Owleus: A Bullying Prevention Program

Dr. Katherine SprottBest PracticesOmaha, NE

MEAC Facebook/Websitehttp://www.meac.org

Midwest Equity Assistance Center Conference

(Get to Know One Another) How much do you know about

bullying?

True or False1. Find a partner.

2. Introduce yourselves.

3. Discuss first two questions. Choose a response.

4. Find another partner and continue the process until the questionnaire has been completed.

Today

Prevalence of Age

Middle school is the age when bullying is most

common.

4. True or false

Gender plays a role

Similarities: Both boy and girls engage in frequent verbal bullying. Girls and boys engage in relational bullying.

Differences: Boys are more likely to physically bully. Girls are more likely to use more subtle and indirect forms of

bullying; social exclusion, rumor-spreading friendship manipulation.

Boys are bullied primarily by boys: girls are bullied by boys and girls.

4. True or false

Frequency of Cyber-bullying

Females are twice as high as males to participate in cyberbullying.

Females (60%) Males 30%

4. True or false

Reporting of Victimization

Many children do no report to school staff

Older student and boys are less like than younger and girls to report their victimization.

4. True or false

Common Bullying Locations

Unnever et al. (2010)

48% Hallways/stairwells

32% in class with teacher absent

29% in gym class/locker rooms

27% in class with teacher present

24% lunch room

17% bathroom

15% on the bus

4. True or false

Student Who Observe

What do you usually do when you see someone being bullied?

38% Nothing- I think the bullying is OK/I take/I Just watch

27% I don’t do anything but I think I should help

35% I try to help him or her

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Dr. Dan Olweus

First systematic research in 1970’s

1983 three teenager committed suicide in Norway

Until 1990’s U. S. there was little attention

What is Bullying?

Record your definition of bullying on the handout provided.

Bullying Is…..

An aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power.

Usually is repeated over time.

Occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power or strength.

Bullying In Everyday Language

“Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean and hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself.

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 Deliberately excluding someone from a group or

activity

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying(On line social cruelty or electronic bullying)

Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images.

Posting sensitive, private information about another person.

Pretending to someone else in order to make that person look bad.

Intentionally excluding some from an online group.

Cyberbullying 65 percent of teens have been victims.

81percent thought that it was funny or a joke.

80 percent of teens said that they didn’t have parent rules.

17% of 6-11 and 12-17 years reported that threats or embarrassing things.

11 percent talked to parents about the incidents

70 percent said that being able to block cyberbullies was most effective.

How Does Bullying Affect Children?

Record your response in your handout.

Nearly one in five students in an average classroom is experiencing bullying in some way. The rest of the students, called bystanders, are also affected by the bullying.

Students Who are Bullied

Students deserve to feel safe at school. But when they experience bullying, these types of effects can last long into their future:

Depression

Low self-esteem

Health problems

Poor grades

Suicidal thoughts

Students Who Bully Others Students who intentionally bully others should be held accountable for their actions. Those

who bully their peers are also more likely than those students who do not bully others to *:

Get into frequent fights

Steal and vandalize property

Drink alcohol and smoke

Report poor grades

Perceive a negative climate at school

Carry a weapon

Observers of Bullying

Students who see bullying happen also may feel that they are in an unsafe environment. Effects may include feeling:

Fearful

Powerless to act

Guilty for not acting

Tempted to participate

School With Bullying Issues

When bullying continues and a school does not take action, the entire school climate can be affected in the following ways:

The school develops an environment of fear and disrespect

Students have difficulty learning

Students feel insecure

Students dislike school

Students perceive that teachers and staff have little control and don't care about them

Warning Signs

Refer to handout!

The Bullying Circle

Video Clip Scenario

Program Components

“Systems Change”

Benefits

Program Components

School Level Components

Support

Bullying is like . . .because

Thank You!!!

Dr. Katherine Sprott

Kansas State University

Midwest Equity Assistance Center

Krs8888@k-state.edu

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