Bully Prevention and Positive Behavior Support

Presenter: Tanya Shea, School Psychologist November 18, 2015

Adapted from Patricia A. Graczyk, PhDUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

Why important

■ 15-25% of children are bullied regularly ■ Significant impact on victims, bullies, and

bystanders■ Estimated 10% of workers have experienced

bullying (Nielsen, Matthiesen, & Einarsen, 2010)

■ Increases awareness and provides tools for students, parents, and staff in all settings

■ Estimated that adults know about only 10% of bullying acts- need to empower children

Bullying Defined■ Aggression (Physical or verbal)■ Repeated-we need to teach children the

difference between true bullying and teasing ■ Power differential■ Intentional■ Emotional bullying is the most prevalent type

of bullying, with pushing/shoving/tripping/spitting being second.

Specific Targets

■Students with disabilities■Different ethnicities ■Different religions ■Different socioeconomic status■Physical attributes (body shape, hair type)

Types of Bullying■ Direct bullying

■ Physical■ Verbal

■ Indirect (Relational or Reputational): ■ use personal relationship to harm someone■ damage standing in peer group -- gossip,

shunning, having others do the “dirty work”■ Isolation

Developmental differences in Bullying Behaviors

Bullying behaviors common in Primary GradesDirect: ■Physical abuse■Verbal abuse – name-calling, laughing Indirect: ■Refuse to share or play or work with victim

Bullying behaviors common in Intermediate Grades

■ Physical abuse■ Verbal abuse – name-calling, laughing at■ Refuse to share, play or work with victim■ Indirect isolation- (especially among girls)

such as telling peers who they can and cannot play with

■ Making fun of peers through social media

Cyber-Bullying

■ Repeatedly teasing or spreading damaging rumors using social media

■ 20% of teens report being victims at some point

■ Bully can be anonymous ■ Can be wide-spread quickly■ Difficult to take back■ Can be done 24/7

Bystanders

■ Bullying is group process

■ Present during 85% of bullying activities

Types of Bystanders■ Outsiders: Withdraw & avoid involvement■ Reinforces: Assist and encourage bully■ Followers: Join in the bullying once it is

started■ Defenders/Upstanders: Try to help victim

– only about 11%... This is the area we need to focus on

Bystanders (cont’d)■ In most cases, bystanders do not stop

the bully, which can actually be reinforcing to the bully

■ Yet... In more than half of cases, when bystanders did intervene and try to stop a bully, they were effective!

■ Students who experience bullying are more likely to find peer actions more helpful than educator/parent/self actions

Warning Signs for Victims

■ Unexplainable injuries or physical complaints■ Changes in eating habits■ Lost or destroyed belongings■ Difficulty sleeping or with nightmares■ Declining grades or avoiding school■ Losing friends or avoiding social situations■ Helplessness or decreased self-esteem■ Self-destructive behaviors or talk■More sensitive or irritable

Warning Signs for Bullies■ Get into physical or verbal fights■ Have friends who bully others■ Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention

frequently■ Unexplained extra money or new belongings■ Blame others for their problems■ Don’t accept responsibility for their actions■ Are competitive and worry about reputation■ Appear to lack empathy, especially for

subgroups

Reporting Bullying

■ Provide detail: names, places, dates, times, and behaviors

■ Tip line (anonymous) ■ Talk to principal or Student Services

Coordinator■ Requires schools to do an investigation■ Allows us to ask helpful questions■ Can offer additional support

■ Confidentially must be maintained

Our Goal at Young■ To empower the Victims■ To empower the bystanders to become

upstanders■ To make it clear that bullying will not be

tolerated at Young Elementary at any level

■ To develop strong Young citizens that will become strong citizens in their world! (Increase overall empathy in Young Students)

Programs at Young ■ Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)■Respect self, Respect others and Respect property

■ Consistent schoolwide behavioral expectations (Champs)■Volume levels across the school■Signing the Principal’s book for awesome behavior, earning extra recess, earning extra gym

Your Role is Crucial■ Inconsistent responses by adults can

reinforce problem behavior and increase its frequency

■ Adult needs to reinforce the importance of a child standing up for themselves and/or getting help (empowering child)

Our Role as Teachers ■ Bugs and Brag box or teacher mailbox

in classrooms to allow the children to have a voice- can put an anonymous note in to alert the teacher to the situation

■ Weekly classroom meetings■ Reinforcing the children that they can

stand up for themselves

Your Role as Parents:■ Make sure your child feels that they can

come to you with ANY problems■ Listen! Reassure your child that you

will alert the appropriate adults to help.■ Encourage your child to be an

upstander, and to report bully issues they see at school, even if they are not the target

■ Encourage empathy in your child

Parent Role Continued:■ Model expected behaviors of being

responsible and respectful in your lives■ Contact your child’s teacher, Dr. Bell,

and/or Ms. Morgan■ Hotline available:

http://ipsd.org/tips.aspx.

Resources:■ 1. www.pbis.org

■ 2. www.stopbullyingnow.com■ 3. www.ed.gov■ 4. Batsche, G. M., & Knoff, H. M. (1994). Bullies and their victims:

Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools. ■ 5. School Psych. Review, 23(2),165-174.EJ 490 574.■ 6. www.nasponline.org■ 7. www.interventioncentral.org■ 8. www.parenting-ed.org■ 9. Just Kidding by T. Ludwig – intermediate grades-resource guide in

back.■ 10. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/shore/shore065.shtml

Questions & Answers…