Bullying Prevention
What We know
and
What We Can Do….
Karina Kidd
Integrated Student Support Department
Portland Public School District
Goal for Today
To familiarize participants with the
components of comprehensive
bullying prevention
Designing School-Wide Systems
for Student Success
Bullying
Prevention
Academic Systems
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•High Intensity
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
Universal Interventions
•All students
•Preventive, proactive
1-5%
1-5%
Bullying
Prevention
5-10%
Behavioral Systems
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•Intense, durable procedures
5-10%
80-90%
Bullying
Prevention
Targeted Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
•Individual or Group
80-90%
Universal Interventions
•All settings, all students
•Preventive, proactive
Where to Start?!!!
Bullying Definition
Bullying is unfair and one-sided. It
happens when someone keeps
hurting, frightening, threatening or
leaving someone out on purpose.
Key Elements of Bullying

Imbalance of power

Intent to cause harm; deliberate, non-accidental

Acts are repeated – show a pattern

Vulnerability of victim
Direct Bullying

Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting…

Taunting, teasing, racial slurs, verbal
harassment

Threatening, obscene gestures
Indirect Bullying

Getting another person to bully
someone for you
 Spreading rumors, gossip
 Deliberately excluding someone from a
group or activity
 Many forms of Cyberbullying
Challenges for Schools
Although common and frequent, most
bullying and harassment behaviors are
exhibited outside of adult supervision.
Scope of the Problem
 Bullying
happens once every 7 minutes.
 The average bullying episode lasts 37
seconds.
 Teachers noticed and intervened in only 1
out of 25 episodes (4% of the time)
 Bullying commonly increases between the
third and seventh grades.
(Committee for Children, 2005)
“I Feel Safe at School”
6th grade- 15% said “NO”
8th grade- 15% said “NO”
11th grade- 19% said “NO”
Oregon Wellness Survey (2010)

Harassed on the way to, at or from school– 35% of 8th graders
– 23% of 11th grader

I Can talk freely and openly with my
teachers about my concerns– 30% of 6th graders say, “NO”
– 44% of 8th graders say, “NO”
– 47% of 11th graders say, “NO”
Where Does Bullying Occur?
 The
most common places where bullying
takes place:
What
does
your
data
School yard or playground (74% of victims)
Hallways (53% of victims)
say?!!
Cafeteria (45% of victims)
–
–
–
–
At home or on computer (cyberbullying)
But it could be different for your school….
Why Some Children Bully Others
1. If a behavior works, it is repeated
2. Students don’t know how else to influence peers
3. They don’t realize that their behavior is inappropriatepoor modeling (Jack in the Box)
4. Errors in thinking
5. Bullying meets a need. Rewards for bullying behaviors:
 Social attention
 Social recognition
 Social status
PPS Harassment and
Bullying Policy: 4.30.060-P

Harassment and bullying is prohibited.

Definition includes physical, emotional and social
harm.

Disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion,
for harassment/bullying, false accusations and
retaliation.

Witnesses and bystanders (including students, staff
or volunteers) to a bullying incident are encouraged
to immediately inform school staff.
PPS Administrative Directive
4.30.061-AD
•
•
•
•
•
•
Notice in buildings
School-Wide Staff Training
School-Wide Student Notification
Respect for Cultural Differences
Electronic Forms of Harassment
Incidents should be promptly investigated.
Misdirections…..

Zero tolerance policies
 Conflict resolution and peer mediation
 Group treatment for children who bully
 Simple, short-term solutions
(piece meal)
School Wide Bullying Prevention
Create a school climate based on mutual respect
• Make bullying prevention part on the work of the
climate team
•
Establish clear rules/procedures/ policies about
bullying.
“Be Respectful” applies to students
and adults in the building!”
Comprehensive
Bullying Prevention




Physical considerations- e.g playground?
Increase effective supervision
Teach specific skills to all students
Train adults to respond sensitively &
consistently to bullying.
 Enforcing consistent consequences for bullying
 Improve parental awareness & involvement in
working on the problem.
Directly Teaching Skills

Steps to Respect (Committee for Children)

Middle School Second Step (Committee for Children)

