NOT Just a Policy Issue....

BULLYING

KIMBERLY NOVAKCAMPUS SAFETY AND STUDENT RISK

MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

NANCY TRIBBENSEESENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS

BULLYING

• What is it? What is beyond the scope of today’s conversation?

• Our focus will be on bullying and cyber-bullying between and among students

• We will not focus on hazing, sexual harassment, workplace bullying (but the lines can be blurred)

3

BULLYING

• How does it occur?• What are differences between cyber-bullying &

face-to-face bullying?• How should campus education and response

efforts be different?

4

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH TELL US?

• Who bullies?• Who gets bullied?• How does a victim become a perpetrator?• How is bullying different from other harassment

related behaviors? • What interventions work?

5

SO…WHAT DO WE DO?

INSTITUTIONALIZE YOUR EFFORTS: A TEAM APPROACH

• Develop a team of people with DIFFERENT backgrounds

• Include students• Learn what is happening and what needs to

change• Develop a clear message for students and

everyone on campus

7

IDENTIFY TEAM MEMBERS

• part ▪ ner [pahrt-ner]

a person who is involved in the process, brings something to the table, develops and supports the message, recognizes the need to address the issue and what needs to be done; needed from all levels of influence;

• al ▪ ly [al-ahy]

a person who is probably not at the table, but who is committed to the issue because of their connection with you or others; willing to tell the story; does what is asked of them; needed from all levels of influence;

• cham ▪ pi ▪ on [cham-pee-uhn]

a person who is not always at the table; brings passion to the process; willing to tell the story; needed from all levels of influence; decides how best to approach whomever they need to influence;

8

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

• Understanding bullying on your campus• Who is involved?• Where does it occur? (facilities, events, on-line, groups)• How often does it occur?• What does it look like?• What motivate bullies?

Define WHAT then Determine WHY

9

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

• What current efforts are you making to address acts of incivility?

• What other campus-initiatives can you access?• What messages are being communicated about bullying? • How is your community responding to bullying?• What intervention opportunities exist?

Identify Current Context for Anti-Bullying Efforts10

What Needs to Change?

“He had put his hand up in class, a declaration of existence, a claim that he knew something. And that was forbidden to him. They could give a number of reasons for why they had to torment him; he was too fat, too ugly, too disgusting. But the real problem was simply that he existed, and every reminder of his existence was a crime.” ― John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?

• Bullying is not acceptable• How to get help if you are being bullied• How to help someone you think may be a victim• What happens once a report is made• Address concerns about confidentiality• How to develop programs for your area• Safety is everyone’s responsibility

12

INCIDENT RESPONSE

• How are you responding to face-to-face bullying?• How are you responding to cyber-bullying?• Resources for victim(s) and perpetrator(s) (e.g.,

counseling, on-line training)• Defuse situation (e.g., call police, take down

offending post, separate students)• Conduct (administrative or criminal sanctions)

13

INCIDENT RESPONSE

• Educate community• Ongoing monitoring, follow-up• Depending on age, circumstances, and risk–

determine if it is appropriate to contact parents• Integrate lessons learned into efforts

14

CONSIDERATIONS FOR INCREASING SUCCESS

“There is no gesture more devastating than the back turning away.” ― Rachel Simmons, Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls

PROTOCOL FOR IT ISSUES

• Can this be managed voluntarily?• Who controls the offending site?• Should an offending site be taken down?• If the site is under your control, who should be

part of the decision?• Third party sites– should they be contacted? • Manage expectations– it may return in a more

virulent form on a site you don’t control

16

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES—NEVER!

• What does “zero tolerance” mean?

• What are unintended consequences?

• What are more effective alternatives?

17

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR DEVELOPING YOUR INITIATIVE

• How to start?• Likely candidates for Team• Convening the group• Creating awareness• Risk assessment• Ongoing education of

campus

18

POSSIBLE ACTION

• Video Messaging Designed by Students• Peer Education Teams• Twitter Campaign• Campus Civility Campaign• Do Not Cancel Class Programs• Bystander Education Initiative• ????

19

20

RESOURCES

www.stopbullyingworld.orgwww.stopbullying.govhttp://www.antibullying.netGoogle: College Campus Bullying Research

QUESTIONS