After-school hours are a critical time for youth. That time can represent either an opportunity to learn and grow, through quality after-school programs, or a time of risk to youth's health and safety.
The after-school hours are the peak time for juvenile crime and risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug use. Most experts agree that after-school programs offer a healthy and positive alternative. These programs keep kids safe, improve academic achievement and help relieve the stresses on today's working families. They can serve as important youth violence prevention and intervention strategies.
Yet most youth do not have access to after-school programs. Every day, at least eight million children and youth are left alone and unsupervised once the school bell rings. While nine in 10 Americans think that all youth should have access to after-school programs, two-thirds say it is difficult to find programs locally. With more and more children growing up in homes with two working parents or a single working parent, today's families can benefit from the safe, structured learning opportunities that after-school programs provide.
After-school programs are defined as safe, structured activities that convene regularly in the hours after school and offer activities to help children learn new skills, and develop into responsible adults. Activities may cover topics such as technology, reading, math, science and the arts. Programs may also offer new experiences such as community service, internships or tutoring and mentoring opportunities.
Without structured, supervised activities in the after-school hours, youth are at greater risk of being victims of crime, or participating in anti-social behaviors. In fact, juveniles are at the highest risk of being a victim of violence between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. And the peak hour for juvenile crime is from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the first hour that most students are dismissed from school.
Other safety issues surface in the after-school hours as well. Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities, such as those offered in after-school programs, are 49 percent more likely to have used drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents than are those students who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities.
Beyond serving a significant role by simply offering youth a safe haven, after-school programs offer children and youth opportunities to learn new skills such as conflict resolution, prepare for a successful career, improve grades and develop relationships with caring adults. These skills can be critical in helping youth develop in positive ways and to avoid behavior problems and conflict.
The link between after-school program participation and violence prevention and increased achievement among youth is increasingly evident as new research emerges.
After-School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart, a joint report from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice, shows that students in after-school programs exhibit fewer behavioral problems, better ability to handle conflicts and improved self-confidence.
In Los Angeles, a UCLA evaluation of an after-school initiative called LA's BEST found that students with higher levels of participation in LA's BEST program had better school attendance and higher scores on standardized tests of mathematics, reading and language arts. A study by RAND of fourth graders in Foundations, Inc. after-school programs reported that children in the programs outperformed their counterparts on academic achievement tests.
Despite the tendency to think of older children as able to take care of themselves, studies show that after-school programs benefit youth at all levels, from elementary to high school. In fact, middle and high school students may often benefit most from these programs. A recent survey of high school students, for example, revealed that students in after-school programs had greater expectations for the future and were more interested in school than their peers.
Many government agencies and nonprofit organizations have begun to promote after-school programs as a positive resource for youth in the past several years. However, while the concept seems to be taking off, the need for programs is far from being met. More than 28 million school-age children have parents who work outside the home, and that number is growing. Applications for after-school program funds from the federal government's 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative outpace the resources available by two to one. While the initiative has grown exponentially in the past four years (from $40 million in 1998 to $846 million in 2001), the U.S. Department of Education had to deny 1,000 high-quality proposals for after-school funding in the last grant cycle. This gap reflected a need in 2000 that was more than double the available resources.
source: http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/facts/afterschool.asp
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Elements of Effective School Violence Prevention Plans
Because school violence reflects the violence in our communities and neighborhoods, schools are most effective in confronting school violence when the community around them provides support. Many communities have been able to reduce school violence by developing comprehensive, integrated plans involving schools, social services, mental health providers, and law enforcement and juvenile justice authorities.
In order to assist schools in developing and carrying out violence prevention and response plans, the Departments of Education and Justice and the American Institutes for Research developed a report, Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide (2000). The report indicates that an effective school violence prevention plan must include three tiers:
Schools must build a school-wide foundation for all children. This involves: supporting positive discipline, academic success, and mental and emotional wellness through a caring school environment; teaching students appropriate behaviors and problem solving skills; positive behavioral support; and appropriate academic instruction with engaging curricula and effective teaching practices.
Schools must identify students at risk for severe academic or behavioral difficulties early on and create services and supports that address risk factors and build protective factors for them. It is important that staff be trained to recognize early warning signs and make appropriate referrals. Once students are identified, they must receive coordinated services that meet their individual needs. A number of approaches have been developed for interventions at this stage, including anger management training, structured after-school programs, mentoring, group and family counseling, changing instructional practices, and tutoring.
Schools must identify and provide intensive interventions for the few children who are experiencing significant emotional and behavioral problems. To be effective, these approaches generally require the collaboration of schools, social services, mental health providers, and law enforcement and juvenile justice authorities.
To learn more, see:
Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates (2002) - U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Secret Service
Effective and Noteworthy School Violence Prevention Programs Database - Hamilton Fish Institute
In order to assist schools in developing and carrying out violence prevention and response plans, the Departments of Education and Justice and the American Institutes for Research developed a report, Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide (2000). The report indicates that an effective school violence prevention plan must include three tiers:
Schools must build a school-wide foundation for all children. This involves: supporting positive discipline, academic success, and mental and emotional wellness through a caring school environment; teaching students appropriate behaviors and problem solving skills; positive behavioral support; and appropriate academic instruction with engaging curricula and effective teaching practices.
