A Framework for School-Wide Bullying Prevention and Safety

Transcription

1 A Framework for School-Wide Bullyig Prevetio ad Safety Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists: Helpig childre achieve their best. I school. At home. I Life.

2 A Framework for School- Wide Bullyig Prevetio ad Safety The Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists (NASP) is committed to supportig accessible, high-quality educatio that prepares our childre for college, work, ad citizeship. Creatig safe ad supportive schools that are free from bullyig, discrimiatio, harassmet, aggressio, violece, ad abuse is essetial to this missio. Bullyig amog school-age youth is a particularly serious, isidious, ad pervasive problem that udermies the teachig ad Schools have a ethical ad legal resposibility to prevet bullyig of ay kid, ideally as part of a comprehesive approach to esurig school safety ad promotig positive behavior. learig eviromet, icreases metal health ad behavior problems, dimiishes school coectedess, ad violates the right of studets to receive equal educatioal opportuities i a safe eviromet. I respose, schools have a ethical ad legal resposibility to prevet bullyig of ay kid, ideally as part of a comprehesive approach to esurig school safety ad promotig positive behavior. NASP developed this documet to provide a guidig framework to local educatio agecies ad school admiistrators for implemetig effective, sustaiable school-wide bullyig prevetio ad safety efforts. Specifically, effective school-wide approaches to bullyig: establish clear practices ad policies that emphasize prevetio; regularly assess ad moitor eeds ad effectiveess of efforts; implemet timely ad cosistet prevetio ad itervetio strategies; provide social, emotioal, ad metal health supports for studets ivolved i bullyig, icludig bullies, victims, ad bystaders; ecourage positive disciplie; ad elicit egagemet ad commitmet by all members of the school commuity. NASP represets more tha 24,000 school psychologists who work with studets, educators, ad families to improve studets learig, behavior, ad metal health. The guidace provided i this documet supplemets the iformatio provided i NASP s positio statemet, Bullyig Prevetio ad Itervetio i Schools (NASP, 2012; paper). BACKGROUND Bullyig is uwated, repetitive, ad aggressive behavior marked by a imbalace of power. It ca take o multiple forms, icludig physical (e.g., hittig), verbal (e.g., ame callig or makig threats), relatioal (e.g., spreadig rumors), ad electroic (e.g., textig, social etworkig). Estimates of the prevalece of bullyig i the Uited States vary sigificatly depedig o methodology, settig, 1 A FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL-WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION

