September 25, 2012 H 397 Bob Selman Prevention Science “ Crow Boy ” :

1. September 25, 2012 H 397 Bob Selman Prevention Science “Crow Boy”: An Orientation To Prevention Practice and Research Through a Fictional Case Study

2. What is the problem we want to prevent? Teasing and Bullying In a fourth grade classroom

3. What Shira and her team learned from research with Ms Baily at the Kimball: • Most students in the 3rd and 4th grades blamed those that were teased for being teased. • Most students felt that other children’s non-normative behavior or appearance deserved negative reactions. • While much of the reason for teasing seemed to be based on superficial characteristics (e.g., looks), there was also a sense that some students were objectively more annoying or socially awkward than others and that these characteristics were at the root of the reason that they were teased.

4. According to the students:Reasons students in this classroom get teased: • They are fat • They are developing physically faster than other students • Other students think they are nerdy • Of the way they dress • Of their hair • They wear glasses • They have trouble reading • Of how they talk • Other students think they aren’t manly or womanly enough • They bring a packed lunch from home • They aren’t very good at sports • Of the family they come from • They are from a religion that most students are not • Of their skin color • Of their name

5. According to Students: Reasons students in this classroom tease: • Some children are annoying and do stupid things • They don’t like some children • They want to rule the class • They want to be popular • They’ve been teased themselves

6. What and where is the problem located? • The Questions each of us might ask and the discipline that we draw on for answers • Where do we stand in addressing the problem?

7. The Questions We Ask At the Psychological Level The Disciplines We Draw Upon A “diagnostic” orientation/ psychiatrist (conduct disorder; mood disorder) What are good ways to treat the causes and consequences of aggression and depression in children? What are good ways to prevent violence and/or despair in childhood, i.e. in children at risk for growing up under difficult circumstances? A “dimensional” orientation/ psychologist (externalizer/aggressive behavior: internalizing/inhibited behavior) A “developmental” orientation/ (from impulsive/unilateral levels to cooperative and collaborative) What are good ways to promote respectful and caring social relationships within the family, between friends, in schools and community, and across society ?

8. The Questions We Ask at the Social/Systems level The Disciplines We Draw Upon Anthropological analyses of societal customs and beliefs What are the cultural norms for aggression and depression? How are the social and institutional structures (schools, jails, child mental health centers) designed to deal with these problems? Sociological analyses of institutional policies and practices Public health approaches integrating all of the above How can we reduce the prevalence of violence and disengagement in society through enlightened public policy?

9. SCHOOL COMMUNITY Education Public Health Character Education Social/Emotional Learning School Atmosphere Student Support Population Studies Disease Prevention Health Education/ Violence Prevention Prevention Practices Community Mental Health Prevention of Depression/ Conduct Disorder Psychiatry/Social Medicine/ Pediatrics Medicine FAMILY

10. Three-level Prevention/Intervention Services 80% Intensive intervention:Interventions for emotionally disabled - intense, comprehensive, interagency family-focused, sustained help. 5% 15% Early intervention:Providing academic & emotional support & remedial help to students placed at-risk. Universal prevention:Promotion of academic, social, & emotional wellness for all students through school climate, SEL skills, teacher training, team support. From Weissberg, 05 R and P lecture

11. Prevention as part of an intervention spectrum for mental disorders: Universal preventive interventions target the general public as a whole population group not identified on the basis of individual risk. Selective preventive interventions focus on individuals or population subgroups who have biological, psychological, or social risk factors, placing them at higher than average likelihood of developing a (mental) disorder.— Indicated preventive interventions that target high risk individuals with detectable symptoms or biological markers predictive of mental disorder but do not meet “diagnostic” criteria for disorder at the present time. Mrazek, P. & Haggerty R. (1994) Reducing risk for mental disorders: Frontiers for preventive intervention research

13. The Preventive Intervention Research Cycle “The Main Road to Psychological Health” 1 2 3 5 4 Identify problem or disorder(s) and review information to determine its extent Review relevant information - both from fields outside prevention and from existing preventive intervention research programs Design, conduct, and analyze pilot studies and confirmatory and replication trials of the preventive intervention program Design, conduct, and analyze large-scale trials of the preventive intervention program Facilitate large-scale implementation and ongoing evaluation of the preventive intervention program in the community Feedback Loop From citation 1994