Schools must identify students at risk for severe academic or behavioral difficulties early on and create services and supports that address risk factors and build protective factors for them. It is important that staff be trained to recognize early warning signs and make appropriate referrals. Once students are identified, they must receive coordinated services that meet their individual needs. A number of approaches have been developed for interventions at this stage, including anger management training, structured after-school programs, mentoring, group and family counseling, changing instructional practices, and tutoring.
Schools must identify and provide intensive interventions for the few children who are experiencing significant emotional and behavioral problems. To be effective, these approaches generally require the collaboration of schools, social services, mental health providers, and law enforcement and juvenile justice authorities.
To learn more, see:
Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates (2002) - U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Secret Service
Effective and Noteworthy School Violence Prevention Programs Database - Hamilton Fish Institute
Thursday, October 1, 2009
links
In the United States, an estimated 55 million students are enrolled in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Another 15 million students attend colleges and universities across the country. While U.S. schools remain relatively safe, any amount of violence is unacceptable. Parents, teachers, and administrators expect schools to be safe havens of learning. Acts of violence can disrupt the learning process and have a negative effect on students, the school itself, and the broader community.
School violence is a subset of youth violence, a broader public health problem. Youth violence refers to harmful behaviors that may start early and continue into young adulthood. It includes bullying, slapping, punching, weapon use, and rape. Victims can suffer serious injury, significant social and emotional damage, or even death. The young person can be a victim, an offender, or a witness to the violence-or a combination of these. Detailed information about youth violence is available here.
Research on youth violence has helped us better understand the factors that make some populations more likely to commit violent acts. Such risk factors increase the likelihood that a young person will become violent, but they may not be the direct cause of youth or school violence. Detailed information about the risk and protective factors associated with youth violence is available here.
School violence is a subset of youth violence, a broader public health problem. Youth violence refers to harmful behaviors that may start early and continue into young adulthood. It includes bullying, slapping, punching, weapon use, and rape. Victims can suffer serious injury, significant social and emotional damage, or even death. The young person can be a victim, an offender, or a witness to the violence-or a combination of these. Detailed information about youth violence is available here.
Research on youth violence has helped us better understand the factors that make some populations more likely to commit violent acts. Such risk factors increase the likelihood that a young person will become violent, but they may not be the direct cause of youth or school violence. Detailed information about the risk and protective factors associated with youth violence is available here.
Monday, September 14, 2009
the cyber world
Learn How To Deal With Cyber-Bullying
By DIONNE WALKER, Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA – Laws meant to rein in schoolyard bullying rarely if ever do that since adults generally don't enforce them, according to an Associated Press review, and several students' recent suicides have parents and advocates calling for tougher measures.
Forty-four states expressly ban bullying, a legislative legacy of a rash of school shootings in the late '90s, yet few if any of those measures have identified children who excessively pick on their peers, an Associated Press review has found. And few offer any method for ensuring the policies are enforced, according to data compiled by the National Council of State Legislatures.
The issue came to a head in April when 11-year-old Jaheem Herrera committed suicide at his Atlanta-area home after his parents say he was repeatedly tormented in school. District officials denied it, and an independent review found bullying wasn't a factor, a conclusion his family rejects. Regardless, Georgia's law, among the toughest in the nation, still would not have applied: It only applies to students in grades six to 12. Herrera was a fifth-grader.
Georgia's law has one of the largest gaps between what it requires of districts and the tools it gives them for meeting those requirements. The state doesn't collect data specifically on bullying occurrences, despite legislation that promises to strip state funding from schools failing to take action after three instances involving a bully.
After Herrera's death, other parents came forward to say their children had been bullied and that school officials did nothing with the complaints, rendering the state's law useless.
"There is a systematic problem," said Mike Wilson, who said his 12-year-old daughter was bullied for two years in the same school district where Herrera died. "The lower level employees, the teachers, the principals, are trying to keep this information suppressed at the lowest possible level."
Only six states — Montana, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, North Dakota and South Dakota — and the District of Columbia lack specific laws targeting school bullying, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most states require school districts to adopt open-ended policies to prohibit bullying and harassment.
While some direct state education officials to form model policies that school districts should mimic, they offer little to assure the policies are enforced; only a handful of states require specific data gathering meant to assure bullying is being monitored, for instance.
"The states themselves can't micromanage a school district — but they can say to a school district, 'Look, you have to have consequences,'" said Brenda High, whose Web site, Bully Police USA, tracks anti-bullying laws across the nation, and who advocates for strict repercussions for bullies. The Washington state-based advocate's son, Jared, was 13 when he committed suicide in 1998 after complaining of bullying.
"It needs to be written into the law that bullying has the same consequences as assault," she said. "The records and such need to be kept so that if the child is a chronic bully, they — after so many instances — will end up in an alternative school."
Alaska and Georgia have particularly specific statutes. Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development must compile annual data on bullying complaints and report it to the Legislature.
