Mean Girls

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Mean Girls Tough Boys

• Harassment Bullying in Middle School

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Why is this important?

• Impact on safety student achievement
• According to National Department of Education 1
  in 5 middle school students claims to have been a
  victim of bullying or harassment
• Bullies and those who are bullied are at a higher
  risk for behavior problems leading to criminal
  justice issues and mental health problems

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• Bullies in middle school were 3 times more likely
  to be convicted of a crime by age 24 than
  non-bullies
• 40 of these had 3 or more conviction by age 24

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What does a bully look like?

• Adults say
• Big, usually slow-witted, males, who pick on
  smaller, weaker, often brighter, defenseless
  peers.

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What does a bully look like?

• Kids describe a bully as
• Popular, smart, successful, athletic students
• They tend to look down upon other, less popular
  or less physically, socially, or academically
  able students with an attitude of contempt

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Boys vs. Girls

• Boys
• Tend to deal with conflict directly and
  physically
• Use name calling such as fag, gay, homo

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Boys vs. Girls

• Girls
• Tend to use social exclusion, group alienation,
  rumor spreading
• Tend to be within cliques

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School Climate SafetyTimeline

• Spring/Summer 2003
• Merging of the two schools Summer 2003
• Presentation with Bobbi on Service Learning
• Bill Preble, keynote speaker - School Climate
• Summer Staff Development on School Climate w/
  Bill Preble as guest speaker
• 4 types of Safety Physical, Social, Emotional,
  and Academic

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The 4 Types of Safety

• Physical
• Social
• Emotional
• Academic

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Physical Safety

• Deals with physical well-being
• A Safe Environment would be one that
• is free from hazards that may cause injury by
  facility or the individuals within the facility

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Social Safety

• Deals with a sense of security within social
  settings
• A Safe Environment would be one that
• Individuals feel comfortable interacting with
  others and are accepted by others

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Emotional Safety

• Deals with a sense of personal well-being
• A Safe Environment would be one that
• Individuals feel comfortable and confident about
  their self-worth

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Academic Safety

• Deals with comfort within academic settings
• A Safe Environment would be one that
• Individuals are not intimidated by others
  regardless of their level of academic achievement
  or need

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2003-2004 School Year

• Faculty/School Improvement Council/PTO determine
  new BMS top priority for school is Safety
• Theme for Students 1. Safety 2. Learning 3. Fun

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• Ann Martin and Maria Pierrozzi select students
  from throughout the school to collaborate on a
  service-learning program based on Bills work the
  group of students
• Climate Control work on Survey of school
  climate Beeper Study with the help of CS2
  Entrepreneurs, Bobbi Moritz and Marilyn Nouri and
  trainers from KIDS Consortium

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BMS School Climate Study
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Is BMS a Socially Safe Place?

• Students
• 44 most of the time
• 30 some of the time
• 12 hardly at all
• Teachers
• 60 most of the time
• 35 some of the time

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Is BMS a Physically safe place?

• Students
• 30 felt safe all the time
• 40 felt safe most of the time
• 17 felt safe some of the time
• 9 felt safe hardly at all

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Other actions

• Officer Parkas and Mrs. Hill give teams
  presentations on Harassment/Sexual Harassment
• Results of survey/Beeper Study presented to
  faculty
• Results shape dismissal policy

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• Sheriffs Youth Ranchs John Claredon and
  students from Sandwich High train these students
  in Peer Mediation
• Students present Peer Mediation to teachers in
  Department Meetings

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Summer 2004

• Summer training session of Peer Mediation

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2004-2005 School Year

• Students begin Peer Mediation program
• School Climate study shapes School Improvement
  Plan and play a role in duty assignments,
  supervision before games and staggered dismissal
  policies

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Whats next

• Deannas Fund (Anti-Bullying program) presents to
  students next week

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What can parents do?

• Model positive behavior
• Set and maintain consistence expectations for
  behavior
• Look for warning signs
• Maintain open communication with your child
• Guided empowerment

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A few suggestions

• Wrong Its a phase or It happens to
  everyone.
• Better That is so terrible. Im sorry. It
  happened to me, too.
• Validate their feelings
• Empathize

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• Wrong I never liked that friend of yours
  anyway. Why are you hanging out with those
  girls to begin with? How many times do I have
  to tell you ?
• Better Have you considered talking with her
  about it? What do you think you want to do
  next?

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• Wrong What could you be doing to cause this?
• Better Do you want to brainstorm together
  about how we got here? Ask the guidance
  counselor or teacher for their impressions of the
  situation.

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• Wrong Im calling that school RIGHT NOW!
• Better Do you want me to talk with your
  teacher?

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• Wrong This is the way kids are. You might as
  well get used to it.
• Better Did you know that there is research
  about why some kids act this way when they get
  angry?

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• Wrong But you two were such good friends.
• Better When did this start? When does it
  happen? Is there anything you can do to make it
  stop?

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• Wrong Youre being too sensitive. They dont
  really mean it!
• BetterHow can you tell theyre not joking? Are
  you sure they really mean to make you feel this
  bad?