Implementation of a Middle School Bullying Prevention Program

Implementation of a Middle School Bullying Prevention Program: Research Findings and Implications RHONDA NESE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PRESENTED TO THE STATE PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY DECEMBER 6 TH, 2012

Agenda Background Information Expect Respect Curriculum Expect Respect Study School/District Readiness Questions/Discussion

Before we begin… Tell me about you: School teacher or other school personnel District representative University representative or Researcher State representative Other Experience with bully prevention programming: Implemented at the school/district level Developed an anti-bullying Doing research on anti-bullying programs New to bully prevention Other

Last Question… What is your familiarity with School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS): Very familiar, I’ve taught others about it Familiar, we’ve implemented SWPBIS in our school/district A little familiar, I’ve heard about it but don’t know much about it Not familiar, this is the first time I’ve heard of it

What is Bullying? “Bullying” is aggression, harassment, threats, or intimidation when one person has greater status, control, and/or power than the other. ”

Bullying Behavior The National School Safety Center (NSSC) called bullying the most enduring and underrated problem in U. S. schools. (Beale, 2001) Nearly 30 percent of students have reported being involved in bullying as either a perpetrator or a victim. (Nansel, et al. , 2001; Swearer & Espelage, 2004) Recipients and perpetrators of bullying are more likely to skip and/or drop out of school. (Berthold & Hoover, 2000; Neary & Joseph, 1994) Recipients and perpetrators of bullying are more likely to suffer from underachievement and sub-potential performance in employment settings. (Carney & Merrell, 2001; NSSC, 1995)

Bullying Behavior Involvement in bullying is a cross-cultural phenomenon (Jimerson, Swearer, & Espelage, 2010) Bullying is NOT done by a small number of students who are socially and emotionally isolated. Bullying is common across socio-economic status, gender, race, grade, and class. (Bradshaw, et al. , 2010) Many bully prevention programs are either ineffective, only show change in verbal behavior, or inadvertently result in increases in relational aggression and bullying. (Merrell et al. , 2008)

Bully Prevention: The Foundation What rewards Bullying Behavior? Likely many different rewards are effective Most common are: Attention from bystanders Attention and reaction from the recipient Obtain items or activity

Bully Prevention: The Foundation Consider the smallest change that could make the biggest impact on bullying… Build on what you already do well. Remove the praise, attention, recognition that follows bullying. Teach students how to respectfully interrupt socially aggressive behavior. Do this without (a) teaching bullying, or (b) denigrating children who engage in bulling behaviors.

Bully Prevention within SWPBS Implementation School-wide Expectations Classroom Systems ---------Define, Teach Acknowledge, Data System, Consequence System Scott Ross, University of Oregon Bully Prevention

Bully Prevention within PBIS: Expect Respect Faculty Orientation Student Advisory Committee (Forum) 3 Formal Lessons (2 Optional Additional Lessons) Repeat and Repair Fidelity of Implementation Monitor Plan Optional Student Projects

Timeline – One Example September & October Faculty Orientation Student Advisory Meeting Lessons 1 - 3 Regular check-ins with staff November Fidelity Checks Student Project? December – May Fidelity Checks Repeat and Repair Student Project? June School-wide event to celebrate Expect Respect

Faculty Orientation Gather school buy-in Gain consensus on school’s response to disrespectful behavior Teach the lessons Teach “Adults Providing Support” Strategy Train on fidelity measure

Faculty Orientation: Lesson Planning The lessons are scripted, and there are many tips for how to respond to “what ifs” Determine: Who will teach the lessons How far apart the lessons will be taught Skilled facilitation is important Make the role plays realistic. If the scenarios and responses are trivial or not congruent with how students interact with one another when no adults are present, the students will think the program is silly. Be provocative; the students must be actively engaged

Student Advisory Committee (Forum) 8 -10 students selected for leadership/contribution 60 -90 min Content of discussion: 1. Disrespectful behavior is a problem. Damages ability of others to succeed in school. 2. Disrespectful behavior typically keeps happening because it results in attention from peers. 3. We need common (school-wide) routines for: A) Stop Routine (signal that behavior should stop) If someone is disrespectful toward you If you encounter someone being disrespectful toward others B) Stopping Routine (what to do when someone asks you to “stop”) C) Recruiting help routing (Getting help when you feel unsafe) 4. What would be best way to introduce/train these routines?

Bully Prevention within PBIS: Expect Respect Skills taught within Expect Respect Stop Strategy Stopping Strategy Seeking Support Strategy Adult Providing Support Strategy

Audience Question Would you like me to go through and show you what each of these strategies looks like in training? Yes No What are the strategies again? ? ?

Stop Strategy (Recipient Response) Step One: If someone treats you in a way that feels disrespectful, use the School wide “Stop Phrase” Step Two: If the person Stops, say “cool” or “OK” and move on with your day Step Three: If the person does not Stop, decide whether to ignore the person or seek support Step Four: If you decide to ignore, don’t look at or talk to the person. If you decide to Seek Support, select a school adult to approach and ask for support.