14. End of Part 1: Take a Break Start of Part 2 The Case of “Crow Boy.”

15. An activity? Apply the prevention research model to teasing and bullying. Pick an entry point (five minutes). Then see who has picked similar entry points

16. Part 2 What is happening in the research project?

19. Crow Boy (by Taro Yashima) A Case Study Of What? • What is the problem? Where is the problem? • For/In Chibi • For/in the teacher • For/in the other students • For/in the school • For/in the family • For/in the society • Ah, Bronfenbrenner

20. The Role of Practice Embedded ResearchCultural Questions! • How does a story about a class in an elementary school in a village of modest means in Japan in the 1920’s where the teachers are mostly men, the school is the boss, and everybody has a common culture • relate to • Classes of students in an urban elementary school at risk for being closed in a community of modest means where there is a majority/minority population, parents and community need to be involved, and all the teachers are women.

21. Small Group Activity Hand out a small amount of data

22. Building Theory From the ground up

23. Assessment Question 1A question about understanding So I have a question for you. Why did the other children make fun of Chibi because he had a funny jacket, played with insects, and looked at the ceiling all of the time? What kind of question is this? Why is it asked in this way?

24. Assessment Question 2 • So my question is: Why do you think the children changed how they felt about Chibi after they hear his crow calls?

25. The Data Please • See data set for question 1

26. Looking for themes: Theme 1 • Label – Victim’s repetitive behavior is cause of the problem– • Definition – Student mentions that Chibi does something a lot, all of the time, or never. • Indicators – Coded when student writes things like “always,”“everyday,”“a lot,” e;g; eating the same thing or staring at something for a long time. Includes student writing that Chibi never does something that children are expected to do. • Anchor: “He kept on looking at the ceiling all of the time”

27. Theme 2 • Label – Victim is essentially different Definition – Student mentions that Chibi is different.. • Indicators – Coded when student writes that Chibi is himself abnormal/a freak/weird/funny/cool. Excludes cases where it is clear Chibi’s behavior is what is different. Includes the verb “to be.” • Anchor: “They probably know he is a freak.”

28. Some hunches emerge Chibi is at fault because of his behavior: They teased Chibi because he had annoyed the other kids. 22/69 (32%) Chibi teased because of he is “essentially different.” The kids teased Chibi…because he was a weirdo. He is just different. 28/69 (41%) Chibi teased for his appearance Because he is small. 10/69 (14%)

29. What questions come up for you? Data collection questions. Data analysis questions.

30. Theme 4 • Label – Chibi is Understood/Misunderstood Definition – Student mentions that children knew or didn’t know Chibi well, knew or didn’t know about the parts of Chibi that would have made them accept him, or knew or didn’t know how Chibi was feeling. • Indicators – Coded when student writes that children didn’t know Chibi, didn’t know how he was feeling or underestimated him. Also coded when student writes that the children got to know Chibi and how he was feeling. • Anchor: “they never saw Chibi acting like them or ever saw him doing cool stuff.”

31. On the other hand Code: Children who tease are blameworthy : The other children teased Chibi because they were jealous that he was the teacher’s pet. 4/69 (6%) Code: Respondent Placed Blame on Neither Party No one is at fault It’s too bad. They could have been friends. It’s really no one’s fault. 1/69 (1%)

32. Assessment Question 2 • So my question is: Why do you think the children changed how they felt about Chibi after they hear his crow calls?

