Expect Respect

SWATStop Walk Away Talk

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Parent Kick-OffOctober 8, 2013Presenters: Tricia Link and Julie McAllister

The Logic: Why invest in Bullying Prevention?

The National School Safety Center called bullying the most enduring and underrated problem in U.S. schools

(Beale, 2001)

Nearly 30 percent of students report being involved in bullying as either an aggressor or a recipient

(Cook, Williams, Guerra, & Kim, 2010; Nansel, et al., 2001; Swearer & Espelage, 2004)

Victims and recipients of bullying are more likely to skip or drop out of school.

(Berthold & Hoover, 2000; Neary & Joseph, 1994)

Victims and aggressors of bullying are more likely to suffer from underachievement and sub-potential performance in employment settings.

(Carney & Merrell, 2001; NSSC, 1995)

Students on the autism spectrum are more likely to be victimized than their non-disabled peers

◦ (Little, 2002)

Staff are likely to underestimate the extent of harassment and bullying. One study showed:◦ 58% of students perceived

teasing, spreading lies or rumors, or saying mean things to be problems.

◦ Only 25% of teachers perceived these behaviors to be problems.

Nansel et al. (2001). Bullying Behaviors Among U.S. Youth. JAMA

85% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed, 40% report physical harassment, and 19% reported being physically assaulted in the past year because of their sexual orientation

(GLSEN, 2009)

40-60% of students with intellectual disabilities report being bullied. But not at a level of intensity or chronicity that differs from typically developing adolescent

( Christensen, Fraynt, Neece & Baker, 2012)

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What is Bullying?“Bullying” is repeated aggression, harassment, threats or intimidation when one person has greater status or power than the another.

What Does it Look Like?• Physical aggression• Repeated acts of

isolation• Name calling (race,

gender, SES, disability, sexual orientation,

etc.)• Cyber bullying• Rumors• Threats

All bullying behavior is disrespectful, not all

disrespectful behavior is bullying

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What Reinforces Bullying?

• Bullying is behavior, not a trait, or diagnosis, or a person.

“Always with the ‘ing”

• What rewards Bullying Behavior?◦ Likely many different rewards are

effective◦ Most common are:

Attention from bystanders Attention and reaction of “recipient” Self-delivered praise Obtaining objects (food, clothing)

◦ Bullying is seldom maintained by feedback from adults

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What is S.W.A.T.?S.W.A.T. is a curriculum that

teaches students how to deal with disrespectful behavior within the framework of a school-wide PBIS system

S.W.A.T. stands for STOP WALK AWAY TALK

Why Should Students Use S.W.A.T.?Teaches students how to stand

up to behavior that they feel is offensive or not wanted

Empowers students Promotes self-advocacy and self-

determinationDecreases disrespectful behavior

related issues in school

When Should Students Use S.W.A.T.?When students complain about

disrespectful behavior, receiving criticism or being teased

When students do not know how to handle conflicts well

When a student seems to react to others teasing or instigation

When students seem to have poor interactions and frequent conflicts

When students witness or are informed of any situations that students feel disrespected or offended

SWAT Student CurriculumContains 6 lessons

1. Students are taught the stop/ walk/ talk response

2. How to reply when someone delivers the stop/walk/talk to you

3. How to respond to gossip4. How to respond to inappropriate remarks5. How to respond to cyber-bullying6. Generic practice lesson with other

specific problems behaviors that may surface in school

How to Use SWAT“Stop”- Students will be taught to look directly

at the student, put up a stop signal, and in a clear voice tell the student to stop!

Walk Away- If a student gives another student the stop signal and the behavior continues, he is to walk away

Talk- If a student has tried the stop signal and it doesn’t work, he needs to talk to an adult

It is the adults job to assess the situation by asking specific questions then either praise or practice the “stop, walk and talk” steps

Scott Ross, University of Oregon 10

Adult Script with the Reporting StudentScript

1. “Thanks for talking to me”2. Ask “who, what, when, where”3. Assess for child’s safety4. “Did you tell _____to stop?5. “Did you calmly walk away”6. Praise student or Practice

Adult Script with the Accused Used when the student follows

SWAT or if there are safety concerns1. “Thanks for talking to me”2. “Did _____tell you to stop?”3. “Did _____walk away?”

a) Yes: “how did you respond?”b) No: Practice “Stop. Breathe. Leave.”

Scott Ross, University of Oregon 13

Evaluation and MonitoringStudent surveys and behavioral data

In Your School… Disagree Agree I feel safe 1 2 3 4 5 Other students treat me respectfully? 1 2 3 4 5 I treat others students respectfully? 1 2 3 4 5 Adults treat me respectfully? 1 2 3 4 5 I treat adults in my school respectfully? 1 2 3 4 5 In the past week Has anyone treated you disrespectfully?No Yes Have you asked someone to stop? No Yes Has anyone asked you to stop? No Yes Have you seen someone else treated disrespectfully

No Yes

Student Surveys Located on the Counselor web-page by grade level

4th GradeIn the past week has anyone

treated you disrespectfully?

42%

58%

4th GradeIn the past week have you seen

someone else treated disrespectfully?

51%

50%

Monthly Review

How Can Parents Help? Bullying is not a noun – we need to

change the language from “bullying” to disrespectful behavior.

Learn how to respond when your student reports disrespectful behavior◦Say “thanks for telling me”◦Ask “Did you tell _____to stop?” “Did you

calmly walk away?”◦Praise and Practice “Stop, Walk, and Talk”

Talk to your child’s teacher if you have concerns

Let’s PracticeScript

1. “Thanks for talking to me”

2. Ask “who, what, when, where”

3. Assess for child’s safety

4. “Did you tell _____to stop?

5. “Did you calmly walk away”

6. Praise student or Practice

Let’s PracticeScript

1. “Thanks for talking to me”

2. “Did _____tell you to stop?”

3. “Did _____walk away?”

a) Yes: “how did you respond?”

b) No: Practice “Stop. Breathe. Leave.”

I. The Logic (recap)

Bullying is “behavior” … not a traitBullying happens much more than we

think/see, and is a major barrier to effective education

Bullying is maintained by social rewards from other students (recipients and bystanders): ◦ Not consequences from adults

Bullying will continue as long as it continues to be rewarded.◦ Even if we teach appropriate behavior and

punish bullyingPreventing bullying requires that students

remove the social rewards that maintain bullying behaviors.

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ResourcesAdapted from the National Center

on PBISwww.pbisillinois.org