Stopping Strategy (Perpetrator Response) If someone uses the School wide Stop Phrase toward you: Step One: Stop what you are doing, even if you don’t think you are doing anything wrong Step Two: Remind yourself “No big deal if I stop now and don’t do it again” Step Three: Say “OK” to the person who asked you to Stop and move on with your day

Seeking Support Strategy (Recipient Response) If you use the School wide Stop Signal and the person does not Stop: Step One: Decide whether to ignore it or seek support Step Two: If you seek support, select a school adult to approach and ask for support. Step Three: Approach the adult, and say “I’m having a problem with ______. I asked her to Stop and she continued” Step Four: If the adult doesn’t have time to help solve the problem right then, ask the adult when they would have time and make an appointment.

Adult Providing Support Strategy If a student approaches you with a problem involving disrespectful behavior: Step One: Say “Thanks for telling me” Step Two: Listen empathetically. Ask if this is the first time, who/what/when/where Step Three: Ask the student if he/she used the Stop Phrase Step Four: Ask the student if the person who didn’t stop is likely to retaliate if confronted by an adult about their behavior Step Five: Help the student select a course of action. Possibilities include: Filing a harassment report Mediation A safety plan for minimizing contact Letting it go (“I just needed someone to listen to me”)

Student Project Optional activity that can be done school-wide or in classes Follow students’ lead on what project will look like Supportive adults needed to facilitate creation Another opportunity to strengthen school culture **EXAMPLE VIDEO**

Fidelity of Implementation The purpose of fidelity of implementation checklists are to: Track the progress of implementation of the intervention Provide a reminder of the steps that staff take in responding to bullying behaviors Assess whether or not the intervention is being delivered as intended Faculty Self-Assessment: Fidelity assessed using a 5 item checklist Completed 2 -3 X by teachers and supervising staff

Faculty Self-Assessment

Expect Respect Pilot Study: 2011 -2012 Piloted in 3 PBIS middle schools None of the schools had been implementing Bully Prevention in PBIS before this study Data on bullying/harassment behavior collected during 6 th-7 th grade lunch for 20 minute observations Direct Observation data shows reduction in socially aggressive incidents during and after implementation of Expect Respect Fidelity data showed that staff implemented the steps of the program consistently Student survey data indicates students liked the program, but that it didn’t change their perceptions of bullying in the school

School 1 Fidelity Checklist May 2012 1 0. 9 0. 8 0. 7 0. 6 always 0. 5 mostly 0. 4 some never 0. 3 0. 2 0. 1 0 Extent I have interrupted bullying Extent I have reflectively Extent I have praised for Extent I have listened to reports reporting encouraged students to assertively interrupt bullying Extent I have checked back in with students who reported

School 1 Student Survey Expect Respect 100 % of Students Reporting Agree or Strongly Agree 95 90 85 Pre Post 80 75 70 1. Do you feel safe? 2. Do other students treat you respectfully? 3. Do you treat other students respectfully? 4. Do adults treat you respectfully? 5. Do you treat adults in your school respectfully?

School 1 Student Survey Expect Respect 70 60 % of Students Indicating Yes 50 40 Pre Yes Post Yes 30 20 10 0 6. I've been teated disrespectfully 7. I've asked someone to stop 8. I've been asked to stop 9. I've seen someone treated disrespectfully

Was Expect Respect Helpful for You and Your School? School 1 Post Student Survey May 2012 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Very Helpful OK Not Helpful

Should Your School Teach Expect Respect Next Year? May 2012 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Yes Maybe No

Findings Suggest… When taught explicit strategies, behavior change can be observed. It takes behavior change a long time to get actual changes in perception. Staff adherence to the program = important for sustainability Students’ opinions of the program = important for sustainability

What We’ve Learned Critical Implementation Variables: Intensity: Enough to engage the students in problem solution Fidelity: Systematic checks particularly regarding adult coaching and follow through with interrupting behaviors Sustainability: Continued effort needed to obtain long term results Team Effort: One person cannot train the lessons, administer the lessons, run the student advisory committee, and collect fidelity data

How to Implement Bully Prevention 35 School Implement School-wide PBIS Faculty commitment Faculty introduction to BP Team to implement Build BP lessons for students Train all students Booster/Follow up lessons Coaching support for supervisors Collect and use data Scott Ross, University of Oregon District Build expectation for all schools Fall orientation emphasis on social behavior District trainer/coordinator District reporting of: Schools using BP-PBS Fidelity of implementation Impact on student behavior

Nese & Horner, 2012

Thank you for your participation!!! Questions? Feedback? Suggestions?

Contact Information Rhonda Nese rtorki@uoregon. edu Rob Horner robh@uoregon. edu Please visit www. pbis. org for Expect Respect curriculum and information (available January 2013)