Georgia's 10-year-old law goes a step further. It specifies that three instances of bullying is grounds for transfer to an alternative school, away from the victim. School systems not in compliance forfeit state funding, according to the law.
Despite that record-keeping provision, the Georgia Department of Education cannot say whether any child has been transferred as a result of bullying because the department only tracks the number for broader offenses, including fighting and threats, spokesman Dana Tofig said. No school has lost funding under the law, according to the department.
Some school districts say they keep track of complaints, especially those involving a single child being bullied more than once, and that they address those cases. Without a legal obligation to report such data to state officials, however, it's unclear how any such statistics are used.
In 2007, nearly a third of students ages 12 to 18 reported having been bullied during the school year, according to data on more than 55 million students compiled annually by the National Center for Education Statistics. That's up from as few as 1 in 10 students in the '90s, though bullying experts point out the rising numbers may reflect more reports of bullying, not necessarily more incidents.
Many children reported teasing, spreading rumors and threats, all harder to spot and manage, school leaders say.
"One of the questions is how do you quantify bullying? It could even be as simple as a rolling of the eyes," said Dale Davis, a spokesman for schools in DeKalb County, Ga., where Herrera committed suicide.
District officials have said since soon after the boy's death that there was no evidence that Herrera was bullied, and that outside factors including the death of a close relative influenced him to take his life.
Herrera's death in mid-April came barely two weeks after Sirdeaner Walker found her son Carl hanged in her Springfield, Mass., home. The 11-year-old had complained of teasing almost immediately after arriving at his new charter school, she said.
Parents in Illinois likewise pointed to bullies after three suicides there in February: a 10-year-old boy hanged himself in a restroom stall in a suburban Chicago school, an 11-year-old boy was found dead in Chatham, south of Springfield, and a father found his 11-year-old daughter hanged in a closet of their Chicago home.
Dr. Diahann Meekins Moore, associate director for psychiatric services at the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services, cautioned that it's unclear whether bullying could be considered a primary cause in those deaths or in any suicide.
All the same, every suicide with a hint of bullying, every school rampage involving a shooter who claims to have been bullied renews the debate over whether anyone can curb what most consider a harsh and inevitable part of childhood, and if so, who bears that responsibility.
"A lot of this has to be handled in the home," said Peter Daboul, chair of the board of trustees at New Leadership, the Massachusetts school where her son was a 6th grader.
Teachers there will receive training on spotting childhood depression and bullying, he said, "but you also have the family unit where these kids are hopefully taught the difference between right and wrong."
Sirdeaner Walker said reminding a child that they're loved at home is less effective when they're being teased in the classroom.
"I can say that all the time," Walker said. "But again, I have to send my child back to the school."
Monday, August 17, 2009
the cost of bullying
The cost of our failure to stop bullying in our schools is enormous.
For the targets, who often endure their school years in a more or less permanent state of anxiety, the effects include not only the cuts, bruises and wounding of physical assaults. Physical, verbal and relational bullying can all result in reluctance to go to school, repeated headaches and stomach pains, bed-wetting, poor appetite, anxiety, irritability, aggression and depression. Bullying is a direct attack on a student’s status and sense of belonging to their peer group and often results in low self-esteem. In the most extreme cases targets have taken out their anger through school shootings or by committing suicide.
Students who habitually bully miss the opportunity to learn an alternative to aggression. Research tells us that they often develop a habitual tendency to abuse power. Approximately 25 percent of school bullies will be convicted of a criminal offense in their adult years.
The students on the sidelines (the "bystanders") commonly report extreme discomfort at witnessing bullying, but say that they do not know how to prevent it. They are silenced by their fear that bullies will target them if they speak out. Often they grow up believing that they are powerless to stop abusive behaviors in others.
For the school, the effects are time wasted in tackling a problem that is resistant to change, absenteeism, compromised student academic performance, low teacher morale, negative perceptions of the school by the wider community and increasing parent hostility. The school campus becomes a place where diversity is unvalued and unprotected. Schools are increasingly subject to litigation for failing to provide a safe learning environment and in some cases are being held responsible for the suicides and school shootings by students targeted by bullies.
(source)
For the targets, who often endure their school years in a more or less permanent state of anxiety, the effects include not only the cuts, bruises and wounding of physical assaults. Physical, verbal and relational bullying can all result in reluctance to go to school, repeated headaches and stomach pains, bed-wetting, poor appetite, anxiety, irritability, aggression and depression. Bullying is a direct attack on a student’s status and sense of belonging to their peer group and often results in low self-esteem. In the most extreme cases targets have taken out their anger through school shootings or by committing suicide.
Students who habitually bully miss the opportunity to learn an alternative to aggression. Research tells us that they often develop a habitual tendency to abuse power. Approximately 25 percent of school bullies will be convicted of a criminal offense in their adult years.
The students on the sidelines (the "bystanders") commonly report extreme discomfort at witnessing bullying, but say that they do not know how to prevent it. They are silenced by their fear that bullies will target them if they speak out. Often they grow up believing that they are powerless to stop abusive behaviors in others.
