Online Bullying The Role of Character Education

1. Online Bullying The Role of Character Education By Jacqueline Ringgold Jones Character Education Consultant

2. Presentation Overview • What? • So What? • Now What? • Next Steps

3. What? What is bullying? • The Maryland Student Records Manual defines bullying as “intentional negative actions on the part of one or more students, repeatedly and over time that interfere with a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the school’s education programs.”

4. What? What is bullying? • Bullying can be direct or indirect. • Behaviors - Physical Aggression - Verbal Aggression - Non-Verbal Aggression - Social Alienation - Cyber Bullying - Sexual Harassment

5. What? What is cyber-bullying?(cyber bullying cyber-bullying cyberbullying) • Cyber-bullying is harassing, humiliating, intimidating or threatening others on the Internet or via cell phones and other technology available to youth (e-mails, Web pages, instant messaging, and other electronically communicated messages). Report on Bullying & Harassment in Maryland Public Schools (page 7)

6. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? • Warning Signs - Change in school performance - Absenteeism - Truancy/drop out - Peer rejection - Fear of social situations

7. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? • Warning Signs - Poor self-esteem - Chronic illness - Hyper-vigilance - Substance abuse - Suicide

8. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? Stories of Cyberbullying Cyber Bullying: No Muscles Needed Published: June 6, 2005 By: Joan E. Lisante www.connectforkids.org

9. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying When “Chad,” a 7th grader, found out his old girlfriend was dissing his new flame, he wasted no time. Chad headed straight for the computer, and sent Instant Messages threatening to kill his old girlfriend to an extensive buddy list.

10. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying Several “buddies” freaked and told their parents, who called the school, which contacted the police. Ultimately, Chad was banished to another middle school and went to juvenile court, where a judge sentenced him to 25 hours of community service.

11. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying Unfortunately, about the only unusual thing about this story is that Chad got caught and was held legally responsible. INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND TECHNOLOGY ARE A DANGEROUS MIX!

12. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying Voted Off the 6th Grade Island? Deboral Lane, Principal of Oak View Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia, is well aware of how an online bully can wreck the educational environment for an entire school.

13. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying One of Oak View’s students decided to do a survey on the top five “hated kids” in the 6th grade. In a twist on American Idol, he set up a Web site where kids could vote for their least favorites.

14. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying The parents of one “loser” appeared at school, telling Lane their daughter refused to attend school. (She did return later.) The cyber bully’s parents had no idea he was running a reverse popularity contest, and parents of the other victims didn’t want to involve the police.

15. What?How does bullying adversely affect students? A Story of Cyberbullying Lane decided to sponsor an in-school program on damage online harassment can cause, as well as what parents could do to prevent this behavior.

16. What?Policies Governing Off-Campus Internet Use • Protected Speech – A person’s free speech rights under the constitution. • True threats are not protected speech. • Person making threat must intend for the statement to be a serious threat. • School must prove the speech disrupts instruction or impinges on the rights of others. 2006 MSDE Cyber-Bullying Presentation

17. So What? Federal Law HB 284 • Federal Legislation (HB 284) allows schools to use federal monies for bully-prevention programs if … - Bullying and harassment is included in discipline policies -Procedures for reporting and resolving complaints are in place - Parents are given annual notice regarding these policies and procedures

18. So What? COMAR 13a.04.05.05-1Maryland State Board of EducationRegulation • “All students in Maryland’s public schools, without exception and regardless of race, ethnicity, region, religion, gender, sexual orientation, language, socioeconomic status, age or disability have the right to educational environments that are safe, optimal for academic achievement, and free from any form of harassment.”

19. So What? Maryland State Law HB 407 Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005 Chapter 547 Acts of the General Assembly 2005 This is a data collection system to collect information on acts of harassment and intimidation in the state.

