Bullying is not a new problem, but it will get a new treatment in the school district this fall with implementation of Olweus, a bullying prevention program.
‘Bullying has been around forever, but society’s views are changing, and we are beginning to view it as something that we need to talk about and address,? said Kenzi Bisbing, education manager with the Oakland Mediation Center. ‘What is different now from in the past is that students have access to technology and what that provides is yet another tool for students to use to bully others. Children being bullied through cyberspace means they are also bullied in other ways. We need to address bullying on all levels, but through cyber means as well.?
In December, Brandon High School senior Jacob Young was arrested after making school shooting threats on the ‘After School? smartphone app that allowed users anonymity. Young claimed he was upset about bullying on the app. He was charged with one count of making terrorist threats, a 20-year felony, as well as one count of using a computer to commit a crime, punishable by up to life in prison. Sentencing has been adjourned to March 25 in Sixth Circuit Court.
Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance is sponsoring the Olweus program, which has a start-up cost of $2,500. The Oakland Mediation Center, which administers the program, will fund the rest through grants.
‘There has been an increase in recent years of incidences of youth bullying, not only in person, but also through social media,? said Gail Innis, BGYA caseworker. ‘The BGYA Board has been concerned because the average age of youth on the caseload has been between 11 and 12 years of age. I believe there is a correlation between youth that have had behavioral problems that have needed counseling and bullying. Sometimes they are the bullies and sometimes they are the victims of bullies. Also, one of the thoughts behind the bullying prevention program is it can help youth to make wiser choices and better decisions when faced with life challenges and peer relationships.?
The Olweus program will target youth at the intermediate school, she continued, in the hopes that youth will be taught socially acceptable behaviors while they are still in their formative years, and prior to middle school, during which bullying tends to peak.
Kristy Spann, executive director of instructional services, said the district does not have a large bullying problem, but by using a program like Olweus, addressing bullying issues will become a collaborative effort.
‘Everyone has to be careful of the distinction between bullying and conflict,? she said. ‘There is a survey we will use, one at the end of this year, with kids, about various climate issues at each building and we will use the same survey next year and the year after, so we can see shifts around climate and culture.?
She notes that the district provides a brochure to parents at the beginning of each school year in which the state of Michigan defines bullying by meeting the following criteria:
**is reasonably perceived as being dehumanizing, intimidating, hostile, humiliating, threatening, or otherwise likely to evoke fear of physical harm or emotional distress;
**is directed at one or more pupils; policies and procedures for intervention and tracking behavior to prevent bullying as well as help students who are being bullied.
Bisbing notes there are a variety of different roles played by students in a bullying situation, including the student who starts the bullying; students who follow the bully and take an active role; students who support the bully without taking an active part (by laughing, for example); passive supporters who don’t laugh, but tell friends about it; disengaged onlookers; students who think they should do something to help, but don’t; and then defenders, who stand up for the student who is bullied.
The prevention program seeks to shift power in schools to the defending students, and move the roles of all students to becoming defenders.
‘It’s not cool to ostracize or leave people out,? said Bisbing. ‘What is cool is to be inclusive, caring, and respectful. What individual student buildings do to provide that culture is to provide consequences, teachable moments, but also positive encouragement for students who report situations to adults, befriend students who are left out, all in an effort to shift power so students choose to be helpful, rather than using their power to gain control over others.?
‘Bullying is behavior learned all around, from home, from society, media, school,? she continued. ‘Everyone plays a really important role in a child’s life, teaching them proper behavior. Parents play a really critical role in having conversations with children about bullying behavior… This is not about students putting on a cape and flying in and saving the day. They may not feel safe or have the skills to do that. Think about a time you were at the store and saw a parent hit a kid. It’s the same thing with bullying behavior, kids don’t always know what to do. We don’t want people jumping in, but there are other things to do to be a supportive bystander…The program teaches students what they can do.?
**is conveyed through physical, verbal technological, or emotional means; substantially interferes with educational opportunities, benefits, or programs of one or more pupils;
**adversely affects the ability of a pupil to participate in or benefit from the school district’s or public school’s educational programs or activities by placing the pupil in reasonable fear of physical harm or by causing emotional distress;
**is based on a pupil’s actual or perceived distinguishing characteristic, or is based on an association with another person who has or is perceived to have any of these characteristics.?
The Olweus bullying prevention program was developed by Dan Olweus and has been used in schools around the world for more than 40 years, proven effective through research and successful implementation.
According to the Oakland Mediation Center, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program ‘gives schools the tools and resources they need to effectively prevent and intervene in bullying behavior long term. The program is designed for students in elementary, middle and high schools. All students participate in the program, while students identified as bullying others, or students who have been bullied, receive additional individualized interventions. All students are educated on roles involved in bullying situations and learn how to become proactive bystanders. Program objectives include reducing existing bullying among students; preventing the development of new bullying problems; achieving better peer relations at school; and making the school a safer and more positive place for students to learn and develop.?
Through the Olweus program, the district will create a bullying prevention coordinating committee comprised of approximately 15 members including parents, teachers, community members and non-teaching staff. Committee members will go through two days of training to learn how to implement and coordinate Olweus at their respective buildings. Oakland Mediation Center will also provide ongoing consultation for 18 months after the training.
‘What is really important to remember about effective bullying prevention is that it requires ongoing effort that is aimed at addressing or changing school climate,? said Bisbing. ‘How you do that is through the committee, which trains every single adult in the school on the program in understanding bullying behavior, how to intervene on the spot when they witness aggressive behavior, and they also get trained on how to implement the different program components.?
One of the key components of the program is weekly classroom meetings designed to build relationships and connections with students and staff and increase empathy.
‘Research shows students who have more empathy, relationships, sense of community and connectedness are less likely to be involved in antisocial, aggressive behavior, bullying,? said Bisbing. ‘We are addressing more than just bullying when it comes to prevention. These meetings give students an opportunity to talk about things important to them when it is important. What is bullying and what can we do to manage it, how do we manage emotions, what makes a good friend, a number of themes are discussed in class meetings.?
Other components of the program include enhancing supervision, identifying hot spots, regular staff discussion groups to keep bullying prevention at the forefront, involving parents with meetings and shared information,