For the school, the effects are time wasted in tackling a problem that is resistant to change, absenteeism, compromised student academic performance, low teacher morale, negative perceptions of the school by the wider community and increasing parent hostility. The school campus becomes a place where diversity is unvalued and unprotected. Schools are increasingly subject to litigation for failing to provide a safe learning environment and in some cases are being held responsible for the suicides and school shootings by students targeted by bullies.
(source)
www.nobully.com
.jpg)
School bullying is widespread across the United States. Each day an estimated 160,000 children refuse to go to school because they dread the physical and verbal aggression of their peers, and the loneliness that comes from being excluded and made the target of rumors and cyber-bullying. Many more students attend school in a chronic state of anxiety.
The mission of No Bully® is to make school a place where every student feels included by their peers and accepted for who they are, so that we create a world where every adult is accepted and valued for who they are. No Bully helps schools and school districts to develop an anti-bullying policy and implement campus-wide programs to address bullying. But we don’t stop there. Our goal is for all students to develop the social and emotional intelligence that will give them greater success in their peer relationships, their academic performance and in their adult lives. We offer a choice of powerful workshops, trainings and consultation to make this happen.
America's FIRST School Bombing - Bath Massacre by Arnie Bernstein
Late at night, I was flipping through the more "obscure" channels with my remote, (at least "obscure" to my viewing habits) and was captured by an author simply describing his recent book on America's first school bombing. I confess, I had never heard of it. History repeats itself, and the Virginia Tech tragedy no doubt prompted people take a look back in time . . . past the violence of a man slaughtering children in a one room Amish schoolhouse . . . past Columbine . . . past the other 25 school shooting incidents in the space of the last several decades . . . clear back to the year 1927.
How easy it is to delude ourselves into nostalgia and believe that in earlier days of small town rural life people were simpler somehow; our beloved America less violent. There were no disturbing video games, no violent television to influence anyone to unleash outlandish rage on masses of innocents.But the lesson I gained from Arnie Bernstein's carefully researched work via town records and discussions with the few remaining survivors of this tragedy was that always, always, regardless of outside influences, regardless of the times, such incidents stem from the tormented inner workings of a mind that has somehow slipped into a very dark place.
Published by the University of Michigan Press, this exactly 200 page book (inclusive in that 200 pages are the extensive notes of reference, Mr. Bernsteins writing is objective, factual, and easy to understand. It is simple, yet deceptively so, for as he brings the reader closer to the actual events of that May morning, the style of writing is unnervingly shifted to short, two or three sentence paragraphs that jump from the first-hand experience of one child to the next - from the actions of the crazed Andrew Kehoe's methodical but deadly behavior, to the reactions of neighbors - the entire event becomes so real that it carries a terrible emotional punch, and of course, that is exactly what is needed for history to come alive.
(**SPOILER ALERT**)
In summary, a well-respected farmer named Andrew Kehoe in a small town called Bath, Michigan secretly and over a period of time, masterminded a plot to completely wire with explosives a two-story schoolhouse, as well as his own home and barn and property. After murdering his wife and setting his own house on fire, a timer set off successfully the school building where thirty-eight children and 6 adults were murdered. Many more were injured. Kehoe then drove his truck to the school to view the devastation, and when the principal approached his truck, he muttered something to the effect of "I'll take you with me, then," and detonated the dynamite inside the vehicle, killing himself and the principal as well. In the almost immediate aftermath, it was disgusting to read that the general public from miles away drove to Bath and blocked the roads into and out of the tiny town wanting to "gawk" at the event - even taking gruesome souvenirs such as a piece of intestine of Andrew Kehoe himself, wrapped around the steering wheel of his self-exploded truck. They slowed down ambulances from making the trip to Lansing, Michigan, where the hospital was located, and created so much noise that some family members attending memorial services in their own homes had to strain to hear the words of the Pastor's attempting to deliver words of comfort.
In the end, the State government and a generous private benefactor, along with thousands of school children from around the world sending in pennies and other donations, enabled the school to be rebuilt, and today a memorial plaque stands in a lovely park on the grounds of the old schoolhouse. But each year a memorial service is held and the descendants of those affected who still live in Bath find that years may have passed, but the emotions remain fresh and tragic.
This book is not a psychological profile of Andrew Kehoe. But I found it interesting that psychology was in its heyday in the 1920's, and mostly Freudian in nature. Psychiatrists apparently felt that Kehoe could not have been labeled paranoid. Some asserted he was Bipolar. But the author points out that the term "Psychopath" was probably the most appropriate, and to me, the most frightening. There was no hallucination or paranoia or insanity demonstrated by Mr. Kehoe. No mood swings of a drastic nature, or grandiosity. He was not schizophrenic and had no previous history of mental health problems. Instead, he was a highly functioning, highly intelligent member of the school board; a husband, neighbor, and property owner. The true answers to what was going on inside the head of this man were buried with him. Diagnosis can explain behavior, but it does not lessen the impact or devastation felt by the families of the victims. No matter how great the temptation is to blame violent media or outside sources, most often the people that commit such atrocities are spurred on by ideas and violence that come from within. I highly recommend Arnie Bernstein's work as a difficult to read but important coverage of this first of American school bombings. It is devoted to covering the impact of the victims and their families, and does not focus on an in depth psychological hypothesis of Andrew Kehoe, which makes the book a fitting tribute to the innocent.