Bully Blockers (Tough Kid Series, Pacific Northwest
Publishing)

PBIS Bullying Prevention
www.pbis.org
Dynamics of Bullying
Bystanders
Students who
are targeted
Students with
bullying behaviors
The Three R’s of Bullying
Recognize
If you don’t
feel safe
If you do
feel safe
Refuse
then
Report
Tattling Vs. Reporting
 Tattling:
When you try to get
someone in trouble
 Reporting:
When you tell an adult
in order to keep people safe
Children Learn to Report
Immediately When…
 They
or someone else are in danger
 Someone is
touching or showing private
body parts
 Refusing
doesn’t work
Bystanders
 Need
effective strategies to intervene
 Must be included in intervention
 Social pressure of the peer-group is an
important key to reduce bullying -Social
Norms
 Must feel confident that they will have the
support of teachers
Handling Bullying Reports
 Four -A Response:
Affirm
Ask
Assess
Act
Video: Four-A Response Process
 Watch
him Affirm, Ask, Assess and
Act
Quic kTime™ and a
Y UV 420 c odec dec ompr es sor
are needed to s ee this pic tur e.
Teaching Social Responsibility

Teach school-wide expectations first
– Be respectful
– Be responsible
– Be safe
 Focus on “non-structured” settings
 Cafeteria, Gym, Playground, Hallway, Bus Area
 Use same teaching format for all situations
 If someone directs problem behavior toward you.
 If you see others receive problem behavior
 If someone tells you to “stop”
Strategies For Young Students
 Stop
 Walk
 “Talk”
(or “Squawk”)
Teach the “Stop Signal”

If someone is directing problem behavior to you,
or someone else, tell them to “stop.”

How do you deliver the “stop signal” if you are
feeling intimidated, harassed, bullied?

How do you deliver the “stop signal” if you see
someone else being harassed, teased, bullied?
Teach “walk away”

How do we walk away so that the person who is
bothering us gets the idea?

Remind students that most socially initiated
problem behavior is maintained by peer attention.
–
Victim behavior inadvertently maintains taunt, tease,
intimidate, harassment behavior.
When You Are Told “Stop”

Eventually, every student will be told to
stop. When this happens, they should do
the following things
–
Stop what they are doing
– Take a deep breath
– Go about their day (no big deal)

These steps should be followed even when
they don’t agree with the “stop”
Teach “getting help”

Report problems to adults
–
Where is the line between tattling, and
reporting?
 Did
you request, “stop”
 Did you walk away?
How Adults Respond
Adults initiate the following interaction with the person who did the bullying
Did ______ tell you to stop?"
If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with step 2
If no: Practice the 3 step response.
Did ______ walk away?"
If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with step 3
If no: Practice the 3 step response.
Practice the 3 step response.
The amount of practice depends on the severity and frequency of
problem behavior
Clear Expectations and
Consequences for Bullying
 Should
be preplanned
 Clearly explained to students
 Intervene promptly
 Coaching or Specific Skills instruction
 Hierarchy of consequences
–
–
–
–
Reprimands or warnings
Loss of privileges
Think Time
Call to parent
Important Considerations
•
•
Confidential Reporting
Power of the students
(Safe School Ambassadors)
http://www.community-matters.org/safe-schoolambassadors/
• Replicating playground programs
• Are we differentiating unkind behavior from bullying
behavior?
• ???
Wrapping It Up

Bullying is a serious problem that can be addressed
at school.
 Students can be directly taught bullying prevention
skills
 Friendship skills and a caring climate play an
important role in preventing bullying.
 Establishing school-wide expectations and
consistent response and follow-up is important
Take Away!
Bullying prevention is
part of a comprehensive,
ongoing school-wide
and community effort to
create a positive and safe
school climate.
Additional Resources
http://www.stopbullyingnow.org
http://www.community-matters.org/safeschool-ambassadors/
Thank you!
Portland Public Schools
Student Services Department
Karina Kidd
kkidd@pps.k12.or.us
Integrated Student Supports Department
BESC
501 N Dixon
Portland Oregon 97227
(503) 916-2000 x71014