Prevention and Intervention Strategies for

The Classroom Teacher

  • Post Responsibilities and Consequences and enforce every time

I will not bully others

I will help those who are being bullied

I will respect others possessions

I will include everyone

  • Spend time discussing the role of the “Bystander”. Let them know that the most important way to stop bullying is for the people who see it to not take part, not laugh, not encourage, and to not stick around. Have the courage to report! Remind them that if they do nothing, they’re helping the bully.
  • Take class time to discuss bullying issues, the importance of reporting, the difference between reporting and tattling, how to report, and who to go to when you need help.
  • Model behavior you expect from the students by controlling your emotions. If the student knows you become easily angered, you become a target. Every time you lose control you reward the very behavior you’re trying to stop.
  • Learn the signs of potential bullies and victims so you can intervene early
  • Call it what it is…bullying…to students, parents, etc. Avoid calling a student a “bully”.
  • Post “comebacks” and “Teasing Do’s and Don’ts” on the wall, and refer to them when a student is bullied
  • Develop “ques” between you and the victim which alert you of possible bullying.
  • Roam the classroom…especially in the back…don’t be predictable
  • When possible, help monitor “hot spots” (halls, playground, lunchroom, etc.)
  • Closely monitor students behavior when working in groups
  • When a student reports an incident listen, respect confidentiality and take action
  • When you see someone being bullied, follow these steps:

Ask them to “stop…right now”, describe what you saw, and remind of rule

1.Separate the two and speak with the victim first. Make sure the student is alright and send him/her back to class.

2.Ask the child who was bullying: (in private when possible)

What did you just do? (name the bullying behavior)

What was wrong with that?

What were you trying to accomplish?

What can you do differently next time?

4. Remind the child of the consequence and enforce it….everytime!

5. Report the incident to the administrators, counselor, intervention team,

Parents, etc….whatever procedure you develop.

  • Avoid blaming the victim (especially in front of other students)
  • Create a “safety plan” for victimized students
  • Make certain that students understand they must follow the direction of “ALL” adults in the building

TEASING

DO’S

Be careful of others feelings

Use humor gently and carefully

Ask whether teasing about a certain topic hurts the feelings of another

Accept teasing from others is you tease

Tell others when teasing about a certain topic hurts your feelings

Know the difference between “friendly/gentle/kidding vs hurtful/ridicule/mean

Try to read the body language of others to see if their feeling are hurt-even when they don’t tell you

Help students who might not stand up for themselves when being teased

DON’TS

Tease someone you don’t know well

Tease about a person’s body, or the way they look

Tease about a person’s family members

Tease about a topic when a student has asked you not to

Tease someone when they appear to be getting upset

Swallow your feelings about teasing.

From Hoover, J.H., Oliver, R. & Hazler, R.J. Bullying: Perceptions of Adolescent Victims, School Psychology International

Bully Buster Pledge

I, ______,

(PRINT NAME)

Promise that I will treat others with respect

by refusing to participate in acts of bullying

in my school, in my home, and in my neighborhood.

I will remember that I want to live in a world of peace, and by taking this pledge,

I will be doing my part to stop bullying.

To help my school be bullyfree, I will:

Do no harm to others

get help for anyone who is being harmed

respect others possessions

include everyone

______

Student Signature Date

______

Parent SignatureDate

(school name) Bully Buster

Statement of Belief

This school belongs to all of us, and all of us are important!

These are our rights:

  1. To be safe
  2. To have my possessions be safe
  3. To be included
  4. To have a chance to be my best

These are our responsibilities:

  1. I will do no harm, or threaten harm, to others

Physically – by pushing, slapping, kicking, fighting, hitting, taking possessions, or hurting someone’s body in any way

Verbally – by harming another persons self worth by name calling, insulting, gestures, threatening, intimidating, making faces, challenging in public, put downs, or hurting someone verbally in any way

Socially – by harming a persons group acceptance through gossiping, spreading rumors, playing tricks on, insulting their race, arranging public humiliation, undermining relationships, trying to ruin their reputation, excluding someone, telling others to exclude someone, or try to keep someone from having friends in any way.

Electronically – by harming someone through the use of text messages, phone calls, chat rooms, emails, photos, facebook, my space, blogs, twitter, or any other type of electronic device.

Parents,

The faculty and staff of ______Elementary School remain committed to providing the safest possible learning environment for your children at all times. In order to involvethe students in this process, we are encouraging them to become “Bully Busters”. As a Bully Buster, students pledge to do their best to live up to the Bully Buster Statement of Belief above. We consider bullying to be “when a student is exposed repeatedly, and over time to the negative actions of one, or more other students”. Although bullying is prevalent in society, we believe it’s not acceptable. We take this very seriously, and we’re going to do all we can to limit the chance of it occurring. We will have ongoing discussions with the students about how to deal with bullying, who to go to when they need help, how to report bullying incidents, and many other issues related to this topic. We believe an optimal learning environment occurs when students feel safe, they belong, and they have a chance to be successful. It takes everyone’s help to make this happen, and we want you to know we’re committed to this effort.

