The DANDELION Project

Step One-

Background:

Bullying is an issue that has been on a consistent incline, especially since the growing use

of technology by young adults. Not only are bullies able to confront their victims in face to face

situations, but they are also able to do so through Facebook, twitter, text messages, and other

social networking outlets. Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior that is intentional, hurtful in

both physical and psychological ways. It is a repeated threat towards another individual or

group, and there is often an imbalance of power within the conflict.

It is important, however, to realize that the behavior must be intentional from the

perpetrator. It is also important to be considerate of the fact that bullying may appear, and be

handled differently, when looking at boy bullies versus girl bullies. Both boys and girls use

verbal aggression, such as mocking, name-calling, teasing, mean telephone calls, verbal threats

of aggression. However, boy will bully both boys and girls, and girls will tend to only bully

other girls.

There is an importance of noticing the differences in the styles of bullying from

perpetrator to perpetrator, as well as how to confront both issues on a different level. With that

being said, it is apparent that the students, as well as the administration of schools will be highly

involved in this active step towards recognizing and ending bullying among our youth. It would

also be likely, and beneficial, to get the parents and community involved to help with the signs

and reporting of bullying off of school grounds.

Step Two-

Situation Analysis:

At this point, our situation is a heightened risk for bullying within our school systems.

The youth of our communities are using rage of power and control as an outlet of their personal

issues and aggression. In turn, our victim’s, and often the less dominant student of the situation

will fall prey to these bullies. If the victims are pushed too far, they may retaliate with extreme

measures such as violence with a weapon, to make up for their lack of power, or suicide, to

eliminate their pain as well as their life. Using my DANDELION campaign, we, as a

community, will be able to remove the bullying from our school system, thus eliminating abusive

perpetrators, as well as powerless victims.

My campaign will have to work hard to push through adversity in a society who

consistently portrays violence as an outlet through media and advertisements, as well as celebrity

figures, and stereotypes. Often times the boys are thought to have weaknesses if they show an

emotion such as sensitivity or sadness, but are strong and masculine if they reveal anger and

fight. This creates an instant issue when trying to get a child to express their feelings in a way

that involves a meaningful, sensitive, explanation and discussion, rather than beating up on the

defenseless student nearby. Also, this campaign will take a lot of attention and effort from the

entire administration, not just a select few who might see it as important.

Step Three-

Core Problem/ Opportunity:

Bullying is an issue within our school systems that creates an ideal environment for power

hungry, and rage influenced students to prey on less powerful students in ways that harm the

victim physically and/or mentally; sometimes leading to extreme retaliation by the victim.

Step Four-

Goal:

The DANDELION Project looks to challenge the bullies within school systems to better

themselves, through understanding their issues, as well as an incentives program; so that the

psychological and physical health of both the bully and victim are not compromised.

Objectives:

1. Have training sessions weekly with teachers and counselors to teach them the signs of

bullying. (Have every teacher attend at least 2 meetings a month).

2. Allow for community to be active within the meetings so that they too can help to stop

bullying before it gets out of hand. (Make 50% of meetings with a focus on school

systems and overall community; get 25% of community to attend).

3. Send home letters to parents that headline the meetings, as well as personal invited

through the mail that give the parents a motivation to attend meetings. Discuss the

importance of the issue, and how they are important to the resolution. (get 25% of

parents to attend a meeting at some point)

4. One trip a month to juvenile halls for school administrations to talk with bullies who have

been convicted of crimes, and will discuss with them the thought processes they go

through. (Required to attend at least 6 juvenile hall visits a year).

5. Create incentive packages and rewards that can be distributed to students who cooperate

with the weekly counseling sessions. (Positive reinforcement awards given at the end

of the year for good attendance with the counselors, as well as cooperation.)

Step Five-

Key Publics:

Teachers-

1. Teachers are typically going to be anywhere between their late 20’s to 60’s. It is likely

that they will be already aware of some behavioral issues within the student body.

However, also possible, that they are not aware of the severity of it; or do not wish to take

part in ending it.

2. Teachers will be motivated in this campaign, because it will bring safety and security to

the school halls and classrooms, as well as less work for them as it will eliminate

paperwork and referrals for negatively behaved students.

3. Teachers are currently aware of the bullying issue in school systems today. However,

some are more active in ending it than others. Some teachers assume that, “kids will be

kids.”

4. Teachers will likely be influenced by parents with growing concerns about another

student, as well as information about aggressive behavior, such as school shootings,

taking place elsewhere.

5. Teachers will help to monitor the halls and classrooms so that the bullies can be

identified as soon as possible. With the help of the teachers, bullies will be eliminated

from the negative environment they create, and immerged into a positive reinforced

environment.

