Bullying Prevention and Intervention: Realistic Strategies for Adults Working with Youth

Full-Day Workshop presented to Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford, OK October 11, 2013 Susan M. Swearer, Ph.D. Professor of School Psychology

Today’s Objectives

• Understand the complexity of bullying and

victimization among school-aged youth

• Understand that traditional forms of bullying

co-occur with cyber-bullying

• Understand that bullying is a mental health

problem

• Develop ideas for creating healthy, caring

relationships among adults and students

• Transform coercive and bullying behaviors

into restorative, caring behaviors

@DrSueSwearer

• Tweet comments and questions!

Workshop based in part on: Co-edited a special issue:

“Bullying: At School and Online” at

(www.education.com)

Studying bullying since 1998

Developed a cognitive-behavioral

intervention for bullying behaviors

Being a supervising psychologist in the child and

adolescent therapy clinic at UNL since 1999

Being a parent of two daughters

Chair of the Research Advisory Board for the Born

This Way Foundation

(www.bornthiswayfoundation.org)

Available from: www.amazon.com

Bullying Prevention in Schools: Using Partnerships to Reduce Bullying

• Empowerment Initiative (http://empowerment.unl.edu)

• Working with schools and school districts since 1999.

• A partnership between individual schools and/or districts and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln School Psychology Program.

• Using data to make decisions about effective bullying prevention and intervention strategies.

• Researchers provide yearly feedback to participating schools.

• Elementary, Middle, High Schools and higher education.

• University researchers work in tandem with school personnel, students, and parents.

The Empowerment Initiative (http://empowerment.unl.edu)

• The Empowerment Initiative supports

translational research designed to foster positive,

accepting communities free from bullying and

other negative behaviors.

• Studies conducted through the Empowerment

Initiative focus on identifying and addressing the

complex personal, social and cultural factors

underlying such behaviors, thereby advancing

practical solutions to promote healthy

relationships within families, schools and

communities.

• The focus of EI is on translational research.

Translational Research: Born Brave Experiences Study • Mixed methods

research design

• Phase I launched with the Born Brave Bus

• Currently 2900 completed surveys from participants ages 13-25

• Conducting qualitative interviews in the fall of 2013

• What are the supports that youth need in order to create a kinder and braver world?

Translational Research: H.E.A.R. Workshop • Anti-bullying

presentation created for the National Guard

• Rick Weissbourd, Stephanie Jones, & Susan Swearer (2013)

• Published by Career Training Concepts, Inc.

• Project team: Trisha Ross, Matthew Morgan, Yvetta Churchill, & Jimmy Shafe

• Can we reduce bullying by using National Guard recruiters to deliver the H.E.A.R. message?

Translational Research: N-Lighten ® Program

• Susan Swearer, Melanie Eirich, Faye Haggar, & Shane Miner (2013)

• Created for the nationwide network of Paul Mitchell Schools

• SEL curriculum focused on self-empowerment, anti-bullying, and self-awareness

• N-Lighten your mood, mind, actions, school, and world

• Will teaching SEL skills reduce bullying, mean behavior and increase self-awareness and empowerment?

Why is Understanding Bullying Important? • Bullying at age 14 predicted violent

convictions between ages 15 and 20, drug use at ages 27-32, and an unsuccessful life at age 48 (Farrington & Ttofi, 2011).

• Bullying was a factor in 2/3 of the 37 school shootings reviewed by the U.S. Secret Service (i.e., shooters reported being chronically victimized).

• Victims and bully-victims are more depressed and have lower self-esteem than non-victimized youth (Olweus, 1993; Swearer et al., 2001).

The Costs of Bullying

• Bullying is a social problem that negatively impacts 3

out of 4 students during their school years.

• Bullying is a mental health problem - the

psychological consequences for students involved in

bullying is severe-depression, suicide, antisocial

behavior.

• Bullying creates feelings of helplessness, anger, and

frustration.

• Bullying is correlated with negative school climate.

• Adults often do not know how to effectively respond.

• Bullying is expensive – dropout, suicide, litigation.

Red by SpiritClips

If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.

--African Proverb

Definition of Bullying (Swearer, 2001):

• Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares

another person on purpose and the person being

bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself.

Usually, bullying happens over and over.

Punching, shoving and other acts that hurt people

physically

Spreading bad rumors about people

Keeping certain people out of a “group”

Teasing people in a mean way

Getting certain people to “gang up” on others

Bully/Victim Continuum*

• Bully Perpetrator– reports bullying others

• Victim/Target – reports being bullied by others

• Bully-Victim – reports bullying others & being

bullied

• Bystander – reports observing others being bullied

• No Status/Not involved – does not report any

involvement with bullying

*IMPORTANT: This is a dynamic continuum; kids move

between these roles.

The 4-Square Relational Model

Community School/

Peers

Family Child Society/Culture

A Social-Ecological Model of Bullying (Bronfenbrenner, 1979;Orpinas & Horne; 2006; Swearer & Espelage, 2004)

LiveScience article: “Bullying hits parents too.” (June, 2011)

• Quotes from the article:

• While it can be hard to cope with the emotions

bullying brings, Swearer encourages parents to focus

on solutions for their child.

• "Going in angry and yelling and screaming, which I

have seen, does not help anybody," Swearer said.

"Everybody just gets defensive."

• Parents should realize that bullying is a complex

social problem, and the situation may have been

developing for some time, she said.

A few on-line reader responses: • No, but going in swinging usually stops this BS in its

tracks.

• This is both stupid and exploitable. I hate to say it but we need bullying in society. It's what separates the weak from the strong, and motivates people to rise above. If you can't rise above, then you're the runt of the litter and you kill yourself. Society has just become stronger with one less weakling.

• Violence tends to solve bullying. I'd rather my kids threw someone who was bullying them into a beating, rather than have it come back to screw them later in life by lowering their self esteem.

• People might as well know up front that I'll go straight to jail about my kids. Some brat wants to bully my kid, I'll show him/her what a REAL bully looks like.

• When my son was growing up I told him I'd better not ever catch him bullying another and at the same, I'd better not ever catch him being used as a punching bag.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42721657/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

• I rather my son got in trouble with school authority for standing up for himself than just stood there and took crap from other kids!

• When all else fails in the "civilized" setting, sometimes we have to go back to old fashioned methods of sending a message the bully will surely understand.

• It's liberals like yourself that allow bullies to continue as you and your kind are soft on handing out consequences to the bullies.

• Only way to stop this kind of behavior is to make it so its not fun anymore for the evil sheep that do the bullying. Hurt them. Hard and fast and bad...and if you are too weak to do it by yourself then get the help of other kids who have been victimized...catch the bully alone...and make it so its no fun any more.

• If a fist won’t work....grab a weapon.....they have to be stopped...period....face it...we don’t need these animals....

We need to ask the right question:

“What are the conditions

that allow bullying

behaviors to occur?”

Condition #1: Families

• Coercive parenting styles (Patterson, 1981)

• Youth who bully others may come from families

where the parents display aggressive and coercive

behaviors (Duncan, 2011)

• Sibling bullying: leaving middle school-aged youth to

care for younger siblings (Duncan, 2011)

• Tennessee example

• Laissez-Faire parenting (i.e., “free-range” parents)

• Ineffective discipline: Too strict or too loose

• Facebook and parents example

Condition #2: Technology

Technology: The good, bad, and ugly

• The Norton Online Living report states that 76% of U.S.

teens ages 13-17 "constantly" or "frequently" visit

social networking sites

(http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-

news/index.cfm?i=54295)

• In 2009, 38% of 12-year-olds were using social

networking websites.

• About 3.6 million monthly visitors to Facebook are

under 12 years of age.

• The average U.S. teen sends 3,339 texts per month

• The average U.S. teen spends 7 hours and 38 minutes

per day online, on TV, playing video games (Kaiser

Family Foundation).

Rank-order of popular social media sites (n =75; ages 12-17; last week)

1. Instagram

2. Snapchat

3. Vine

4. Facebook

5. Kik

6. Twitter

7. Google+

8. Ask.Fm

9. Tumblr

10.Omegle

11.Textnow

12.Facetime

13.Skype

14.Online gaming

Cyberbullying

• We used to say there was a “generation

gap” between adults and adolescents.

• Now we talk about the “digital divide” to

highlight the vast differences in the types,

uses, and knowledge of technology

between youth and adults.

• Critical need to educate parents and

adults about cell phones and social

networking sites.

What is cyberbullying? “Cyberbullying is being cruel to others by

sending or posting harmful material, or

engaging in other forms of social

cruelty using the Internet or other

digital technologies.” Willard (2006)

Cyberbullying means using electronic/digital

tools like cell phones and the Internet to

hurt someone (by threatening, humiliating

or embarrassing, ruining friendships or

reputation).

What makes cyberbullying so powerful?

•We may not know who did it (it can be anonymous), and that’s scary. It could even be a friend.

•People say things in texts or online that they would NEVER say in person: online dis-inhibition effect (Suler, 2004).

Cyberbullying

• We can’t see their faces or body language, so it might be “just kidding,” but we can’t tell (absence of paralinguistic cues).

• So many people can see the content (vast audience).

