A Guide to Addressing Bullying Behaviors in Your

Classroom

By: Jessica Degol

Copyright 2008 Jessica DegolUniversity of Pittsburgh

2

Learner Objectives

Participants in this seminar will be able to:

Define “bullying”. List and describe 3 different types of bullying

behavior. Identify bullies and victims in their classrooms. Identify methods for addressing bullying on both

the school and the classroom levels.

3

Our Agenda

First we will look at a short case study of bullying to probe your thinking about this issue.

Next we will learn basic facts about bullying such as the definition and prevalence.

For the next few slides we will discuss the 3 PBIS levels and where bullying fits in these categories.

Then we will spend some time describing ways in which you can identify bullying in your school and factors that can contribute to bullying.

4

Our Agenda

Next we will describe some school-wide, classroom-wide, and individual intervention components to help reduce the incidence of bullying in your school.

Finally we will explore a case study followed by some reflection questions to help you get started on your journey towards addressing bullying situations in your school.

5

The Story of Angie:A Case Study of Bullying

Angie hated going to school. The other girls in her class were always mean to her. They excluded her from all of their games. They would whisper into each other’s ears, point at her, and then laugh. They would argue during lunch time or when they lined up to leave the classroom, “Eww, I don’t want to stand next to Angie! You stand next to her.” In the meantime, Angie was left wondering, “What did I do to make them hate me? There must be something wrong with me.”

6

As you go through this presentation, use the study guide to

facilitate you in this valuable learning process. You may refer to

the newsletter and the following slides to help you fill out the

missing information on the study guide.

7

The Definition of Bullying

According to Espelage and Swearer (2003) bullying is most commonly defined by aggressive behavioral actions committed against a target or victim repeatedly over a period of time. These actions may include both physical and verbal aggression, and the bullying behavior often results in an imbalance of power, with the bully holding all of the cards and the victim feeling completely powerless.

8

The Prevalence of Bullying

30% of 6th through 10th graders in the United States reported being bullies, victims, or a combination of both (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).

Approximately 160,000 students stay home from school each day to avoid being bullied (NWREL, 2001).

Out of the total number of students who drop out of school each year, 10% do so because of fear of being bullied (NWREL, 2001).

9

PBIS Classification

Bullying interventions can be considered green zone interventions since their primary objective is in school-wide prevention.

Since some bullying interventions contain strategies for aiding individual victims, these can be seen to incorporate the red zone as well.

10

PBIS

PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

The main goal of PBIS is to create a positive school environment that emphasizes preventative measures accompanied by more positive approaches to discipline (Netzel & Eber, 2003).

PBIS incorporates 3 different levels of intervention (Netzel & Eber, 2003).

11

PBIS Levels

Primary Prevention (Green Zone) refers to strategies or procedures implemented school-wide or classroom-wide to prevent problematic behaviors (Kerr and Nelson, 2006). Ex) Reducing horseplay in the bathrooms by administering a rule of “one child out at a time.” These preventative measures usually work for approximately 80-90% of the student body (Kerr and Nelson, 2006).

12

PBIS Levels

Secondary Prevention (Yellow Zone) refers to intervention strategies that are designed for students who present problematic behaviors in spite of the preventative measures placed school-wide. This zone targets approximately 7-10% of the student population (Kerr and Nelson, 2006).

13

PBIS Levels

Tertiary Prevention (Red Zone) refers to intensive intervention strategies that are designed and implemented for specific individuals whose problematic behaviors persist in spite of the primary and secondary preventative measures in place. This zone targets approximately 1-3% of the student population (Kerr and Nelson, 2006).

A model of the PBIS levels is shown on the next slide.

14

Levels of PBIS

Pyramid of school-wide PBIS adapted from OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, (n.d.). Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from http://pbis.org/schoolwide.htm

15

Glossary

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) also known as PBS

ODR (Office Data Referral)This refers to the document that is written up

about a student any time he is sent to the office for problematic behaviors.

16

How We Identify the Problem

According to Espelage and Swearer (2003) one of the most common methods for identifying a potential bullying problem in your school is to administer a school-wide self-reporting bullying survey to all of the students. These surveys can assess the prevalence of fighting, teasing, and name-calling and the locations at which these actions occur with the greatest frequency.

17

How We Identify the Problem

ODRs are also an effective way for evaluating the frequency or prevalence of a target behavior (Collela, Trovato, Kerr, & Buckland, 2007).

For instance, ODRs can be used to assess the frequency of fighting, which locations it most often occurs, and which students are most frequently involved. This information can aide you in determining which students may potentially be involved in bullying incidents, how much of a problem it is, and which locations bullying incidents may occur most often and thus need more supervision.

18

Problems Related to Bullying

As mentioned earlier, bullies are often involved in fights with other students (NWREL, 2001), so bullying may be accompanied by frequent fighting incidents.

Regarding victims, a number of problems related to bullying may be present. These include low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, low self-confidence, and poor self-image ( NWREL, 2001).

Victims may also have low attendance, a loss of interest in school, and poor academic performance (NWREL, 2001).

19

Contributing Factors

According to Espelage and Swearer (2003), some studies have examined the impact of the climate of the school and how this particular environmental factor affects bullying behavior. One particular study demonstrated that positive discipline, high amounts of parental involvement, and high academic achievement standards tend to characterize schools with fewer incidents of bullying.

Therefore, the atmosphere of the school or a particular classroom may contribute to the incidence of bullying behaviors.

20

What not to wear do!