Thank you for reading,
Melissa Hempe
("hempem" on Epinions.com)
middle school students
Below is a submitted comment....
As a middle school teacher, I have seen the benefits of a behavior and discipline program called PBIS (Positive Behavior and Incentives System). The program is based on modeling and expects all teachers, students, and administrators to show respect and compassion, while adhering to rules that govern all classrooms and the school. In my opinion, middle school students are at the greatest risk for bullying and being bullied. Because of their quest for independence AND acceptance, differences that are considered "not cool" leave students open to ridicule and bullying. As educators, I think we need to teach students that same-ness is boring and differences are what make the world interesting.
As a middle school teacher, I have seen the benefits of a behavior and discipline program called PBIS (Positive Behavior and Incentives System). The program is based on modeling and expects all teachers, students, and administrators to show respect and compassion, while adhering to rules that govern all classrooms and the school. In my opinion, middle school students are at the greatest risk for bullying and being bullied. Because of their quest for independence AND acceptance, differences that are considered "not cool" leave students open to ridicule and bullying. As educators, I think we need to teach students that same-ness is boring and differences are what make the world interesting.
thoughts from a guidance counselor
These thoughts were sent to me from an elementary guidance counselor.
______________________________________________________
It is my opinion that bullying can come in many shapes and forms. A school must address it from all different levels and, really, it is is an ongoing conversation. Will we ever completely eliminate bullying?
Of course not. However, it is something that should be emphasized and addressed in terms of "how we treat others" by classroom teachers, guidance, administration, etc. at all times. In doing so, issues of bullying will be much less if the school takes this team approach.
Of course not. However, it is something that should be emphasized and addressed in terms of "how we treat others" by classroom teachers, guidance, administration, etc. at all times. In doing so, issues of bullying will be much less if the school takes this team approach.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Bullying Facts and Statistics
www.safeyouth.org
Prevalence
Almost 30% of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both. In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being the target of bullies, and another 6% said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves.
Male vs. Female
Bullying takes on different forms in male and female youth. While both male and female youth say that others bully them by making fun of the way they look or talk, males are more likely to report being hit, slapped, or pushed. Female youth are more likely than males to report being the targets of rumors and sexual comments. While male youth target both boys and girls, female youth most often bully other girls, using more subtle and indirect forms of aggression than boys. For example, instead of physically harming others, they are more likely to spread gossip or encourage others to reject or exclude another girl.
Risk Factors for Bullying Behavior
While many people believe that bullies act tough in order to hide feelings of insecurity and self-loathing, in fact, bullies tend to be confident, with high self-esteem. They are generally physically aggressive, with pro-violence attitudes, and are typically hot-tempered, easily angered, and impulsive, with a low tolerance for frustration. Bullies have a strong need to dominate others and usually have little empathy for their targets. Male bullies are often physically bigger and stronger than their peers. Bullies tend to get in trouble more often, and to dislike and do more poorly in school, than teens who do not bully others. They are also more likely to fight, drink and smoke than their peers.
Children and teens that come from homes where parents provide little emotional support for their children, fail to monitor their activities, or have little involvement in their lives, are at greater risk for engaging in bullying behavior. Parents' discipline styles are also related to bullying behavior: an extremely permissive or excessively harsh approach to discipline can increase the risk of teenage bullying.
Surprisingly, bullies appear to have little difficulty in making friends. Their friends typically share their pro-violence attitudes and problem behaviors (such as drinking and smoking) and may be involved in bullying as well. These friends are often followers that do not initiate bullying, but participate in it.
Risk Factors for Being Targeted by Bullies
Children and youth who are bullied are typically anxious, insecure, and cautious and suffer from low self-esteem, rarely defending themselves or retaliating when confronted by students who bully them. They are often socially isolated and lack social skills. One study found that the most frequent reason cited by youth for persons being bullied is that they "didn't fit in." Males who are bullied tend to be physically weaker than their peers.
Long-term Impact on Youth
There appears to be a strong relationship between bullying other students and experiencing later legal and criminal problems as an adult. In one study, 60% of those characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24. Chronic bullies seem to maintain their behaviors into adulthood, negatively influencing their ability to develop and maintain positive relationships.
Bullying can lead the children and youth that are the target of bullying to feel tense, anxious, and afraid. It can affect their concentration in school, and can lead them to avoid school in some cases. If bullying continues for some time, it can begin to affect children and youth's self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. It also can increase their social isolation, leading them to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure. In extreme cases, bullying can be devastating for children and youth, with long-term consequences. Researchers have found that years later, long after the bullying has stopped, adults who were bullied as youth have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.
Effective Programs
Effective programs have been developed to reduce bullying in schools. Research has found that bullying is most likely to occur in schools where there is a lack of adult supervision during breaks, where teachers and students are indifferent to or accept bullying behavior, and where rules against bullying are not consistently enforced.
