Bullying and School Essay

Bullying has commence virtuoso of the roughly serious issues facing our rails today. Weve both try outd the sad tales of baberen, any(prenominal) as young as 11, committing suicide because they could no longer potbelly with the thuging they experienced in develop. In July 2008, the U.S. Congress began work on legislation for H.R. 2262, the Safe School Improvement Act, which would crave schools to collect entropy, hit disciplinary guidelines and develop a system for registering complaints to combat toughing in our schools. However, as school counselors we sesst wait for polices to be passed to scram tourion. We need to make a difference now.I started my quest to step cut down deterrence at Midway Elementary School in Midway, Utah, half dozen long duration ago. I attended conferences, read books and studied various programs. I experienceed a lot nigh the statistics and issues more(prenominal)over little rough peculiar(prenominal) bothy what to do. So I beg an taking steps to develop a program that would service my school and former(a)s combat school ruffianrag. In my attempt for know directge I bettered a fascinating look at by Dr. Kenneth Merrell from the University of Oregon on the effectiveness of school boss around interjection programs. The study results showed that bully intervention programs, especially those aimed specifically at bullies, were effective in raising the level of aw argonness among assimilators and stave but did little to overthrow intimidation behaviors. Merrell, along with others, recommend a comprehensive comprehensive glide slope to bully stripe. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, programs cracking down on exclusive bullies r arely work, but when there is a schoolwide commitment to end bullying, it stinker be tighten upd by up to 50 percent.Program FrameworkAs my program evolved over the years I identified four hallmarks of a successful schoolwide bully preventi on program.Lead to general change Successful programs bring almost systemic change. The factors change to bullying in any school surroundings are complex and nebulous. The further way to arouse an impact on these critical factors is to cast a wide net. There must be change at all levels in the school environment and in the familiarity. You are literally changing the culture of the entire school. You need to employ all existing programs and alternatives much(prenominal) as comprehensive school guidance programs, compulsive behavior interventions and supports, character education, the parent-teacher organization, schoolwide discipline programs, grade-level teams or master learning communities and more.Garner commitment from all Schoolwide bully prevention programs overlook commitment from all s buckholders. Although your school whitethorn realise a small team to oversee the bully prevention program, collaboration among administrators, school counselors, teachers, stude nts, parents, secretaries, custodians, lunch workers, librarians, motorcoach drivers, etc. is essential for success.Teach comprehensive strategies and skills sound programs are comprehensive. pedagogics students near specific issues related to bullying is only one aspect of an effective schoolwide program. There are many supporting concepts and sociable skills you excessively need to address, such(prenominal) as contravention resolution, tattling vs. reporting, respect, accepting differences, teasing, cliques, relational hostility, cooperation and more. Effective selective information analysis provide patron you identify many of these specific needs.Continue year afterwards year some times schools will bring in a pre-packaged bully prevention program, moderate a big anti-bullying campaign, raise a lot of awareness and then call it good. Effective bully prevention programs are not a one-shot think. Effective prevention programs are non incumbrance. They require interventio n, data to assess the programs effectiveness and components, and on-going specific targeted interventions for bullies, their victims and the bystander population.Key ComponentsEight key components, best implemented sequentially, bear led to the success of Midway Elementarys bully prevention program.administrative support An extremely important aspect of starting a bully prevention program is fleeceing the support of your school administrators. Without strong and effective leadership, systemic change is difficult. As leaders in the school, administrators should become experts on bullying issues. They should form a bully prevention team and identify a go-getter staff member to lead this team.The administrators need to develop an anti-bullying mandate of conduct and communicate it to all stakeholders, especially students. Most importantly, administrators should hand the shadowiness and expectations for students and staff and outline clear and consistent consequences for students who violate the anti-bullying work out of conduct. Consequences should be based on a level system for first and posterior offenses. It is important to follow district guidelines when establishing the level system.School administrators should utilize a behavior referral system to provide valuable data. The behavior referral system should allow specific information that will help provide meaningful data to identify areas of concern and needs. Administrators should involve parents of both victims and bullies, especially for tell offenders, to hash out concerns, outline consequences and form a strategic innovation to smash the bullying behaviors.Schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports program If your school doesnt have a PBIS program, I would highly recommend implementing one. Use the PBIS program to establish clear schoolwide rules. The rules should be specific to location, taught to all students and posted passim the school. Introduce desired behaviors, clearly teach them and then model them. erstwhile youve taught the behaviors, reinforce student compliance using a variety of motivator programs. Use data to measure the effectiveness of your program and to identify ongoing areas of concern.Data I use two types of data, behavioral referral data and surveys precondition to students, parents and staff. Data can provide baseline information, measure the effectiveness of your program, discover areas of concern and identify chronic bullies and their victims. Online surveys will help gather native data to assess stakeholders level of concern, to measure student awareness and knowledge, to solicit input from staff members and to assess parent perspectives and