Developing a whole school anti-bullying and resiliency program

1. Protecting Children Today Conference 2009 Developing a whole school anti-bullying and resiliency program Presented by: Educational Psychologist Tricia Chandra

2. Warm-up exercise

3. A Man Goes Fishing …

4. Construct of resilience Longitudinal studies of “at risk” children led to the emergence of the construct of resilience. Central question was…. “Why do some “at risk” children survive and even thrive despite encountering many life stressors, yet others in the same circumstances inevitably lead them to psychopathologies, depression, suicide, substance abuse, educational failure etc…?”

5. A Paradigm Shift… • From being too pre-occupied with repairing damage when focus should be on building strength • From studying the behaviours of “at risk” kids who “didn’t make it” to kids who bounce back from stress and trauma in their lives • From a deficit model of children “at risk” to a model focussing on personal and environmental strength • “Treatment is not just fixing what is broken, it is nurturing what is best within ourselves” (Seligman)

6. Definition of Resilience “….the ability to bounce back after encountering difficulties, negative events, hard times or adversity and to return to ALMOST the SAME level of emotional well-being, that is, the capacity to maintain a healthy and fulfilling life despite adversity.” (McGrath and Noble)

7. Resilience…the ability to return to an undisturbed state after being disturbed.

8. Research findings which informed program development.

9. HOW PERVASIVE IS SCHOOL BULLYING? • A national survey of school children between 7 and 17 – found one child in six was bullied by peers each week in Australian schools • In 2002, Kids Help Line received almost 6,000 calls about bullying from young people in Australia • Victimisation is more frequently reported by younger students • No evidence to suggest that the size of the school, or whether the school is single-sex or co-educational, or government or non-government, makes any significant difference to the amount of bullying that goes on.

10. EFFECTS OF BULLYING AND VIOLENCE • Higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and illness, and an increased tendency to suicide • Negative impact on educational outcomes • Also harmful to perpetrators who are more likely to have antisocial and criminal behaviour (from NSSF document)

11. ISSUES FOR THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY • Community expectations that schools should be vigilant and intervene when necessary • Legal imperatives that bind teachers • Justice – right of children to live their lives free of threat or violence • Negative impacts on educational outcomes (from NSSF document)

12. Impact of Peer Victimisation • Associated with various emotional and behavioural problems such as depression, loneliness, anxiety, low self esteem (Hawker & Bolton, 2000) • Report more difficulty in making friends, feeling less socially competent and more peer rejection (Bolton & Smith,1994) • Disrupt the educational and learning process and hinder children from achieving to their maximum learning potential (Juvonen, Nishina & Graham,2000)

13. One longitudinal study in 2000 found self-perceived victimization was a significant predictor of a middle school student’s grade point average and absenteeism (Juvonen et al) • evidence from studies to suggest that it is not specifically peer victimization per se BUT rather the victim’s interpretation of the situation that impacts the victim (Graham and Juvonen, 1998; Nansel et al, 2001; Thijs & Verkuyten,2008)

14. CHARACTERISTICS OF BEST PROGRAMS.. • Started early in primary school • Revisited key concepts in developmentally appropriate ways over time • Explicitly taught the targeted skills • Used cognitive-behavioural techniques • Integrated with curriculum rather than added on

15. The effectiveness of a “whole school” approach • A crucial factor in determining a positive outcome in reducing bullying is the process by which the anti-bullying program is developed and the degree of engagement by the school community in its implementation.

16. St. Francis Xavier Primary School, GOODNAOur Journey Implementing a whole school approach (…and winning the 2008 Child Protection Week Award !!!!!!)

