BULLYINGBULLYING

What is Bullying?What is Bullying?

How to handle How to handle yourself when yourself when you are being you are being bullied.bullied.

Empowering the Empowering the Bystander!Bystander!

Kenston Board PolicyKenston Board Policy

BULLYING AND OTHER FORMS OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORBULLYING AND OTHER FORMS OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

Board Policy 5517.01 states that harassment, intimidation, degradation, or bullying toward a Board Policy 5517.01 states that harassment, intimidation, degradation, or bullying toward a student, whether by other students, staff, or third parties is strictly prohibited and will not be student, whether by other students, staff, or third parties is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. This prohibition includes aggressive behavior, physical, verbal, and psychological tolerated. This prohibition includes aggressive behavior, physical, verbal, and psychological abuse. The Board of Education will not tolerate any gestures, comments, threats, or actions abuse. The Board of Education will not tolerate any gestures, comments, threats, or actions which cause or threaten to cause bodily harm or personal degradation. This policy applies to which cause or threaten to cause bodily harm or personal degradation. This policy applies to all activities in the District, including activities on school property or while enroute to or from all activities in the District, including activities on school property or while enroute to or from school, and those occurring off school property if the student or employee is at any school-school, and those occurring off school property if the student or employee is at any school-sponsored, school-approved or school-related activity or function, such as field trips or athletic sponsored, school-approved or school-related activity or function, such as field trips or athletic events where students are under the school's control, in a school vehicle, or where an events where students are under the school's control, in a school vehicle, or where an employee is engaged in school business. This policy was developed in consultation with employee is engaged in school business. This policy was developed in consultation with parents, District employees, volunteers, students, community members, building parents, District employees, volunteers, students, community members, building administrators, and members of the Board as prescribed in R.C. 3313.666administrators, and members of the Board as prescribed in R.C. 3313.666

What is Bullying?What is Bullying? Student bullying is defined as any Student bullying is defined as any

ongoingongoingphysical or verbal mistreatment where physical or verbal mistreatment where there is an imbalance of there is an imbalance of power and the victim (target)power and the victim (target)is exposed is exposed repeatedlyrepeatedly to to negative actions on the part negative actions on the part of one or more other of one or more other students.students.

Common Examples of Bullying:Common Examples of Bullying:

• Name calling, put-downs, cruel teasing; Name calling, put-downs, cruel teasing; • Saying or writing nasty things about Saying or writing nasty things about

them; them; • Deliberately excluding them from Deliberately excluding them from

activities; activities; • Not talking to them; Not talking to them; • IntimidationIntimidation• Threatening them with bodily Threatening them with bodily

harm; harm; • Taking or damaging their things; Taking or damaging their things; • Hitting or kicking them; or Hitting or kicking them; or • Making them do things they Making them do things they

don’t want to do. don’t want to do.

Why do people bully?Why do people bully?

People who bully usually want to People who bully usually want to feel control or power.feel control or power.

People who bully or tease usually People who bully or tease usually aren't interested in solving conflicts; aren't interested in solving conflicts; they want to start one.they want to start one.

Some bullies want others to feel Some bullies want others to feel pain because they think it shows pain because they think it shows how strong they are.how strong they are.

Why do people bully? cont.Why do people bully? cont.

Some people think it is funny to make Some people think it is funny to make others cry or act scared.others cry or act scared.

Many have been bullied themselves, Many have been bullied themselves, and they end up feeling angry and and they end up feeling angry and take it out on others.take it out on others.

Are you being bullied?Are you being bullied?

It's not your fault and you don't It's not your fault and you don't deserve it.deserve it.

No one has the right to hurt, scare, No one has the right to hurt, scare, or embarrass you at school, on the or embarrass you at school, on the

bus, or anywhere else – even at bus, or anywhere else – even at home.home.

BystandersBystanders

• Most ignored and underused Most ignored and underused resource in our schoolsresource in our schools

• 85% of a school population --- the 85% of a school population --- the “silent majority”“silent majority”

Why Don’t They Get Why Don’t They Get Involved?Involved?

• Fear of retaliationFear of retaliation• Don’t know what to doDon’t know what to do• Afraid they’ll make things worseAfraid they’ll make things worse• Worry about losing social statusWorry about losing social status• Don’t believe that adults will Don’t believe that adults will

helphelp

The Anti-bully: The BystanderThe Anti-bully: The Bystander

When the bystanders take away their When the bystanders take away their support, they take way the bullies support, they take way the bullies powerpower

Bullies like an audienceBullies like an audience

If the audience shows disapproval, If the audience shows disapproval, bullies are discouraged from bullies are discouraged from continuingcontinuing

Why are bystanders Why are bystanders important?important?

Bullying most often takes place in front of Bullying most often takes place in front of peerspeers

It almost never happens when adults are It almost never happens when adults are watchingwatching

Most bystanders want to do something to Most bystanders want to do something to stop the bullystop the bully

Just the Facts:Just the Facts:

When a bystander steps in during a When a bystander steps in during a bullying situation – the bullying stops bullying situation – the bullying stops 50% of the time in 10 seconds or less50% of the time in 10 seconds or less

85% of bullying episodes occur in the 85% of bullying episodes occur in the context of a peer groupcontext of a peer group

Without bullying education, 25% of Without bullying education, 25% of children will actually encourage the children will actually encourage the bullybully

What Works?What Works?• Consensus-development among the Consensus-development among the

whole community so people enforce the whole community so people enforce the same expectations: same expectations: What behaviors are What behaviors are we committed to changing no matter we committed to changing no matter what it takes?what it takes?