While approaches that simply crack down on individual bullies are seldom effective, when there is a school-wide commitment to end bullying, it can be reduced by up to 50%. One approach that has been shown to be effective focuses on changing school and classroom climates by: raising awareness about bullying, increasing teacher and parent involvement and supervision, forming clear rules and strong social norms against bullying, and providing support and protection for all students. This approach involves teachers, principals, students, and everyone associated with the school, including janitors, cafeteria workers, and crossing guards. Adults become aware of the extent of bullying at the school, and they involve themselves in changing the situation, rather than looking the other way. Students pledge not to bully other students, to help students who are bullied, and to make a point to include students who are left out.
Prevalence
Almost 30% of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both. In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being the target of bullies, and another 6% said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves.
Male vs. Female
Bullying takes on different forms in male and female youth. While both male and female youth say that others bully them by making fun of the way they look or talk, males are more likely to report being hit, slapped, or pushed. Female youth are more likely than males to report being the targets of rumors and sexual comments. While male youth target both boys and girls, female youth most often bully other girls, using more subtle and indirect forms of aggression than boys. For example, instead of physically harming others, they are more likely to spread gossip or encourage others to reject or exclude another girl.
Risk Factors for Bullying Behavior
While many people believe that bullies act tough in order to hide feelings of insecurity and self-loathing, in fact, bullies tend to be confident, with high self-esteem. They are generally physically aggressive, with pro-violence attitudes, and are typically hot-tempered, easily angered, and impulsive, with a low tolerance for frustration. Bullies have a strong need to dominate others and usually have little empathy for their targets. Male bullies are often physically bigger and stronger than their peers. Bullies tend to get in trouble more often, and to dislike and do more poorly in school, than teens who do not bully others. They are also more likely to fight, drink and smoke than their peers.
Children and teens that come from homes where parents provide little emotional support for their children, fail to monitor their activities, or have little involvement in their lives, are at greater risk for engaging in bullying behavior. Parents' discipline styles are also related to bullying behavior: an extremely permissive or excessively harsh approach to discipline can increase the risk of teenage bullying.
Surprisingly, bullies appear to have little difficulty in making friends. Their friends typically share their pro-violence attitudes and problem behaviors (such as drinking and smoking) and may be involved in bullying as well. These friends are often followers that do not initiate bullying, but participate in it.
Risk Factors for Being Targeted by Bullies
Children and youth who are bullied are typically anxious, insecure, and cautious and suffer from low self-esteem, rarely defending themselves or retaliating when confronted by students who bully them. They are often socially isolated and lack social skills. One study found that the most frequent reason cited by youth for persons being bullied is that they "didn't fit in." Males who are bullied tend to be physically weaker than their peers.
Long-term Impact on Youth
There appears to be a strong relationship between bullying other students and experiencing later legal and criminal problems as an adult. In one study, 60% of those characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24. Chronic bullies seem to maintain their behaviors into adulthood, negatively influencing their ability to develop and maintain positive relationships.
Bullying can lead the children and youth that are the target of bullying to feel tense, anxious, and afraid. It can affect their concentration in school, and can lead them to avoid school in some cases. If bullying continues for some time, it can begin to affect children and youth's self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. It also can increase their social isolation, leading them to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure. In extreme cases, bullying can be devastating for children and youth, with long-term consequences. Researchers have found that years later, long after the bullying has stopped, adults who were bullied as youth have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.
Effective Programs
Effective programs have been developed to reduce bullying in schools. Research has found that bullying is most likely to occur in schools where there is a lack of adult supervision during breaks, where teachers and students are indifferent to or accept bullying behavior, and where rules against bullying are not consistently enforced.
While approaches that simply crack down on individual bullies are seldom effective, when there is a school-wide commitment to end bullying, it can be reduced by up to 50%. One approach that has been shown to be effective focuses on changing school and classroom climates by: raising awareness about bullying, increasing teacher and parent involvement and supervision, forming clear rules and strong social norms against bullying, and providing support and protection for all students. This approach involves teachers, principals, students, and everyone associated with the school, including janitors, cafeteria workers, and crossing guards. Adults become aware of the extent of bullying at the school, and they involve themselves in changing the situation, rather than looking the other way. Students pledge not to bully other students, to help students who are bullied, and to make a point to include students who are left out.
my thoughts
We were required to watch a film, “Bang Bang You’re Dead” for part of this assignment. The play was made into a movie which aired on Showtime. The original release date for the play was on April 1, 1999, just weeks before the shooting at Columbine. It was first done in Eugene, Oregon.
Although it can be viewed as controversial, the message is very clear. I would recommend watching it…you can find links to all ten parts on the side bar (BBYD). The only thing better would be to have this play performed in our communities.
While viewing this movie, I felt such emotions of sadness, empathy, fear and empowerment. I felt sad for the students who were being bullied. Empathy came in when I can remember being made fun of for being different. I was afraid many times...sometimes for the one being bullied and other times for innocent bystanders of potential violence. I also felt fear for what might happen. In the end, I felt empowered to do something. I may not be able to stop school violence, but if we all did our parts, whether they be big or small, the trend will decrease. The little things can mean so very much.