• It can happen at any time, any place (24/7). Victims don’t think they can escape.

• Kids don’t tell adults, because they worry that they will take their phones or computers away. So they suffer alone.

Cyberbullying

• Easy access to technology encourages cyberbullying.

• Much of what is labeled cyberbullying is

miscommunication.

• High profile (athletes, student leaders) individuals are

targeted often, as are GLBTQ, other students who

are perceived as “different.”

• The ability to avoid perceived consequences of

actions (e.g., break-ups) is appealing.

• Jealousy and revenge fuel cyberbullying.

• Think before you hit “send!”

• Teach students and parents to think about their

digital footprint

Bauman, S., & Walker, J. (submitted). Relations among Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide in High School Students.

No suicide attempt At least one attempt (past year)

• Conventional victim 3.8% 14.3%

• Conventional bully 3.6% 15.2%

• Cyber victim 2.5% 8.6%

• Cyber bully 1.4% 6.3%

• 2009 YRBS survey data from Arizona. 9-12th graders.

All differences are statistically significant.

Bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide: • Analysis of 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (grades 9

– 12) for one state

• Odds ratios for suicide attempts:

• Depression: 6.3

• Conventional Victimization: 2.1

• Conventional Bullying: 2.9

• Cyber-Victimization: NS

• Cyber Bullying: 3.00

• Variance in suicide attempts explained by these

predictors is about 22%.

• Much of bullying/victimization’s effect on suicide is

mediated by depression.

Condition #3: Mental Health

• Remember the definition of bullying:

– Intentional, mean behavior

– Imbalance of power

– Repetition

The prognosis for individuals who are bullied:

hopelessness, frustration, depression, anxiety

The prognosis for individuals who bully: anger,

depression, social anxiety

The prognosis for bully-victims: the worst; yet

these are the kids that we’re “missing” in terms of

accurate identification and referral to treatment

Involvement in bullying is linked to depression and anxiety

Students involved in bullying

and victimization are more

likely to experience

depression and anxiety.

Recognize and refer students

for treatment of depression

and anxiety.

(Swearer, Grills, Haye, & Cary, 2004)

Bullying and Social Anxiety

• Participants included 78 students (52 males and 26

females, 65% Caucasian) in grades 4 through 8,

ranging from 9 to 14 years of age. All participants

completed the Target Bullying Intervention Program

(T-BIP; Swearer & Givens, 2006), an individual three-

hour cognitive-behavioral intervention that consists of

assessment, psychoeducation, and feedback.

Parents of students who were identified by school

staff as being perpetrators of bullying had the option

of allowing their children to complete the T-BIP as an

alternative to in-school suspension.

Bullying and Social Anxiety

• Measures completed by the participants in this study

included The Bully Survey-Student Version (BYS;

Swearer, 2001) and The Multidimensional Anxiety

Scale for Children (MASC; March, 1997).

• ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the relationship

between bully-victim status (bully, victim, and bully-

victim) and social anxiety. The results indicated a

significant difference among the three bully/victim

groups. Bully-victims were more socially anxious

(M=13.47, SD=6.74) than bullies (M=6.65, SD=5.23;

F=9.05, p<.001). Victims (M=8.75, SD=5.82) did not

differ significantly from either the bully group or the

bully-victim group.

Therapeutic Interventions

• Understand the connection between bullying

and mental health issues

• Develop a strong community referral system

• Utilize school counselors and school

psychologists

• Assess and treat depression and anxiety—

linked to bullying/victimization

• Target Bullying Intervention Program (T-BIP;

Swearer & Givens, 2006)

Effective Treatment for Depression and Anxiety in Bullies, Victims, and Bully-Victims

• ACTION: A Workbook for Overcoming Depression (Stark et al, 1996)

• Keeping Your Cool: The Anger Management Workbook (Nelson & Finch, 1996)

• Coping Cat (Kendall, Kane, Howard, & Siqueland, 1990)

• Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment for Adolescents with Social Anxiety (Albano, Marten, Holt, Heimberg, & Barlow, 1995)

• Referrals to counselors/psychologists/psychiatrists.

Creating healthy, caring social relationships

• It really does “take a village.”

• Everyone must make a commitment to be positive

role models and citizens.

• Make a commitment to on-going staff training.

• Use resources and staff time well.

• Integrate bullying prevention throughout the

curriculum.

• Make sure adult relationships in the schools are

healthy

• “We don’t say that here” story

• “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” » Gandhi

Big Ten Vignette

Premise behind the Target Bullying Intervention Program

• The social-cognitive perceptions of all

participants in bullying interactions are as

critical as are the aggressive behaviors,

because the perceptions and cognitions of

participants serve to underlie, perpetuate,

and escalate bullying interactions (Doll & Swearer,

2005; Swearer & Cary, 2003).

• We must intervene at the cognitive and

behavioral levels in order to prevent and alter

bullying behaviors.

Interventions for Students who Bully Others • It is important to determine whether

intervention modules are best delivered in a group format or individually.

• Typically, anti-bullying programs deliver interventions in a group format.

• However, research has suggested that homogenous group interventions are not helpful for aggressive youth and in fact, may be damaging (Dishion, McCord, & Poulin, 1999).

A True Story (Newsweek, April 12, 2004):

• “People were climbing over

seats and started fighting about

stupid stuff.”

--Woodlawn High School freshman Melissa Parks,

on the arrests of 11 students and two adults after

a fight broke out in the Maryland school’s anger-

management assembly.

Target Bullying Intervention Program

• Background: Partnership with a middle school principal;

extended downward to elementary school. Fall 2012 will

be in three middle schools in LPS. Train-the trainers

model.

• We live in a punishment-oriented society.

• But…. Research shows that children under age 12 react

strongly to positive feedback and scarcely respond at all

to negative feedback.

• Anna C. K. van Duijvenvoorde, Kiki Zanolie, Serge A. R. B. Rombouts,

Maartje E. J. Raijmakers, and Eveline A. Crone. Evaluating the Negative

or Valuing the Positive? Neural Mechanisms Supporting Feedback-

Based Learning across Development. The Journal of Neuroscience, 17

September 2008.

Target Bullying Intervention Program (Swearer, 2005)

• Alternative to in-school suspension.

• Has been implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools.

• Parents choose the consequence for bullying behavior for their child: (1) typical in-school suspension or (2) the bullying intervention program.

• Parental consent and student assent obtained.

• Three hour intervention: one-to-one cognitive-behavioral session with a counselor, school psychologist or school social worker.

Target Bullying Intervention Program (Swearer, 2005)

• Three components: (1) ASSESSMENT

(2) PSYCHOEDUCATION – PowerPoint, Quiz, BullyBusters Worksheets, Bullying Video

(3) FEEDBACK – Parent, School, Student

• Parental perceptions of bullying and session assessed (Bully Survey-Parent Version; Treatment Evaluation Inventory) in addition to:

Cognitive-Behavioral Assessment

• Self-Report Questionnaires (approx. 1 hour)

– The Bully Survey-Youth (Swearer, 2001)

– Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 2001)

– Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC,

March, 1997)

– How I Think Questionnaire (HIT; Barriga et al., 2001)

– Thoughts about School (Song & Swearer, 2001)

– Harter Self-Concept Scale (Harter, 1985)

– Bullying Intervention Rating Profile (Witt & Elliot,

1985).

Psychoeducation

• 30 minute PowerPoint Presentation (see example).

• Quiz over presentation.

• PSYCHOEDUCATION: Worksheet Activities (from Bully Busters, Newman, Horne, & Bartolomucci, 2000) 1 hr. Some that we use in the T-BIP:

– Stop Rewind, Play it Again

– Jump into my Shoes

– Lend a Hand

– Are you up to the Challenge?

– Vacation Time

– Relaxation Time

• Watch and discuss Bullying Video (“Bully Dance” or “Stories of Us”).

Feedback Session

• EVALUATION:

• Write Bullying Intervention treatment report (3-5 pages)

• Recommendations based on data (data-based decision-making!)

• Share with school and parents during a face-to-face solution-oriented meeting

• FOLLOW-UP (End-of-year): Track office referral data for bullying incidents for students who participate in the intervention and compare with students who did not participate in the intervention.

Participant Feedback • Students referred to the Bullying Intervention Program

reported: “You’re going to see a whole new me from now on.”

“What I’ve been doing probably made the other girl feel really bad and lonely.”

“I’m not a bully, they accuse me of things just to bring me down because I’m at the top of the food chain.”

• In a recent parent feedback session: “I am so grateful for the bullying intervention program. This program

helped my child and wasn’t focused on punishment.

“I’m going to share this report with my daughter’s therapist!”

• The school staff reported: “This has opened her eyes to what she’s been doing and she’s

become more aware of her actions.”

The Role of Adults

• How does your school currently deal with bullying?

• What are some examples of bullying that have

occurred in your school?

• Do you think adults handle bullying well?

• What are some difficulties that adults have when

responding to reports of bullying?

• What are some of the issues we face when involving

parents in incidents of bullying?

• How can schools and parents work together to

resolve bullying incidents?

• What is the role of mental health professionals in

dealing with bullying?

15 minute break

When to use the Target Bullying Intervention Program?

• In a typical school building, 10% of students will

bully others.