Counselors-

1. The age and lifestyle of counselors are going to vary within the school systems. Also,

the experience level of the counselors will be different depending on what level of

counseling they have reached at the current point of their career. Most councilors will

be eager to discuss issues with teachers and students, as well as the concerned

community.

2. Counselors do what they do, because they are interested in helping others deal with

their personal issues. Bullying is an issue that affects multiple individuals, and the

school system as a whole. The counselor will find extreme importance in stopping the

poison of a bully from reaching other members of the student body and

administration.

3. Counselors are very aware of the rise of bullying in the school systems. However, the

experience that a counselor will have with a bully, and the degree to which action

needed to be taken will vary on the location of the school in which the counselor is a

member of. Inner city schools are likely to see a higher rate of bullying than a small

rural school.

4. Counselors will be influenced by school board members, as well as concerned

teachers and parents. Counselors will be viewed as a very important and active roll,

so they will be greatly influenced by everyone around them.

5. Counselors will help my campaign be successful because they will be leaders and

speakers within the meetings to help teachers to notice bullying before it gets out of

hand. Also, they will be enforcing the positive incentive program, as well as

conducting the sessions necessary for the “convicted,” bullies.

Students-

1. Students for this campaign will range from kindergarten level, to senior in high school.

They too will be aware of the bullying taking place within halls and classrooms. They are

the most involved and aware of the issues taking place because they are right in on the

action.

2. Students will be interested in this campaign if they are not the bully. Students who fall

victim to bullying, or those who witness bullying will be interested in stopping the issue.

Also, hearing about other issues in the news about bullying and school shootings will be

motivation for many students to want to put an end to the bullying issue.

3. Students are not currently very active in the work against bullying. Many have become

numb to the issues around them, and while they notice them, and are aware of them, they

are not taking an active role in stopping the issue.

4. Students will be influence by incentive programs for turning in, and reporting bullying

and student abuse to faculty or parents. Students will also be influenced by the hope that

their schools will become a safer place, and they will be less likely to be caught up in a

bullying situation if the aggressive students are dealt with.

5. Students will help us to accomplish getting bullies into counseling before the issue

becomes larger. Because students are among the bullies at all times, they are likely to be

the biggest part of success for this program aside from the teachers.

Community-

1. The general public will range in age, as well as experience will aggressive children. They

will have a mindset that it is important to keep their school systems safe, because the

school systems reflect, and have a direct influence on their town, city, and overall

community.

2. The community will be interested in helping with this campaign, because they school

systems are a direct reflection of the towns, cities, and communities of which they reside.

Also, they will be interested, because bullying usually takes place off school grounds as

well. Having bullying taken care of within the school systems will help eliminate the

issue from the streets.

3. Currently, the communities are aware of the bullying issue. However, most action against

the issue is only taken by a small amount of members, or concerned parents. Also, the

issue is only a main focus in the areas where bullying has led to devastating measures.

4. The community will be influenced by the school systems to help them crack down on

aggressive behavior from students. Also, law enforcement who is dealing with aggressive

behavior off of school grounds will be an influence for the community to attend meetings

and learn the warning signs.

5. The community will help us meet the objective of getting 25% of the community to

attend meetings with the school administration so that they can help the aggressive

students to be identified and dealt with.

Parents-

1. Parents will vary in age, but likely be between the ages of late 20’s and 60’s. Parents will

be highly concerned for the safety of their children.

2. Parents will be motivated by the safety of their children. With the increase in bullying

issues, as well as school shootings within the recent years, parents will have a growing

concern for the safety of their children within the school systems.

3. Some parents are very active in clubs and groups that help bring awareness to bullying.

Some parents, however, are not aware of the severity of the issue, or do not have a child

that they feel would fall victim to bullying, so the concern falls to the whey side in their

lives.

4. Parents will be influenced by their children who are discussing issues at home, as well as

awareness letters of brochures sent home to parents about the meetings that they are

welcomed to attend.

5. Parents will help us reach the objective of parents attending 25% of meetings within the

school systems to help them learn the warning signs and behaviors of bullies within the

school systems, and off of school grounds. They will also be an important factor in

getting their children involved in the movement. Parents will need to be influential and

motivate their students to report any bullying or aggressive behavior they see both on and

off school grounds.

Messages:

Teachers-

Primary message: Because you are an influential person in the lives of each and every student,

your support in this effort is crucial. The safety of your students is a direct concern to you and by

attending the appropriate meetings and becoming aware you can help make this campaign a

success.

Secondary messages:

To stop bullying the school system requires a consistent effort from each member of the

school board and administration.

A recent report from the American Medical Association found that 15,000 6th-10th

graders estimates that approximately 3.7 million youths engage in and more than 3.2

million are victims of, moderate or serious bullying each year.

Direct, physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school and

declines in high school. Verbal abuse, on the other hand, remains constant. The U.S.