17. St Francis Xavier School, GOODNA We’re the kids who care!

18. Demographics • St. Francis Xavier Primary School • Goodna, Ipswich, Queensland • Enrolment 450 • Co-educational • Multicultural – approx 40 nationalities • Low socio-economic area • Dysfunctional families • Lack of wider community connectedness

19. How it all started…… • High levels of aggression- verbal and physical • Teachers experiencing high levels of stress • Survey showed lack of common understanding of behaviour management approach in school • A realisation that procedures no longer effective • Introduction of NSSF made us aware that we needed to review our bullying policy and add proactive component • Data from survey convinced ALL staff of urgent NEED to overhaul systems in place

20. What we did…. • Data from surveys shared with staff • In service staff on “Bullying” in 2005 • Presented staff with a skeleton/draft of what behaviour management procedure might look like (phase 1) and Anti-bullying and resiliency program (phase 2) • Staff input into behaviour management documents

21. Term 2 2005- launch of whole school approach • 2006- committee established for Bounce Back committee • May 2006- Anti-Bullying and Resiliency Program launched (all stakeholders consulted during policy development)

22. We wanted to develop a policy with PRESENCE that was: • Proactive • Reactive • Educational • Skills for Resiliency • encompassing Guidelines • nurturing Life Long Learners • consistency • eASY!!

23. Committee made up of: • Parents • Children • Teachers from lower, middle, upper primary • Administration • School officers • Pastoral worker • Guidance counsellor

24. Step 1 • identifying what is bullying BUT more importantly what is NOT bullying • Aim is to empower kids- to prevent kids from perceiving themselves as victims • For kids to realise that they have the ability to change the situations they are in

25. What is bullying? • Repeated and unjustifiable behaviour • Intended to cause fear, distress and/or harm • Physical, verbal, psychological, relational • By a more powerful individual or group • Against a less powerful individual unable to effectively resist (from Friendly Schools and Families program)

26. Being ignored, left out on purpose, or not allowed to join in. Being hit, kicked or pushed around. Being made afraid of getting hurt. Being made fun of and teased in a mean and hurtful way. Lies or nasty stories are told about them to make other kids not like them. BULLYING IS:when these things happen again and again to someone and that person is unable stop it from happening(from FSF program)

27. What sets our anti-bullying program apart from others???

28. A significant focus on educating the school community on...........What is NOT bullying? Negative social situations which are NOT bullying…….. • Social isolation/rejection • Random Acts of Aggression, Intimidation or meanness • Conflict

29. How did we make our PRESENCE felt? Proactive Strategies: • Weekly whole school lessons to introduce characters and concepts. • Modelling and Teaching of Stop Think Do strategies and establishment of forum for discussion. • Recording and monitoring of Stop Think Do sessions. Communication with parents. • Focus on common understandings and shared language to be used in daily interactions and incidences.

30. How did we make our PRESENCE felt? • STOP, THINK, DO

31. How did we make our PRESENCE felt? Reactive Strategies • FORMAL REPORTING PROCESS • This is for when the STOP THINK DO sessions in the classrooms have failed to solve a problem. This can be initiated by the parent through the classroom teacher or a member of administration. • Formal meetings will take place with administration and appropriate staff and the parents of both parties. • An action plan will be formulated. Parents and administration sign an agreement about future strategies to be employed. • MONITORING • Both parties will be monitored for a period of time to ensure that the issue has been addressed and the problem solved.

32. Other important components… • Whole school implementation of the BOUNCE BACK program • Linking the Bounce Back program to specific curriculum outcomes • Use of the characters with parents and children when dealing with incidences

33. What worked for us…. • Having ALL staff support the programs (school officers, relief teachers, specialist teachers, etc) • Significant role members of admin played in this process- having a “top down” approach and admin driving the process and hence owning the programs (having a highly energetic APRE helps!!!)

34. Sharing a common language • Strong commitment of staff and their accountability • Deputy Principle overlooking data collection and monitoring of whole-school behaviour program • Priority for new staff to be inducted and informed to ensure continuity • Periodic reviews when necessary • Having very clear procedures and guidelines

35. Room for some flexibility (special needs and “frequent flyers”) and common understanding that “consistency doesn’t equate rigidity”

36. Our Motto…… • Coming together is a beginning. • Keeping together is progress. • Working together is success. Henry Ford.

37. Seeking expressions of interest…….(please leave your contact details and we will contact you when our program goes to print) • An innovative program empowering children by teaching them what is and is NOT bullying through use of child friendly characters • To be used as a resource to enhance ANY existing anti-bullying program already implemented • Program comes with step-by-step lesson plans and activity sheets…ready to implement!!! • Suitable for children in primary schools (P-7)