• Directly intervene with these 10%!

• If your rates of bullying are higher, then the BIP

should be used in conjunction with a whole-

school approach* like Bully Busters; Bully-Proofing

your School; Second Step; Steps to Respect; Olweus

Bullying Prevention Program; Peaceful Schools

Program.

• Use when a student has received consistent

disciplinary referrals for bullying behaviors.

*That have empirical support!

Recent T-BIP referral, “Carl”

• 11 years old

• Male

• Caucasian/Native American

• Currently in the sixth grade

Reason for Referral

• Verbal and physical bullying

• Consequences for bullying

–Suspension

–Must leave school grounds

immediately after school ends

Children’s Depression Inventory

• Total raw scores of 19 (T-Score=60) or

greater indicate the potential for depression.

• T-Scores:

– Total CDI: 42

– Anhedonia: 41

– Negative Self-esteem: 46

– Interpersonal problems: 49

– Negative mood: 44

– Ineffectiveness: 49

Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children

• T-Scores at or greater than 65 indicate levels

of clinical anxiety

• T-Scores

– Total Anxiety: 48

– Physical symptoms: 37

– Social anxiety: 41

– Harm avoidance: 57

– Separation/panic: 66

How I Think Questionnaire

• Clinical range

– Total HIT: 89%

– Blaming others: 85%

– Assuming the worst: 86%

– Oppositional Defiance: 92%

– Minimizing/mislabeling: 92%

– Physical aggression: 95%

• Borderline clinical range

– Self-centered: 77%

– Stealing: 81%

• Nonclinical range

– Lying: 68%

Thoughts About School

• Carl endorsed the following items:

– Students ague and shout at each other

– Lots of kids are afraid of bullies

– Many students get bullied

– Students physically fight (hit, kick, etc.) with each

other

– Kids who are bullied don’t have many friends

– Bullies do not get punished

Self-Perception Profile for Children

• A score of 1 indicates low perceived competence, a

score of 2.5 indicates medium perceived

competence, and a score of 4 reflects high perceived

competence.

– Global self-worth: 2.17

– Athletic competence: 2.67

– Physical appearance: 2.33

– Behavioral conduct: 2.50

– Scholastic competence: 2.17

Bully Survey-Student

• Endorsed being a victim, bystander, and

bully perpetrator

• Reported bullying:

– Boys in the same grade who are not

powerful, not popular, and don’t’ have

many friends

– In the hallway

– Always by making fun, playing jokes,

and saying mean things

Bullying Intervention Rating Profile

• Scores range from 7-35, with

higher scores indicating more

positive perceptions

• Carl’s score: 35

–Highest possible score

–Felt that the T-BIP was helpful

Recent T-BIP referral: “Ariana”

• 13 years old

• Caucasian/Latina

• Currently in the eighth grade

Reason for Referral

• Verbal and physical bullying

• Prior consequences for bullying

– Suspension

– Expulsion

Children’s Depression Inventory

• Total raw scores of 19 (T-Score=60) or

greater indicate the potential for depression.

• T-Scores:

– Total CDI: 81

– Anhedonia: 63

– Negative Self-esteem: 70

– Interpersonal problems: 74

– Negative mood: 75

– Ineffectiveness: 88

Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children

• T-Scores at or greater than 65 indicate

levels of clinical anxiety

• T-Scores

– Total Anxiety: 73

– Physical symptoms: 69

– Social anxiety: 75

– Harm avoidance: 44

– Separation/panic: 71

How I Think Questionnaire

• Clinical range

– Total HIT: 88%

– Blaming others: 86%

– Assuming the worst: 86%

– Physical aggression: 90%

– Lying: 90%

– Self-Centered: 84%

• Borderline clinical range

– Oppositional Defiance: 82%

– Minimizing/mislabeling: 80%

– Stealing: 74%

Thoughts About School

• Ariana endorsed the following items:

– Bullying is a problem at my school

– Teachers and other school staff do not try to

stop bullying

– Students ague and shout at each other

– Lots of kids are afraid of bullies

– Many students get bullied

– Students physically fight (hit, kick, etc.) with

each other

– Bullies do not get punished

Self-Perception Profile for Children

• A score of 1 indicates low perceived

competence, a score of 2.5 indicates medium

perceived competence, and a score of 4

reflects high perceived competence.

– Global self-worth: 1.83

– Athletic competence: 1.67

– Physical appearance: 1.33

– Behavioral conduct: 2.00

– Scholastic competence: 1.17

Bully Survey-Student

• Endorsed being a victim, bystander, and

bully perpetrator

• Reported bullying:

– Girls

– In the hallway, cafeteria, gym, and

before and after school

– Always by saying mean things behind

her back and often by calling her

names and making fun of her

Bullying Intervention Rating Profile

• Scores range from 7-35, with higher

scores indicating more positive

perceptions

• Ariana’s score: 32

– Highly satisfied with the intervention

– She felt the intervention was helpful

Data-based decision-making (Swearer & Espelage, 2004)

1. Partner with researchers to conduct an

assessment of bullying behaviors

2. Conduct a school-wide anonymous

assessment of bullying behaviors

3. Include multiple informants

4. Use self-report, other report, observations

5. Graph data to create a picture of the scope of

bullying in your school

6. Use data to conduct classroom presentations

on bullying

Data-based decision-making (Swearer & Espelage, 2004)

7. Use the data to create interventions for

bullying

8. Use the data to establish preventative

measures to create an anti-bullying climate

9. Share data with parent groups (e.g., PTO)

10. Create a data-based decision-making

climate through the use of individual school

data to help guide prevention and intervention

programming.

Sample Data from a Private School

Grade

Gender

54%

46%

Race/Ethnicity

Have you been bullied this school year?

How often were you bullied?

11%

35%

54%

Top places where students were bullied

1. Hallway (26%)

2. Gym (13%)

3. Cafeteria (11%)

4. Before School (9%)

5. After School (7%)

6. In Class (6%)

7. In Homeroom (5%) – Less than 5% of students indicated that they were bullied on

the bus, online/texting during and outside school, in the

bathroom, at dances, at sporting events, and on the

telephone

Cyberbullying Responses

• Students who indicated that they were bullied online or

via texting during or outside of school were asked to

explain.

• Students responded:

– “Somebody getting angry or upset at me during

school then letting their anger out on me by texting

bad words to me”

– “Facebook”

– “People text behind my back and when friends tell

me, I feel sick”

How were you bullied?

Who bullied you?

Does anyone bully you at home?

How much of a problem was the bullying for you?

Top Reasons Why Students Reported Being Bullied

1. I am different (13%)

2. They think I’m fat (11%)

3. They think my friends are weird (9%)

4. They think I am a wimp (8%)

5. They say I’m gay (5%)

6. The clothes I wear (5%)

Other reasons why students said they were bullied

• “They think I’m not that athletic”

• “I have different values”

• “I’m a girl and am not strong or can’t do

anything that boys can do”

• “They say I’m gross”

• “I’m not ‘popular’ and I don’t let them do

whatever they want”

• “I like a different football team”

• “Jealousy”

Did the teachers and school staff know about the bullying that happened to you?

How do you think the teachers and school staff took care of the bullying?

What did teachers or school staff do to take care of the bullying?

• “They gave me

advice”

• “Told them to stop”

• “They called the

principal and then I

talked to her”

• “Detention and other

punishments”

• “Nothing, or at the

most they told the kid

don’t do it again”

• “They didn’t make

them stop completely”

• “Talked to the bully

but it didn’t help”

• “I don’t know, I don’t

tell teachers”

Did your parents know about the bullying that happened to you?

20% 24%

56%

Were you able to defend yourself from the bullying?

Did you ever see a student other than yourself who was bullied this school year?

Where was the student bullied?

How was this student bullied?

How much did seeing the bullying affect you?

Top 5 reasons why this student was bullied

1. They are different (31%)

2. They are a wimp (24%)

3. Their friends are weird (18%)

4. They are fat (16%)

5. The clothes they wear (16%)

Who bullied this student?

Did the teachers and school staff know about the bullying you saw?

How do you think your teachers and school staff took care of the bullying?

What did the teachers and school staff do to take care of the bullying you saw?

• “They talked to them”

• “Tried to help”

• “They gave detention and

said don’t do it again”

• “They emailed the

parents about it and they

emailed the parents of

the kids who did it”

• “They took it very

seriously and gave those

girls big punishments”

• “Nothing: they don’t

know”

• “They just said ‘stop.’

Nothing else”

• “I do not know”

• “They didn’t really do

anything major. They just

said ‘stop bullying’ or ‘say

sorry’”

• “Talk to the kids, which

did absolutely nothing”

What students did about the bullying

• “I try not to get involved”

• “I told teachers”

• “I try to stop the bullying”

• “I stuck by my friend”

• “Nothing—I didn’t want to get involved. I

regret it”

• “Told them to stop”

• “Defended the kid and made him/her feel

better”

Was the student able to defend him/herself from the bullying?

Did you bully anyone this school year?

21%

How often did you bully this person?

Where did you bully him/her?

How did you bully him/her?

Who did you bully?

How much was the bullying you did a problem for the student you bullied?

How much was the bullying you did a problem for you?

