1	The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Pilot Project For Berlin Central School District Grades K-5
2	Why Do We Need A Bullying Prevention Program? “ Bullying and being bullied have been recognized as health problems for children because of their association with adjustment problems including poor mental health and more extreme violent behavior. It is therefore important to understand how bullying and being bullied affect the well-being and adaptive functioning of youth.” PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 6 December 2003
3	The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program IS… Universal (a school-wide effort) Systems-oriented AND individual-oriented Preventive AND problem-solving Focused on changing norms and behavior Research-based NOT time-limited: Requires systematic efforts over time.
4	The Bullying Prevention Program IS NOT… A curriculum A conflict resolution approach A peer mediation program An anger management program
5	Program Components
6	Direct Bullying * Physical Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting… Verbal Taunting, teasing, degrading racial or sexual comments… Non-verbal Threatening, obscene gestures…
7	Indirect Bullying Physical Getting another person to assault someone… Verbal Spreading rumors… Non-verbal Deliberate exclusion from a group or activity Cyberbullying
8	How do you recognize bullying? What can it look like?
9	Short-term Effects of Being Bullied Lower self-esteem Depression & anxiety Illness Absenteeism Thoughts of suicide
10	Lasting Effects of Being Bullied Lower self-esteem Higher rates of depression Higher rates of Post Traumatic Stress
11	“Passive Victims” Tend To… Be more quiet, sensitive, and cautious To be insecure, and demonstrate little confidence Boys tend to be physically weaker than their peers Girls tend to “develop” earlier Be afraid of getting hurt Tend to get along with (associate) adults better than with peers
12	The Bully/Victim or “Provocative Victim” Tends to Be… Hyperactive, restless, have difficulty concentrating Hot-tempered, attempt to fight or answer back when they feel attacked or insulted Clumsy and immature
13	The Bully/Victim or “Provocative Victim” Has difficulty reading social signals Is usually disliked by most adults, including his/her teacher Often struggles in the area of English/Language Arts Attempts to bully weaker students
14	Children Who Bully Tend To… Have more positive attitudes toward violence than their peers Have quick tempers, and are easily frustrated Have difficulty conforming to rules Be stronger (physically) than their peers Appear tough, showing little compassion for their victims Be aggressive (at times) to adults Be good at talking themselves out of situations
15	Goals of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Reduce existing bully/victim problems among school children Prevent the development of new bully/victim problems Improve peer relations Improve school climate
16	Principles of the OBPP … It is critical to develop a school environment characterized by: Warmth & Positive Interest Involvement from adults Adults acting as authorities and positive role models Firm limits and non-hostile and non-physical sanctions
17	Overview of School-Wide Elements Form Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee – BCSD Core Committee Train committee and all school staff and personnel Administer bully/victim questionnaire – Spring ’06 Develop school rules against bullying Increase supervision in “hot spots” as revealed by questionnaire data Use consistent positive and negative consequences Hold staff discussion groups- on going throughout the year Involve parents- Open House, newsletters, conferences, etc. Hold school-wide “Kick-Off” event – October ‘06
18	Four School Rules Against Bullying We will not bully others. We will try to help students who are bullied. We will include students who are easily left out. When we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.
19	Re-examine and Strengthen Supervision in “Hot Spots” Determine “hot spots” from students survey data. Pay attention to the playground and cafeteria: How are the playground and cafeteria arranged and supervised? What are the rules for all students in these areas?
