Sara reported to the principal that Kayla was bullying another student. When Sara got home, she had 35 angry messages in her e-mail box. The anonymous cruel messages kept coming—some from complete strangers.

Page 22: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Denigration

• “Dissing” someone online. Sending or posting gossip or rumors about a person to damage his or her reputation or friendships.

– Some boys created a “We Hate Joe” Web site where they posted jokes, cartoons, gossip, and rumors, all dissing Joe.

Page 23: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Impersonation

• Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material to get that person in trouble or danger or to damage that person’s reputation or friendships.

– Laura watched closely as Emma logged on to her account and discovered her password. Later, Laura logged on to Emma’s account and sent a hurtful message to Emma’s boyfriend, Adam.

Page 24: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Outing

• Sharing someone’s secrets or embarrassing information or images online.

– Greg, an obese high school student, was changing in the locker room after gym class. Matt took a picture of him with his cell phone camera. Within seconds, the picture was flying around the phones at school.

Page 25: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Trickery

• Talking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, then sharing it online.

– Katie sent a message to Jessica pretending to be her friend and asking lots of questions. Jessica responded, sharing really personal information. Katie forwarded the message to lots of other people with her own comment, “Jessica is a loser.”

Page 26: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Exclusion

• Intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group.

– Millie tries hard to fit in with a group of girls at school. She recently got on the “outs” with a leader in this group. Now Millie has been blocked from the friendship links of all of the girls.

Page 27: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Cyberstalking

• Repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or creates significant fear.

– When Annie broke up with Sam, he sent her many angry, threatening, pleading messages. He spread nasty rumors about her to her friends and posted a sexually suggestive picture she had given him in a sex-oriented discussion group, along with her e-mail address and cell phone number.

Page 28: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Cyberthreats

• direct threats or “distressing material”—general statements that make it sound like the writer is emotionally upset and may be considering harming someone else, harming himself or herself, or committing suicide.

Page 29: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Cyber Bullying Survey

• 1500 Students in grades 4 – 8.– 58% admit someone mean or hurtful to them

online.– 53% admit being mean or hurtful to another

online.– 42% persistently bullied while online.– 58% have not told their parent or any adult.

i-Safe America, Inc., www.isafe.org

Page 30: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Prevalence

• 30% of 6th – 10th graders reported moderate to frequent involvement with bullying.1

• 160,000 students a day stay home from school due to bullying.1

• 6 out 10 teens witness bullying at least once a day.2

1 Nansel, et. al., 20012National Crime prevention Council, 2003

Page 31: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Hazing

Any humiliating or dangerous activity expected of you to join a group, regardless of your willingness to participate.

Page 32: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Hazing – How big is the problem?

• 48% of all high school students were subjected to hazing.

• The greatest number of students subjected to hazing were involved in athletics—nearly 1 million annually.

Page 33: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Initiation Rites

Type Percentage

Humiliation 45%

Substance Abuse 22%

Dangerous Hazing 23%

Page 34: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

The Bully

• Inflated sense of self• High social status• Average to High IQ• Entitled • Hot responder• Lack empathy

Page 35: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Firesetter Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

Conduct Disorder/Juvenile Delinquent

• Aggression towards people and animals– Misinterpret social cues

• Destruction of property– Firesetting

• Deceitfulness, lying, stealing• Serious violation of rules

– Stays out at night– Runs away from home

• School truancy

Page 36: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Gang Related Fire BehaviorA Continuum of Severity

• School lavatory fires• Gang initiation rites• Cover other crimes: theft• Revenge and turf issues

Page 37: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

The Bullying Circle (Dan Olweus, PhD)The Bully/Bullies

The Victim

Followers/Henchmen

Supporters

Passive Supporters

Disengaged Onlookers

Possible Defenders

Defenders of the Victim

Page 38: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Other Bullying Risk Factors

• Familial– Lack of positive adult role model– Little adult supervision– Lack of parental warmth– Lack of clear rules– Use of corporal punishment

• School– Lack of adult supervision– Indifferent attitudes of students & school staff towards

bullying• Community

– Safety concerns

Page 39: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Firesetter Parent Psychopathology

• Depression• Alcohol & Substance Abuse• Marital discord• Poor supervision and monitoring• Low in affection• Chronic stress

Page 40: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

The Victim

• Anxious• Insecure• Lack social skills• Physically weak• Emotionally vulnerable• External characteristics

– majority of burn-surviving children (68%) reported bullying as a problem.

Page 41: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

Additional Diagnoses & Characteristics

• Adjustment disorder• Depression• Low self esteem• Poor social skills

Page 42: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Child and Adolescent PsychopathologyAttention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders list the following criteria for diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:• A. Either (1) or (2):• • (1) six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:• • Inattention• a. often makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities• b. often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities• c. often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly• d. often does not follow through on instructions or finish assignments, chores• e. often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities• f. often avoids or dislikes tasks or activities that require concentration• g. often loses things• h. often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli• I. often forgetful in daily activities• • (2) six (or more) of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:• • Hyperactivity• a. often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat• b. often leaves seat in classroom or other situation where expected to remain seated• c. often runs or climbs excessively in situations where it is inappropriate• d. often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly• e. often “on the go” • f. often talks excessively• • Impulsivity• g. often blurts out answers before questions are completed• h. often has difficulty waiting turn• I. often interrupts or intrudes on others• • B. Symptoms are present in two or more settings such as in school and at home• • C. There is evidence of clear impairment of social or academic functioning

Page 43: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

CONSEQUENCES OF BULLYING:

What happens when we just stand by?

•Victim•Bully

•Bystander•Community

Page 44: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Consequences for Victim

• Academic– 160,000 students a day stay

home from school due to bullying.

