Bullying:
It can be stopped
Adopted from a presentation by Barbara H. Carlton
Drug & Violence Prevention Specialist Western M.S.
and Turrentine M.S.
Bullying =
when one or more
people repeatedly
harm, harass,
intimidate, or exclude
others.
Bullying is unfair and
one sided.
Olweus
Bullying
Sexual
Harassment/Rape
Domestic/Spouse
Abuse
*Imbalance of power
*Perpetrator blames the target
*Target blames self for abuse
• Handled differently
from typical
disciplinary matters
• Not normal peer
conflict
• Power differential
• Difficult to seek
help from adults
• Bullied child might
even deny any
abuse has taken
place
D. Passive Supporters
C. Supporters
B. Followers/henchmen
A. Student who bullies
E. Disengaged Onlookers
H. Person who is
being bullied
F. Possible Defenders
G. Defenders
Legal
School Violence Prevention Act SL09-212
State Board of Education policy HRS-A-007
By December 31, 2009
LEAs shall adopt a policy
prohibiting bullying or harassing behavior
Defined as:
 Gestures, written, electronic, or verbal communications
 Physical act or threatening communication
-places a student or school employee in actual or
REASONABLE fear of harm to self or property or
- creates or is certain to create a hostile environment
- interferes with student’s education performance,
opportunity, or benefit.
School Violence Prevention Act
SL09-212
 Bullying or harassing behavior includes:
Acts reasonably perceived as being motivated by
 Race
 Color
 Religion
 National origin
 Gender
 Socioeconomic Status
 Academic Status
 Gender Identity
 Physical Appearance
 Sexual Orientation
 Mental, Physical, Developmental or Sensory Disability or
 Association with a Person who has or is PERCEIVED to
have one or any of the above characteristics
School Violence Prevention Policy Guidelines
 STATEMENT PROHIBITING BULLYING OR HARASSING
BEHAVIOR
 EXPECTED BEHAVIOR FOR EACH STUDENT AND SCHOOL
EMPLOYEE
 CONSEQUENCES AND APPROPRIATE REMEDIAL ACTION
 ANONYMOUS REPORTING PROCEDURES
 PROCEDURE FOR PROMPT INVESTIGATION OF REPORTS
 STATEMENTS THAT PROHIBITS REPRISAL OR RETALIATION
FOR REPORTING
 STATEMENT ON HOW POLICY IS TO BE DISSEMINATED &
PUBLICIZED INCLUDING APPLICATION AT SCHOOLSPONSORED EVENTS
School Violence Prevention Policy Guidelines
By March 1, 2010
Provide training on the local policy to school
employees and volunteers who have
contact with students
Develop and implement strategies for
promoting school environments that are
free from bullying or harassing behavior
Rule 10: Bullying and Harassment
Students shall not engage in bullying or harassment of other students.
Bullying
repeated intimidation of others - real or threatened
physical, verbal, written, electronically transmitted or
emotional abuse
attacks on the property of another
implied or stated threats
exclusion from peer groups.
Harassment
actions that interfere with a student’s ability to participate/ benefit from
an educational program or activity
Retaliation is prohibited.
ABSS Code of Conduct 2012-1
60% of people
who were
considered
bullies in grade
6-9 are convicted
of at least one
crime by the
time they turn
24.
“A human being who lives day-to-day having to
continuously ‘energize his shields’ for protection,
has little remaining energy to direct toward positive
endeavors, such as schoolwork, meaningful
classroom participation or healthy
peer-adult interaction.”
-Rico Racosky
What
can
we do?
A bystander is anyone who is aware that
bullying is happening.
You are either part of the problem or part of
the solution.
100
83
80
60
40
20
2
2
2
3
I do not feel
much; Yes, I
might join in
bullying
That is probably
what they
deserve; Yes, I
will join in
bullying
0
I feel sorry and I feel sorry and I feel a bit sorry;
want to help; want to help; Yes, I might join
Definitely won't Yes, I might join
in bullying
join in bullying
in bullying
Don’t
Support
the One
Bullying
Others
Choose
not to
repeat
gossip
Support
the one
being
bullied in
private
Become
friends
with the
one being
bullied
Talk to
the person
bullying
others
privately
Tell an
adult
Support
the one
being
bullied in
front of
the one
doing the
bullying
Confront
the one
who is
bullying
others
Low Risk/Low Courage
High Risk/High Courage
Coach Bystanders with these steps:
1. Encourage students to help the bullied child by walking with them to class.
2. Invite the bullied student to get involved with other students.
3. Model confidence and talk about what it looks and feels like.
Empathy
(skill not a feeling)
v.
Sympathy
(feeling of pity)
Help students increase others’ importance/value.
Provide opportunities to discover similar
experiences and ways they are alike.
Where do students feel safest?
100
88.6
83.6
80
82.8
81.6
78.6
76.2
74.3
71.7
70.5
60
40
20
0
PRIDE 2013
• Affirm feelings
• Ask questions
and assess
safety issues
• Generate
solutions and
create a plan
with the
student
• Assess what has
and has not
worked
• Inform &
Involve parents
• Follow-up
Bully
• Either part of
the problem or
part of the
solution
• Moving from
Disengaged
Onlooker to
Possible
Defender
• Inform &
Involve parents
Target
Bystander
Coach Children Separately
to Build New Behavior Patterns
• Identify the
problem
• Ask questions
and gather
information
• Inform &
Involve parents
• Apply
consequences
• Generate
solutions and
create a plan
with the
student
• Follow-up
10 strategies for effective
bullying prevention
1. Focus on School Environment
2. Assess bullying in your school
3. Gain support from staff and
parents
4. Establish a bullying prevention
team
5. Train staff in bullying
prevention and to understand
the difference between
normal peer conflict and
bullying
6. Clearly establish, communicate
& enforce school rules &
policies related to bullying.
7. Increase adult supervision in
the “hot spots” for bullying
8. Gain commitment to intervene
consistently & appropriately in
bullying situations
9. Gain commitment for focus
time; class time on bullying
prevention
10. Don’t quit…continue the
efforts over time.
Students who feel connected are less likely to…
bully or harass others.
use alcohol and illegal drugs.
engage in violent or deviant behavior.
get pregnant.
experience emotional distress.
engage and be success in school AND life!
References
Cartoon Network, The Bully Effect, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d1_ZKlLR98
Dateline NBC “My Kid Would Never…Bully” Video Links Now Available;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/#41928090, web search 7/17/2013
Edstrom, L. V., Hirschstein, M. K., Frey, K. S., Snell, J. L., and MacKenzie, E. P. (2004).
"Classroom Level Influences in School-Based Bullying Prevention: Key Program
Components and Implications for Instruction." In K. S. Frey (Chair), Policy to
Action: Bullying Prevention in the Real World. Symposium conducted at the
annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Quebec City, PQ,
Canada
Fried, S., & Fried, P., Bullies & Victims: Helping Your Child Through the Schoolyard
Battlefield. (1996). New York, NY: M. Evans & Co.
Hirsch, L., Bully, http://www.thebullyproject.com/ - Bully is a 2011 documentary
film about bullying in U.S. schools. Directed by Lee Hirsch, the film follows the
lives of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.