Bullying: Therapist’s Interventions A CSI Staff Training West Roxbury 12/9/15

1. Bullying: Therapist’s InterventionsA CSI Staff TrainingWest Roxbury12/9/15 Frank C. Sacco, Ph.D. President, Community Services Institute fcsacco11@gmail.com www.intaaps.org

2. Materials available at CSI’s Clinical Resources www.communityserv.com

3. BOTTOM LINE • Bullying is a social process not a person: bully-victim-bystander dynamic (many forms-same dynamic) • Prevention and intervention need to begin early and be woven together: school violence is a community issue reflected in the school • Therapists function from within the family to coordinate signals to youth from Home & School • TM is a great action intervention to build this bridge between home and school

5. What is School Violence? • Destructive or Withdrawn Behavior at School • Bullying is the universal fuel for violence • Active Violence is Directed OUT (Oppositional and disruptive disorders, conduct disorders, and Impulse Disorders)----Bully Role • Passive Violence is Directed IN (suicide, eating disorders, substance use, truancy, and wasted intelligence)------Victim Role Fostered by Bystanders

6. Bullying is Violence • Humiliation is the end product of bullying • Shame leads to Violence (Gilligan, J.) • Violence can go IN (suicide-Phoebe Prince/Carl Whitaker or OUT-Kliebold & Harris) • Bullying happens at all ages, all SES, and in every country

9. The Home, School and Community:Synchronizing the Signals • Essential contexts for assessing school violence and invigorating bully prevention • Areas are in a dialectic: One area alone doesn’t offer the necessary perspective to clinically solve the problem of violence at school • Interventions must impact the balance in these interlocking systems in a child’s life

12. Cyber Community & School Climate • Exists Parallel to Personal Connections • Constant and Inescapable in Consciousness • Generationally-Determined Rules of Conduct • Text Response Protocol • Facebook Behavior • Revealing Personal Information • Misuse of Intimate Images • Ever Present Video Capture-Distribution • Alternative, “as if” Identities • Entry and Exit into Mainstream Peer Culture

13. Assessment : Areas of Functioning • HOME • Active Abuse • High Stress Conditions • Developmental Strains • Substitute Care • SCHOOL • Bullying, Cliques, Social De-valuation • Undiscovered Learning Weakness-Wrong Class • Lack of Resources to Cope with High Risk Youth • Adult Bullying at School • Community • No positive outlets • Active risk • Over scheduled by Adults

14. Concrete Intervention Goals • Contain Aggression • Home & School Discourage Coercion • Parents Supporting Teachers • Teacher Modeling Desirable Behavior • In-school Time Out • Redirect Focus • Positive Adult Mentors • High Interest School-Community Activity • Rewarding Positive Behavior • Reduce Pressure • Changing Schedules and Offering Breaks • Eliminating Frustration-inducing activities • After School Activity • Prevent Shame • Learning Accommodations • Eliminate Public Discipline • Active Bully Prevention • Managing Cyberbullying