“A Resilience Approach to Address Bullying”

1. “A Resilience Approach to Address Bullying”

2. Kia kaha, kia toa, kia maia, kia manawanui. Be strong, be courageous, be humble, be loyal.

3. Intended Outcomes • Clarify our own and others attitudes and values in relation to bullying. • Develop current understanding of research relating to a whole school resilience approach for addressing a bullying culture. • Consider effective strategies that support student wellbeing and achievement. • Reflect and build on existing whole school practices.

4. Chunking Day • Exploring Attitudes and Beliefs • Defining Bullying • Resilience

5. It’s only a bit of harmless fun • It’s often the fault of the person bullied • It’s a problem in my school • Children just have to put up with it • It is all part of growing up • Children can usually sort it out themselves • Victims eventually toughen up • It is mainly physical • Adults getting involved make it worse • It is inevitable • Bullies need to be hurt • Bullying is part of human nature • Children need to learn to fight their own battles • There is more bullying that there used to be.

6. Refining beliefs ..refining beliefs is not ..so easy as it sounds. Each one of us becomes very comfortable with the particular set of beliefs that has got us where we are… it is only a preparedness to ask really difficult questions that allows us to confront the possibility that …. ‘the certain truths’ of yesterday become the ‘unquestioned myths’ of today. Richard Bawden

7. Over 50% of children reported being punched, kicked, beaten or hit in the last nine months • 71% of children reported having had this experience at some time in the past • 3% of children reported unwanted sexual touching at school with it being ‘most likely these events involved other children’ • large proportions of children had witnessed violence or abuse against others. For example, 54% had watched someone being punched, kicked, beaten or hit by another child or children. 1997 report by Maxwell and Carroll-Lind (Year 7-8)

8. Whats Up?counselling service for children and young people aged 5 to 18 The data shows that bullying was: • the most common reason for a child aged 10 years or less • the second most common reason for intermediate school aged children • the most common reason for a boy to call • a less common reason for a young person aged 16 or more.

9. Research Adair 2000 Bullying in NZ Schools (of 2066 students) before being given a definition - • 50% of respondents reported being bullied at school, when they had been given a definition - • 75 % bullied in the last year • 44% to having been bullies at some time during their schooling • 76%of bullying incidents carried out by a boy alone or in concert with other boys • 20% of students who have been bullied had sought some kind of help.

10. Youth 2000 Bullying at schools is a significant problem for some students. This is particularly true for younger schools students (Year 9 students 38.8%, Year 13 students 13.3%). A disturbing number of students (males 9.2%, females 5.2%) report being bullied at least once a week. For those students being bullied many (males 31.4%, females 31.5%) say being bullied was a pretty bad, really bad or terrible experience.

11. Research Studies suggest that a class that has a bullying culture will make significantly less academic progress than a comparable bully-free group. (Cleary 2001)

12. Researchers have established a clear link between future criminal activity and school bullying for both the victim and the bully. (Marcus 1999) • Strong links between school bullying behaviour and future domestic abuse have been established (Cullingord and Morrison 1997)

13. Defining Bullying: Bullying Scenarios… • definitely bullying • could be bullying, • definitely not bullying. Place under one of the three categories. Discuss the decision as a group.

14. Group activity discuss what a bully looks like - • In the workplace • With students • With parents

15. “Bully-body” Brainstorm all the types of bullying actions your group can think of and record them around the bully shape. staring exclusion hitting

16. A definition Develop a group definition of bullying. Share back…

17. Definition • repetitive • causes distress (at the time and by threat of future attacks) • power imbalance • may be verbal, physical, social, psychological • effect on ‘victim’ and broader group is important

18. “Schools should take time to understand what they mean by bullying before rushing in with possibly inadequate preventative policies and programs” Ken Rigby

19. Reported bullying Unreported bullying Hidden effects of bullying stress anxiety depression low self-esteem Keith Sullivan (2000) The Anti-Bullying Handbook University Press, NZ

20. Groups in bullying incidents BYSTANDERS POTENTIAL VICTIMS COLLABORATORS SECONDARY VICTIMS THE INCIDENT

21. Five stages of bullying • Watching and waiting • Testing the waters • Something more substantial occurs • The bullying escalates • The bullying becomes fully established These stages exist for • bully • victim • bystander Keith Sullivan (2000) The Anti-Bullying Handbook University Press, NZ

22. Expert jigsaw • Focusing on Relationships Creates Safety in Schools. Tom Cavanagh • Boys and Bullying – The Boys in Schools Bulletin Vol 4, Number 2 2001. • Why Bad Things Happen to Good Schools. Bullying in Secondary Schools – Sullivan, Cleary and Sullivan. • Safe Schools: Strategies to Prevent Bullying. May 2007. ERO Report.

23. Key messages… What key ideas are outlined in the following quotes? “Positive mental health is a prerequisite if students are to reach their highest academic, physical and social potential.” Health & Physical Education Curriculum, pg36 Ministry of Education, NZ.

24. “Learning occurs in a context of care, support and inclusiveness - we foster learning communities.” Alton Lee 2002

25. It’s about creating a climate in the classroom and the school that systematically cultivates habits and attitudes that enable young people to face difficulty and uncertainty calmly, confidently and creatively.

26. “Friends make you feel safe. Older students make you feel safe. Contacts with deans and teachers make you feel safe. Relationships are important with teachers.” (Student) (Supporting Positive Behaviours Toolkit)

27. “When schools promote belonging and ensure high levels of involvement between staff and students, bullying is reduced.” Fuller What would happen if we treated the student as someone whose opinion mattered in the introduction and implementation of reform in schools?” Michael Fullen

28. When students are in touch with their community and culture and are confident about their own identity, they can develop resilience to keep reaching out and making connections to other people and new ideas, even when it is challenging.

29. Definition Resilience is the capacity to cope with and bounce back after the ongoing demands and challenges of life, and to learn from them in a positive way. Joubert and Raeburn.

30. Resilience is … Being resilient involves “the inherent and nurtured capacity of individuals to deal with life stressors in ways that enable them to lead healthy and fulfilling lives”(Howard and Johnson 1999)Redi ppt

31. Damage versus the Challenge Mindset Damage Model / Risk Traditional research Disorders of the body & mind that pathologise and label people with “problems” focusing on vulnerability Challenge Model/ Resiliency Credits people with strength Potential to bounce back Considers protective factors Honours people’s power to help themselves

32. Don’t tell me what I can’t do, let me show you what I can do!

33. Resilience Individual Resilience Supportive Environments

34. Provide opportunities for meaningful participation Increase pro-social bonding Student health and wellbeing Establish high but achievable expectations Set clear and consistent ground rules and boundaries Provide a sense of belonging through positive,supportive and caring relationships Promote skills for learning, health and resilience

35. Supporting Research “Resilience can be strengthened through school programmes and environments that promote connectedness and positive learning experiences.” Lois Meyer

36. Prevention research… “the overall message from prevention research is that schools can prevent the onset, severity and duration of problematic substance use, bullying, violence and mental Health problems by undertaking a process of developing a culture of resilience.” Fuller 2001

37. Reflection….. Write down… • One thing you have learned today • One thing you want to know more about.

38. Jo Robertson Diane Hobby Student Wellbeing Mental Health Education

39. Humpty Dumpty “Using Humpty Dumpty as an analogy , we were no longer going to call for more horses and more king’s men, instead we set ourselves the task to work harder at determining ways to make his shell stronger so that he would be less likely to fall to pieces when he took a tumble”. Principal - Yarrawonga Primary School

40. I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my mood that makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanised or de-humanised.” Haim G. Ginott