Don’t ever assume that bullying is normal childhood behavior (NWREL, 2001).

Don’t ever assume that bullying is not a problem in your school. Many bullying incidents go unnoticed by teachers, and teachers’ perceptions of bullying can vastly underestimate actual occurrences of bullying (NWREL, 2001).

Lastly don’t rely on conflict resolution and peer mediation strategies for reducing bullying, since researchers have found these tactics to be ineffective (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).

Research has shown that in order for a bullying

program to be effective it must focus on

changing the climate of the entire school (Whitted &

Dupper, 2003).

22

What Interventions are Useful?

The best anti-bullying programs focus on preventing bullying by incorporating anti-bullying strategies at both school-wide and classroom-wide levels (Dake, Price, Telljohann, & Funk, 2003).

23

What Can You Do to Address Bullying in Your School?

At the school level Administer a survey to all students and school

personnel to determine the frequency of bullying in your school (Whitted & Dupper, 2005; NWREL, 2001).

Increase supervision in areas of the school where bullying occurs most often (Whitted & Dupper, 2005; NWREL, 2001; Dake, Price, Telljohann, & Funk, 2003).

24

What Can You Do to Address Bullying in Your School?

At the school level Send a clear message that bullying will not

be tolerated in your school and that all bullying incidents will be disciplined consistently according to procedures developed by the staff (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).

25

What Can You Do to Address Bullying in Your School?

At the classroom level Incorporate anti-bullying themes into your

curriculum by setting up special meetings for discussing bullying with your students (Whitted & Dupper, 2005; Heinrichs, 2003).

Work with your students in creating anti-bullying rules for your classroom (Whitted & Dupper, 2005; Heinrichs, 2003).

26

What Can You Do to Address Bullying in Your School?

At the individual level Use role-play techniques to teach victims how to deal

with bullying episodes (Whitted & Dupper, 2005). Instruct victims to remain calm and assertive during

bullying episodes; never behave helplessly or aggressively (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).

Remind victims that bullying is not their fault and that they should never be fearful of asking a teacher or other staff member for help (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).

27

For more information on school and classroom level anti-bullying

components, refer to The Scoop on Bullying, pages 3-4.

Parental involvement is

extremely important!

(NWREL, 2001; Heinrichs, 2003).

29

Where You Can Get More Help

CSAP’s Prevention Pathways: Online Courses. (n.d.). The ABC’s of bullying: Addressing, blocking, curbing school aggression. http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/bully/bully_intro

_pg1.htmThis website offers a unique look at bullying through the use

of instructive course modules. In addition to containing the basic facts about bullying, this website offers case studies followed by discussion questions for further reflection, as well as several supplemental forms (available for download). These forms include: questionnaires for assessing bullying behaviors and

related mental disorders, forms for recording and reporting bullying incidents, information about popular anti-bullying programs, and worksheets to help school personnel plan

and devise their own anti-bullying programs.

30

Where You Can Get More Help

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL). (2001). Schoolwide prevention of bullying. Retrieved March 10, 2008 from http://www.nwrel.org/request/dec01/textonly.html

This website contains factual information about bullying, such as the characteristics of bullies and victims, effective methods for resolving and preventing bullying issues, and legislation that has been created to help promote a safer environment for children in schools throughout the country. The site also contains a section where schools contribute details about their own bullying programs along with contact information to learn more about their strategies.

31

The Story of Jeremy: A Case Study in

Bullying

Turn to pages 6-7 of the study guide to read Jeremy’s story and answer reflection questions!

32

Additional Handouts

In addition to the study guide, three other handouts are provided for this presentation. An example of a survey for assessing bullying. A worksheet involving questions designed to aide you in the

process of designing your program. A referral form for reporting and recording bullying incidents at

your school

All handouts were retrieved on April 10, 2008 from CSAP’ s Prevention Pathways: Online Courses. (n.d.). The ABC’s of bullying: Addressing, blocking, curbing school aggression. http://pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/bully/bully_supplements.htm

33

References Collela, C., Trovato, C., Kerr, M. M., & Buckland, W.

(2007). Using office referral data to improve student behavior: A principal’s guide.

Dake, J. A., Price, J. H., Telljohann, S. K., & Funk, J. B. (2003). Teacher perceptions and practices

regarding school bullying prevention. Journal of School Health. 73(9), 347-355. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from the Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO) database.

Espelage, D. L. & Swearer, S. M. (2003). Research on school bullying and victimization: What have we learned and where do we go from here? School Psychology Review. 32(3), 365-383. Retrieved

February 22, 2008, from the Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO) database.

34

References Heinrichs, R. R. (2003). A whole-school approach to

bullying: Special considerations for children with exceptionalities. Intervention in School and Clinic. 38(4), 195-204. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from the Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO) database.

Kerr, M. M. & Nelson, C. M. (2006). Strategies for addressing behavior problems in the classroom, 5th Edition. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.

Netzel, D. M. & Eber, L. (2003). Shifting from reactive to proactive discipline in an urban school district: A change of focus through PBIS implementation.

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 5(2), 71-79.

35

References

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL). (2001). Schoolwide prevention of bullying.

Retrieved March 10, 2008 from http://www.nwrel.org/request/dec01/textonly.html

Whitted, K. S. & Dupper, D. R. (2005). Best practices for preventing or reducing bullying in schools.

Children & Schools. 27(3), 167-175. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from the Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO) database.

36

Contact information

For more information about the presentation contact Jessica Degol (jld91@pitt.edu)