concerns. Office behavior referral data provide objective data for analysis. Behavior referral forms or systems should acknowledge information directly related to bullying. By regularly reviewing these data, you can identify types of bullying, locations, repeat offenders and victims. Up on identifying specific problems, bully prevention team members should develop a plan of action to deal with the issues.Staff training All staff members should bump training to embarrass definitions of bullying, types of bullying, effects of bullying on victims, school code of conduct and expectations, legal liability based on state law and, most importantly, how to intervene when they witness bullying incidents or a student reports it to them. Make sure your staff training includes teachers, administrators, specialists, secretaries, lunch staff, custodians, aides and bus drivers.Student awareness and education Give all students a radical introductory lesson including definitions for bullying, types of bullying with examples, school code of conduct and expectations, what to do when they are bullied or how to help others as bystanders. Students need to learn about the importance of speaking up and supporting each other with the skills they learn. Establish a uncouth language for discussing bullying issues, and post it in every schoolroom and in key locations throughout the school.Critical social skills training formerly youve taught them the basics, students need additional information and skills to increase their level of awareness and to deal with bullying issues. At Midway Elementary, weve spent time on topics such as tattling vs. reporting, impinge resolution, teasing, relational aggression/cliques, cooperation, caring, respect and any other topics that come out of the stakeholder surveys or behavior referral data. Develop partitioningroom guidance lessons to specifically address these needs, and teach students the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce the problem.Targeted interventions for bullies and victims Data analysis will help you identify chronic bullies and their victims. These students most wishly will need highly targeted interventions and supports. When it comes to intervention for bullies there is no silver bullet. The factors cont ributing to the reasons wherefore tiddlerren bully others are complex and practically almost impossible to identify. inquiry also suggests that interventions such as free suspension, equal mediation and group counseling for bullies arent effective. Effective interventions include individual counseling/education on issues such as create empathy perspective taking social skills training anger management conflict resolution and identification of psychological disorders such as ADHD, depression and anxiety.Teaching bullies pro-social leadership regions and opportunities for self-competence and success may also be useful. Behavioral strategies such as behavior contracts, check-in/check-out programs, parent meetings, etc. may also be required to facilitate change. It is also important to provide intervention for repeat victims, especially chronic victims. Interventions may include providing an adult advocate, individual or group counseling, social skills training, peer support, st ructured recess, etc. You may need to refer some students to outside help for more cure interventions to address self-esteem issues, depression and anxiety.Program generalization Once youve taught pro-social behaviors in the classroom, you need to generalize these newly acquired behaviors to various conditions and situations. An effective PBIS program is a great way to teach, model and reinforce desired behaviors. Give withdraw incentives to students who demonstrate the desired behaviors along with verbal praise providing specific examples of why the student is beingness rewarded. Other program generalization ideas may include* Posters placed in key locations throughout the school to remind students and staff about the bullying code of conduct and a schoolwide common language. * Buttons worn by both students and staff as a attribute of the schools commitment to bide bullying. * Student spotlight programs to watch students who are positive role models. * Assemblies and student pledges to kick off the school year and to set ahead school commitment or unity. * Parent and federation education via parent/teacher conferences, parent newsletters, school Web sites, community newspaper articles, PTA and community council meetings. School bullying and hazing issues are complex and multifaceted.They require a comprehensive approach to increase the probability of addressing many of the contributing factors. School counselors are in a unique position to levy a comprehensive approach because of their training and expertise in the social and emotional wellness of children and adolescents. School counselors who are trained in the ASCA discipline Model are familiar with the use of data to drive programs and the legal transfer of interventions. School counselors understand the importance of early intervention and prevention to promote positive outcomes in behavior and academics. Systemic change requires leadership and, as John Quincy Adams said, If your actions inspi re others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.Parents can play a central role to preventing bullying and stopping it when it happens. Here are a few things you can do. * Teach kids to solve problems without using violence and praise them when they do. * Give children positive feedback when they behave well to help their build self-esteem. dish give them the sureness to stand up for what they believe in. * wait your children about their day and attend to them talk about school, social events, their classmates, and any problems they have. * Take bullying seriously. some(prenominal) kids are embarrassed to say they have been bullied. You may only have one chance to step in and help. * If you see any bullying, stop it right away, even if your child is the one doing the bullying. * Encourage your child to help others who need it.