Top 5 Reasons Students Reported Bullying Others

1. They are different (10%)

2. They are a wimp (6%)

3. They get angry a lot (4%)

4. Their friends are weird (3%)

5. The way they talk (3%)

Other reasons given for bullying other students

• “They bullied me or my friends; they are rude”

• “He was being mean to and ignoring ME so I

wanted to like show him how it felt”

• “They said annoying things to me”

• “There wasn’t really a reason why”

• “I bullied the kid because he tried to take my

best friend away”

• “None of the above, I just reacted”

Did teachers and school staff know about the bullying you did?

How did teachers and school staff take care of the bullying you did?

Was the student able to defend him/herself from the bullying you did?

Is bullying a problem in your school?

Do you think that schools should worry about bullying?

Students’ feelings about students who bully

Other ideas students have about bullying:

• “Bullying should not be allowed at any schools”

• “Teachers should do more”

• “There should be some type of punishment…”

• “If you are being bullied, don’t tell a teacher in class,

because then the bully will know. E-mail the teacher

instead, because then the bully won’t know”

• “Sometimes people don’t realize if they are bullying”

• “I think teachers should keep a special eye out for this

kind of stuff it happens way too much”

• “It is hard to tell between play fighting and real fighting”

Summary

• Overall, bullying is fairly prevalent at this school:

– Most bullying is verbal (e.g., making fun of students,

calling them names) as opposed to physical (e.g.,

pushing, kicking)

– Students report that bullying is most likely to take

place in the hallways and in the gym

– Students report that bullying is most likely to be

perpetrated by same-grade boys, girls, and students

who are popular and who have many friends

• The data show what steps need to be taken to decrease

bullying!

What can YOU do?

• Simple strategies can help to decrease bullying

– Increase hallway monitors

– Involve coaches in stopping bullying behaviors

• With your support, students can play an important role in

decreasing bullying

– Implement a procedure to allow students to confidentially

report bullying incidents

• Take bullying reports seriously!

• Create a confidential reporting system

– Have an open door policy with counselors to address

the needs of students involved in bullying

Lunch

Realistic Strategies for Bullying Prevention and Intervention

1. Make sure your school has an anti-bullying policy

that is consistent with state and federal policies

2. Make sure the adult workplace models healthy

social relationships

3. Work respectfully and collaboratively with families

4. Use videos and classroom discussion guides to talk

about the detrimental effects of bullying

5. Use social-emotional learning activities

(www.casel.org) to create a positive school climate

6. Use a positive behavioral interventions and

supports (www.pbis.org) to respond effectively to

student behaviors

First Step: Assess the Scope of Bullying/Victimization in your School!

• Data-based decision-making

• Rates of bullying vary across schools and

communities

• Prevalence rates of involvement in bullying (bully,

bully-victim, victim, bystander) range from 10% to

75%

• What are YOUR school’s rates of bullying and

victimization?

• H&H Publishing

• www.BullySurvey.com

• Use data to make decisions

Bullying Prevention and Intervention Programs

• Research-based bullying prevention and intervention

programs with an evidence-base in the U.S. include:

– Steps to Respect

– Second Step

– Bully Busters

– Bully-Proofing Your School

– The Peaceful Schools Project

– Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

• Steps to Respect is a whole school anti-

bullying program with an emphasis on social-

emotional learning

• It is designed for grades 3-5 or 4-6

• Intervention targets

– School culture

• “safe, caring, respectful culture”

– Bullies, victims, and bystanders

– Staff

Overview

• Bullying information and social skills taught in

Language Arts

– Utilizes books with bullying themes

– Lays out an 11 lesson curriculum, based on the

books, for each of the last three grades of

elementary school

• Each lesson includes:

– Reading from the novel

– Homework and activities

– Class discussion

Primary Interventions

• Lessons address important components of bullying prevention – Social emotional learning (e.g., how to make

friends)

– Description of bullying

– What to do when you are a bystander

– How to react to and report bullying

• The goal is for the lessons learned in the classroom to generalize to daily interactions – This forms the primary prevention shell of the

program

Primary Interventions

• Outlines strategies for when bullying occurs in spite of prevention efforts

• Students are trained to report bullying to any adult – Adult takes report, then refers the student to a

“coach”

• Coaching of the bully and the victim – Coaches affirm feelings, investigate, develop a

plan, and follow up on the plan

• Schools encouraged to develop a discipline plan and stick to it

When Prevention Fails…

• Less emphasis on a specific discipline

plan; instead, schools are encouraged

to develop a consistent, clear discipline

hierarchy of their own

• Many examples given

– Loss of privileges to “restitution” (e.g.,

clean graffiti) to suspension and

expulsion

Discipline Plan

• Staff attend a series of presentations on the

program. The slides for these presentations

are provided.

– Overview of bullying & program (3 hours)

• All staff members

– Orientation to curriculum (2 hours)

• Teachers grades 3-6

– Coaching training (1.5 hours)

• All staff who will be coaches

Staff Training

• Five peer-reviewed, randomized, controlled trials (all by the developing research team)

• Brown et al., 2011 – Found significant intervention effects leading to an increase in school anti-bullying policies and strategies, better school and staff climate, and an overall decrease in bullying-related problems

• Frey et al., 2005 – “24.6% fewer bullying behaviors”, decline in destructive bystander behavior, increased bystander responsibility, greater perceived adult responsiveness, lower acceptance of bullying

Research Base

• Hirschstein et al., 2007 – better adherence to

the program related to lower bullying rates

• Frey et al., 2009 – Two years in the program

led to even larger decreases (~31%)

• Low et al., 2010 – Students showed

significantly lower levels of gossip (i.e.,

relational aggression) after one year

Research Base

• Strengths – 5 peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials –

the best evidence on the market to date

– Accurately defines bullying

– Targets physical, verbal, and relational aggression

– Fits partially into class time, allowing for less time allocated away from academics

– Preventative in nature

– Targets bullies, victims, bystanders, and staff

– Very explicit scripts and strong manuals

– Clearly defines role staff must play

Evaluation

• Weaknesses

– Discipline plan not fully outlined

– Research is all from the same

research team

– Recommended 3 year commitment

– Requires very strong staff buy-in

– No middle school or high school

materials

Evaluation

• Information on the program can be found at the Committee for Children website: http://www.cfchildren.org/programs/str/overview/

• Ordering information can be found here: http://www.nexternal.com/cfchildren/isteps-to-respecti-complete-school-program-p193.aspx

• A sample lesson plan is provided here: http://www.cfchildren.org/media/files/strPreview_Lv1_Les8.pdf

Ordering Information

Brown, E. C., Low, S., Smith, B. H., & Haggerty, K. P. (2011). Outcomes from a school-randomized controlled trial of Steps to Respect: A bullying prevention program. School Psychology Review, 40, 423-443.

Frey, K. S., Hirschstein, M. K., Edstrom, L. V., & Snell, J. L. (2009). Observed reductions in school bullying, nonbullying aggression, and destructive bystander behavior: A longitudinal evaluation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 466-481.

Frey, K. S., Hirschstein, M. K., Snell, J. L., Edstrom, L.V.S., MacKenzie, E. P., & Broderick, C. J. (2005). Reducing playground bullying and supporting beliefs: An experimental trial of the Steps to Respect Program. Developmental Psychology, 41, 479-491.

Hirschstein, M. K., Edstrom, L. V. S., Frey, K. S., Snell, J. L., & MacKenzie, E. P. (2007). Walking the talk in bullying prevention: Teacher implementation variables related to initial impact of the Steps to Respect program. School Psychology Review, 36, 3-21.

Low, S., Frey, K., & Brockman, C. (2010). Gossip on the playground: Changes associated with universal intervention, retaliation beliefs, and supportive friends. School Psychology Review, 39, 536-551.

References

• Social-emotional and academic skills need to develop early in order to prevent outcomes such as:

– Dropping out of school

– Drug and alcohol abuse

– Prison sentences

– Suicide

• Need to replace negative behaviors with adaptive, positive behaviors

• All students should be involved, not just those who are considered high-risk

• Aggressive, impulsive behaviors in the classroom interfere with learning

• Teachers and school staff can contribute to development of social competence, which is related to academic success

Rationale

• Universal program – Primary purpose is to provide students with

the social and emotional skills they need to be successful

– Risk: Violence and aggression, impulsivity, peer rejection and bullying, substance abuse, and poor academic achievement

– Protective: e.g., School connectedness, self-regulation, executive functioning, empathy

• Overall objective to teach social-emotional skills

– Building prosocial behaviors, self-regulation, commitment to avoid substance use, school connectedness

– Reduce aggression and social-emotional problems

Background

• Establish foundation skills first, then

introduce new skills to increase the

likelihood that they are actually used

• Cognitive problem-solving and behavioral

social skills training go hand in hand

– Empathy serves as the basis for prosocial

behavior

– Problem solving will not be effective

without emotion management skills

Skill Sequence

• Timeline – Amount of weeks may vary based on grade level

(e.g., the amount of lessons per grade), and on how much time can be devoted to each lesson at once

– The time each individual lesson takes also varies based on grade

• Early elementary: 30 minutes or less • Grades 4 and 5: Approximately 45 minutes • Middle School: Approximately 50 minutes