– 10% Dropout• Social

– Loss of friendships, isolation• Emotional Health

– 5x more likely to be depressed, suicidal, homicidal

• Physical Health

Page 45: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Consequences for Bully

• Increased risk for other antisocial behavior– Theft, vandalism,

drugs & alcohol, truancy

• Criminal behavior– 60% convicted of at

least 1 adult crime

Page 46: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Consequences for Others

• Bystanders– Anxiety, guilt, shame

• School– Interferes with learning, culture of fear and disrepect

• Community– Financial, social

Page 47: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Warning Signs of Being Bullied

• School avoidance• Somatic complaints• Depression• Aggressive with siblings/ other

children• Unexplained injuries or bruises• Unusual hunger after school • Stealing money• Desire to carry weapon• Elimination problems• Losing belongings• Feels picked on/rejected• Sleep problems/Nightmares

Page 48: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Warning Signs - Bully

• Seeks to dominate/ manipulate others

• Enjoys feeling powerful & in control

• Both a poor winner & poor loser

• Seems to enjoy other’s fears, discomfort, or pain

• Good at hiding behavior• Lacks empathy towards

others

• Excited by conflicts between others

• Blames others for problems

• Pattern of impulsive & chronic hitting, intimidating & aggressive behavior

• Displays intolerance & prejudice towards others

Page 49: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Working Towards Solutions

Page 50: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

The Bullying Committee Today

• Established as a free standing task force– Get the word to the community re: the seriousness of the bullying

“epidemic”– Work with local Juvenile Justice Council, Law Enforcement

Agencies, schools and media outlets to develop an awareness/intervention initiative

– Held Conference in May 2003/350+ attended/ 2nd conference fall 2004

– Continuing the Discussion Presentations– Developed and distributed model school policy– Website resource– Cyberbullying conference planned presented Fall, 2007

Page 51: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Strategies that Miss the Mark

• Conflict Resolution

• Peer Mediation

• Anger Management

• Encouraging victim to “fight back”

Page 52: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Archives of Pediatric Medicine

• Metastudy of evaluated programs• United States & Europe• Reviewed process and outcomes of approaches

– Curriculum based– Multi-disciplinary/School-based– Social skills groups– Mentoring– Enhance School Social Workers/Counselors

Page 53: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

District-wide

– Community involvement in policy review and development

– Collection of data (i.e. survey of students, school staff and/or parents)

– Professional development programs– Adoption of curricula and identified staff person to

oversee program– Clear procedure for reporting and record keeping system

of all incidents, including a method for anonymous reporting

– Coordination with community-based organizations (e.g., mental health, health services, health facilities, law enforcement, faith-based)

Page 54: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Recommended General Rules for Improving Overall School Climate

• Two general conditions must exist in order to prevent bullying:

• adults at schools should be aware of the extent of bully/victim problems in their own schools

• these adults should involve themselves in changing the situation.• The following rules target all students:

– We will not bully other students. – We will try to help students who are bullied. – We will make it a point to include ALL students who are easily

left out. – When we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell a teacher,

parent, or adult we trust. Students should be assured that telling an adult is not "tattling," but instead students are showing compassion for victims of bullying behavior.

Page 55: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Individual School

– Theme days– Learning station programs– Parent programs and information

disseminated to students and parents– Public reminders (e.g., posters, signs)– Parent supervision in high bullying incidence

areas (e.g., hallways, cafeteria, school bus, playground).

Page 56: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Physically organize environment to minimize bullying

• Space• Seating arrangements• Numbers of participants• Lighting• Visibility• Cameras

Page 57: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Consequences of Bullying Behavior

– Establishing rules against bullying necessitates creating positive or negative consequences for following or violating rules.

– Praise and consequences must be delivered systematically and skillfully, administrators and teachers are significant role models (Especially for the aggressor)

Page 58: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Classroom-Level Interventions

• Classroom-level interventions are designed to improve an individual classroom’s social climate. These interventions target the entire classroom.

– Establish Classroom Rules Against Bullying: Involve students in creating rules against bullying in order to develop a student’s personal responsibility for conforming to those rules.

– Create Positive and Negative Consequences of Bullying: Establish social reinforcement (i.e., praise, friendly attention) for positive behavior and sanctions for undesirable behavior. The negative consequence should cause discomfort without being perceived as malicious or unfair. Negative consequences should be appropriate and related to the behavior. Extra assignments, such as homework or copying from a dictionary, should not be used.

– Hold Regular Classroom Meetings: Provide a forum for students and teachers to develop, clarify, and evaluate rules for anti-bullying behavior.

– Meet with Parents: Hold general classroom- or grade-level meetings with parents to improve school-family communication and keep parents informed about anti-bullying efforts.

Page 59: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

• Students see, hear, and know things about their peers, feelings, and plans that adults don’t;

• Students determine the social norms on a campus, and are usually the "first responders" to bullying and other forms of mistreatment, thus they hold the key to stopping it;

• When equipped with the right skills and support, students can intervene in ways adults can’t.

• To launch the program, school staff (and sometimes students) is asked to identify the socially influential opinion leaders of the school’s diverse cliques (Grades 6 - 12).

• Website: www.community-matters.org

Page 60: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Resources

• Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now: www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

• Community Task Force on Bullying Prevention: http://www.tigconsortium.org/Bullying.asp.

• Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet. www.cyberbully.org.

Page 61: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Alice Cooper Pudding Concert

Page 62: Bullies, Victims and Youthful Firesetting: Fire Prevention and Community Activism

Paul Schwartzman

Fairport Counseling Services307 Packett’s Landing

Fairport, New York 14450585 377-2720

585 377-3433 [email protected]