Program Development

1

• Program Development
• Policy Timeline

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House Bill 669

• 1006.147 Florida Statutes requires districts to
  adopt a policy prohibiting bullying and
  harassment of students and staff on school
  grounds, at school sponsored events and through
  school computer networks by December 1, 2008

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Model Policy

• The Bullying Policy actually named the Johnston
  Stand Up for All Students Act had input of many
  stakeholders including the Florida Safe and Drug
  Free Schools Coordinators
• The FL DOE is required by the same Statute to
  distribute a model policy to the districts by
  October 1, 2008. They will be utilizing Broward
  School Boards Policy as their Model Policy
  http//www.broward.k12.fl.us/sbbcpolicies/docs/P5.
  9.pdf

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Monroes Policy

• MCSB Policy may include more specific categories
  but not less than the FL DOEs Model Policy
  
• Funding for Safe Schools will be withheld if the
  policy is deemed to lack substantial conformity
  
• The Bullying Policy will not replace the already
  adopted Harassment Policy

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Timeline

• August Work with School Health Advisory
  Council to develop draft of Policy using
  Browards as template
  
• September Seek input from Principals,
  Assistant Principals and other groups such as
  SAC(s) and student groups regarding the draft
  policy
• October Survey students grades 4-8 to get
  baseline data regarding feelings of harassment,
  bullying and overall safety

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Timeline (continued)

• October - Bullying task force team will develop
  tool box for schools to utilize when the policy
  goes into effect
  
• October 14 Bring policy to board workshop for
  input and discussion
  
• October 28 On the board agenda for approval
• November/December train staff
• January Suggested grade-level meetings with
  students regarding policy and expectations
  

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Tool Box Materials

• Training for the teachers Verbal Judo
• Training for the students Silence Hurts
• Supplemental materials for the classroom at each
  grade level including Character Ed. material and
  a suggested reading list
  
• Campaigns such as Mix-It Up at Lunch and
  Violence Prevention Week
  
• Challenge Day and other MYCP events

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Lessons Learned
Floridas 2nd Annual Bullying Conference
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Forms of Bullying

• Direct
• Verbal/Physical Aggression
• Proactive goal directed, higher peer status
• Reactive less effective, no status change
• Indirect
• Relational personal relationship to harm
• Reputational attempt to harms someones social
  status

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Change in Society

• The internet now plays an important role in
  social interactions
  
• 12 of students say they spend more time on the
  internet than with friends
  
• 30 of students say that email, chat rooms or
  instant messaging is the main way they stay in
  contact with their friends
  

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Danger Zone

• Cyber bullying is more anonymous, as a result can
  be more severe
  
• There is a parent-child communication gap
  parents are unaware about youth cyber behavior
  
• Educators are put in the middle of issues in
  which the controls do not begin or end under a
  schools jurisdiction

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We Socialize Children to Bull Dr. Jan Stanton,
Ph.D, Training and Coaching Institute Director of
Illinois

• Bullying has been a social ritual
• Gender Socialization As children grow and
  develop, the gender stereotypes they are exposed
  to at home are reinforced by other elements in
  their environment and are thus perpetuated
  throughout childhood and on into adolescence
  martin, Wood Little 1990
• Family factors include income, education,
  parenting styles, unemployment, and parent/child
  relationship

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The Roles of Bullying

• Victim, Bully, Bystander, Ally and Victim/Bully
• Each play a significant role in the
  normalization of bullying and each must be
  taught how to overcome this learned behavior
  while addressing the needs that led to it in the
  first place

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Victims

• Passive Victims anxious, insecure, appear to
  do nothing to invite attacks and fail to defend
  themselves
  
• Provocative Victims hot-tempered, restless,
  create tension by irritating and teasing others
  and fight back or attempt to when attacked
  
• Bully/Victims bullies sometimes, victims,
  most difficult to assist

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What Schools Can Do About It

• Administrators should provide staff
• Clear definitions of what bullying is and is not
• The skills to intervene when they see it
• Support in following the procedures when
  incidents occur

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What Schools Can Do About It

• Teachers can
• Provide attentive supervision
• Show respect for each student
• Break Myths, such as Boys will be boys or
  Bullies come from dysfunctional homes
  

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What Schools Can Do About It

• The Classroom/School environment should
• Have posted guidelines discouraging bullying
• Avoid programs that isolate students socially or
  physically (such as suspension etc)
  
• Articulate specific expectations for appropriate
  social behavior
  
• Encourage collaborative learning versus
  competitive learning
  
• Include friends who can be buffers for victims
  when grouping
  

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Thank you to the following members of the
Bullying Prevention Task Force for their
contributions

• Kevin Freeman
• Patrick Godsell
• Liz Logan
• Amy Rembisz
• Harry Russell
• Marla Russell