– Recommend using it at each grade level so skills can be maintained over time

• Designed to be taught by teachers at the classroom level, but may also be implemented by school psychologists, counselors, or related school staff

• Can be adapted to small groups or implemented in other settings (e.g., after school programs)

Curriculum Structure

• Second Step Resources for Families (For Families)

– http://cfc.secondstep.org/ForFamilies.aspx

– Resources are available for families (and educators) with children experiencing the Early Learning, K-5, or Middle School curriculum

– Family Letters to introduce the program

– Home Links for each lesson (e-mail or hard copy)

• Depending on the grade, may include a statement about what the child is learning and rationale, review of skill, practice at home, activity, and place for parent signature

– Homework activities

– Discussion and sharing at parent-teacher conferences

Family Involvement

• Emphasis on self-regulation and social-emotional

competence

– Aligned with Devereux Early Childhood Assessment

– Designed for early learning classrooms (e.g., Pre-K,

Head Start)

– 28 week curriculum

New: Social-Emotional Skills for Early Learning

Unit I: Skills for Learning (e.g., listening)

Unit II: Empathy

Unit III: Emotion Management

Unit IV: Friendship Skills and Problem Solving (e.g., making and keeping friends)

Unit V: Transitioning to Kindergarten (e.g., thinking about how skills will help in Kindergarten)

• Kindergarten

– Unit I: Skills for Learning (e.g., learning to listen)

– Unit II: Empathy (e.g., feelings)

– Unit III: Emotion Management (e.g., managing frustration)

– Unit IV: Problem Solving (e.g., inviting to play)

• Grades 1-5

– Unit I: Skills for Learning

– Unit II: Empathy

– Unit III: Emotion Management

– Unit IV: Problem Solving

Targeted Skills

• Middle School/Junior High

– Unit I: Empathy and Communication

– Unit II: Bullying Prevention

– Unit III: Emotion Management

• E.g., Calming-down strategies

– Unit IV: Problem Solving (6th) and Goal Setting (8th)

• Specific steps of problem-solving process

– Unit V: Substance Abuse Prevention

Targeted Skills

• “Anger Management” changed to “Emotion

Management”

• Addition of the “Skills for Learning” Unit

– Emphasis on self-regulation and self-control

• Brain Builder activities

• Incorporation of lessons that specifically target

bullying prevention (e.g., being assertive)

New K-5 Program

• Elementary Curriculum’s Lessons Relating to Bullying

– Handling Name-Calling (K-1), Responding to Playground Exclusion, Playing Fairly and Solving Peer-Exclusion Problems (2-3), Handling Put-Downs, Solving Playground Problems, Resisting Revenge, and Dealing with Gossip (4-5)

• Middle School Curriculum’s Specific Bullying Lessons

– Grade 6

• Recognizing bullying

• Bystanders

– Grade 7

• Responding to Bullying

• Cyber bullying

• Sexual Harassment

– Grade 8

• Bullying in Friendships

• Labels, Stereotypes, & Prejudice

• Bullying in Dating Relationships

Bullying Lessons

• Randomized controlled trial (Grossman et al., 1997) – Participants

• Six urban elementary schools; Second and third grade students (n =790)

– Outcomes • Significant decreases in physically aggressive behaviors in

Second Step schools • Prosocial behaviors significantly increased

• Investigation of prosocial and aggressive behaviors (Cooke,

Ford, Levine, Burke, Newell, Lapidus, 2007) – 3rd and 4th graders in 5 Connecticut elementary schools

• Increases in caring/cooperative behaviors, positive approach, suppression of aggression, consideration of others

• Significant decrease in impulse control; significant increases in aggressive behaviors (e.g., bullying)

• No significant decreases for a subset of aggressive students for whom Second Step does not seem to be potent enough

Empirical Support

• Sprague, Walker, Golly, White, Myers, & Shannon (2001) – Compared to six comparison (3 elementary, 3 middle) schools,

intervention schools showed greater reductions in office referrals.

– Results from Second Step knowledge tests revealed small improvements (from pre to post) in skills such as empathy and problem solving

• McMahon & Washburn (2003) – Participants were African American Students (5th-8th grade) in two

inner-city Chicago schools

– Results included increased knowledge (e.g., about violence prevention), teacher ratings of prosocial behaviors, and student-reported empathy

• Conflict Resolution (Frey, Nolen, Edstrom, & Hirschstein, 2005) – Fifteen school participated (7 control, 8 intervention)

– Children in the intervention condition were more likely to be able to resolve conflict independently (without adult guidance) than those in the control group

– More likely to utilize prosocial goals and were less aggressive than control group

Empirical Support

• Although findings appear to be promising, they are

somewhat inconsistent

– Research supports changes in knowledge instead of

actual behaviors

– Might be more promising for promoting prosocial

behaviors than reducing negative, aggressive

behaviors (Cooke et al., 2007)

– Support for effectiveness when used with different

populations and grade levels

Research Conclusions

• Implementation considerations

– Adequate leadership is necessary to ensure “buy in”

– Requires a time commitment (i.e., schools must make it a priority to fit the lessons into the existing academic curriculum and school day)

• Geared toward the general education student population

– Currently, there are no higher tiers of support for highly aggressive/violent students (this is a goal of future versions of Second Step)

Curriculum Limitations

• Very user-friendly and cost effective

– Scripted lesson plans; “kid-friendly” materials

• Flexibility with scheduling

• Incorporates effective teaching strategies

– Modeling, practice, reinforcement, generalization

• Address emotional regulation for internalizing issues that could contribute to aggression

• Addresses bullying at different developmental levels

• Extensive training opportunities available

• Curriculum spans from pre-kindergarten to middle school

Curriculum Strengths

Committee for Children

800-634-4449, extension 6223

clientsupport@cfchildren.org

http://www.nexternal.com/cfchildren/committee-for-

children-programs-and-materials-c36.aspx

Order Information

Cooke, M. B., Ford, J., Levine, J., Bourke, C., Newell, L., & Lapidus, G. (2007). The effects of city-wide implementation of ‘second step’ on elementary school students’ prosocial and aggressive behaviors. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 93-115.

Edwards, D., Hunt, M. H., Meyers, J., Grogg, K. R., & Jarrett, O. (2005). Acceptability and student outcomes of a violence prevention curriculum. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 26, 401-418.

Frey, K. S., Nolen, S. B., Edstrom, L. V., & Hirschstein, M. K. (2005). Effects of a school-based social-emotional competence program: Linking children's goals, attributions, and behavior. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26, 171–200.

Grossman, D. C., Neckerman, H. J., Koepsell, T. D., Liu, P., Asher, K. N., Beland, K., Frey, K., & Rivara, F. (1997). Effectiveness of a violence prevention curriculum among children in elementary school: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 277, 1605-1611

Hart, S. R., Dowdy, E., Eklund, K., Renshaw, T. L., Jimerson, S. R., Jones, C., & Earhart, J. (2009). A controlled study assessing the effects of the impulse control and problem-solving unit of the second step curriculum. The California School Psychologist, 14, 105-110.

Holsen, I., Smith, B., & Frey, K. S. (2008). Outcomes of the social competence program second step in Norwegian elementary schools. School Psychology International, 29, 71–88.

Hussey, D. L., & Flannery, D. J. (2007). Implementing and evaluating school-based primary prevention programs and the importance of differential effects on outcomes. Journal of School Violence, 6, 117-134. McMahon, S. D., & Washburn, J. J. (2003). Violence prevention: An evaluation of program effects with urban African American students. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 24, 43-62.

Sprague, J., Walker, H., Golly, A., White, K., Myers, D. R., & Shannon, T. (2001). Translating research into effective practice: The effects of a universal staff and student intervention on indicators of discipline and school safety. Education & Treatment of Children, 24, 495-511.

Taub, J. (2001). Evaluation of the second step violence prevention program at a rural elementary school. School Psychology Review, 31, 186-200.

Van Schoiack-Edstrom, L., Frey, K. S., & Beland, K. (2002). Changing adolescents’ attitudes about relational and physical aggression: An early evaluation of a school-based intervention. School Psychology Review, 31, 201-216.

References

Bully Busters

• Originated at the University of Georgia

in 1994 at the request of a local school

• Program content developed out of

counseling psychology background

• Directed by a team of University of

Georgia faculty and students, headed

by Dr. Andy Horne, the current Dean

and Distinguished Research Professor

at the College of Education.

Background & Development

• Founded on empirical theories

– Social Learning Theory (Bandura,

1977)

– Attribution Theory (Heider, 1958)

– Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1969)

– Ecological Model (Bronfenbrenner,

1979)

Research

• Focus on the role of the educator

– Influence environment

– Enhance skills and training

– Based on the belief that the most effective

means of reducing aggression and bullying

behaviors in the school is through increasing the

awareness, knowledge, and efficacy of

educators in dealing with school-based

aggression and bullying

Background & Development

• Four programs

– Elementary program for teachers

• Grades K-5

• Eight modules

– Middle school program for teachers

• Grades 6-8

• Seven modules

– High school program for students

• Manual for selecting and training peer leaders

• Peer leader guide for leading groups with other

students

– Parent’s guide

Program Content

• Introductory chapters describe the program and

help educators set up for success

• Each module includes

– Evidence-based background information for each module

topic

– Several classroom activities for use with students

• Objectives

• Materials

• Directions

• Discussion

• Notes

Elementary and Middle School Module Outline

Three methods of implementation • Individual teacher or counselor

– Reads the background information in every

module

– Selects which student activities he/she feels is

best suited for his/her students

– Implements the program with his/her students,

typically without formal supports from the school

Elementary and Middle School Program Implementation

Three methods of implementation

• Support Teams--small groups of educators

– Set a time for the team to meet

– Begin by meeting once a week, for 3 consecutive

weeks, for 2 hours each meeting.

