Implementing a School-wide Response to Problem Behavior & Bullying

1. Implementing a School-wide Response to Problem Behavior & Bullying Chris Borgmeier, PhD Portland State University cborgmei@pdx.edu

2. Access presentation materials at: www.swpbis.pbworks.com • Click on “Training Slides & Materials” link

3. Goals • Define a set of core features for Bully Proofing • Define how to embed Bully Proofing into existing School-wide Expectations. • Develop materials and an implementation plan for BullyProofing within SW-PBIS

4. Main Ideas • “Bullying” is aggression, harassment, threats or intimidation when one person has greater status, control, or power than the other. • Bullying behaviors affect the sense of school as a “safe” environment.

5. Main Ideas • Bullying behavior typically is rewarded (maintained) by the “victims” or “bystanders” • Social attention • Social recognition • Social status • Access to physical items/ preferred activities • Bullying behavior is seldom maintained by adult attention

6. Main Ideas • All “bully proofing” skills are more effective if the school has first established a set of POSITIVE school-wide behavioral expectations. • Great care is needed to prevent a “bully-proofing” effort from becoming a “bully-training” program.

7. A Comprehensive Bully-proofing Model Teach a “stop” signal Staff training Individual Student Supports Universal Positive Behavior Support Define & Teach Expectations Consequences For Behavioral Errors Data System Teach “stop” routine Teach Bystander routine Teach being asked to “stop” Teach how to train “stop” Signal Teach Precorrection Teach supervisor routine Function-based support for Aggressive Student (bully) Function-based support for victim

8. Creating Effective Learning Environments • Know what you want… not just what you do not want: “Social Responsibility” • Create environments that are: • Predictable • Consistent • Positive • Safe

9. Developing An Effective Approach • What does NOT work • Identifying the “bully” and excluding him/her from school • Pretending that Bullying Behavior is the “fault” of the student/family/victim. • Providing clinical support for the “bully” without changing the social feedback she/he receives from peers.

10. Four Roles • Aggressor • Victim • Bystander • Adults • Teaching social responsibility • Supervision in unstructured settings

11. 4 Steps to Bully-proofing • Step #1: Establish a social culture • Step #2: Teach a school-wide “stop” signal • Teach how to use the “Stop Signal” • Teach “walk away” • Teach “getting help” • Teach roles for • Aggressor, Victim, Bystander & Adult • Step #3: Focus on Role of Adults • Step #4: Individual Student Support

12. Step 1: Establish a social culture • Teach school-wide behavioral expectations • Be respectful, be responsible, be safe • Acknowledge appropriate behavior • Establish clear consequences for inappropriate behavior • Develop and use a data collection system for monitoring effects, and making decisions.

13. Establishing a Social Culture Common Language MEMBERSHIP Common Experience Common Vision/Values

14. Teaching Social Responsibility • Teach school-wide expectations first • Be respectful • Be responsible • Be safe • Focus on “non-structured” settings • Cafeteria, Gym, Playground, Hallway, Bus Area • Teach Bully Prevention “SKILLS” • If someone directs problem behavior toward you. • If you see others receive problem behavior • If someone tells you to “stop”

16. BullyProofing:Building a social culture • What does work • Teach all children to identify and label inappropriate behavior as NOT being examples of expectations. • Not respectful, not responsible., not safe • Teach all students a “stop signal” to give when they experience problem behavior. • What to do if you experience problem behavior (victim, recipient) • What to do if you see someone else in a problem situation (bystander) • Teach all students what to do if someone delivers the “stop signal”

17. Social Responsibility Matrix

18. Anticipate Common Challenges • Identify common problem areas & problem behaviors • Start with common areas • Playground • Cafeteria • Hallways • Identify most common problem behaviors • Link to School-wide Rules/Expectations

19. Social Responsibility Matrix

20. Team Task • Discuss the BullyProofing perspective & how it will fit in your school • Identify school areas with higher risk for bullying & problem behavior • Begin completing the Social Responsibility Matrix for high risk areas • Do you need to re-define or re-teach expectations across any of these settings? • How can you support staff to precorrect for desired behavior in these higher risk settings?

