Bullying and School Essay Example for Free

Bullying and School EssayBullying has drive one of the or so serious issues facing our cultivates today. Weve in every(prenominal) heard the sad tales of nipperren, some as young as 11, committing felo-de-se because they could no longer hump with the struting they controld in nurture. In July 2008, the U.S. Congress began report on legislation for H.R. 2262, the Safe School Improvement Act, which would take away enlightenhouses to collect entropy, establish disciplinary guidelines and develop a ashes for registering complaints to beset intimidateing in our initiates. However, as take aim counselors we orduret wait for laws to be passed to take action. We need to make a difference now.I started my quest to term of enlistment hectoring at Midway Elementary School in Midway, Utah, six years ago. I attended conferences, read books and back toothvass various programs. I learned a lot some the statistics and issues but light closely specifi primeval out y what to do. So I began taking steps to develop a program that would table service my school and others combat school bullying. In my search for association I discovered a fascinating study by Dr. Kenneth Merrell from the University of Oregon on the effectiveness of school bullying intervention programs. The study results showed that bully intervention programs, especially those aimed peculiar(prenominal)ally at bullies, were effective in raising the level of aw beness among scholarly persons and staff but did little to reduce bullying behaviors. Merrell, along with others, recommend a schoolwide complete approach to bully barroom. agree to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, programs cracking down on individual bullies r bely work, but when in that respect is a schoolwide commitment to end bullying, it post be reduced by up to 50 percent.Program FrameworkAs my program evolved over the years I identified four hallmarks of a supremacyful schoolwide bully prev ention program.Lead to systemic change Successful programs bring round systemic change. The factors contributing to bullying in any school environment be entangled and nebulous. The completely way to build an impact on these critical factors is to cast a wide net. There mustiness be change at all levels in the school environment and in the community. You ar literally changing the culture of the entire school. You need to utilize all existing programs and resources such as comprehensive school counseling programs, positive behavior interventions and supports, character program line, the p arnt-t apieceer organization, schoolwide discipline programs, grade-level teams or professional breeding communities and more.Garner commitment from all Schoolwide bully prevention programs require commitment from all stakeholders. Although your school may have a small team to oversee the bully prevention program, collaboration among administrators, school counselors, schoolers, students, p bents, secretaries, custodians, lunch workers, librarians, bus drivers, and so forth is essential for success.Teach comprehensive strategies and skills Effective programs are comprehensive. Teaching students or so specific issues related to bullying is only one aspect of an effective schoolwide program. There are many supporting concepts and genial skills you also need to address, such as conflict resolution, tattling vs. reporting, respect, accept differences, teasing, cliques, relational aggression, cooperation and more. Effective data analysis will help you depict many of these specific needs.save year after year Many eons schools will bring in a pre-packaged bully prevention program, have a big anti-bullying campaign, raise a lot of awareness and then call it severe. Effective bully prevention programs are non a one-shot deal. Effective prevention programs are nonstop. They require intervention, data to assess the programs effectiveness and components, and ongoing speci fic targeted interventions for bullies, their victims and the bystander population.Key ComponentsEight key components, best implemented sequentially, have led to the success of Midway Elementarys bully prevention program.Administrative support An extremely important aspect of starting a bully prevention program is soliciting the support of your school administrators. Without strong and effective leadership, systemic change is difficult. As leaders in the school, administrators should be incur experts on bullying issues. They should form a bully prevention team and identify a human dynamo staff member to lead this team.The administrators need to develop an anti-bullying code of conduct and communicate it to all stakeholders, especially students. Most importantly, administrators should establish the tone and expectations for students and staff and outline clear and consistent consequences for students who violate the anti-bullying code of conduct. Consequences should be based on a le vel system for first and subsequent offenses. It is important to follow soil guidelines when establishing the level system.School administrators should utilize a behavior referral system to nominate valuable data. The behavior referral system should include specific knowledge that will help provide meaningful data to identify areas of affect and needs. Administrators should involve parents of both victims and bullies, especially for recite offenders, to discuss concerns, outline consequences and form a strategic excogitate to stop 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 throughout the school. Introduce desired behaviors, cl archeozoic teach them and then model them. erstwhile youve taught the behaviors, reinforce student compliance using a variety of incentive programs. Use data to placard the effectiveness of your program and to identify ongoing areas of concern.Data I use two types of data, behavioral referral data and surveys given to students, parents and staff. Data thunder mug provide baseline information, mea sealed the effectiveness of your program, discover areas of concern and identify chronic bullies and their victims. Online surveys will help gather subjective 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 include information directly related to bullying. By on a regular basis reviewing these data, you can identify types of bullying, locations, repeat offenders and victims. Upon identifying specific problems, bully prevention team members should develop a externalize of action to deal with the issues.Staff training All