Efforts to Stem Bullying in Schools Begins with Community Building

In recent years, patrons have placed much emphasis on bullying and what schools are doing to address bullying issues among students. According to statistics provided at www.stopbullying.gov, a site maintained by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), studies are indicating that while increased awareness and discussion of the issue may make it appear as though the incidences of bullying are on the rise, bullying incidents are actually declining. That said, HHS maintains that bullying is still a prevalent issue and problem in today’s schools.

The Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first federal uniform definition of bullying for research and surveillance in 2014. The definition includes unwanted aggressive behavior, observed or perceived power imbalance, and repetition of behaviors or high likelihood of repetition.

Bullying can be direct, meaning that it occurs in the presence of the targeted person, or indirect, which includes spreading rumors. The four types of bullying are physical, verbal, damage to property, and relational, which includes efforts to harm the reputation or relationships of the targeted individual.

Dr. Brad Welle, Deputy Superintendent, School and Community Services for Grain Valley Schools, explained the district made significant changes to its anti-bullying efforts in the 2016-17 school year after surveying parents and students.

“The changes included new policy language aligned to Missouri's legal definition of bullying, new training for all staff and students annually, and the addition of bullying incident reporting forms on our websites and app. The result has been improved awareness of how to report incidents of bullying and improved support for the victims of bullying. Accountability measures for those who commit bullying have been clarified and supports for students who bully others are also in place to help prevent further offenses,” Welle said.

HHS states the majority of bullying occurs at the middle school level. According to one large study published in the School Psychology Review, the following percentages of middle schools students had experienced these various types of bullying: name calling (44.2 %); teasing (43.3 %); spreading rumors or lies (36.3%); pushing or shoving (32.4%); hitting, slapping, or kicking (29.2%); leaving out (28.5%); threatening (27.4%); stealing belongings (27.3%); sexual comments or gestures (23.7%); e-mail or blogging (9.9%).

Grain Valley South Middle School Principal Jim Myers, in his 10 th year with the district and 3 rd year as principal at South, believes community building is a key to minimizing bullying at school.

“Bullying is an issue in our society that gets reflected in our schools. We work hard to help students develop the tools they need to address these issues as they continue through school and out in the real world,” Myers said.

Each fall staff guide students through a week-long curriculum during SOAR classes developed by district counselors to identify what bullying looks like and what to do if they are a victim. Staff also offers students strategies to deal with a problem if it happens. Additionally, on Fridays during SOAR at South, teachers guide students through a variety of activities to reinforce communication skills, character building, and peer relationships.

“One of the challenges middle school students face is understanding the difference between peer conflict and bullying. At this time in life when kids are going through a lot of change, physically, emotionally, and at school, it can be difficult to navigate and understand the difference. If we can get kids to focus on conflict resolution, anxiety around school and peer relationships is going to drop,” Myers said.

School Resource Officers are another resource for students, both in terms of addressing issues that may occur and in providing another trusted adult as a mentor.

“Officer Dunnell (the school resource officer for South Middle) is very focused on mentoring students who need that support, and that is one of the most powerful things that a school resource officer does. It’s that other adult in the building who has a lot of life experience, who has seen a lot of things, who can give students a perspective that we sometimes can’t,” Myers said.

The district utilizes the BIST (Behavior Intervention Support Team) model for addressing discipline, which attempts to involve the student in identifying problem behaviors and building the skills needed to correct them.

“We are relationship focused, and if you’re going to make progress on things like bullying, that’s where it starts,” Myers said.

Another tool at administrators’ disposal are the newly installed cameras on each bus in the district’s fleet. Administrators can review footage when an incident occurs on the bus, helping to more quickly resolve issues.

“Cameras on the bus have been a great tool for us to use. Situations that used to build up over time on the bus can be addressed more quickly, and there is not as much frustration as we can get to the truth a lot faster. The students are also aware of their presence, so I think it impacts their decision making as well,” Myers said.

Shaping the culture and expectations inside the walls of the school is a primary concern of administrators, but conflicts that occur outside of school can affect students’ ability to focus and learn as well.

“The biggest issue we see related to bullying is the rise of social media. It has made it more difficult for the students, parents, and school staff. If a student unfortunately finds themselves a target of bullying on social media, it can be very difficult,” Myers said.

“Before the advent of social media, students who found themselves the victim of bullying at school had a reprieve when they went home. The biggest issue I see now is kids aren’t getting that reprieve. I absolutely would encourage parents to monitor their student’s social media use and talk with their students about what they are seeing and discussing.”

“We as parents need to be careful not to take for granted what our students are doing on social media. Even if it’s not what they’re doing, it could be what they’re seeing other students do and exposing them to things that might make them feel uncomfortable or feel bad,” Myers said.

The school focuses on these issues by incorporating discussions around digital citizenship in anti-bullying curriculum. The speed at which social media and technology change is an ongoing challenge for parents and school staff.

“Kids are very adept at using technology and they’re at the cutting edge of how to use it to their advantage, so it’s a challenge for parents and school staff to keep up and monitor,” Myers said.

While schools are implementing a number of efforts to educate and engage students around the topic of bullying, parents are key in enforcing positive behavior and communicating with the school when a problem arises. When students are at the elementary level and have only one classroom teacher, it is more obvious to parents who to turn to at school for assistance. Once students enter the secondary level, parents are often confused about who they should contact if their child is facing an issue with bullying. Myers suggests beginning with the student’s SOAR teacher but emphasizes that administrators are always available to address any concerns.

“The door is always open in the office. Our counselors are a great resource for parents as well,” Myers said.

In addition to contacting school staff, an online form to report bullying is available to students and parents via the district website and app.

National trends indicate bullying incidents have decreased, and Myers sees the same trend at South Middle by looking at school data regarding the number of incidents requiring administrator involvement and school attendance. School attendance is up at South Middle this year, and Myers stated that while this particular piece of data may be anecdotal, he believes it points to students’ overall feeling of security and sense of belonging at school.

“I’m very proud of the work our staff does. We’re very student-centered, and focused on what we can do to help them grow, not just on the educational side, but on the social/emotional side as well,” Myers said.

For more information on bullying and resources for parents, visit https:// www.stopbullying.gov/.