3 Successful bullyig prevetio efforts i schools should cosider a rage of cotributig factors ad facilitate active ivolvemet from families ad the commuity. or age groups studied, revealig the absece of cosesus. Nevertheless, research o bullyig ad victimizatio geerally suggests that approximately 70% to 80% of school-age studets have bee ivolved i bullyig at some poit durig their school years, whether as bully, victim, or bystader (e.g., Graham, 2011; Nasel, Overpeck, Pilla, Rua, Simos-Morto, & Scheidt, 2001). Effects of Bullyig o Studets Ivolvemet i bullyig creates barriers to learig ad is associated with a host of egative outcomes icludig icreased risk of substace abuse, deliquecy, suicide, truacy, metal health problems, physical ijury, ad decreased academic performace. Studets ivolved as both bullies ad victims (i.e., bully-victims) are ofte the most troubled or egatively impacted. Importatly, eve those witessig bullyig i school are at a icreased risk to experiece adverse metal health problems as a result, icludig depressio, axiety, substace abuse (Rivers, Poteat, Noret, & Ashurst, 2009), ad a icreased sese of vulerability (Glover, Gough, Johso, & Cartwright, 2000). Cotributig Factors Bullyig occurs as part of a broad social ad evirometal cotext that icludes idividual, family, commuity, ad school factors (Swearer, Espelage, Koeig, Berry, Collis, & Lembeck, 2012). Successful bullyig prevetio efforts i schools should cosider this rage of factors ad facilitate active ivolvemet from families ad the commuity. Numerous idividual factors may cotribute to ivolvemet i bullyig either as a bully, victim, or bystader, icludig (but ot limited to) choice of peer groups, social iteractio skills, popularity, attitudes toward violece, geder, age, itelligece, the existece of depressio, degree of empathy ad self-esteem, ad beig part of a particularly vulerable populatio (e.g., studets with disabilities ad LGBTQ youth). Family factors that may ifluece bullyig behavior iclude the degree of adult supervisio ad modelig of positive coflict resolutio, problem solvig, ad prosocial behavior. Commuity factors may iclude commuity coectedess, levels of participatio i commuity orgaizatios or activities, levels of poverty, ad extet of exposure to commuity violece. Withi the school cotext, adult idifferece or lack of awareess, poor school egagemet ad coectedess amog studets ad faculty, ad egative or ieffectual disciplie policies may cotribute to or exacerbate bullyig behaviors. Bullyig, i tur, egatively affects the social eviromet of a school, creatig a climate of fear amog studets ad reiforcig a belief that adults simply do ot care or are uable to do what is eeded to protect studets. PREVENTING BULLYING AND IMPROVING SCHOOL SAFETY Creatig a safe ad supportive school eviromet is critical to prevetig ad deterrig bullyig, mitigatig the effects of aggressio ad itimidatio, ad supportig learig ad academic achievemet. A positive school climate is associated with less ivolvemet i bullyig as a bully or victim (Guerra, Williams, & Sadek, 2011; Meyer- Adams & Coer, 2008; Nasel et al., 2001), reduced peer rejectio (Waasdorp, Bradshaw, & Leaf, 2012), ad icreased academic achievemet (Spier, Cai, & Osher, 2007; Spier, Cai, Osher, & Kedziora, 2007). Furthermore, Creatig a safe ad supportive school eviromet is critical to prevetig ad deterrig bullyig, mitigatig the effects of aggressio ad itimidatio, ad supportig learig ad academic achievemet. studets who perceive their school as safe ad supportive are more likely to report threats to safety (Syvertse, Flaaga, & Stout, 2009). Programmatic Approaches Several programs iteded to recogize, prevet, ad itervee i bullyig behavior have bee developed ad replicated i schools across the coutry (see Farrigto & Ttofi, 2009; Merrell, Guelder, Ross, & Isava, 2008). These iclude, but are ot limited to, adult traiig A FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL-WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION 2

4 programs, atibullyig campaigs, restorative justice, ad itervetio programs that focus o idividuals, small Sigle, stad-aloe bullyig prevetio programs ted ot to be optimally effective or sustaiable. studets, ad for specified periods of time. groups, classrooms, ad whole schools. Such approaches ofte iclude a stadard set of materials ad istructios to be delivered by selected staff, for specified Some packaged atibullyig programs have evidece of moderate levels of success i reducig bullyig behavior. The success of these programs is ofte depedet o the itesity ad duratio of the program, which must be loglastig to have a sigificat impact (Ttofi & Farrigto, 2011). Sigle, stad-aloe bullyig prevetio programs, however, ted ot to be optimally effective or sustaiable because they: are fragmeted; are see as aother task to do by oly selected idividuals; view bullyig as a issue affectig a subset of studets istead of the larger school cotext; rely o strategies that have prove ieffective, or eve couterproductive, such as puitive disciplie ad zero tolerace policies; do ot fully cosider the uique characteristics of the local cotext, icludig family ad commuity factors; ad lack coordiatio betwee multiple grade levels ad amog faculty ad staff. A Comprehesive, Sustaiable Approach To be effective, bullyig prevetio must be part of a comprehesive, cohesive, ad itegrated school-wide system of learig supports (see UCLA Ceter for Metal Health i Schools ad the Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists,.d.) that creates a cultural orm of safety, coectedess, acceptace, ad support. This approach itegrates ad uifies parallel iitiatives that may otherwise operate i a fragmeted, ucoordiated, ad iefficiet fashio (e.g., separate iitiatives to prevet drug abuse, bullyig, gag violece). The ability to reduce duplicate efforts ad close gaps i services is particularly importat at a time whe schools are beig asked to do more with less. Schools that effectively implemet this framework provide physical, social emotioal, ad academic supports that eable schools to decrease bullyig ad victimizatio ad improve outcomes for all studets. Ideed, schoolwide itervetios are more likely to positively affect the school climate ad reduce bullyig tha idividualized or classroomlevel itervetios Bullyig prevetio must be part of a implemeted i comprehesive, cohesive, isolatio (Ttofi & ad itegrated schoolwide system of learig Vreema & Carroll, Farrigto, 2011; 2007). Importatly, supports that creates a creatig this kid of cultural orm of safety, school eviromet coectedess, acceptace, takes time ad requires ad support. a itegrated, whole school approach, ad a ogoig commitmet from school leadership, staff, studets, parets, ad the commuity. Guidig Priciples NASP advocates for the followig guidig priciples i developig comprehesive, itegrated, school-wide approaches to bullyig prevetio ad improvig school safety. Prevetio ad itervetio efforts must use evidece-based strategies ad services that are developmetally appropriate, coordiated across grade levels, comprehesive i scope, adequately fuded, collaboratively implemeted, ad implemeted with fidelity. Ogoig egagemet, evaluatio, cosistecy, ad commitmet are ecessary compoets to esure sustaiability. Studets ad their families should be actively egaged i policy ad program developmet ad implemetatio. The availability ad accessibility of schoolemployed, specialized istructioal support persoel with kowledge ad traiig i creatig safe schools (e.g., school psychologists, school couselors, school social workers, school urses) is paramout to improvig school eviromets. A school safety team which focuses o overall school climate must be established to help sustai efforts over time. Staff traiig should reiforce the importace of bullyig prevetio ad respose efforts throughout 3 A FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL-WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION

