Bullying AARON SHANNON JOHNETTE ABERCROMBIE AMANDA RUCKER GRAYSEN

Bullying AARON SHANNON JOHNETTE ABERCROMBIE AMANDA RUCKER GRAYSEN CUMMINGS

2015 Bullying Statistics One out of every four students (22%) report being bullied during the school year. (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2015) 64 percent of children who were bullied did not report it; only 36 percent reported the bullying. (Petrosina, Guckenburg, De. Voe, and Hanson, 2010) More than half of bullying situations (57%) stop when a peer intervenes on behalf of the student being bullied. (Hawkins, Pepler, and Craig, 2001) School-based bullying prevention programs decrease bullying by up to 25%. (Mc. Callion and Feder, 2013) The reasons for being bullied reported most often by students were looks (55%), body shape (37%), and race (16%). (Davis and Nixon, 2010)

What is Bullying? Bullying occurs when a person is exposed to repeated, negative actions on the part of one or more other persons. The person has difficulty defending himself or herself. Aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions. Involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time. Involves an imbalance of power or strength.

What is Bullying? (cont. ) Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or a group. It is intended to harm others. Children, preteens, or teens torment, threaten, harass, humiliate, embarrass, or target their counterparts. Use Internet, cell phones, or other digital devices to instigate bullying Adult harassment and stalking with the use of technology is NEVER called cyber-bullying!

Texas Laws Related to Bullying Texas Education Code, Chapter 37 Section 37. 001 (a); Student Code of Conduct: requires each independent school district in Texas to have a local policy that prohibits bullying, harassment, and making hit lists and ensures that district employees enforce those prohibitions (7); and provides, as appropriate for students at each grade level, methods, including options, for: managing students in the classroom and on school grounds; disciplining students; and preventing and intervening in student discipline problems, including bullying harassment and making hit list (8). Texas Education Code Chapter 25, Section 25. 0342 also offers a parents an opportunity to transfer their children to another campus if their child has been determined by the school to have been bullied.

What Does Bullying Look Like?

Types of Bullying There are four types of bullying: Physical – a person is harmed or their property is damaged. Verbal – a person’s feelings are hurt through insults and name-calling. Social – a person is shunned or excluded from groups and events. Cyber – using the Internet, mobile devices or other digital technology to harm others.

Examples of Bullying Name-calling, unwelcome teasing or taunting Slapping, hitting, pinching, punching or kicking Locking someone in a confined space Racial or homophobic slurs Destroying or stealing belongings Threatening notes, letters, emails, phone calls

Examples of Bullying (cont. ) Threatening with words, actions, weapons or graffiti Spreading rumors, gossip, or excluding someone from a group Threatening or insulting graffiti Stalking or extortion Online impersonation or identity theft Posting and/or harmful texts, emails, videos or images

Major Cases on Bullying

Mitchell V. Georgetown Independent School District Summary: Gay student was bullied. He was called “gay” and “faggot” on a daily basis. Laws Addressed: Title IX prohibits… Outcome:

Wyatt V. Kilgore Independent School District (TX 2010) Injunctive Relief: Training session on sexual orientation and privacy policies. Update to student/teacher handbook that includes language about the districts anti-discrimination policy for sexual orientation. Cause of action: Constitutional privacy violations; unspecified violation of the 14 th amendment. Basic facts: A 16 year-old high school sophomore was cornered in the locker room by her softball coaches who refused to let her leave until she admitted that she was a lesbian. They then called her mother and told her about her daughters sexuality. After the girls mother filed a lawsuit against the school district, counsel for the district obtained sworn affidavits from the girls classmates attacking her character and integrity. Settlement: $77. 500

L. W v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education In the fourth grade, classmates began taunting plaintiff L. W. with homosexual epithets such as “gay, ” “homo, ” and “fag”. The harassment increased in regularity and severity as L. W. advanced through school. In seventh grade, the bullying occurred daily and escalated to physical aggression and molestation. Within days of entering high school, the abuse culminated with a pair of physical attacks. Ultimately, L. W. 's unease prompted him to withdraw from his local high school and enroll elsewhere, at the expense of his school district. Thereafter, on her son's behalf, L. W. 's mother filed a complaint under the LAD, alleging that the Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education (District) failed to take corrective action in response to the harassment L. W. endured because of his perceived sexual orientation. The Director of the Division on Civil Rights (Director) held that the District was liable for the student-on-student harassment that L. W. repeatedly endured. The Appellate Division affirmed the Director's decision.

Bullying Prevention

Assess Bullying in Your School A bully needs assessment helps you understand how your school campus is impacted and impacting the behavior of bullying and how it is viewed by: -targets, teachers, bullies, bystanders, and parents It can also help you understand ways the environment is playing a roll in the intensity, location, and types of bullying that is occurring. When the data is collected analyzed your campus can start implementing bully prevention methods that really work for the bully issue you have identified.

Example of Bullying Assessment

Example of Bullying Assessment Cont.

Implement Policies and Rules To have a comprehensive bully prevention program at school it is critical that you follow your existing policies and procedures that deal with bullying, discipline, and grievances. Many state and national laws require that schools: -Define bullying, harassment, hit list, and other terminology -Direct what must be done to track, prevent, intervene in, and discipline bully behavior. -Allow for transfer or other significant measures to protect both the target and siblings of bullying. -Require training and awareness for administrators, teacher, and student education

Educating Yourself and Others (Make Others Aware!) The Impact of Bullying Roles The person targeted by the behavior The person(s) initiating the behavior Those witnessing the behavior Misperceptions about Bullying

References Davis, S. , & Nixon, C. (2010). The youth voice research project: Victimization and strategies. Retrieved from: http: //njbullying. org/documents/YVPMarch 2010. pdf. Mc. Callion, G. , & Feder, J. (2013). Student bullying: Overview of research, federal initiatives, and legal issues. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from: http: //www. fas. org/sgp/crs/misc/R 43254. pdf. Hawkins, D. L. , Pepler, D. J. , & Craig, W. M. (2001). Naturalistic observations of peer interventions in bullying. Social Development, 10(4), 512 -527. Retrieved from: http: //bullylab. com/Portals/0/Naturalistic%20 observations%20 of%20 peer%20 interventions%20 i n%20 bullying. pdf. Petrosino, A. , Guckenburg, S. , De. Voe, J. , & Hanson, T. Institute of Education Sciences, (2010). What characteristics of bullying, bullying victims, and schools are associated with increased reporting of bullying to school officials? Washington, D. C. : National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Retrieved from: http: //ies. ed. gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2010092_sum. pdf. US Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics (2015). Student Reports of Bullying and Cyberbullying: Results from the 2013 School Crime Supplement to the National Victimization Survey. Retrieved from: http: //nces. ed. gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo. asp? pubid=2015056.

References (cont. ) Electronic Sources Retrieved from http: //www. pacer. org/bullying/resources/parents/definition-impactroles. asp http: //www. pacer. org/bullying/about/media-kit/stats. asp http: //www. esc 14. net/default. aspx? name=bullying

References (cont. ) Waldman, E. A. (2004). Jury Verdicts and Settlements in Bullying Cases. Public Justice righting wrongs. Hamline Journal of Public Law & Policy. Mc. Ardle, K. (2013 January). Landmark Toms River School Bullying Case Decided. Retrieved from http: //nj 1015. com/landmark-toms-river-school-bullying-case-decided/