Supplemental Bullying Prevention

Lesson Plans

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Introduction • Participants will:

– gain an awareness of personal attitudes about children who bully and bully/victim (target) violence;

– be able to define bully/victim (target) violence and learn to recognize bullying tendencies;

– explore intervention methods for bullying behaviors;

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Introduction, cont.

– learn strategies to empower students to avoid becoming victims (targets) of bullying behavior;

– learn strategies to help empower the victims (targets) of bullying behavior to remove themselves as targets;

– develop strategies to redirect and change the bullying behavior

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Overview

• Children who bully others can turn into antisocial adults and are far more likely than others to commit crimes, batter their spouses, abuse their children __ and produce another generation of children that bully.

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Who?Who?

What?What?

When?When?

Where?Where?

How? How?

Why?Why?

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What is bullying?

Bullying is any ongoing physical orverbal mistreatment where there is:

– an imbalance of power and

– the victim (target) is exposed repeatedly to negative actions on the part of one or more other students.

(Olweus 1986, 1991 and 1993)

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Direct bullying

• Direct bullying is bullying that results in relatively open attacks on a victim (target).

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Direct bullying

Physical Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting…

Verbal Taunting, teasing, racial slurs, verbal sexual harassment

Non-verbal Threatening, obscene gestures

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Indirect bullying

• Indirect bullying takes the form of social isolation and intentional exclusion from a group. This form of bullying is used more often by girls.

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Indirect bullying Physical Getting another

person to assault someone

Verbal Spreading rumors

Non-verbal Deliberate exclusion from a

group or activity

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One student out of seven

• According to the National Association of School Psychologists, about one in seven school children — about five million kids — have either been a bully or a victim (target).

– 14% are bullies or victims (targets) now and then

– 9% are regularly victimized

– 7% bully others regularly

– 1.6% are both bullies and victims (targets)

– 65-70% are not affected

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Bullying on the way to and from school

The school is without a doubt the place where most bullying occurs:

– Elementary students were two times more likely to be bullied at school than on the way to and from school.

– Middle school students were three times more likely to be bullied at school than on the way to and from school.

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Bullying during recess and lunch time

• The greater the number of teachers supervising during break periods, the lower the level of bully/victim (target) problems in the school.

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Profile of a typical victim (target)

• May be physically weaker than their peers (applies particularly to boys)

• May have body anxiety — afraid of getting hurt.

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The passive victim (target)

• The passive victim (target) seems to signal to others that they are insecure and worthless individuals who will not retaliate if they are attacked or insulted.

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A passive victim can be one of the most

dangerous children you have to deal with!

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The provocative victim (target)• Provocative victims (targets) may be physically

weaker than their peers (if they are boys) and have “body anxiety.”

• May be hot-tempered and attempt to fight back when attacked or insulted.

• May be hyperactive, restless, and possibly offensive because of irritating habits.

• May be actively disliked by adults including the teacher.

• May themselves try to bully weaker students.

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Profile of children who bully

• Children who bully tend to be very aggressive toward their peers– They are often aggressive toward adults,

including teachers and parents– They are characterized by impulsivity and a

strong need to dominate others– They usually have little anxiety and relatively

good self esteem.

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Profile of children who bully, cont.

– Children who bully are of average popularity and often surrounded by two to three friends who support them

– Popularity of bullying children decreases in upper grades

– Children who bully have a strong need for power or dominance; they seem to enjoy being “in control” and need to subdue others

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Children who bully and anger management

• Children who bully usually are not anger driven. They bully because…– they derive pleasure and a sense of power from

what they are doing; and– bully/victim situations are not amenable to nor

can they be resolved through peer mediation.

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Controlling bullying behavior through environmental control

• Eliminate the attitudes of entitlement and tolerance from responsible adults.– This is only accomplished when all the adults

in a school collectively agree to prevent or intervene with any student who is threatening to use or is using violence.

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Controlling bullying behavior through environmental control

• Eliminate the attitudes of entitlement and tolerancetolerance from responsible adults.– This is only accomplished when all the adults

in a school collectively agree to prevent or intervene with any student who is threatening to use or is using violence.

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Controlling bullying behavior through environmental control

• Eliminate the attitudes of entitlement entitlement and tolerancetolerance from responsible adults.– This is only accomplished when all the adults

in a school collectively agree to prevent or intervene with any student who is threatening to use or is using violence.

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Meetings with Meetings with VictimsVictims of bullying of bullying

• Try to put the child at ease

• Collect information about the incident

• Encourage the child to express his or her emotions

• Provide support and encouragement

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Meetings with Victims of bullying (cont.)

• Discuss a safety plan• Inform the child of your intended actions with

the children who bully in coordination with the teacher or counselor

• Have the child agree to report future bullying—establish a “Code Word”

• Gauge the child’s distress and refer to a teacher or counselor

• Plan a follow-up meeting, if appropriate

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Meetings with children who Meetings with children who BullyBully

• Ask another adult to be present

• Talk with the children who bully separately, in rapid sequence

• Begin with the “followers” if more than one child is bullying

• Plan a follow-up meeting, if needed

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Points to communicate to children who Bully

• Make the message absolutely clear– “We don’t accept bullying behavior in our

school or class.”