Department of Justice reports that younger students are more likely to be bullied than

older students.

Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high

percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective.

25% of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or putdowns and consequently

intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents.

Training can help teachers identify and respond to potentially damaging victimization as

well as to implement positive feedback and modeling to address appropriate social

interactions. Support services personnel working with administrators can help design

effective teacher training modules.

Counselors-

Primary message: You are in this position within the administration because you are properly

trained and prepared to deal with students who have issues beyond the control of their person.

The success of this campaign will be a direct reflection of your participation throughout this

movement.

Secondary messages:

Targets of bullying are under enormous pressure from their peers not to tell. They have

been silenced and they need to speak. They often feel betrayed, especially by the adults in

their life. Children may be angrier with their teachers and parents than those who have

bullied them, so it is important that you are active in the role of a listener for this to be

successful.

Ask them the names of the people with whom they feel safe and ask where they feel safe.

Encourage them to build on the friendships they have. Develop a plan about what they

can do if they are targeted in the future.

As a counselor need to develop a plan with the parents as to how to intervene at school on

the child's behalf. This needs to be done with care. While some instances of bullying

amount to child abuse and need urgently to be reported, it often makes it worse to go in

with guns blazing. Many adult interventions have only made it worse for the child.

Ultimately, every school needs to develop and implement its own anti-bullying policy

and program.

Students’

Primary message: As the most important people within our school systems, it is very important

that you take bullying seriously. It is very important that you report any type of bullying that you

see, and if you are not sure if it is bullying, ask someone.

Secondary messages:

Twenty percent of students are scared throughout much of the school day.

It is a path taken by students who retaliate: they are hurt, are fearful, overwhelmed by

anxiety, angry, and filled with hate and rage, and have a desire for revenge.

According to the American Medical Association, 3.7 million youths engage in bullying,

and more than 3.2 million are victims of “moderate” or “serious” bullying each year.

Over the course of a year, nearly one-fourth of students across grades reported that they

had been harassed or bullied on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender,

religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

It occurs virtually everywhere: in homes, nursery schools, preschools, elementary

schools, middle schools, high schools, neighborhoods, churches, city parks, on the trip to

and from school, on the streets, and in the workplace, for example. It occurs in large

cities and small towns, large schools and small schools—and even one-room schools in

other countries.

It occurs mainly in hidden areas and areas lacking adult supervision: halls, stairwells, the

playground, areas where students take brief breaks, between buildings, restrooms, locker

rooms, the cafeteria, on buses, and parking lots; it occurs when students are walking to

and from school, but also in classrooms.

Community-

Primary message: Bullying is an issue that is taking place both on and off school grounds. You,

as a member of the community have a civil obligation to the safety of the youth to make yourself

aware of the facts, the signs, and be willing to report any activity you view as threatening; in

order to make this movement successful.

Secondary messages:

Bullying is not “normal” or socially acceptable behavior. We give bullies power by our

acceptance of this behavior.

Bullying does not just take place in schools. Bullying is a broader social problem that

often happens outside of schools, on the street, at shopping centers, the local pool, and

summer camp and in the adult workplace.

Educate yourself and those you are working with. People think that they understand

bullying because they have had experiences with it, either directly or indirectly, but often

they are still passing on the same stereotypical detrimental attitudes about bully.

Parents-

Primary message: Commit to making a difference in the lives of your children, and in the lives

of youth across our nation. It is crucial to the safety of all of the children of the community that

you attend awareness meetings, and discuss with your children what bullying is, and the

importance of reporting it.

Secondary message:

Research shows that bullying will stop when adults in authority and peers get involved.

Bullying is a learned behavior and behaviors can be changed.

Let everyone know that you are on the prowl for signs of bullying and that you expect

everyone else to do the same. Preventing and stopping bullying is a shared responsibility,

and one that is not voluntary. It shows the community and schools that the issue is

important to you, and should be important to them.

Ask that the details regarding recognizing and reporting, consequences and prevention

activities be shared frequently with parents and faculty. This will help with the

continuation of the movement and its importance.

Use the word “bullying” with your child; make sure they know what it means. They may

not know that the hurtful behavior they are being forced to endure is wrong, mistaking it

for “attention” or “acceptance” from peers. If your child is the one doing the bullying,

help them to understand the negative impact it has on their status.

Help your child know what to do, and assure them that they will not get in trouble. The

perceived consequences of “tattling” could be keeping your child from sharing their

bullying experiences.

Know your rights and don’t be afraid to exercise them. The U.S. government, under both

education and civil rights law, recognizes that bullying and harassment are forms of

discrimination. Ask about bullying at every parent teacher conference.

Where does bullying take place?