21. Step #2: Teach a school-wide “stop” signal • If someone is directing problem behavior to you, or someone you are with, tell them to “stop.” • Pair verbal & visual prompt • What is the “Stop Signal” for your school? • Have a physical as well as verbal signal • “Stop” “Uncool” • “Enough” “Time-out” • “Don’t” “Whatever!” • The language and signal need to age appropriate, and contextually acceptable.

22. Social Responsibility Matrix

23. Sample Lesson w/ Class • NEED: Small candle, clear glass cup, match • Compare fire & problem behavior w/ the class • Light candle • Explain how problem behavior needs peer attention to keep going just like a candle needs oxygen to stay lit • Discuss forms of peer attention • Arguing w/ peer that teases you • Laughing at someone being picked on • Watching problem behavior & doing nothing

24. Sample Lesson w/ Class (continued) • Explain how taking away peer attention is like taking away the oxygen (cover lit candle w/ glass) • Students can take away peer attention that keeps problem behavior going by: • Telling someone teasing you to “stop” • Walking away from problem behavior • Helping another student by saying “stop” or by walking away from problem behavior with them • Telling an adult • Model/Lead/Test – school Stop/Walk/Talk behaviors

25. Teach how to use the “Stop Signal” • How do you deliver the “stop signal” if you feel someone is not being respectful? • (e.g. you feel intimidated, harassed, bullied)? • How do you deliver the “stop signal” if you see someone else being harassed, teased, bullied? • What to do if someone uses the “stop signal” with you? • Note: Include “non-examples” of when and how to use “stop” signal.

26. What if you are asked to Stop? • Good examples of responding to stop/walk/talk should include: • Responding appropriately even when you don’t think you did anything wrong • Responding appropriately even if you think the other student is just trying to get you in trouble • How to respond if someone says “stop” to you: • Stop what you are doing • Take a deep breath & count to 3 • Go on with your day

27. Stop Signal When to say “Stop” When NOT to say “Stop” Johnny accidentally bumps into Sally at recess Kelly makes a suggestion for a game that Fred does not like Sam steals the ball away from Joe when they are playing a basketball game Sally continues to poke Susie in line after Susie has delivered the stop signal • Johnny pokes Sally in the back over & over while in line • Susie teases Sally & calls her a bad name • Joey tackles Sam while playing touch football • Sam steals the ball away from Fred when they are not playing a game that involves stealing

28. Team Task Select an appropriate “stop” signal for your school. How might you include students in defining this signal? Ensure that the “stop” signal includes BOTH a verbal and physical component. Develop a lesson plan for teaching students to effectively and appropriately use stop sign Prioritize high-risk, less structured settings Build in opportunities for student practice of “stop”

29. Step #2 b - Walk Away • Sometimes even when students tell others to “stop”, problem behaviors will continue. • When this happens students are to “Walk Away” from the problem behavior

30. Social Responsibility Matrix

31. Teach “walk away” Most socially initiated problem behavior is maintained by peer attention. Victim behavior inadvertently maintains taunt, tease, intimidate, harassment behavior. Teach bystanders to facilitate “walking away” Build social reward for victim for “walking away” Do not reward inappropriate behavior.