20. So What? Online Information • www.marylandpublicschools.org • Harassment and Intimidation (Bullying) in Maryland Public Schools: A Report to the Maryland General Assembly on Incidents Reported Under the Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005 • The Maryland Student Records System Manual • Report on Bullying & Harassment in Maryland Public Schools

21. Now What? Character Education • CEP (Character Education Partnership) defines character education as a national movement creating schools that foster ethical, responsible, and caring young people by modeling and teaching good character through emphasis on universal values that we all share. It is the intentional, proactive effort by schools, districts, and states to instill in their students important core, ethical values such as caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for others. Character education is not a “quick fix.” It provides long-term solutions that address moral, ethical, and academic issues that are of growing concern about our society and the safety of our schools.

22. Now What? Character Education • Character education not only cultivates minds, it nurtures hearts. • Character education gets to the heart of the matter – literally. • Character education can be a proactive intervention for cyber bullying.

23. Activity TOSSING BALLS

24. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM • Research indicates that when schools implement a comprehensive program of bullying prevention, they can significantly reduce this problem. In studies by Professor Dan Olweus, a Norwegian psychologist, show that bullying incidents can be cut in half by implementing a school-wide anti-bullying program. - The ABC’s of Bullying Prevention: A Comprehensive Schoolwide Approach by Kenneth Shore, Psy.D.

25. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM • Effective programs require strong administrative leadership and ongoing commitment on the part of the adults in the school-system. • Programs that show the most promise are comprehensive in approach. They involve the entire school community including families and include school-wide interventions, classroom activities, and individual interventions. • www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov

26. Jackie’s Spin on Character Education • Program • Process • Adults Modeling • Engage Students • Students Internalize Positive Character Traits • Good Character Becomes a Way of Life • Character Education becomes Character Development

27. Let’s look through the lens of Character Education as a proactive intervention for Cyber Bullying

28. Program: The program is what you are going to implement. Process: The process is how your are going to implement and maintain your program PROGRAM and PROCESS

29. PROGRAM and PROCESS Helpful Hints • Infuse cyber bullying intervention strategies into your existing character education program. • If you don’t have an existing program, use backward design. Conduct a needs assessment and plan your program around desired outcomes. • Don’t forget to collect baseline data.

30. Adults Modeling Technomanners“ Actions Speak Louder Than Words” • Be discreet. Steer clear of inappropriate conversations, both on cell phones and when e-mailing. • Be polite. Don’t say anything in a text or e-mail message that you would not normally say to someone in person. Resource: October 1, 2006 Family Circle Magazine Article: generation RUDE by Mary Mohler familycircle.com

31. Student Engagement • A successful character education program engages students in the planning and implementation process. • “It’s what you do with the students – not to them.”

32. Student Engagement Activities • Class Discussions • Class Meetings • Student Advisory • Student Advisory Council • Student Organizations • Service-Learning • Student Forums • School-wide Campaign

33. Student Forums Student Forums are more than an assembly. Forums require the following: • Long-range Planning • Agenda • Training of Student Facilitators • Action Planning • Follow-up

34. School-wide Campaign A slogan for a school-wide campaign could be: Be Responsible Respect Technology Think Before You Click “Send” Resource: TEENANGELS at www.teenangels.org

35. School-wide Campaign Activities • Posters • Newsletter Articles • Essay Contest • Student Designed Buttons, T-Shirts, or Bumper Stickers • Video/DVD • Assembly Planned by Students and Teachers • Public Service Announcements

36. NEXT STEPS Action Planning • In the Next Steps column of your paper jot down three things that you are going to try or take back to your team. • Let’s Share.

37. FOOD FOR THOUGHT “The quality of caring we give determines whether we are successful as individuals, as families, as communities, and as nations.” - Eunice Kennedy Shriver

38. Thank You! • Jacqueline Ringgold Jones Character Education Consultant • E-mail: jackie1character@aol.com • Note: If you send an e-mail, please put C3 Conference in the subject area or the mail will not be opened.