staff members should receive training to include definitions of bullying, types of bullying, personal effects of bullying on victims, school code of conduct and expectations, legal liability based on commonwealth 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 induce all students a basic 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 common language for discussing bullying issues, and post it in every classroom and in key locations throughout the school.Critical social skills training Once 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, conflict resolution, teasing, relational aggression/cliques, cooperation, caring, respect and any other topics that come out of the stakeholder surveys or behavior referral data. Develop classroom 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 presumable will need highly targeted interventions and supports. When it comes to intervention for bullies there is no silver bullet. The factors contributing to the reasons why peasantren bully others are comp lex and often almost impossible to identify. Research also suggests that interventions such as out-of-school suspension, match mediation and group counseling for bullies arent effective. Effective interventions include individual counseling/education on issues such as developing empathy perspective taking social skills training anger counseling conflict resolution and identification of psychological disorders such as ADHD, depression and anxiety.Teaching bullies pro-social leadership roles 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, structured recess, etc. You may need to refer some students to outsi de 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 fresh acquired behaviors to various conditions and situations. An effective PBIS program is a great way to teach, model and reinforce desired behaviors. Give appropriate incentives to students who demonstrate the desired behaviors along with verbal praise providing specific examples of why the student is macrocosm 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 have on by both students and staff as a symbol of the schools commitment to stop bullying. * Student spotlight programs to celebrate students who are positive role models. * Assemblies and student pledges to kick off the school year and to promote school com mitment or unity. * Parent and community 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 promote a comprehensive approach because of their training and expertness in the social and emotional fountainheadness of infantren and adolescents. School counselors who are trained in the ASCA National homunculus are familiar with the use of data to drive programs and the delivery of interventions. School counselors understand the importance of former(a) intervention and prevention to promote positive outcomes in behavior and academics. Systemic change requires leadership and, as John Quincy Adams said, If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and beco me 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 realize problems without using violence and praise them when they do. * Give small fryren positive feedback when they behave well to help their build self-esteem. Help give them the self-confidence to stand up for what they believe in. * Ask your children about their day and listen to them talk about school, social events, their classmates, and any problems they have. * Take bullying seriously. Many 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.* Dont 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 someone 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 place their parents or another adult right away. If your child comes to you and asks 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. regular if your child doesnt turn 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 drop 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 child 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 ways you can help * speak to your childs teacher about it instead of confronting the bullys parents. If the teacher doesnt act to stop the bullying, talk to the principal. * Teach your child nonviolent ways 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, rehearse walking upright, looking people inthe eye, and speaking clearly.* Dont encourage your child to fight. This could lead to him or her acquire 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 seem to be bullied all the time, while others rarely get picked on. Why do some kids seem to attract all of the bullies? Kids who are bullied often * Are differ ent from other kids, whether by size, race, sexually, or have different interests * depend weak, either physically or emotionally* Are unstable* 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 heyday* Is an arrogant winner and a sore 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 worried about long-lasting effects on your 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 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. * Ask a teacher or a school counselor if your child is facing any problems at school, such as if your child is struggling 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 th ey 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 commandment your child that bullying is ok.* Learn the signs. If you suspect that your child might be bullied, talk with your childs teacher or find ways to observe his or her peer interactions to determine 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. Coach your children what not to do hitting, pushing, teasing, being mean to others. Equally if not more importantly, teach your chi ldren 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 kit and caboodle better are ongoing educational programs that help create a healthy social temper in the school.* Establish household rules about bullying. Your children need to hear from you explicitly that its not normal, okay, or tolerable 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. release with your child, his or her teachers, and the principal to implement a kindness plan at school. * Teach your child how to be a good witness. Children can often effectively diffuse a bull ying 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 normal part of childhood. Some adults pause to act when they observe or hear about bullying because they think of bullying as a typical 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 potent? 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.