The Best Way to Stop Bullying:

Be a “Bystander Superhero”

A bystander is a person who watches, or observes something happen. It’s an“eye witness”. Did you know that bystanders have even more power than the teacher do in stopping bullying? A bystander who helps stop bullying is called a “Bystander Superhero”. A bystander who does nothing about bullying is called a “Bystander Statue”…they just stand there and watch it happen. Here’s a few ways you can help others and make your school safe by being a “Bystander Superhero”:

  1. Support the person being bullied privately…be a good friend!
  1. Let an adult know a bullying situation has happened…That’s Reporting!
  1. If you’re a friend of the person who is bullying someone, talk to him privately and try to encourage him to stop the bullying
  1. Offer support to the person being bullied in front of the person who is bullying
  1. Ask the person to stop bullying. You could even get with a group of people and all say “leave him alone” together.
  1. Meet with the school counselor, or teacher and practice ways of responding to bullying
  1. Write a note (you don’t even have to put your name on it), or fill out a “Bullying Report Form” and put it in the “Bullybox” in the office. You could also just put it on your teacher’s desk. But, if it’s an emergency, tell an adult immediately
  1. Next time you see someone being bullied, go by the person, and ask them to come with you. You could even have a group people do this. It’s called “Swarming”!
  1. Encourage friends who are being bullied to report and avoid trying to “Fight” the person. Also, remember that “Bystanders” should never try to fight a person bullying someone either. Your job is to get them help. Your job IS NOT to take matters into your own hands!
  1. When someone is calling someone names, ask them to stop, take the friend with you and walk away
  1. Don’t join in, laugh, or stick around where bullying is taking place.
  1. Don’t allow others to tell you rumors
  1. Try to change the subject to distract the person who is bullying

Strategies for Helping Your Child with

Different Types of Bullying

Bullying is when a person is exposed repeatedly, and over time, to the negative actions of one, or more persons. Listed below are four types of bullying and a few ways to cope with each.

Physical – pushing, hitting, kicking, biting, taking possession from, or hurting someone’s body in any way

Parents can help by telling their child to…

Report immediately

Not fight back

look the person in the eye, tell him to stop and walk away

Avoid going where this usually happens (when possible) and let an adult know where this tends to happen

Try to avoid getting visibly emotional (raise voice, cry, run, anger outbursts, etc.) People who bully love to make you lose control!

Run if in danger

Emotional – by harming another person’s self worth by name calling insulting, gestures, eye rolling, staring, threatening, intimidating, challenging in public, put downs, or hurting someone verbally in any way.

Parents can help by telling their child to…

Act like it doesn’t bother you

Ignore it

Agree with him

Say something funny

Change the subject

Have a “que” to get the teachers attention

Tell him how you feel and you wish he’d stop

Role play the “comebacks” above, and if none of them work…report, or report anyway. Make sure your child knows 3-4 comebacks by memory.

Social – by harming a person’s group acceptance by gossiping, spreading rumors, playing tricks on, insulting their race/gender, arranging public humiliation, undermining relationships, trying to ruin their reputation, excluding someone, or trying to disrupt someone’s friendships in any way.

Parents can help by…

Letting your child know it’s not her fault

Reminding her that the other child has a problem

Avoiding giving a solution. Help her brainstorm a strategy

Ask, “Does she treat all of the girls this way?” If not, ask “Who is doing this?” Ask, “How does she treat the other girls?”

Encouraging her to try out her strategy, and if it doesn’t work she might consider new friends

Helping her to remember that the most important thing is to “ACT LIKE IT DOESN”T BOTHER HER”

Electronic - by harming someone through the use of text messages, phone calls, chat rooms, emails, photos, facebook, my space, blogs, twitter, or any other type of electronic means.

Parents can help by…

Having rules and consequences for misuse of electronic devices

Not allowing cable TV, or computers in your child’s room

Installing monitoring equipment and filtering software ( and

Saving and printing out evidence of any cyberbullying

Turning in all threatening electronic contacts to the Police

Monitoring texting, twittering, Facebooking, MySpacing and any new electronic device that might develop while I’m writing this sentence!

Helping your child learn to communicate without the use of electronic devices by solving problems face to face.

Note: It is not considered bullying when students tease each other in a playful/friendly way. Also, it is not bullying when two students of about equal strength/power (could be physical, or social power) argue, or fight. To be considered bullying 1) there is an intent to harm 2.) it occurs repeatedly and over time 3.) and there’s an imbalance of power in some way.

Points for Parents

“If your child is being bullied”

  • If your child gives you indication that he/she is being bullied, believe your child and record the information. Remember to write down where and when it happened, who was involved, and the type of bullying that took place
  • Take the initiative and talk with you child. Ask for specifics and write them down. If a child doesn’t volunteer information easily ask open-ended questions like “Tell me about your day”
  • Contact the school immediately. Share your written log of the bullying incident with the teacher, or administrator. As the teacher to discuss a plan to stop the bullying behavior in addition to a safety plan, if there is retaliation by the child who is bullying.
  • Role play scenarios to develop more resistance skills at home. Concentrate on non-verbal cues such as stance, voice inflections, eye contact. Etc. Ask the school counselor for help with “comebacks”.
  • Investigate if your child is more of a passive, or proactive victim. Have you heard that your child sometimes annoys, provoke others m or has a short temper (proactive), or is shy, sensitive, physically weaker, low self image, becomes easily upset (passive). If it’s “proactive”, sometimes you can help your child change certain things that make him/her more of a target. Even if your child is a “proactive victim” it doesn’t give others the right to bully him/her, but it sometimes does make it more understandable.
  • Please do not do the following:

Confront the child who is bullying and/or parents

Ask your child to stand up to the bullying with physical force

Blame your child for being bullied

Keep the bullying a secret

Let your child hear you talk negatively about his/her school, teachers, or administrators