20	“Hot Spots”
21	Percentage of Students Who Are Bullied 2-3 Times a Month or More
22	Percentage of Students Who Have Bullied Other Students 2-3 Times a Month or More
23	Classroom Elements
24	Interventions at the Classroom Level School rules against bullying posted and discussed Consistent use of positive and negative consequences Regular class meetings held weekly Communication to parents on a regular basis about bullying prevention activities
25	Classroom Meetings Select a predictable time in which to discuss bullying a peer relations one time per week Meetings build a sense of class cohesion & community Be flexible in following students’ ideas for discussion topics Use role playing to engage students
26	Classroom Meeting Guidelines Sit in a circle if possible Raise hands to speak/share comments Everyone has the right to be heard without interruption Disagree without being disagreeable Avoid names and focus on events
27	On-the-Spot Interventions: The “Teachable Moment” Stop the bullying Support the victim Name the bullying behavior Refer to the school rules Impose immediate consequences (where appropriate) Encourage bystanders
28	Follow-Up Interventions… Report the incident: (Colleague, Team Leader, Counselor, Building Principal) Increase adult vigilance, communication, and prevent retaliation. Identify staff person(s) to talk with the parties involved: (Colleague, Team Leader, Counselor, Principal) Conduct separate talks with the child who is bullied, and the children who bully, beginning with the child who has been bullied. Implement supports for the child who has been bullied Impose consequences for the children who bully Talk with parents ( where appropriate) Follow-up with the involved individuals later
29	Where We’ve Been… Goals Accomplished To Date: Implement Peaceful School Bus Program ◊ Collaboration with Lynnwood Elementary School – Jim Dillon ◊ Pre-step to Peaceful Bus must be Olweus Bullying Prevention Program ◊ Contacted Questar III to locate Olweus Bullying Prevention Trainer – Cathy Welling, Certified OBPP Trainer ◊ HUDMO Grant application and award to fund Olweus Program Implementation ◊ Developed interdisciplinary “Core Committee” for the OBPP comprised of 24 members, including parents, faculty, staff , administration and members of the transportation department ◊ Appointed on-site coordinator, Mrs. Jessica Rontey, to coordinate committee work, and manage program/grant implementation. ◊ Organized 2 day training of the Core Committee under the direction of Mrs. Cathy Welling ◊ Began regularly scheduled monthly meetings (after school) of the OBPP Core Committee ◊ Ordered and distributed all required and supplemental materials prior to the end of the 2005-2006 school in preparation for program launch in October of 2006 ◊ Administered The Bully/Victim Questionnaire in spring of ’06 to establish baseline data on instances of bullying in grades 3-5 ◊ Results of the questionnaire were analyzed by the Core Committee and will be shared with teachers/staff at the Superintendent’s Conference Days in September of 2006 ◊ Library of supplemental student literature has been created in each of the elementary schools for use in the fall ◊ The Core Committee will facilitate a ½ day training session with the remainder of the faculty and staff at the upcoming Superintendent’s Conference Days to officially begin program implementation at the classroom level ◊ Plans are set for a community-wide kick-off to the program in October involving parents, students, community members and the Core Committee
30	Where We’re Going… September: * Hold ½ day training session with all faculty and staff. * Teachers include a brief description of the program with families during Open House presentations, including the community-wide kick-off date. October: * Hold community-wide kick-off where we share the program with students, families, and community members. Using multiple modalities, the Core Committee will present this information in a student-friendly manner using music, skits, and other visual displays. Nov./Dec. * Implement ALL pilot program components and begin to tie in the Peaceful School Bus Program April/May: * Re-administer the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and revise our action plan based on correlated results of the assessment Ongoing: * The Core Committee will continue to meet on the first Monday of each month to assess the progress of the program, gather feedback from faculty and staff, and make necessary changes. * Mrs. Jessica Rontey will have 10 release days built in her schedule so that at least monthly, she can be out in schools supporting teachers with program implementation. * Principals will block out time at faculty meetings throughout the year to share feedback with staff about the pilot program. * Teachers continue to update parents in weekly/monthly newsletters about the Olweus program, (classroom activities, books shared with students, etc.)
31	Peaceful School Bus Program During the second regularly schedule bus evacuation drill, we would like to take our first run at implementing the Peaceful School Bus Program. Following the evacuation drill, in each of our schools, students would meet in various locations in the building according to their school bus numbers. Students are paired with children from other grade levels, and they conduct a brief (5-10 minute) team-building activity under the direction of a Bus Group Leader. (Similar to what Jim Dillon, Prinicpal at Lynnwood Elementary modeled for us during the Peaceful Bus In-service last year). Bus drivers, attendants and monitors would join their respective bus groups and participate in the activities as well. Research shows that children are less likely to bully other children that they view as “someone they know”. By pairing off and getting to know other children in the school, older students become empowered to help younger students, and form connections with them that extend beyond the school day on to the buses.
32	Take-Home Message Stopping bullying takes a team effort. Approach the process in steps Change happens in small increments. "The basic message of the bullying prevention program is : Bullying is not accepted in our class/school, and we will see to it that it comes to an end." *All material presented in this slide show presentation was taken from information used in training with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2004