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
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