– Review modules, establish plans to carry out the

program, decide how to integrate into classroom

curriculum

– After the first meetings, the group should meet at

least twice per month for 1 hour each time.

– Establish a meeting format

– Continue to meet throughout the year

Elementary and Middle School Program Implementation

Three methods of implementation • Schoolwide

– All teachers and school staff participate in the

program

– Initial in-service workshops are an efficient

format for covering the background information

• Everyone should have a copy of the manual

– Form of Support Teams following the workshop

to meet throughout the year

Elementary and Middle School Program Implementation

Several resources provided for users to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in their own setting

•Self-evaluation – Educators encouraged to reflect on their level of

understanding before beginning the module

•Teacher Inventory of Skills and Knowledge (TISK) – Assess knowledge of the skills taught in the modules as a

pre- and post-measure of teacher skill

– Photocopies of the TISK are provided with the intervention materials

•Classroom Interaction and Awareness Chart – Log of bullying incidents observed

•Personal Goals Form

Evaluation of the Elementary and Middle School Program

• High school program is new; published

studies of effectiveness are not available

• However, an entire chapter is devoted

towards how users can evaluate the

program in their own setting

– Why evaluation is important

– When to evaluate

– What to evaluate

– How to use evaluation data to inform future

program planning

Evaluation on the High School Program

• Teacher-centered model provides continuity year-to-year

• Relatively inexpensive

– $35.95 for teacher manual (K-5 or 6-8)

– $22.95 for parent guide

– No “hidden fees”

• Age appropriate materials for elementary, middle, and high

schools

• Research demonstrates increased teacher knowledge and

skills related to preventing and intervening in bullying

situations.

• Includes a parent component

Pros of Bully Busters

• Research only examines bullying reductions

based on office referrals

• Some of the research involved the

researchers leading teacher education

groups

• No current research on the high school

version of the program

• Lasting effects of the program are unknown

• Parent component is not integral to the

program

Limitations of Bully Busters

• Bell, C. D., Raczynski, K. A., & Horne, A. M. (2010). Bully Busters abbreviated: Evaluation

of a group-based bully intervention and prevention program. Group Dynamics: Theory,

Research, and Practice, 14(3), 257-267.

• Horne, A. M., Bartolomucci, C. L., & Newman-Carlson, D. (2003). Bully Busters: A teacher’s manual for helping bullies, victims, and bystanders (Grades K-5). Champaign, IL: Research Press.

• Horne, A. M., Lind Whitford, J., & Bell, C. J. (2008). A parent’s guide to understanding and responding to bullying: The Bully Busters approach. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

• Howard, N., Horne, A., & Jolliff, D. (2002). Self-efficacy in a new training model for the prevention of bullying in schools. In R. Geffner, M. Loring, & C. Young (Eds.), Bully behavior: Current issues, research, and interventions (pp. 181-192). New York: Haworth Press

• Horne, A. M., Socherman, R. E., & Dagley, J. (1998). Teacher efficacy and attribution: A construct validation. Unpublished manuscript, The University of Georgia, Athens.

• Newman, D. A., Horne, A. M., & Bartolomucci, C. L. (2000). Bully Busters: A teachers’ manual for helping bullies, victims, and bystanders (Grades 6-8). Champaign, IL: Research Press.

• Newman-Carlson, D., & Horne, A. M. (2004). Bully Busters: A Psychoeducational Intervention for Reducing Bullying Behavior in Middle School Students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 259-267.

• Orpinas, P., Horne, A. M., & Staniszewski, D. (2003). School bullying: Changing the problem by changing the school. School Psychology Review, 32, 431-444.

References

Bully-Proofing Your School

Introduction

• Bully-Proofing Your School (BPYS) is a

school-wide program that is designed to

reduce bullying

• BPYS was first developed in 1994 for use in

elementary schools, but it has since been

adapted for use in:

– Early childhood settings

– Middle schools

– High schools

Reason for Development

• Studies showed that pull-out programs designed to reduce bullying were largely ineffective – Need for a new kind of program

• Research showed that the following program components were necessary in order to reduce bullying – Increased awareness of bullying (in general and in

school)

– A school-wide approach

– Involvement of students, particularly bystanders

• These and other research-based components are central to the BPYS program

Program Concepts

1. The program is designed as a systemic, comprehensive program that involves all members of the school community

2. The main focus is on creating a positive, prosocial school climate

3. The program teaches skills and strategies to avoid victimization

4. The emphasis is on developing a caring majority by teaching and encouraging bystanders to take action when they see bullying occurring

BPYS Resources Detailed resources are available for teachers,

administrators, and parents Bully-Proofing Your Child: First Aid for Hurt Feelings

Bully-Proofing Your Child: A Parent’s Guide

Bully-Proofing in Early Childhood

Bully-Proofing Your School: Teacher’s Manual and Lesson

Plans for Elementary Schools

Bully-Proofing Your School: A Comprehensive Approach for Middle Schools

Bully-Proofing for High Schools—Strategies and Interventions

These resources provide step-by-step, practical guides for implementing this program

Necessary Elements for Successful Implementation Staff acknowledgement of the problem of bullying and

their commitment to the creation of a safe school

Administrative support for the program

School-wide discipline plan in place

Bully-Proofing Cadre formed to design and guide implementation of the program

Assessment of current school climate and safety issues

Training of staff

Training of students—classroom curriculum

Support from the parent community

Strategies for ongoing development of the caring community

Evaluation of the program

Strategies for Victims of Bullying

• HA HA SO strategies

– Help

– Assert Yourself

– Humor

– Avoid

– Self-Talk

– Own It

***If these strategies aren’t working, leave or

disengage from the situation!

Guidelines for All Students

Respect yourself and others

Contribute to a healthy and safe learning

environment

Use empathy and extra effort to include others

Take a stand for what is right

Students are taught to recognize the different types of

bullying

The distinction between tattling and telling is made to help

students to feel comfortable reporting bullying

Encourage creative and peaceful problem solving

Research on BPYS

• Berkey, Keyes, & Longhurst (2001)

– Qualitative

• Beran & Tutty (2002)

• Epstein, Plog, & Porter (2002)

– Four-year longitudinal study

• Menard, Grotpeter, Gianola, & O’Neal (2007)

– Five-year evaluation of BPYS

Beran & Tutty, 2002 (Study 1)

BPYS School (3 month)

Significant decrease in the amount of bullying students reported seeing

No change in students’ attitudes toward victims of bullying

Increase in students’ positive perceptions of school climate Approached significance

No-Program School

• No change in the amount of bullying students reported seeing

• Significant worsening of students’ attitudes toward victims of bullying

• No change in students’ perceptions of school climate

Beran & Tutty, 2002 (Study 2)

Study involved four schools Comparison (no-program)

3-month program

1-year program

2-year program

Sample included 197 students in grades 4-6

Results Better outcomes in 3-month school compared to no-

program school

Better outcomes in 2-year school compared to 3-month school Students reported that they:

Saw bullying occurring significantly less often

Held more positive attitudes toward victims (not significant)

Effects of BPYS

Elementary Schools

• Decrease in bullying behaviors

• Greater sense of safety

• Increase in use of problem-solving strategies

• Fewer disciplinary referrals

• Fewer suspensions

Middle Schools

• Healthier conflict

resolution

• Greater class

attendance

• Fewer tardies

• Fewer class

disruptions

• Higher rates of on-task

behavior

Research Conclusions

• Students in schools with BPYS show

better outcomes than students in

schools without BPYS

• The positive effects of BPYS appear to

increase over time

• A great deal of evidence supports the

use of BPYS in elementary schools, but

results are not as strong for middle and

high schools

Limitations

• May be less effective for middle and

high school students

– More research is needed!

• Some positive effects may be delayed

• Fidelity issues

• Less emphasis on bully-victims

Potential Barriers to Implementation

1. The belief that children should solve their

own problems and that school staff should not

intervene

2. Preference for/habit of ignoring the problem

3. Lack skills to intervene

4. Feeling uncomfortable intervening and/or

being intimidated by students

5. Feeling isolated/unsupported

BPYS resources provide advice regarding how to overcome these barriers!

