Bullying General information Interventions and Symptoms
Youth who bully are at a greater risk of criminal conviction (60%), substance abuse, suicide, depression, and conduct disorder.
Overview
Definition
Definition of bullying: is a behavior with a purpose to achieve or a desire to control another person. The behavior must include both:
- The intent to hurt or intimidate someone less powerful and
- the behavior is repeated.
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass. threaten, embarass, or target another person. Source Kids health. org
Nebraska Statutes - Nebraska Legislature Web Site
Statutes on Bullying/Harassment - Statute 79-267
Power?
Why do bullies have a need to dominate, control, and feel powerful?
- Some, who bully, actually experience others who are intimidating, threatening and exert power or control over them. Therefore, they see themselves as a victim and have a need to gain control.
- Others learn that if they act in certain ways, they can create experiences that provide them rewards. All be it, short term rewards.
Interventions
Not getting to the causes of bullying, creates the belief, in students, that school is a threatening environment with harsh interventions. Such an environment can incite a flight or fight reaction by students in stressful situations. Therefore, the most effective interventions focus on helping all students realize the necessity of healthy caring relationships in social situations. Which is accomplished by empowering students, teaching them social skills, and stressing the importance of caring for each other to maintain freedom and democracy.
Teaching students to think about themselves and others in healthy caring relationships can be modeled, included in discussions of literature, history, any talk about role models, and discussion of any a variety of many social situations that result in or could result in choosing different behaviors and strategies. It is important to discuss different options and the immediate and future consequences for different people in different situations for their different choices.
Discussion topics should include topics about: healthy relationships, behavioral choices, rights, empowerment, choice, reciprocity, restorative justice, empathy, when does aggressive behavior become the binding label bully? Young people who begin to use aggression as a behavioral strategy are still learning. - approach them with the role of teaching compassion, caring, healthy relationships.
Remember that choices with respect to social goals are not always congruent with educational goals.
Symptoms
A student is being bullied
- Reluctant to go to school.
- Becomes quiet or withdrawn.
- Develops a stress-related illness such as stomach aches or headaches.
- Behavior changes and becomes more tearful or more aggressive.
- Sleeping or eating habits change.
A student may be the bully
- Avoided by other children.
- Willfully damages property.
- Is cruel to animals or pets.
- Is preoccupied with violence.
Recommendations for Parents if a student is being bullied
- Get in touch with the school even if a student asks you not to.
- Let the student know that you understand.
- Boost your child’s self confidence in other areas of their lives.
Recommendations for Parents if a student is bullying
- Don’t give the student a dose of their own medicine; it teaches them that it’s all right to inflict pain.
- Explain that it’s cruel to others and being cruel is not acceptable.
- Ask the student to imagine what it feels like to be bullied.
- Find ways to boost the student’s opinion of themselves.
- Keep in close touch with others that have social relationships with the student.
Aggressive Behavior and Possible Consequences
Six Categories of Student Misbehavior
- Lower-level peer problems not on a list of rules (low-level mutual friendship conflicts not involving name-calling, exclusion, rumors, or threats) we can respond to these behaviors with suggestions of ways to resolve the problem (play with someone else, tell the person you want to be his or her friend, meet with the counselor together.)
- Quiet, non-disruptive refusal to do schoolwork. Notify parents after two incidents. Set up a conference between teacher, parent and counselor and/or special educators after three incidents to develop a plan and/or screen for learning disabilities.
- Inappropriate but not aggressive or unsafe actions (rough play or swearing but not directed at another child.) these behaviors are best dealt with by staff-created consequences such as removal from the activity or a call to parents.