33. Take a Look at the Data • What do we see?

34. In other words, we are interested in knowing what beliefs, theories, and concepts students brought to a text, and which ones they took away. This lead to a research agenda with the following operational questions: • 1. How do we measure children's awareness of social issues in literature? • 2. How do children's levels of awareness of social texts vary across age/grade-level and as a function of their background? • 3. What is the connection between the development of students’ literacy skills and social awareness? This question is one that makes this research essential to schools in the current political and policy climate

35. Let’s step back • What are the various forms of prevention research • What makes an intervention both prevention and developmental • Where does your site stand/sit

36. Developmental Interventions:What does the science say? • Is 3-5th grades a good time for universal prevention/ intervention on bullying? • Peer relations as very important, and either good or bad • What are implications of intervention now versus earlier or later • What level of intervention is needed • Biological: • Social • Psychological

37. _________________________________________________ Conceptualizing Practice-Based Research Practice-Oriented Research Applied Research Basic Research A B Practice-Driven Research Practice-Inspired Research “The Practice-Based Research Triangle” P Embedded Research Circle of Practice-Embedded Research

38. Basic Research Questions: • What is universal about, say teasing, ostracism, bullying, exclusion? • What is culturally specific? • What is contextual? • What is developmental? • Do we outgrow it? • What might it become? • What have we left out?

39. Applied (Contextual) Questions • Connection to school achievement • Can schools make a difference? • What will happen if the problem is not dealt with? • How changeable is the school climate? • What questions do we ask from a public health perspective?

40. Cultural Questions • How universal or relative to a specific group or culture or society is victim blaming? • What is the peer culture like? • How changeable are cultural norms?

41. Where do you stand? • What are your “research questions? • “Step 2: Review relevant information - both from fields outside prevention and from existing preventive intervention research programs” • What efforts have been made to prevent teasing through curriculum and instruction.

42. Applied Developmental Science: What are the research questions we wanted to study? • What are the developmental (e.g. chronological age, grade level) and cultural (e.g., gender, social class, ethnic) variations in elementary grade students’ social awareness • What is their awareness of social issues portrayed in children’s literature?

43. In other words, we were interested in knowing what beliefs, theories, and concepts students brought to a text, and which ones they took away. This lead to a research agenda with the following operational questions: • 1. How do we measure children's developing awareness of social issues in literature? • 2. How do children's levels of awareness of social texts vary across age/grade-level and as a function of their background? • 3. What is the connection between the development of students’ literacy skills and their social awareness? • 4. What is the impact of awareness/knowledge/ understanding on action, behavior, conduct, climate. • How can we make this research essential to schools in the current political and policy climate

44. So what kind of science is this? • Which disciplines are involved? • Developmental Psychology • Language and literacy • Cognitive development • Social development • Educational Psychology

45. Biological Science Social Science Socio-Cultural Anthropology Neurosciences Behavior Genetics Cognitive Neuroscience Neuropsychology Psychopharmacology Applied Sociology Community and School Atmosphere Socio-Historical Analyses Ethnographic Methods Prevention Sciences Psychological Interpretation/Narrative Psychological Assessmeent/Outcome Evaluation Applied Developmental Science Developmental Psychology Psychological Science

46. _________________________________________________ Conceptualizing Practice-Based Research Practice-Oriented Research Applied Research Basic Research A B Practice-Driven Research Practice-Inspired Research “The Practice-Based Research Triangle” P Embedded Research Circle of Practice-Embedded Research

47. Part 3: What are the kinds of practices we want to design Where do we want them to go?

48. A small group activity using the triangle (three groups.) What are the questions you want answered from the point of view of practice, applied research and basic research

49. Why is this book a classic? • Culture, time. Children’s reasons for defining coolness or acceptability different across culture (e.g. teasing about skin color unacceptable in Singapore) • Chibi means tiny. Who gave him that name? Other children? Teachers? Is he called that at home? His peers decide he is named Crow Boy. What is his real name? Identity is imposed upon him by others. Will he be called that until he’s 60? Is that a good or a bad thing? He could do more than crow noises, but will we find out? • RLS: I think everyone sees a little Chibi in themselves. Kids identify with Chibi whether they are victims, perpetrators, bystanders, everyone feels a little like that. A story of hope that no matter how much you are persecuted in life you can emerge. That is the unaware aspect of this book. You would not find kids saying that. I think that’s a universal theme. My opinion as to why this is a good book for kids to read. Intersection of psychological development and context.

50. Back to the Case:What is the implications for practice? • What kinds of practice can be designed to help with the problem (s) we have identified? • To help Chibi, what services are available? • What would an I.E.P look like? • To help the other students • To help the previous teachers before Mr. Isobe • (What does the story say about culture and climate that is not said explicitly?)