Amount of bullies, victims, and witnesses in an average school day

bulliesvictimswitnesses

Detail Cost Per Item Total Projected Actual Projected Annual AmountTactics

Food for 40 peopleSandwich platter 2 @ 28/platter 28.0$ 56.0$ 56.0$ Fruit tray 4 @ 12/platter 12.0$ 48.0$ 48.0$

Beverages for 40Lemonade 2 @ 6/mix 6.0$ 12.0$ 12.0$ Water 5 @ .00/gallon -$ -$ -$

Flyers to parents 3600 @ .02/flyer 0.0$ 72.0$ 72.0$

Email to parents 3600 @ .00/email -$ -$ -$

Strategy Subtotal 46.0$ 188.0$ 188.0$ X20 3,760.0$

TacticsGas 4 @ 4/gallon 4.0$ 16.0$ 16.0$

Strategy Subtotal 4.0$ 16.0$ 16.0$ X10 160.0$

TacticsIce cream 24 @ 5/gal 5.00$ 120.0$ 120.0$

Plastic wear Spoons 400 @ .01/spoon 0.01$ 4.0$ 4.0$ Bowls 400 @ .04/bowl 0.04$ 16.0$ 16.0$

Strategy Subtotal 5.05$ 140.00$ 140.0$ X1 140.0$

Annual Campaign Subtotal 4,060.0$

The Dandelion Project Budget

Key Publics- Students

Strategy-Awareness meetings-2 a month(20 total)

Strategy-Trip to juvenile hall-Once a month(10 total)

Strategy-Ice cream party incentive-once a year

Key Publics- Counselors, teachers, parents, community

Key Publics- Counselors, teachers

Key P

ublic

sSe

lf Int

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tPr

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sage

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epare

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ssues

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nts

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enile

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hat c

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enile

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lk to

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heir s

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and b

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ipate

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ons b

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to

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ss ab

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enile

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lk to

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llies.

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r sch

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ullied

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rsona

lly

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t impo

rtant

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le wi

thin

our s

choo

l sys

tems

, it is

very

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rtantt

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ou ta

ke bu

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se

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ly. It

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ry im

porta

nt th

at yo

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pe of

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at yo

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if yo

u are

not s

ure i

t is

bully

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sk so

meon

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nts w

ill be

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d by

incen

tive p

rogra

ms, fr

iends

who

are

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rent

s who

en

cour

age t

hem

to re

port

incide

nts

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tive p

rogra

m to

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urag

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dent

s to d

iscus

s the

ir fe

eling

s, an

d exp

lain t

heir

reas

ons f

or th

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tions

. Also

, re

quire

d wee

kly m

eetin

gs w

ith

coun

selor

s afte

r the

seco

nd

offen

se.

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time f

or th

e bull

ying

stude

nts t

o disc

uss t

heir

perso

nal is

sues

. Cre

ate a

safe

an

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ure a

rea w

here

stud

ents

are w

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to an

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k help

.

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tive p

rogra

m to

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urag

e stu

dent

s to d

iscus

s the

ir fee

lings

, an

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lain t

heir r

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ns fo

r the

ir ac

tions

. Also

, requ

ired w

eekly

me

eting

s with

coun

selor

s afte

r the

se

cond

offen

se.

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unity

create

s a be

tter r

eflec

tion o

n the

town

, aid

in st

oppin

g bull

ying o

ff sch

ool

prop

erty

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ing is

an is

sue t

hat is

takin

g pla

ce bo

th on

and o

ff sch

ool

groun

ds. Y

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s a m

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r of t

he

comm

unity

have

a civ

il obli

gatio

n to

the s

afety

of th

e you

th to

mak

e yo

urse

lf awa

re of

the f

acts,

the

signs

, and

be w

illing

to re

port

any

activ

ity yo

u view

as th

reate

ningp

; in

orde

r to m

ake t

his m

ovem

ent

succe

ssful.

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ol Sy

stems

, law

enfo

rceme

nt

crack

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wn on

viole

nce,

meeti

ngs f

or aw

arene

ss at

the

schoo

l

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abilit

y to a

ttend

mon

thly

meeti

ngs t

o mak

e the

mselv

es

more

aware

abou

t wha

t to

lookfo

r in th

e com

munit

y, an

d ho

w to

appr

oach

the s

ituati

on.

Get t

he co

mmun

ity on

board

to

create

a sy

stem

outsi

de of

sch

ool g

roun

ds. C

reate

mor

e su

ppor

t to s

top b

ullyin

g, bo

th

on an

d off

the s

choo

l gro

unds

.

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abilit

y to a

ttend

mon

thly

meeti

ngs t

o mak

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mselv

es

more

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abou

t wha

t to l

ookfo

r in

the c

ommu

nity,

and h

ow to

ap

proa

ch th

e situ

ation

.