Can't we all do our part to help stop school violence?
Although it can be viewed as controversial, the message is very clear. I would recommend watching it…you can find links to all ten parts on the side bar (BBYD). The only thing better would be to have this play performed in our communities.
While viewing this movie, I felt such emotions of sadness, empathy, fear and empowerment. I felt sad for the students who were being bullied. Empathy came in when I can remember being made fun of for being different. I was afraid many times...sometimes for the one being bullied and other times for innocent bystanders of potential violence. I also felt fear for what might happen. In the end, I felt empowered to do something. I may not be able to stop school violence, but if we all did our parts, whether they be big or small, the trend will decrease. The little things can mean so very much.
Can't we all do our part to help stop school violence?
The purpose of this blog is to provide an interactive forum for teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, guidance counselors, all school staff personnel and parents to visit and share both their successes and hardships having to do with school violence. The beauty of the world wide web is the ability to draw in audiences from around the world. All schools are not the same. All students are not the same. We can, however, all be on the same page when it comes to school violence prevention, intervention and the aftermath when it does occur.
I thank those of you who pass on this link in the hopes that if we can prevent even one act of school violence, we are on the right path.
Again, to return to the full site, please click on the blog title.
a teacher's view
This post was sent to me via email.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
I've viewed the posts on the website and have a few comments myself. As a teacher, I would have been extremely upset had I had to endure a drill such as the one posted. I cannot believe that the administration would have to go to such extremes to train their teachers as to what to do in such an event. Shooting blanks at the ceiling... really? The officer couldn't have simply said, "This is a drill and now you're dead?" What if the teacher with the heart problem had had a heart attack? What then? Oops... we made a mistake?
I've taught at two extremely different schools with two extremely different student populations. One had over 3000 students, the other 800 and the treatment of school shootings, the training, the seriousness that is taken about school violence is different. The larger school put much more emphasis on it than the smaller school.
We do have searches, etc at the school I teach now and zero tolerance is a big issue. Recently, a student was found to have hunting/fishing gear (knives) in his truck. Due to the zero tolerance policy, he was suspended until the school board could hear an appeal. Please keep in mind that students were up in arms about this because the school is in a small, rural community where hunting, fishing, and farming are the norm. The knife was locked up in the tackle box. Should he be suspended/ expelled? The question is, what's to stop a student from using a sharp pencil to stab a classmate? Almost anything can be viewed as a weapon.
I do have to say, the principal came to my class to speak with the students about the issue of zero tolerance, weapons, etc. and made a great point. Yes, the knife may have been used for fishing, but how do they know the student didn't just break up with his girlfriend or is on medication that isn't adjusted correctly? The knife is just sitting there and can be used, even if it isn't meant to be. I think it's a scary issue and one that fades into the limelight until another act of violence occurs. That's what's sad.
I've taught at two extremely different schools with two extremely different student populations. One had over 3000 students, the other 800 and the treatment of school shootings, the training, the seriousness that is taken about school violence is different. The larger school put much more emphasis on it than the smaller school.
We do have searches, etc at the school I teach now and zero tolerance is a big issue. Recently, a student was found to have hunting/fishing gear (knives) in his truck. Due to the zero tolerance policy, he was suspended until the school board could hear an appeal. Please keep in mind that students were up in arms about this because the school is in a small, rural community where hunting, fishing, and farming are the norm. The knife was locked up in the tackle box. Should he be suspended/ expelled? The question is, what's to stop a student from using a sharp pencil to stab a classmate? Almost anything can be viewed as a weapon.
I do have to say, the principal came to my class to speak with the students about the issue of zero tolerance, weapons, etc. and made a great point. Yes, the knife may have been used for fishing, but how do they know the student didn't just break up with his girlfriend or is on medication that isn't adjusted correctly? The knife is just sitting there and can be used, even if it isn't meant to be. I think it's a scary issue and one that fades into the limelight until another act of violence occurs. That's what's sad.
another email sent
Below you will find the text from an email sent to me from a retired law enforcement officer and current school board member.
__________________________________________________
Very nice forum. Along with the forum, you have nice sidebar features to include directions, relative comments, quotes, real life video, and contact information.
Very nice forum. Along with the forum, you have nice sidebar features to include directions, relative comments, quotes, real life video, and contact information.
Having served and retired as a law enforcement officer, I really appreciated reading the “drill” posted on August 15, 2009. My view is there are some non-emotional, non-dangerous type drills that can be conducted without notifying all those involved, such as testing computer backups or building generators. I see nothing wrong with performing a building security test to see if a teacher will allow someone into the school without first checking who they are or properly informing them where to enter, but that is where it should have stopped and been critiqued. In my opinion, a highly emotional exercise like this only puts law enforcement and unsuspecting people in the school building at risk.
Keep up the great work!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
drill
A teacher submitted this comment but I felt it deserved it's own posting. It is in response to this post.