Strengths

The central components and concepts of BPYS are research-based

Research largely supportive of BPYS

Targets both attitudes and behaviors

Involvement of school staff, all students, and parents

Includes prevention and intervention components

One of few interventions to have a high school component

Resources available in Spanish

Order Information

• Sopris West Educational Services

• Orders may be placed:

– By calling 800-547-6747

– Via their website: www.sopriswest.com

Peaceful Schools Project

Background

• The Peaceful Schools Project (PSP)

was developed as school-wide

intervention to promote a safe

educational environment for children

and reduce bully-victim-bystander

issues

• The intervention is designed to be

implemented in elementary school

settings

Goals of the Program

• Instill self-esteem, respect and compassion in

students by building social and physical skills

• Make students, teachers and parents aware

of bully-victim-bystander power dynamics so

that they can quickly recognize them

• Give students the tools to deal with conflict in

a non-physical manner and teach them more

effective coping skills and how to use them.

Components of PSP

• Discipline Plan

• Gentle Warrior Program

• Bruno Program

• Peer Mentorship

Focus on Positive Behavior

• Have everyone at a school involved: students, teachers, administrators, janitors, etc.

– Make all more aware of coercive power dynamics and give them the skills to deal with them

• There are posters placed around the school that display desirable behaviors to reinforce the program

• Every semester there are open discussions about bullying among students and teachers

• Patches, buttons and other rewards for positive behavior are given to the students

Discipline Plan

• More reward than punishment based

• When an event occurs, the whole class stops

and looks at the behavior from the standpoint

of the bully, victim, and bystander

– If a child cannot be managed in a

classroom, they are sent to work

individually with a school counselor, who

also intervenes without discipline

– If a child still does not respond, they will go

to the principal and receive more traditional

consequences, or even suspension

Gentle Warrior Program

• Component intended to give children the psychological and physical skills to defend themselves

• Two 12-week training programs each year, and students attend once a week

• The moves taught are not offensive, they are defensive (positioning, blocking, falling safely, etc.)

• The Bushido Code of Conduct is used to emphasize self-respect, self-control and respect for others

Bruno Program

• An adult mentor is placed with a child to help

monitor power dynamics in the school

• Mentors come before school, for lunch, for

recess and after school and are paired with

an honor patrol student to help intervene in

conflicts

• The mentors are Brunos that are clearly

identified by their t-shirt

– They provide surveillance and kids can

come to them if they have conflicts

Peer Mentorship • A high school student is assigned to an

elementary school child that is likely to benefit from the relationship (as decided by the school)

• The mentor, who has generally had problems in school (i.e. disruptiveness, violence, etc.), and student spend time together weekly at the elementary school

• The mentor has been trained to deal with the child’s secrets and physical violence, while also modeling compassion, forgiveness and self-control. Additionally, the mentor and child role-play scenarios that the child may encounter and how to deal with them (ex: how to deal with an uncooperative peer)

Implementation

• The materials for implementing the program are

online

– Training manual for elementary schools

– Appendix with training information for Bruno’s

and Peer Mentors, as well as other information

for successful implementation

• Once the intervention has begun, it usually

becomes stable after 3 years

– Regular meetings and trainings are required to

keep the intervention on track

– Consultation is available if necessary

Personnel

• The school staff of teachers and administrators should be part of the project. Additionally, custodial staff and lunch room staff should also be trained and aware of the intervention

• Other organizations within the community, and especially parent organizations within the school, should participate to some degree

• Parents also have the opportunity to be involved and can attend a family power struggles workshop

Personnel

• The most critical aspect of this intervention, as

identified in the manual, is having a good staff. These

people are:

– Enthusiastic about the intervention

– Willing to work with other staff members in order

for the intervention to succeed

– Alert and mindful of the situation around them

– An aid for the vulnerable

– Willing to be optimistic and see the potential in

others

Twemlow, Fonagy & Sacco, continued

PSP ● Gradual decrease in out-

of-school suspensions (to 5%)

● Lowered rates of serious infractions (both

aggressive and non-aggressive)

● Academic achievement increased significantly

● Victims became less withdrawn and less

dependent on others for their self-esteem

Non-PSP ● Stable amount of out-of-

school suspensions (14-24%)

● No change in the number of serious infractions (both aggressive and

non-aggressive) ● Academic achievement

did not differ

Fonagy et al., 2009*

• 9 elementary schools were in this study

– 3 received the PSP intervention

– 3 received School Psychiatric Consultation (SPC)

– 3 received “Treatment as Usual” (TAU) – no

intervention

• Data were collected for two years, and there was a

third year of maintenance

*Fonagy, P., Twemlow, S. W., Vernberg, E. M., Mize Nelson, J., Dill, E. J., Little, T.D., & Sargent, J. A. (2009). A cluster

randomized controlled trial of child-focused psychiatric consultation and a school systems-focused intervention to reduce

aggression. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 607-616

Fonagy et al., 2009, continued

• PSP worked better than TAU in reducing children’s

experiences of aggression and victimization

– SPC had little impact on reducing aggression and

victimization

• Aggressive bystanding in the PSP schools declined

more than in the SPC or TAU schools

• The PSP school children reported increased

empathic mentalization

Pros of Peacful Schools Program

• The program uses a mentalization and power

dynamics focus for the whole school, and

does not just target problem students

• Teachers, parents and other staff are all

trained and should be a part of the program

• Materials for training are available online, and

supplemental videos, posters and books are

available for order

• Consultation is available if needed

Cons of Peaceful Schools Program

• The intervention is only for

elementary schools

• Ongoing staff meetings and

trainings are needed, as are

assemblies for the children

• Full integration of the program into

the curriculum is necessary

• Takes a long time to stabilize

Order Information

• To download the PSP manual and

appendix, go to:

http://www.backoffbully.com/Pages/pea

cefulSchools.html

• To order PSP supplemental products,

go to:

http://www.backoffbully.com/Pages/sch

ool.html

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

• School-wide program designed for

elementary, middle, and junior high school

students (grades 3 through 10)

• Program goals:

– reduce existing bullying problems among

students

– prevent the development of new bullying

problems

– achieve better peer relations at school

– create safer, more effective learning

environments

Overview

• Goals are met through restructuring students’

social environments at school

– In particular, through reducing reinforcement

and opportunities for bullying behaviors

– Prosocial behaviors are encouraged and

rewarded

– Implementation of the intervention at various

levels (school, classroom, individual, and

community) is intended to build a sense of

collaboration and unity between students and

adults within the school (Olweus & Limber, 2010)

Overview (continued)

• “The repeated exposure of one child to intentionally harmful actions of one or more youth” (Olweus, 1993)

• In order technically label an interaction as bullying, there also must be a power imbalance

• Ecological framework that includes school, classroom, individual, and community level bullying interventions

• Basic principles of the intervention program: – Create school and home environments that are exemplified by warmth,

positive interest, and involvement from adults

– Low tolerance for inappropriate behavior.

– Inappropriate behavior should be responded to with nonviolent and nonphysical consequences

– Adults at school and home should act as authority figures (Olweus, 1995)

Bullying Definition

• OBPP is designed for students in

grades 3-10

• All students participate in universal

aspects of the program, while bullies

and victims receive individualized

interventions

• The program can be adapted for use in

high schools, however research has not

measured the program’s effectiveness

past 10th grade

Target Audience

• General prerequisites

– Awareness and involvement on the part of adults

• School-level Components

– Establish a bullying prevention coordinating committee (BPCC)

– Conduct committee and staff trainings

– Administer the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire school-wide

– Hold staff discussion group meetings

– Introduce school rules against bullying

– Review and refine school’s supervisory system

– Hold a school kick off event to launch the program

– Involve parents

• Classroom-level Components

– Post and enforce school-wide rules against bullying

– Hold class meetings

– Hold meetings with students’ parents

Overview of the Core Intervention Program

• Individual-level Components

– Supervise students’ activities

– Ensure that all staff intervene on the spot when bullying occurs

– Meetings with students who are involved in bullying

– Meetings with parents of involved students

– Individual intervention plans for involved students

• Community-level Components

– Involve community members on the Bullying Prevention

Coordinating Committee

– Develop partnerships with community members to support your

school’s program

– Help spread anti-bullying messages in the community (Hazelden,

2011).