• Adult Authority (presence): Adult Authority (presence): Monitoring Monitoring the kids!the kids!

• Addressing one bully at a time!Addressing one bully at a time!• Empowering the “bystanders”Empowering the “bystanders”• Consistent enforcement of effective Consistent enforcement of effective

consequencesconsequences• Building positive connections Building positive connections

(relationships) between the staff and (relationships) between the staff and studentsstudents

• Effective counseling for the bulliesEffective counseling for the bullies• Effective support for the targets (victims)Effective support for the targets (victims)

What Doesn’t Work?What Doesn’t Work?

• Opposite of last slide!Opposite of last slide!• DenialDenial• Asking the “target” to solve Asking the “target” to solve

the problemthe problem• Not involving school personnelNot involving school personnel• Lack of community supportLack of community support• Program has lack of focus, no Program has lack of focus, no

clear expectations, no support, clear expectations, no support, and no consequences and and no consequences and rewardsrewards

• Limited resourcesLimited resources

““Words have power…Words have power…Power to encourage Power to encourage

and power to and power to discourage!”discourage!”

Quotes cont.Quotes cont.

Think to yourself: “If this person was Think to yourself: “If this person was someone I love, would I want them someone I love, would I want them

treated this way?”treated this way?”

““Character is about who you are Character is about who you are when NO ONE is watching.”when NO ONE is watching.”

AnonymousAnonymous

Kindness CountsKindness Counts The PEAK committee has developed an exciting program to encourage The PEAK committee has developed an exciting program to encourage

students and staff to perform acts of kindness for others. This is a district students and staff to perform acts of kindness for others. This is a district wide project that is a proactive way to empower our students with the wide project that is a proactive way to empower our students with the knowledge that one simple act of kindness can make a big difference.knowledge that one simple act of kindness can make a big difference.

We are asking that each card be registered at We are asking that each card be registered at www.kenstonkindness.orgwww.kenstonkindness.org using the card number and security code on the back of the card. Please using the card number and security code on the back of the card. Please save your child’s card number so your child can follow the card and read save your child’s card number so your child can follow the card and read about the acts of kindness generated from the initial kind deed. about the acts of kindness generated from the initial kind deed.

The concept is simple – we ask that our students perform an act of The concept is simple – we ask that our students perform an act of kindness for someone and then give that person the registered card. That kindness for someone and then give that person the registered card. That person is instructed to log onto our website and tell how they received the person is instructed to log onto our website and tell how they received the card. Then they are to perform an act of kindness and pass it on!card. Then they are to perform an act of kindness and pass it on!

Our goal is to pass these cards beyond the Kenston community. We want Our goal is to pass these cards beyond the Kenston community. We want our students to see how far the cards will go. our students to see how far the cards will go.

Just Checking InJust Checking In

Our goal – To Connect with our studentsOur goal – To Connect with our students Based on current research evidence, the Based on current research evidence, the

most effective research strategies for most effective research strategies for increasing the likelihood that students will increasing the likelihood that students will connect to school include:connect to school include: Creating trusting relationships among Creating trusting relationships among

students, teachers, staff, administrators and students, teachers, staff, administrators and familiesfamilies

Ensuring that every students feels close to at Ensuring that every students feels close to at least one supportive adult at schoolleast one supportive adult at school

Student SurveyStudent Survey

Use a student survey to assess Use a student survey to assess connectionsconnections

How many adults at our school do you How many adults at our school do you have a positive relationship with?have a positive relationship with?

That means they welcome you to That means they welcome you to school and you would go to them if school and you would go to them if you had a problemyou had a problem

Who are they?Who are they?

Identify Disconnected YouthIdentify Disconnected Youth

Staff identify students they have Staff identify students they have talked with about something beside talked with about something beside schoolwork in the past monthschoolwork in the past month

Student’s on no one’s list need Student’s on no one’s list need connectionconnection

From the student survey – students From the student survey – students who identify no one or no staff who identify no one or no staff member need a connectionmember need a connection

Connecting Staff with Connecting Staff with Disconnected StudentsDisconnected Students

Increase positive behavior feedback Increase positive behavior feedback and use of positive feeling tone by and use of positive feeling tone by staffstaff

Increase staff efforts to greet and Increase staff efforts to greet and welcome studentswelcome students

Identify staff willing to be silent Identify staff willing to be silent mentorsmentors

They greet and check in with a They greet and check in with a specific student more often and specific student more often and attempt to build a connectionattempt to build a connection

Bullying Cessation ProgramBullying Cessation Program

Early Warnings ProgramEarly Warnings ProgramRavenwoodRavenwoodAlicia PaulseyAlicia Paulsey

KIS InitiativesKIS Initiatives

Monthly PEAK trait writing assignmentsMonthly PEAK trait writing assignments Daily PEAK trait announcementsDaily PEAK trait announcements PEAK AmbassadorsPEAK Ambassadors PEAK Bulletin BoardPEAK Bulletin Board Character Trait Banners in CafeCharacter Trait Banners in Cafe Decent DeedsDecent Deeds Peer MediationPeer Mediation Big Brothers/Big SistersBig Brothers/Big Sisters Fine Arts ProgrammingFine Arts Programming

KIS Initiatives cont.KIS Initiatives cont.

Accent on Youth Accent on Youth Safety PatrolSafety PatrolSafe Harbor labeled with PEAK signSafe Harbor labeled with PEAK signMix It Up DayMix It Up Day International Day of PeaceInternational Day of PeaceClassroom Guidance LessonsClassroom Guidance LessonsMany classroom initiativesMany classroom initiatives