32. Teach “walk away” • Model “walking away” • When students experience continued problem behavior or when they see another student experiencing continued problem behavior • Teach students to encourage one another when they use the appropriate response • Practice “walking away” with student volunteers at the front of the class • Include at least 3 examples of how to “walk away” and at least one example of when not no

33. Step #2c -- “Talk” – Getting help • Even when students use “stop” and “walk away” from the problem, sometimes students will continue to behave inappropriately toward them. • When this happens students should “Talk” to an adult • NOTE: If student is in danger talk to an adult immediately… stop & walk can be bypassed

34. Social Responsibility Matrix

35. Teach Talk Where is the line between “talking” and tattling? “Talking” is when you have tried to solve the problem yourself, and have used the “stop” and “walk” steps first Tattling is when you do not use the “stop “ and “walk away” steps before “talking” to an adult Tattling is when your goal is to get the other person in trouble

36. Teach Talk Practice “talk” w/ student volunteer in front of class A child comes to you and reports that someone else was not respectful “Did you say stop?” “Did you walk away?” Talking to the child who was disrespectful “Did he say stop” “What did you do” “Show me doing it the right way”

37. Team Task • Identify your own school language & signs for “Stop-Walk-Talk” • Develop Lesson Plans & a Schedule for teaching Stop-Walk-Talk to Staff & Students • Develop plan for teaching & practicing across settings: • Stop – Walk – Talk • Teach & practice responses across roles: • Victim/ Bystander/ Bully/ Staff

38. Step #3: Focus on Role of Adults How to teach expectations Stop – Walk -- Talk Pre-correct (quick practice of appropriate skills just prior to entering “high probability” context) With whole class With “at risk” students Reporting routine What do you say when a student comes to you? What do you ask of a student accused of being a bully?

39. Give Feedback to Students • Look for students that use the 3 step response appropriately & reward • Reinforce students for coming to “talk” to you

40. The Reporting Routine • Ask who, what, when & where • Ensure the student’s safety: • Is bullying still happening? What is the severity? • Is the reporting student at risk?/ Fear of revenge? • What does the student need to feel safe? • Did you tell the student to stop? • If yes, praise student for appropriate response • Did you walk away? • If yes, praise student for appropriate response

41. Team Task • Build a plan for staff. • Precorrection prior to unsupervised contexts • Specific precorrection of “at risk” student • Foundations of active supervision • Move, Observer, Interact, Intervene Early • When student comes to you with a complaint • Focus first on student coming to you with compliant: • Did you say “stop”… did you “walk away” • Do not reward tattling. • Questions for student who was viewed as aggressive • Did someone tell you to “stop” • Did you “stop”

42. Step #4: Individual Student Support Support for Students who are aggressive Individualized assessment Family support Teach appropriate social skills Isolate from deviant peer group. Support for Students who are frequent “victims” Redefine roles Re-teach respectful behavior Teach social skills Embed student in constructive peer groups.

43. Individual Student Support • It is important to remind some students about how they should respond, either when they exhibit problem behavior or when problem behavior is exhibited toward them • Chronic victims & perpetrators • At the beginning of non-classroom times check-in with the student & remind them about how to respond (stop/walk/talk) • At the end of non-classroom times check-in again and ask them how it went and reward successful efforts

44. Monitoring Implementation

45. Evaluation:Faculty Survey

46. Team Task • How will your team monitor implementation of BullyProofing? • How will your team identify the effectiveness of BullyProofing? • Develop a timeline & action plan for implementation, monitoring & decision making

47. Embedding Bully-Proofing:A Research Example • How data were recorded • Research Data

48. How it was taught • School Rules: • Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible • Problem Behaviors • Basketball, Four square, In between • Why do kids do it? • Stop, Walk, Talk

49. How data were recorded • When problem behavior was reported, staff follow a specific school-wide response: • Reinforce the student for reporting the problem behavior (i.e. "I'm glad you told me.") • "Did you tell the student to stop?" (If yes, praise the student for using an appropriate response) • "Did you walk away from the problem behavior?" (If yes, praise student for using appropriate response)

50. How data are recorded • When students report problem behavior appropriately, staff initiate to following response with student accused of inappropriate behavior: • "Did ______ tell you to stop?" • If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with step 2 • If no: Practice the 3 step response. • "Did ______ walk away?" • If yes: "How did you respond?" Follow with step 3 • If no: Practice the 3 step response. • Practice the 3 step response.