A few years ago, our campus had an armed intruder drill. We all thought it was wonderful--but we have been severely chastised for it since then.During the August in-service days, all of the teachers were working in their rooms. I was sitting at my desk, with my back to the open door. I heard a noise, but had no clue what it was. I thought someone knocked over a ladder. The teacher in the adjoining room came running to the connecting doors bug-eyed. He asked what the noise was. I told him I had no clue. Before I could finish my sentence, he was running into his room. I went after him. As I did, an announcement ("There is a man in the building with a friend."--Yes, that was our "code" for an armed intruder!) came over the PA. I took my keys to the door to lock it and turn off the lights. When I got to the doorway, a man with a shotgun was about 3 feet from my door. I slammed the door and lunged behind the desk. After a few minutes, the other teacher came to the door, and we watched a team of police officers walk past my door with guns drawn. We went to his classroom at that point. We heard some popping sounds and sat quietly for what seemed like forever. We finally heard keys in the door and sat quietly. We heard a person say "Police, anyone in here?" We still didn't speak. They asked again while shining their flashlights into the room. Finally, we figured it was really the police and commented. They told us it was a drill, but they wanted us to still follow the procedure of running with our hands on our heads while bent over. After everyone was "found", we convened in the cafeteria for a debriefing. At that point, we found out how "stupid" some teachers are. (Sorry, there isn't a better way to phrase that!) See, the armed man--a police officer--came to a back door and knocked. One of the teachers let him in--no questions asked. After seeing the rifle, another teacher approached him and asked if the gun was real. He proceeded to fire a shot or two into the ceiling--blanks. According to the accounts, the armed gunman was in our building almost 8 minutes before anyone was notified. Our administration worked directly with the local police department--training for all of us. (This wasn't the first cooperative effort.) They kept the "people-in-the-know" to the 3 principals, 1 secretary, and 2 teachers. One of the teachers had a history of heart problems, and the other was 8 months pregnant. Everyone wanted to see exactly how people react in a situation.From all of the training I have received since then, I have been told everyone needs to know when a drill happens. This is for the emotional awareness of everyone involved. If a fire alarm goes off, people tend to think "this is a drill" and don't take it seriously. If they know ahead of time that there is a drill, they will know it is the real deal if an alarm goes off with no prior warning.
*PLEASE NOTE: This drill was done in 2001. So many things have changed since then.
Friday, August 14, 2009
follow up
In reference to an earlier post, I posed the question of what you would do if you are in lockdown and the fire alarm goes off. I have since contacted both our local fire chief and chief of police in our village. Both gentlemen had the same answer: STAY IN YOUR ROOM.
The general consensus was that our job as teachers is to protect the students. The job of the administration is to protect the teachers and staff. The job of the police and firefighters is to protect everyone.
The fire chief said to put a coat or jacket at the base of the door to prevent smoke from seeping into the room, but only if you could do so without being seen. If you could not do this, then do not attempt to do it. In the worst case scenario, he said to take a desk and break a window to get out if smoke or fire was visible. Take a rug or carpet from the classroom or if no carpet is available, then a coat or jacket to cover the window frame that was broken to protect the students.
Does this answer the question? It does as far as our school district goes. What is the policy at your school?
The general consensus was that our job as teachers is to protect the students. The job of the administration is to protect the teachers and staff. The job of the police and firefighters is to protect everyone.
The fire chief said to put a coat or jacket at the base of the door to prevent smoke from seeping into the room, but only if you could do so without being seen. If you could not do this, then do not attempt to do it. In the worst case scenario, he said to take a desk and break a window to get out if smoke or fire was visible. Take a rug or carpet from the classroom or if no carpet is available, then a coat or jacket to cover the window frame that was broken to protect the students.
Does this answer the question? It does as far as our school district goes. What is the policy at your school?
thoughts from a principal
I received this email from a principal at our local middle school.
R.P., Principal
Hi,
Since I have been at the Middle School our discipline has been cut in half. The key to this has been the dedication and caring of our teachers. When a student is having difficulty at school our teachers have dedicated themselves to go the extra step. There is a reason why Johnny is not turning in his homework, talking rudely, or talking stupid Middle School talk. Instead of immediately disciplining, teachers have dedicated themselves to find out why Johnny is acting out. (This is commonly referred to as the "Aha" moment.) The reason for the behavior then becomes the target of intervention and assistance. The caring atmosphere provides a basis of love, security and trust that at times is frustrating and not always easy, but has made a difference.
Since I have been at the Middle School our discipline has been cut in half. The key to this has been the dedication and caring of our teachers. When a student is having difficulty at school our teachers have dedicated themselves to go the extra step. There is a reason why Johnny is not turning in his homework, talking rudely, or talking stupid Middle School talk. Instead of immediately disciplining, teachers have dedicated themselves to find out why Johnny is acting out. (This is commonly referred to as the "Aha" moment.) The reason for the behavior then becomes the target of intervention and assistance. The caring atmosphere provides a basis of love, security and trust that at times is frustrating and not always easy, but has made a difference.
R.P., Principal
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
