BULLYING PREVENTION ON THE SCHOOL BUS

1. BULLYING PREVENTION ON THE SCHOOL BUS SESPTC CONFERENCE Charleston, WV July, 2016

2. DEFINITION OF A “BULLY” “Someone who directs physical, verbal, or psychological aggression or harassment toward others, with the goal of gaining power over or dominating another individual” (National Association of School Psychologists)

3. ANOTHER DEFINITION OF A “BULLY” • A blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people. (Dictionary.com)

4. TONY BENNETT • Not the singer • Classic bully • Failed a grade • Larger/intimidating • Always trouble • Something had to be done!

5. QUESTIONS TO PONDER • Is bullying a new phenomenon in our society? • If not, has bullying changed/evolved over the years? • Have we started handling bullying differently?

6. QUESTIONS (CONTINUED) • Have we started labeling bullying differently? Are we mislabeling things as bullying that are not? • Has bullying increased or decreased over the years?

7. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW

8. (CONTINUED)

9. THE BRADY BUNCH

10. BLUE BLOODS

11. SOCIETY VS. SCHOOL CULTURE • CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AT SCHOOLS ARE NOTHING BUT A REFLECTION OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH THAT SCHOOL EXISTS. • OUR AMERICAN SOCIETY HAS CHANGED THEREFORE THE CLIMATE AT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE CHANGED

12. INCIDENCE OF BULLYING • Estimates indicate that 160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by a bully. • Approximately 20% of students are scared throughout much of the school day. • 14% of 8th-12th graders and 22% of 4th -8th graders surveyed reported that “bullying diminished their ability to learn in school.” (“Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying,” Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory)

13. INCIDENCE OF BULLYING (cont.) • Usually verbal • Intimidating vulnerable students • Controlling their actions • Usually occurs where there is little or no supervision (SCHOOL BUS, playground, hallways, bathrooms, etc.) • Occurs with both boys and girls, although it may look different

14. TYPES OF BULLYING • DIRECT • INDIRECT • SEXUAL

15. DIRECT BULLYING • Causing physical harm or threats • More frequent with boys • Increases from elementary school to middle school, then declines in high school (still exists) • Insulting, taunting, or engaging in name-calling • Gender difference (boys and girls) • Excluding someone from the group

16. INDIRECT BULLYING • Spreading malicious rumors or lies about someone • More frequent with girls • Writing hurtful graffiti about someone • Encouraging others to exclude someone • Technology has changed methods of indirect bullying.

17. SEXUAL BULLYING • Making unwanted jokes, taunts or comments about sexual body parts • Teasing about sexual orientation or starting rumors about sexual activities • Passing unwanted notes or pictures about sex • Engaging in physically intrusive behaviors

18. HOW DO WE TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BULLYING AND TEASING? • Bullying is: • Unfair and one-sided. • Aggressive • Occurs repeatedly • Intended to harm • Teasing is: • Natural among children • Mutual, two-way • Not constant • Usually good-natured

19. PARTICIPANTS • BULLY • VICTIM • BYSTANDER

20. CONSEQUENCES FOR THE BULLY • May have difficulty developing and maintaining positive relationships • Higher risk of drug involvement, tobacco and alcohol use, and poor school adjustment • May grow up to be perpetrators of domestic violence, child abuse, hate crimes, sexual abuse, and other illegal behavior • May continue bullying in the workplace • "Children who are bullying by age 8 are 6 times more likely to be convicted of a crime by age 24.” (Committee for Children)

21. CONSEQUENCES FOR THE VICTIM • More likely to develop future academic problems • Negative attitudes about school • Poor attendance • May develop serious problems such as depression and low self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood • Sometimes leads to acts of violent revenge • May result in suicide “According to the U. S. Secret Service, it appears that bullying was a factor in most recent school shootings.”(“Growing Respect on Your Bus”)

22. CONSEQUENCES FOR THE BYSTANDER • May feel guilty and uncomfortable • May be confused about what to do • May be fearful about becoming the next victim • May be encouraged to imitate bullying behavior (Bandura, 2002)

23. WHY DON’T THEY TELL? • They believe that adults won’t help stop it. • They think they should be able to solve their own problems. • They fear worse treatment from the bully if they tell.