- Bullying (name-calling, systematic exclusion, rumors, threats or hitting). Use immediate consequences such as "You hit – you sit" for kindergarten and first grade. Each staff person should have a clipboard, and outside staff should take clipboard out to recess. Write up and submit a behavior report form if you see, hear, or have this behavior reported to you. You do not have to investigate students' reports to you, though you may ask for more information if you have time. The principal will investigate student-reported behavior. Aggressive students should only be sent directly to the office if they represent a continuing threat to others. Use your judgment in reporting rumors, exclusion, and fighting. Please lean toward reporting if the behavior seems on-sided and likely to hurt. If there are three incidents, schedule a conference with parents, principal, and counselor to plan a strategy.
- Class disruption (disrespect to teacher or disrupting others' learning). Suggested interventions include a warning or asking the student to sit away from other students in the classroom. If the behavior continues, send the student to your partner classroom for fifteen minutes and have him/her stay in at the next recess detention as a consequence. Inform the counselor that the student received this consequence. Inform parents of events. If there are three such incidents, schedule a conference with principal to plan a strategy.
- Sever behavior putting one's own or others' safety at risk, continued disruption of teaching; refusal to leave the room, continued or severe aggression, threat of severe aggression). Call or take the student to the office immediately.
Definitions of Aggressive Behavior
- Teasing - includes name calling, insulting, or other behavior that would hurt others' feelings or make them feel bad about themselves.
- Exclusion - includes starting rumors, telling others not to be friends with someone, or other actions that would cause someone to be without friends.
- Hitting - includes pushing, slapping, or grabbing.
- Severe Hitting - includes punching, kicking, and similar behavior that may injure others.
- Threat of Serious Violence - includes telling someone that you will hurt them or hurt someone they care about.
- Harassment - includes racial, ethnic, or sexual name-calling or other severe harassment.
Rubric for Consequences for Peer to Peer Aggression
Grades 1-6
Over all suggestions for all incidences.
- Students in grades 1 and 2 may receive one additional warning.
- Inside recess means the student stays in at one recess each day, completes a "Think About It" form during that time, and goes outside at other recesses.
- Classes only means the student stays in at lunch and at all recesses under supervision.
- Severe behaviors may lead to more serious consequences. District policies may lead to more serious consequences for sever hitting, threats and harassment. If the student has broken the law, the school will inform the police.
Teasing or Exclusion
- First time: written warning, student calls parents.
- Second time: one inside recess, student calls parents.
- Third time: three inside recesses, student calls parents.
- After three incidents: develop individual plan, follow school due process.
Hitting
- First time: one inside recess, student calls parents.
- Second time: three inside recesses, student calls parents.
- Third time: five inside recesses, student calls parents.
- After three incidents: develop individual plan, follow school due process.
Severe hitting, threats of violence, or severe harassment
- First time: three inside recesses, student calls parents.
- Second time: five inside recesses, student calls parents.
- Third time: classes only for three days, student calls parents.
- After three incidents: develop individual plan, follow school due process for out-of-school suspension.
Middle School and High School
Over all suggestions for all incidences.
- Quiet lunch - student eat lunch away from peers with no interaction with other students.
- Classes only means the student stays alone at lunch and at all other unstructured times under supervision and participates in no sports or other extracurricular activities.
The supervisor of quiet lunch will assist the student as needed to complete the "Think about it" form. - District policies may lead to more serious consequences for sever hitting, threats and harassment. If the student has broken the law, the school will inform the police.
Teasing or Exclusion
- First time: written warning, student calls parents.
- Second time: one quiet lunch, student calls parents.
- Third time: three quiet lunches, student calls parents.
- After three incidents: develop individual plan, follow school due process.
Hitting
- First time: one quiet lunch, student calls parents.
- Second time: three quiet lunches, student calls parents.
- Third time: one day classes only, student calls parents.
- After three incidents: develop individual plan, follow school due process.
Severe hitting, threats of violence, or severe harassment
- First time: three day classes only, student calls parents.
- Second time: one week classes only, student calls parents.
- Third time: in-school suspension until individual plan is developed.
- After three incidents: develop individual plan, follow school due process for out-of-school suspension.
Source - Davis, S. (2005). Schools Where Everyone Belongs.