– No further bullying will be allowed

– Your behavior will be closely monitored by school personnel

– Provide the bullying student a quiet place to cool down

– Contact school personnel

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When there are suspicions of bullying...

• Intensify your observations of the possible victim

• Confer with colleagues

• Collect information from students

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Strategies for empowering the victim (target), cont.

• Encourage peer group development• Understand that “I” statements have limited

value with bullying situations.– I feel (an emotion)– When (say what behavior bothers you)– Because (say why the behavior upsets you)– I would like (say what solution you would like to

try)

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Children who are best at diffusing a bullying situation

are...children who feel valued and have

some confidence that they can defend themselves

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Help for the victim (target) of bullying behavior

• Stress the six steps to disengagedisengage from a child who bullies...– Ignore them (when possible)– Tell them you don’t like it– Move away from them toward witnesses– Ask them to stop (locate more witnesses)– Tell them firmly to stop (locate more witnesses)– Tell an adult

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PoorPoor solutions for addressing bullying

• Encouraging victims to handle it on their own

• Telling victims to fight back

• Establishing zero tolerance policies for bullying

• Focusing on building the self-esteem of children who bully

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Self evaluation

Take a hard look at yourself• Do you bully in the classroom?

– Do you frequently criticize your students?– Is your tone of voice unnecessarily harsh?– Do you teach and model the art of negotiation?

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The “Teachable Moment”The “Teachable Moment”

• Is it safe to intervene?• Stop the bullying• Support the victim• Name the behavior as “bullying”• Refer to the school rules• Impose immediate consequences

(if appropriate)

• Empower the bystander

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Follow-Up...Follow-Up...

• Follow school bullying procedures

• Report the incident to colleagues—teacher, counselor, etc.

• Begin by talking with the victim, then with the children who bully

• Follow-up with the parties later, if appropriate

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Summary

• Bullying can best be tackled with a school-wide program.

• To recognize there is a problem is the first step __ to do something about it requires commitment.

• “Easy to say __ hard to do.”

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Lesson One

Read and respond to the following questions:

1. What are the objectives of this lesson and how does each activity develop these concepts?

2. What do you want students to know and be able to do at the end of the lesson?

3. List specific examples of how you will use facilitation skills in this lesson.

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Bullying

• Think, Pair, Share Activity:

• Group Wrap-Up Facilitation

• Key Concepts and Activities

Why are kids asked to work with a partner on this activity?

Why do we have the students “Find” all the words in the Word Search BEFORE we process this activity? Why are these words important?

Why do students need to be able to recognize the two basic types of bullying?

What is the purpose of this story challenge?

What key concept do you want to make sure students know?

Why do we ask the students to list “Safe Ways” to report bullying in the planner activity?

Why was this optional activity placed in the lesson if it is to be used by the classroom teacher?

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Lesson Two

Read Lesson Two

Think, Pair, Share

Group Process

Why do we first have students rate themselves and then work in groups?

What challenges might you encounter in this activity?

Why do we use the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model to look at both bullying and conflict situations?

What do you want students to gain by completing the reflection activity, following these two lessons? Why are these important?

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Kansas Bullying Prevention Awareness

Program

www.kbpp.org/

Randy WilerPhone: (913) 642-5555, ext. 208

Fax (913) 642-1529email: randyw@kbpp.org

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(Optional)Setting up a Bullying Prevention Committee at Your Local School

The following slides are to be used as possible discussions points with

local school administrators

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Interventions at the school level:

• Form a Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee

• Create a strategic plan

Administrative Support

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Interventions at the Interventions at the school levelschool level (cont.)

• Administer bully/victim questionnaireAdminister bully/victim questionnaire

• Train all staffTrain all staff

• Develop school rules against bullyingDevelop school rules against bullying

• Use appropriate positive and negative Use appropriate positive and negative consequencesconsequences

• Re-examine and fortify supervision of Re-examine and fortify supervision of “hot spots”“hot spots”

• Hold weekly class-room meetingsHold weekly class-room meetings

• Involve parentsInvolve parents

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Interventions at the Interventions at the school levelschool level (cont.)

• Re-examine and fortify supervision of Re-examine and fortify supervision of “hot spots”“hot spots”

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Playground SupervisionPlayground Supervision• How well is the playground arranged? How well is the playground arranged?

– Are there hidden places?Are there hidden places?

– Is there adequate supervision?Is there adequate supervision?

• How are the premises used?How are the premises used?– Are there fun activities?Are there fun activities?

– Is there “room” for all?Is there “room” for all?

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A coordinated supervisory A coordinated supervisory systemsystem

• Information about known Information about known bullying/concerns about possible bullying/concerns about possible bullying bullying – should be reported to teachers and/or should be reported to teachers and/or

grade-level teamsgrade-level teams

– may be kept in a main logmay be kept in a main log