• Not a school curriculum, thus the program’s principles and

materials can be adapted for use by other institutions, such as

after school programs, camps, and other youth programs

Overview of the Core Intervention Program

• School administrator (principal or assistant principal)

• Teachers from each grade level

• A school counselor, school psychologist, or other school-based

mental health professional

• A representative of the nonteaching staff (for example,

playground monitors, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, or

custodians)

• One or two parents who are not employed by the school system

• Representatives from the community (if possible), such as after-

school or youth program staff or representatives from the

business or faith community who might have a stake in the

results of the program

• Other school personnel (for example, a nurse or school

resource officer) who may bring particular expertise to the

committee

Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee Composition

• Critical to ensuring that the OBPP is implemented with fidelity

• Ongoing consultation is provided by a certified Olweus Trainer in order to troubleshoot problems that arise during intervention implementation

• 2 day training session for all BPCC members

• Training objectives for the BPCC: – define bullying behavior and how it differs from other acts of

aggression among children and youth

– state six specific reasons why educators should be concerned about bullying

– distinguish between facts and myths about the nature and prevalence of bullying

– list common characteristics of students involved in bullying situations

– list risk factors for bullying behavior as individuals, families, and school systems

Bullying Prevention Coordination Committee (BPCC) Training

• Olweus Bullying Questionnaire

– 42 questions

– Most questions refer to a specified period of time, such as “In the past few months” making it easy for students to recall their experiences

– Other specific response options, including “once a month” or “once a week” to eliminate subjectivity

– Gauges the student’s perceptions of peers, teachers, and parents reactions to bullying

– Provides information to guide the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Intervention Program and baseline data which can be used to measure progress over time

Program Materials

• Olweus Bullying Prevention Schoolwide

Guide with CD and DVD

– Used by the school’s Bullying Prevention

Coordinating Committee

– $90 each! It is recommended that each member of

the committee obtain a Schoolwide Guide

• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Teacher

Guide with CD and DVD

– $55 each

– At minimum, one guide should be provided for

every three teachers or staff members

Program Materials

• Class Meetings that Matter: A Resource Guide for Grades K-5 and Grades 6-8: – Manual including a year’s worth of age-appropriate ideas for

class meetings for students in grades K-5 and grades 6-8

– $70 each

• Class Meetings and Individual Interventions DVD Set: – Demonstrates how to intervene when bullying occurs and follow

up with students and parents

– Aims to increase fidelity of the intervention program

– Supplemental materials to conduct class meetings with elementary and middle school students

– $175 each

Recommended Materials

• Overall, purchasing program materials can range

from $1,500 to $3,200 plus the cost of the Olweus

Bullying Questionnaire (~$250)

• No workbooks, therefore program materials usually

only need to be purchased once

• However, proponents argue that implementing the

program will:

– Protect schools from legal actions related to

bullying

– Reduce staff burnout

– Decrease “costs to society” caused by the effects

of bullying on bullies and victims

High Costs

• 2-day training of the BPCC members by a certified Olweus trainer

– single certified Olweus trainer may charge no more than: – $3,000 for a two-day training involving one or two schools’ Bullying Prevention

Coordinating Committees. – travel costs for the certified Olweus trainer, including airfare (if appropriate),

lodging, meals, and local transportation. – $1,500 ($125/month for twelve months) for telephone consultation for each

school site for one year. This price includes the cost of the phone call

• Supplies for your school kick-off event • Optional program promotional materials (posters) • Ongoing program evaluation costs (processing and

reporting questionnaire results on an annual basis) • “Booster” training for staff • Materials for students (including bullying-related

literature or videos) • Substitute teachers so teachers can attend an all-staff,

full-day training

Other Costs

• In 1983, three adolescent boys committed suicide in Norway, “most likely as a consequence of severe bullying by peers” (Hazelden Foundation, 2011).

• In response, Norway’s Ministry of Education launched a national campaign against bullying in schools

• Olweus’ initial program was evaluated by examining – 2,500 students across 112 classrooms in grades 4-7 in 42 primary

and middle schools in Bergen, Norway

– Longitudinal study in which participants were followed for 2.5 (1983-1985) years

Basis for the OBPP

• Evaluation results of the program amongst 18 middle

schools (Grades 6, 7, & 8) in South Carolina after

one year of implementation indicated:

– Decreases in both boys’ and girls’ reports of bullying others

– Decreases in boys’ reports of victimization and social

isolation (Limber, 2004).

• Implementation of the program with “moderate

fidelity” in 12 elementary schools in urban areas of

Philadelphia, PA demonstrated:

– decreases in self-reports of bullying and victimization

– significant decreases in adults’ observations of bullying in

the cafeteria and on the playground (Black, 2003).

Early Program Implementation in the U.S.

• Community involvement component

• Overall preventative emphasis on an

ecological framework

• Program effectiveness is not limited to

bullying

• Inclusion of multiple perspectives on BPCC

teams

• BPCC training, if money and time allows for it,

appears to be comprehensive and promote

implementation of the program with fidelity

Program Strengths

• High costs of program materials and training sessions

• Indirect consultation services delivered to only a single member for ONE year

• Although parents may be involved in the BPCC and individual parent meetings, specific ways to generalize prosocial behaviors to the home was not emphasized

• Lack of research on implementation of the OBPP at the secondary level

– Lack of strategies presented to junior high students on how to cope with future instances of bullying in high school

• Minimal research in the United States and other nonEuropean nations

• Little attention devoted to addressing coping skills and regulating internalizing emotions if bullying does occur

• Academic time must be sacrificed in order to conduct classroom level interventions

Program Weaknesses

• The OBPP is an ecological, evidence-based intervention (complete with bells and whistles) that has been proven to decrease bullying and antisocial behaviors, as well as promote a positive school culture

• Current barriers to implementation include high costs and the loss of academic time that may be necessary to implement the intervention

• Future research on the effects of the intervention across time, cultures, home settings, and socioeconomic statuses needs to be investigated

• Future studies should also target high school bullying behaviors and how the intervention can be adapted to older students

Conclusions

Free Campaigns can Communicate Anti-Bullying Messages

http://www.stompoutbullying.org

• www.meanstinks.com

• www.raiseagiant.com

• http://www.seventeen.com/entertainment/features/del

ete-digital-drama

Join the movement: www.bullyproject.com

“Stop Bullying: Speak Up”: A Positive Side to Technology!

• Facebook has announced a

new anti-bullying partnership

with Time Warner, Inc. called,

“Stop Bullying: Speak Up.”

They’re working together to

educate parents, teachers and

kids about preventing bullying.

• Fall 2011: Anderson Cooper,

Time, People, etc. focused on

bullying prevention

• Every October: National

Bullying Prevention Month

NEA’s Bully Free: It Starts with Me • One caring adult can keep a

bullied student from dropping

out of school. One caring

adult may save a bullied

student’s life. NEA's Bully

Free: It Starts With Me

campaign, is asking you to be

that caring adult. Just take the

pledge — to listen to bullied

students who approach you

and take action to stop the

bullying. In return, NEA will

provide you with free

resources to help you support

these students.

• One Caring Adult

Can Make a

Difference

http://www.prevent7.org/

Born This Way Foundation • Mission: to foster a more

accepting society, where

differences are embraced and

individuality is celebrated. The

Foundation is dedicated to

creating a safe community that

helps connect young people

with the skills and opportunities

they need to build a kinder,

braver world.

• We believe that everyone has

the right to feel safe, to be

empowered and to make a

difference in the world.

Together, we will move towards

acceptance, bravery and love.

• The Born This Way Foundation

officially launched on February 29th.

Lady Gaga and her mother, Born

This Way Foundation President and

co-founder Cynthia Germanotta,

kicked off their campaign to create a

kinder and braver world at Harvard

University.

• www.bornthiswayfoundation.org

Best Practices in Bullying Prevention and Intervention

• Use a comprehensive surveys to understand the complexity of the bullying dynamic in schools and communities

• Data-based decision-making • Increase awareness of the detrimental

effects of bullying • Taking collective ownership • Collective involvement • Finding effective solutions • Teach healthy social, emotional skills • Working directly with kids, parents, and

teachers to create positive change

Best Practices in Bullying Prevention and Intervention

• 2008 meta-analysis by Ttofi, Farrington, & Baldry

found that reductions in bullying were associated

with:

Parent training

Increased playground supervision

Non-punitive disciplinary methods

Home-school communication

Effective classroom rules

Effective classroom management

Use of training videos

Video Resource

“Bully Dance” video

Bullfrog Films

Box 149

Oley, PA 19547

(610) 779-8226

Web: www.bullfrogfilms.com

Video and training resource

• “Let’s Get Real” video and curriculum guide

• www.groundspark.org

• Running Time: 35 minutes Format: VHS and DVD - Special features include director's interview, clips from other RFAP films, chapter-by-chapter version of the film corresponding to the curriculum guide.

Video Resource: Stories of Us--Bullying

• www.storiesofus.com

• Stories of Us is a unique series of education resources for primary and secondary students. Students collaborate in brainstorming the subjects, develop the scripts and perform all key roles. Every word of dialogue is their own, and every detail approved by the students. The Stories of Us videos are compelling as they draw upon the collective experience of the students, holding a mirror to their reality with such authenticity that some students watching them are convinced they are real.

Creating healthy, caring social relationships

• Everyone must make a commitment to be positive

role models and citizens.

• Schools and organizations must make a

commitment to on-going staff training.

• Integrate bullying prevention and intervention

throughout the curriculum and the fabric of the

institution.

• Make sure adult relationships in the schools are

healthy

Summary

• Bullying is a serious problem for all age levels, with pre-

adolescents particularly at risk.

• Cyberbullying and conventional bullying are inter-

related and often co-exist.

• Adults need to become better informed in order to be

credible resources for young people.

• Bullying in all forms (verbal, physical, cyber) are

connected to mental health difficulties.

• Interventions need to be tailored across the social

ecology (individual, family, peer, school, and

community).

• A commitment to change is on-going and never ends.

If WE don’t help

stop bullying, who

will?

www.stopbullying.gov

However, it’s not the program or the video or the book….it’s the people!

“Be the change that you want

to see in the world.”

-Gandhi

For more information contact:

• Susan M. Swearer, Ph.D.

• sswearer@unl.edu

• http://empowerment.unl.edu

• http://brnet.unl.edu

• Facebook: (Empowerment Initiative) (Bullying

Research Network)

• Twitter: @Bully_Research @Dr.SueSwearer