5 all classroom ad oclassroom iteractios ad settigs (e.g., cafeteria, hallways, playgroud, digital media, bus stops, school-sposored evets off school grouds). Disciplie policies should: be clear, cosistet, ad fair; safeguard the well-beig of studets ad staff; teach studets alterative, positive behaviors; avoid harsh disciplie ad overly puitive policies (e.g., zero tolerace); ad cover before ad after-school activities, as well as bullyig ad harassmet via digital media. STEPS TO EFFECTIVE SCHOOL- AND DISTRICT- WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION 1. Coduct a assessmet of the school s eviromet to: determie perceived safety ad supportiveess of the school amog studets, staff, ad parets; idetify specific stregths ad eeds of the school; idetify specific groups at risk i the school (e.g., racial ad ethic groups, LGBTQ youth, studets with disabilities); ad idetify where ad how bullyig occurs. 2. Idetify existig resources ad efforts i the school by: garerig ivolvemet from studet support ad metal health persoel such as school psychologists, social workers, ad school couselors; icorporatig bullyig prevetio strategies ito classroom learig (e.g., writig assigmets, art projects, health curricula); determiig the existece of iitiatives i the school that should be coordiated with atibullyig efforts (e.g., positive behavior support, multitiered respose to itervetio); ad workig ad commuicatig with families ad related orgaizatios (e.g., PTA). 3. Create a school safety team ideally made up of a admiistrator, school psychologist or couselor, teachers, parets, ad studets that maitais resposibility for: idetifyig a lead perso to deal with bullyig prevetio ad school safety; establishig ad commuicatig the roles ad resposibilities for admiistrators, teachers, studets, ad parets i developig ad maitaiig a safe ad supportive school eviromet; desigig ad providig professioal developmet ad traiig to esure that school safety efforts are coordiated ad itegrated with other school improvemet iitiatives; recogizig cotributig risk factors to bullyig i the school ad commuicatig those factors with school staff; ad esurig that the school s policies are i compliace with state laws ad school board policies. 4. Icorporate the school safety ad bullyig prevetio efforts ito the school s or district s official policy o studet ad employee coduct. This should iclude: clear ad defied boudaries for appropriate behavior; protocols ad mechaisms for reportig cocers or violatios, ad maitaiig a record of those reports; guidelies for ivestigatig icidets of bullyig or other threats to studet safety, icludig those that occur after school hours, off campus, or through digital media; guidelies for respodig to reports of bullyig behavior or other threats to studet safety (avoidig overly harsh ad puitive disciplie such as zero tolerace policies); ad access to prevetio ad itervetio services provided by school metal health professioals (school psychologists, couselors, ad social workers) to remediate bullyig behaviors ad support victims, bullies, ad bystaders as eeded. 5. Establish positive disciplie policies ad practices that: are fair, clearly uderstood, ad cosistet; idetify ad cosider cotributig factors to studet misbehavior; teach all studets alterative, prosocial behaviors; ad icorporate family ivolvemet to the greatest extet possible. 6. Egage the etire school commuity by commuicatig policies with studets, staff, parets, A FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL-WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION 4