24. SO……….WHAT’S THE ANSWER? • Assist in developing anti-bullying policies and training programs • For ALL students • For ALL staff (including bus personnel) • Insist that policies be enforced • Train and retrain drivers/attendants • Support the drivers as they try to enforce the policies

25. WE MUST TRAIN OUR BUS DRIVERS TO: • Have a keen eye for bullying incidents on our bus. • Not always easily done! • Driver has many responsibilities They must also have a keen eye for SIGNS of bullying. REMEMBER: YOUR DRIVERS ALL COME FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES/BACKGROUNDS

26. WHAT CAN SUPERVISORS DO? (cont.) • Respond to reports from parents, drivers, etc. • Document calls and your efforts to return calls • Stress with your drivers the importance of letting you know about significant incidents “DOING NOTHING IS NEVER THE RIGHT THING.” (Legal Routes, Peggy Burns)

27. DOCUMENT……..DOCUMENT...DOCUMENT………….. • Everything is done in Transportation for 2 reasons: • SAFETY • LIABILITY

28. CONSIDER ALL RELEVANT CIRCUMSTANCES • Statements by witnesses* (And/or… video) • Evidence of credibility of all parties • Level of detail • Consistency • Corroborative evidence • Evidence of previous bullying • Evidence of previous false claims • Evidence of victim’s reaction to bullying • Establish a pattern

29. EVALUATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION • Did it affect the students’ education? • Type, frequency, and duration • Relationship between all parties • Number of students involved • Age and sex of all parties • Location • Etc.

30. TEST YOUR RESPONSES • Were they: • Prompt • Designed to END the harassment • Designed to PREVENT further harassment • Designed to remedy its effects and minimize the victim’s “burden” • Escalating, as appropriate • The type of responses you would want someone to have for your child/grandchild

31. CONSIDER THE “BIG PICTURE” • Document your actions to • Counsel, warn or take disciplinary action against the bully • Separate the victim from the bully • Assigned bus seats • Different bus routes • Special training for employees (and students) to attempt to “repair” the environment • Other preventative measures • Make sure everyone knows how to report any further problems • Make follow-up inquiries • Go the “extra mile”

32. WHAT CAN BUS DRIVERS DO? • Focus on PREVENTION • Understand the seriousness of this issue • Recognize the difference between bullying and teasing • Lay ground rules at the beginning of the year • Model and teach respect • Get to know the students • Establish a climate of safety and trust • Tell students to let you know if they ever feel unsafe for any reason • Carefully plan and enforce seating arrangements • Don’t seat potential victims near potential bullies

33. WHAT CAN BUS DRIVERS DO? (cont.) • Be alert • Pay close attention during loading and unloading (while the bus is parked) • Listen to what’s going on • Tone of voice • Volume • Watch facial expressions and body language • A student who appears upset or unusually quiet • Whispering and pointing at other students • “Nip it in the bud” • Don’t allow the slightest put-downs or name-calling • Picking on any one student should be stopped at once

34. WHAT CAN BUS DRIVERS DO? (cont.) • “Nip it in the bud” (cont.) • Question money exchanges • Tripping or bumping in the aisles should be addressed • Suspect any dominating behaviors • Talk privately to the student who may be the victim • Ensure discretion as much as possible • Be obvious about watching the potential bullies • Make eye contact • Report observations to proper administrators • Document and keep a of copy of reports

35. ULTIMATELY, HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO: • Prevent/Punish the bullying • See it • Recognize it • Intervene promptly • Report/Punish it • Make adjustments to prevent it from happening again

36. ULTIMATLEY, HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO (CONT.) • Empower the person being bullied • Encourage/Teach them Whatever happened to: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It’s almost like we’ve lost our ability/desire to fight back.

37. WE MUST TEACH KIDS HOW TO COPE PROPERLY • Bullying is cited as a major contributing factor in many school shootings! • Kids are not being taught to handle difficult situations in life properly. • We cannot stop all bullying in this world!

38. ULTIMATELY, HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO: (CONT.) • Empower the bystanders • Teach/Encourage them to do what is right • Stand up for the person being bullied • Notify authorities • Encourage the person being bullied

39. IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY… • To protect vulnerable passengers, keeping them physically safe while they load and unload AND while they ride • To be a part of the solution

40. RESOURCES • Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum by the Committee for Children • Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program by the Committee for Children • Bullying Prevention Program by Dan Olweus • “Set Straight on Bullies”video by the National School Safety Center • Growing Respect on Your Bus by PTSI

41. RESOURCES • Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment on our Nation’s School Buses • See Something. Do Something: Intervening in Bullying Behavior • Education Support Professionals • Perspectives on Bullying: Bus Drivers and Bullying Prevention

42. THANKS!