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Dan Olweus, one of the foremost researchers in the field of school bullying, gives the following criteria for a successful school-based intervention program to stop bullying:
All adults MUST be involved and aware of the problems and repercussions of bullying A survey or assessment of bullying behaviors to be addressed before implementation of the new program A school staff conference day devoted to educating all teachers and other staff about bullying and how to deal with it Increased adult supervision and attention in hallways, lunchroom and playground Immediate, consistent consequences for aggressive behavior Generous praise for pro-social and helpful behavior by students. Classroom rules that make a stand against bullying Class meetings about bullying Serious individual talks with bullies and with victims Serious talks with parents of bullies and victims A meeting of the PTO on the topic of bullying.
Olweus notes that the purpose of the staff conference day is to unify the entire staff in a commitment to end bullying. The more committed the adults are, the better the results of a interventions will be. It’s also important to note that it is the adults who must lead the way and model appropriate behavior for students, as well as draw the line on what behavior is and is not acceptable. The specific behaviors identified as ‘bullying’ as well as those identified as being pro-social, will be important as the intervention plan is developed.
Developing an Intervention An assessment and intervention plan can be modeled on the more familiar individual assessment and treatment plans – only in this case, the ‘subject’ is the entire school. Following that rationale, a realistic intervention plan must focus on:
Identifying behaviors that are inappropriate Replacing problem behaviors with appropriate behaviors that have the same effect Increasing appropriate behaviors Making changes to the environment to support the new appropriate behaviors Providing supports for each and every child involved
Once the behaviors that need to be changed have been identified, strategies can be developed to deal with those behaviors and incidents. Teachers and staff should be involved in creating a consistent response to bullying actions. The responses should include an escalating series of consequences for repeated offenses, as well as providing support for the bullying targets and recognition and praise for those who engage in appropriate behavior.
Implementation Some specific responses and interventions for bullying situations might be: Step in the moment you become aware of the bullying. Stop the behavior immediately. Talk to the bullies and the victims separately and in quick succession. If bullying is suspected, be cautious about referring an incident to peer counseling. Bullying victims are not skilled at asserting themselves, and could end up being unintentionally further victimized by the process. Consult with teachers and staff to get a wider reading of the situation and how it fits in with school policies. The ‘no blame’ conflict resolution method does not work with bullying incidents. Bullies have a sense of entitlement – they believe they have the right to be aggressive to other students. Expect that the bully will try to deflect his responsibility for his actions to others. Be specific about which of his behaviors were unacceptable, and about the consequences for those behaviors. Inform him that his parents will be notified. Reassure the victim that all possible steps will be taken to prevent a recurrence. Inform the parents of both the bully and the victim as soon as possible. Bullying is not a ‘what happens here stays here’ situation. Parents have a right and a responsibility to be involved in protecting their children from the effects of bullying no matter which side of the conflict their child is on. Involve parents in designing a creative plan of action, whenever possible. Involve bullying victims in groups and situations where they can develop their social skills. Help them learn assertiveness skills, and begin developing their confidence. Parents can often arrange those kinds of opportunities for their children outside of school, but it is also the responsibility of the school to help as much as possible. Bullies also need help in developing their social skills, though it may not seem that way at first glance. Consequences are important, but so is specific re-education regarding their behavior including lessons on appropriate means of seeking social status and attention. Follow up on the situation until it is clearly resolved, including monitoring the behavior of the bully and the safety of the target. If the bully(ies) will not change their behavior, they, and not the victim, should be the ones who are removed from the class or school, or transferred to another program. Those consequences will be watched carefully by other students.
Specific steps that classroom teachers can take to help reduce bullying include:
LISTEN when children tell you they are being picked on and bullied. Involve the class in creating a class code of conduct that is concrete and specific. Encourage students to help victims by being positive and using praise to reinforce even the smallest appropriate behaviors. Remember that it is the responsibility of the adult to resolve conflicts. Notify parents of each bullying offense by their child. Teach class sessions on bully-victim issues and explain the school-wide safe school policy. Praise the bully when he shows non-aggressive problem solving and relationship skills. Identify the bully's strengths and turn them into positive leadership opportunities.
Don’ts For Dealing With Bullying Just as there are actions that have a positive effect on bullying, there are some actions that are inherently unhelpful and even harmful. If your child (or your students) are involved in a bullying situation: DON’T encourage a victim to fight back. “Just hit him back” is a popular bit of advice given, but it can make things far worse. The fact is that many children who are targets are targeted because they are smaller and weaker. Losing a fight to a bully is one more blow to the self-esteem – and winning one isn’t likely to stop the bully from retaliating. DON’T tell the bully and the victim to work things out between them. The power imbalance between bully and victim makes it almost impossible for that to ever work. Instead, it’s likely to be one more hold that the bully has over the victim – and the message to the victim is that he is on his own in dealing with something he already is unable to deal with. DON’T use peer mediation. Peer mediation and conflict resolution are based on two parties of EQUAL power coming to an agreement. When a bully and his victim enter into mediation or conflict resolution, the bully’s power is likely to intimidate the victim to the point where it becomes one more avenue of intimidation. DON’T punish the victim. When a child is being attacked in the schoolyard, for instance, it’s tempting to have him stay in for recess for his own protection. The practical effect of that tactic, though, is punishment for the child being bullied. Instead, keep the bullies in at recess – it sends a clear message whose behavior is not being tolerated. DON’T tell the victim to ‘not let it bother him’. It DOES bother him. Acting as if it shouldn’t simply reinforces his feelings of inadequacy and helplessness. Instead, validate his feelings by agreeing that it hurts when someone makes fun of you, and offer him practical help with not letting it SHOW that it bothers him. DON’T, under any circumstances, betray the confidentiality of a child who reports bullying. It is the surest way to destroy any trust that the children have in you and ensure that no child ever reports bullying again. DON’T ignore your instincts. If you have a feeling that something is wrong, act on it even if all the children involved assure you that they’re just horsing around.
When faced with a situation where someone is being bullied, your first responsibility is to ensure the physical safety of the victim. Once that’s ensured, remember that in every bullying situation there are at least two children at risk – the bullied target and the bully. There may also be bystanders and cohorts involved and at risk. Every one of those children needs some attention, even if it’s just reassurance that the problem will be dealt with.
Replacing a culture where bullying thrives with one where children and staff support and respect each other can seem like a daunting task, but school across the country are using the steps outlined above to do exactly that. The key to making the changes happen in your school is consistent, immediate action from all the adults working in concert.
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Bully Solutions