6 ad other stakeholders (e.g., staff at after-school programs). This commuicatio should iclude: ope aveues for iput ad feedback; trasparet access to bullyig ad other school safety data; ad dialogue to esure cosistecy of policies ad resposes to bullyig across settigs. 7. Regularly assess the school climate to determie effectiveess ad whether additioal supports are required. This process should be trasparet ad egage effective data aalysis that helps iform evidece-based practice. Note. Reprited from Model for Comprehesive ad Itegrated School Psychological Services, NASP Practice Model Overview [Brochure], by Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists, 2010, Bethesda, MD: Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists. Retrieved from stadards/practice-model/practice_model_brochure.pdf. Reprited with permissio. THE ROLE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS School psychologists are uiquely traied school-based professioals who help childre ad youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, ad emotioally. They collaborate with educators, parets, ad other professioals to create safe, healthy, ad supportive learig eviromets. The broad-based role of school psychologists, as well as the rage of competecies they possess, is described i the NASP Model for Comprehesive ad Itegrated School Psychological Services (NASP, 2010). School psychologists have substatial traiig ad preparatio i data-based decisio makig (at the idividual ad systems levels) ad research ad program evaluatio. Thus, they possess the kowledge ad skills required to help lead efforts related to eeds assessmets, establishig progress moitorig systems, evaluatig ad iterpretig data, ad helpig use data to iform future directios for bullyig itervetio ad prevetio efforts. Additioally, school psychologists are traied i couselig, positive behavior supports, ad other school-based itervetio techiques ecessary to help prevet ad remediate bullyig behavior. School psychologists possess skills i cosultatio ad workig with others collaboratively, icludig fellow educators, families, ad commuity stakeholders, makig them prime cadidates to serve o school safety teams ad advisory boards. With extesive kowledge of educatio law, they ca also help esure legal compliace. With their extesive uderstadig of school systems, kowledge of studet developmet ad behavior, ad uderstadig of metal health, school psychologists offer a uique perspective. As a result, they ca help desig appropriate disciplie procedures, idetify idividual studet ad school-wide factors that may cotribute to bullyig ad victim behavior, facilitate the establishmet of systems of support for studets, desig methods for teachig prosocial behaviors, ad offer suggestios for how to respod to icidets of bullyig. 5 A FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL-WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION

7 SUMMARY Bullyig prevetio i schools requires strog leadership ad the commitmet of all members of the school commuity. The framework described withi this documet provides research-based guidace to school ad public policy leaders to effectively address bullyig ad improve studets learig ad life outcomes, ad is cosistet with the key policies idetified by the U.S. Departmet of Educatio (see Stuart-Cassel, Bell, & Spriger, 2011). Essetial to this work is the creatio of safe ad supportive school eviromets through comprehesive ad itegrated school-wide approaches. Safe ad supportive school eviromets decrease bullyig ad the effects of aggressio ad itimidatio while improvig teachig, learig, ad academic achievemet. Such efforts, however, take patiece, coordiatio, commitmet, ad resources to esure effectiveess ad sustaiability. School psychologists are ideally positioed to support these efforts give their broad rage of skills i data-based decisio makig, collaboratio ad cosultatio, metal health, school-wide reform, ad program evaluatio. Ad while legislative efforts icreasigly are madatig this work, it is vital that school commuities remai steadfast i their commitmet to implemetig practices that create safe schools where childre are ready ad able to lear ad teachers are empowered to teach. For further bullyig prevetio ad school safety guidace ad resources, visit org/bullyig. REFERENCES Farrigto, D. P., & Ttofi, M. M. (2009). School-based programs to reduce bullyig ad victimizatio. Campbell Systemic Reviews, 6, Glover, D., Gough, G., Johso, M., & Cartwright, N. (2000). Bullyig i 25 secodary schools: Icidece, impact ad itervetio. Educatioal Research, 42, doi: / Graham, S. (2011). Bullyig: A module for teachers. Washigto, DC: America Psychological Associatio (APA). Retrieved from educatio/k12/bullyig.aspx Guerra, N. G., Williams, K. R., & Sadek, S. (2011). Uderstadig bullyig ad victimizatio durig childhood ad adolescece: A mixed methods study. Child Developmet, 82(1), doi: / j x Merrell, K. W., Guelder, B. A., Ross, S. W., & Isava, D. M. (2008). How effective are school bullyig itervetio programs? A meta-aalysis of itervetio research. School Psychology Quarterly, 23, Meyer-Adams, N., & Coer, B. T. (2008). School violece: Bullyig behaviors ad the psychosocial school eviromet i middle schools. Childre & Schools, 30, doi: /cs/ Nasel, T., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R., Rua, W., Simos- Morto, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullyig behaviors amog US youth: Prevalece ad associatio with psychosocial adjustmet. Joural of the America Medical Associatio, 285, doi: / jama Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists. (2012). Bullyig prevetio ad itervetio i schools [Positio statemet]. Bethesda, MD: Author. Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists. (2010). Model for comprehesive ad itegrated school psychological services. Bethesda, MD: Author. Rivers, I., Poteat, P. V., Noret, N., & Ashurst, N. (2009). Observig bullyig at school: The metal health implicatios of witess status. School Psychology Quarterly, 24, doi: /a Spier, E., Cai, C., & Osher, D. (2007, December). School climate ad coectedess ad studet achievemet i the Achorage School District. Upublished report, America Istitutes for Research. Spier, E., Cai, C., Osher, D., & Kedziora, D. (2007, September). School climate ad coectedess ad sudet achievemet i 11 Alaska school districts. Upublished report, America Istitutes for Research. Stuart-Cassel, V., Bell, A., & Spriger, J. F. (2011). Aalysis of state bullyig laws ad policies. Washigto, DC: Office of Plaig, Evaluatio ad Policy Developmet, U.S. Departmet of Educatio. Swearer, S. M., Espelage, D. L., Koeig, B., Berry, B., Collis, A., & Lembeck, P. (2012). A social-ecological model of bullyig prevetio ad itervetio i early adolescece. I S. R. Jimerso, A. B. Nickerso, M. J. Mayer, & M. J. Furlog (Eds.), The hadbook of school violece ad school safety: Iteratioal research ad practice. (pp ) New York, NY: Routledge. Syvertse, A. K., Flaaga, C. A., & Stout, M. D. (2009). Code of silece: Studets perceptios of school climate ad willigess to itervee i a peer s dagerous pla. Joural of Educatioal Psychology, 101(1), doi: /a A FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL-WIDE BULLYING PREVENTION 6

8 Ttofi, M. M., & Farrigto, D. P. (2011). Effectiveess of school-based programs to reduce bullyig: A systematic ad meta-aalytic review. Joural of Experimetal Crimiology, 7, UCLA Ceter for Metal Health i Schools ad the Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists. (.d.). Ehacig the blueprit for school improvemet i the ESEA reauthorizatio: Movig From a two- to a threecompoet approach (Joit Statemet). Retrieved from NASP_Brief_FINAL.pdf Vreema, R. C., & Carroll, A. E. (2007). A systematic review of school-based itervetios to prevet bullyig. Archives of Pediatric ad Adolescet Medicie, 161, Waasdorp, T. E., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2012). The impact of schoolwide positive behavioral itervetios ad supports o bullyig ad peer rejectio: A radomized cotrolled effectiveess trial. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescet Medicie, 166(2), doi: /archpediatrics Authors: Eric Rosse, PhD, NCSP, ad Katherie C. Cowa, Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists. Cotributors: Peter Faustio, PsyD, Bedford Cetral School District, NY; Joh Kelly, PhD, Commack High School, NY; Melissa A. Reeves, PhD, NCSP, Withrop Uiversity, SC; ad Susa M. Swearer, PhD, Bullyig Research Network, Uiversity of Nebraska Licol. Please cite as: Rosse, E., & Cowa, K. C. (2012). A framework for schoolwide bullyig prevetio ad safety [Brief]. Bethesda, MD: Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists 2012, Natioal Associatio of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) , fax (301) , NASP MISSION NASP empowers school psychologists by advacig effective practices to improve studets learig, behavior, ad metal health East West Highway, Suite 402 Bethesda, MD (301) (866) 331-NASP, toll free (301) , fax (301) , TTY