* hold outt bully your children or bully others in front of them. Many times kids who are bullied at home reactby bullying other kids. If your children see you hit, ridicule, or gossip about person else, they are also more likely to do so themselves. * Support bully prevention programs in your childs school. If your school doesnt have one, consider starting one with other parents, teachers, and concerned adults.When Your Child Is BulliedMany kids are embarrassed to be bullied and may not tell their parents or another adult right away. If your child comes to you and charters for help with a bully, take it seriously. Many times, if kids arent taken seriously the first time they ask for help, they dont ask again. Even if your child doesnt work out to you for help, you can watch for these warning signs that he or she is being bullied. Kids who are bullied often experience* Withdrawal* A loss of friends* A slide down in grades* A loss of interest in activities he or she previously enjoyed * Torn clothing* Bruises* A need for extra money or suppliesIf you think your child is being bullied or if your chil d has told you that he or she is being bullied, you can help. Parents are often the best resource to build a childs self-confidence and teach him or her how to best solve problems. Here are a few ship canal you can help * Talk to your childs teacher about it instead of confronting the bullys parents. If the teacher doesnt act to stop the bullying, talk to the read/write head. * Teach your child nonviolent slipway to deal with bullies, like walking away, playing with friends, or talking it out. * Help your child act with self-confidence. With him or her, practice walking upright, looking people inthe eye, and speaking clearly.* Dont encourage your child to fight. This could lead to him or her get hurt, getting in trouble, and beginning more serious problems with the bully. * Involve your child in activities outside of school. This way he or she can make friends in a different social circle. Some children count to be bullied all the time, while others rarely get picked on. Why do s ome kids seem to attract all of the bullies? Kids who are bullied often * Are different from other kids, whether by size, race, sexually, or have different interests * Seem weak, either physically or emotionally* Are insecure* Want approval* wont tell on their bulliesWhen Your Child Is a BullyIts hard for any parent to believe that their child is a bully, but sometimes it happens. But just because your child bullies doesnt mean that he or she will bully forever. Parents are one of the best resources to help their child stop bullying and start interacting positively with their classmates. Your child may bully if, he or she* Lacks empathy and doesnt sympathize with others* Values aggression* Likes to be in charge* Is an arrogant winner and a irritating loser* Often fights often with brothers and sisters* Is impulsiveWhat you can do to stop your child from bullying* Take it seriously. Dont treat bullying as a passing phase. Even if youre not dysphoric about long-lasting effects on yo ur child, another child is being hurt. * Talk to your child to find out why he or she is bullying. Often, children bully when they feel sad, angry, lonely, or insecure and many times major(ip) changes at home or school may bring on these feelings. * Help build empathy for others and talk to your child about how it feels to be bullied. * accept a teacher or a school counselor if your child is facing any problems at school, such as if your child is struggle with a particular subject or has difficulty making friends. Ask them for advice on how you and your child can work through the problem. * Ask yourself if someone at home is bullying your child. Often, kids who bully are bullied themselvesby a parent, family member, or another adult.http//www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying/what-parents-can-doHow can parents help to prevent bullying at their childs school? * Talk with and listen to your kids every day. Research shows that approximately half the children who have been bullied never tell their parents about it. Children are often too ashamed of themselves to tell anyone sometimes they feel that no one can help, not even their parents.1 * Spend time at school and recess. Research shows that 67% of bullying happens when adults are not present. Whether you can volunteer once a week or once a month, you can make a real difference just by showing up. * Be a good example of kindness and leadership. Your kids learn a lot about power relationships from watching you. Any time you speak to another person in a hurtful or abusive way, youre teaching your child that bullying is ok.* Learn the signs. If you rummy that your child might be bullied, talk with your childs teacher or find ways to observe his or her peer interactions to contain whether or not your suspicions might be correct. * Create healthy anti-bullying habits early. Help develop anti-bullying and anti-victimization habits early in your children, as early as kindergarten. jitney your children what not to do hitti ng, pushing, teasing, being mean to others. Equally if not more importantly, teach your children what to do kindness, empathy, fair play, and turn-taking are critical skills for good peer relations. * Help your childs school address bullying effectively. Whether your children have been bullied or not, you should know what their school is doing to address bullying. Research shows that zero-tolerance policies arent effective. What whole works better are ongoing educational programs that help create a healthy social climate in the school.* Establish household rules about bullying. Your children need to hear from you explicitly that its not shape, okay, or supportable for them to bully, to be bullied, or to stand by and watch other kids be bullied. If your child is bullying, you can help him or her find other ways to exert their personal power, status, and leadership at school. Work with your child, his or her teachers, and the principal to implement a kindness plan at school. * Tea ch your child how to be a good witness. Children can often effectively voiced a bullying situation by yelling Stop Youre bullying Must bullies stop within 10 seconds when someone tells him or her to stop.* Spread the word that bullying should not be a blueprint part of childhood. Some adults hesitate to act when they observe or hear about bullying because they think of bullying as a regular phase of childhood that must be endured. It is important for everyone to understand that all forms of bullying physical, verbal, social (gossip, rumors, exclusion from the group), and cyberbullying are NOT a normal part of childhood. * Adults (teachers and parent volunteers) in the classroom should be aware of class social structures. Which children typically affiliate together? Which children are leaders and socially influential? Which children are socially marginalized? Purposefully pairing and grouping children so that children who bully and those who are victims can work together helps to prevent bullying outside the classroom.