Creating a Safe, Supportive, and Respectful School Culture and Environment The Transformed School...

Creating a Safe, Supportive, and Respectful School Culture and Environment

The Transformed School CounselorThe Transformed School Counselor

Chapter 11Chapter 11

©2012 Cengage Learning. These materials are designed for classroom use and can be used for educational purposes only. Reproduction for commercial use is in violation of copyright laws.

Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

Every child deserves to be safe, respected, Every child deserves to be safe, respected, valued and able to focus on learning.valued and able to focus on learning.

(Jennings, U.S. Department of Education, 2010) (Jennings, U.S. Department of Education, 2010)

What is the first step a school counselor can What is the first step a school counselor can take to work towards this goal?take to work towards this goal?


The Challenge for Educators

ensure students are safe and healthy;ensure students are safe and healthy; have access to adults who care about their success;have access to adults who care about their success; engage students in school participation; engage students in school participation; respect diversity; respect diversity; provide emotional and physical safety; and provide emotional and physical safety; and create school environments that address the create school environments that address the

physical surrounding, academic environment, physical surrounding, academic environment, wellness, and fairness in disciplinary enforcement wellness, and fairness in disciplinary enforcement


Why is there more violence Why is there more violence among young people today?among young people today?


Comparisons

Do you remember situations in school when Do you remember situations in school when you were younger that resulted in violence? you were younger that resulted in violence?

How were they resolved? How were they resolved? What do you think was different about What do you think was different about

violence in schools then and now?violence in schools then and now?


What is School Violence?

How should we define school violence? How should we define school violence? Why is it important to agree on a definition Why is it important to agree on a definition

of violence? of violence?


School Violence Defined

a wide range of activities, including assaults a wide range of activities, including assaults with or without weapons, physical fights, with or without weapons, physical fights, threats or destructive acts other than threats or destructive acts other than physical fights, robbery, harassment, dating physical fights, robbery, harassment, dating violence, molestation, rape, bullying, violence, molestation, rape, bullying, hostile or threatening remarks between hostile or threatening remarks between groups of students, and gang violence groups of students, and gang violence

(Centers for Disease Control, 2010; Fisher & Kettl, 2001). (Centers for Disease Control, 2010; Fisher & Kettl, 2001).


What’s the Difference? A disruptive student is one who interferes A disruptive student is one who interferes

with the educational process or a teacher’s with the educational process or a teacher’s authority over the students in the classroom authority over the students in the classroom

The violent student may possess or threaten The violent student may possess or threaten to use a gun, knife, or a dangerous weapon; to use a gun, knife, or a dangerous weapon; or damage or destroy school district or or damage or destroy school district or personal property.personal property.

Can you provide an example of each?Can you provide an example of each?


Bullying: Violence or Disruption?

For a behavior to be considered bullying, it For a behavior to be considered bullying, it must have three elements: It must be must have three elements: It must be intended to harm, it must be repetitive, and intended to harm, it must be repetitive, and a difference of power, e.g., physical, social, a difference of power, e.g., physical, social, age, size, etc., must exist between the bully age, size, etc., must exist between the bully and the victim (Olweus, 1993).and the victim (Olweus, 1993).


Bullying: 21st Century Style

Face to face: victim, bully, bystanderFace to face: victim, bully, bystander CyberbullyingCyberbullying Sexual harassmentSexual harassment


School Risk Factors

Academic failureAcademic failure Low bonding to school Low bonding to school Truancy and dropping out of schoolTruancy and dropping out of school Frequent school transitionsFrequent school transitions


Early Warning Signs Social withdrawalSocial withdrawal Excessive feelings of isolation and being aloneExcessive feelings of isolation and being alone Excessive feelings of rejectionExcessive feelings of rejection Being a victim of violenceBeing a victim of violence Feelings of being picked on and persecutedFeelings of being picked on and persecuted Low school interest and poor academic performanceLow school interest and poor academic performance Expression of violence in writings and drawingsExpression of violence in writings and drawings Uncontrolled angerUncontrolled anger Patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying behaviorPatterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying behavior History of discipline problemsHistory of discipline problems Past history of violent and aggressive behaviorPast history of violent and aggressive behavior Intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudesIntolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes Drug use and alcohol useDrug use and alcohol use Affiliation with gangsAffiliation with gangs Inappropriate access to, possession of, and use of firearmsInappropriate access to, possession of, and use of firearms Serious threats of violenceSerious threats of violence



IMMINENT WARNING SIGNS . . . .

Serious physical fighting with peers or family members

Severe destruction of property Severe rage for seemingly minor reasons Detailed threats of lethal violence Possession and/or use of firearms and other

weapons Other self-injurious behaviors or threats of suicide


PRINCIPLES FOR IDENTITYING THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS

Do no harm Understand violence and aggression within a

context Avoid stereotypes View warning signs within a developmental

context Understand that children typically exhibit

multiple warning signs

Characteristics and Actions of Successful Programs long-term commitment to sustain interventions K–12long-term commitment to sustain interventions K–12 strong administrative leadership that ensures consistent, strong administrative leadership that ensures consistent,

clear disciplinary policies;clear disciplinary policies; training to help teachers and staff work training to help teachers and staff work with disruptive

students, mediate conflict, and proactively incorporate mediate conflict, and proactively incorporate prevention strategiesprevention strategies

parental awareness of the early warning signs for violence parental awareness of the early warning signs for violence prevention and engage them to serve as volunteers in prevention and engage them to serve as volunteers in school programsschool programs

Partnerships and collaboration to address the multiple Partnerships and collaboration to address the multiple causes of violence in schools and in the community causes of violence in schools and in the community


Character Education is an intentional effort to help students understand, care about, and act on core ethical values including:

values of respectvalues of respect

responsibilityresponsibility

trustworthinesstrustworthiness

fairness fairness

diligencediligence

self-controlself-control

caringcaring

couragecourage


citizenshipcitizenship

Character Matters

Programs of Promise

Connecting Character to Conduct (Stein et Connecting Character to Conduct (Stein et al., 2001) is a comprehensive methodology al., 2001) is a comprehensive methodology that promotes the core values of RICE:that promotes the core values of RICE:

RRespect: Showing respect toward ourselves and espect: Showing respect toward ourselves and othersothers

IImpulse Control: Doing the right things for the mpulse Control: Doing the right things for the right reasonsright reasons

CCompassion: Showing concern and caring for ompassion: Showing concern and caring for othersothers

EEquity: Treating everyone with fairness quity: Treating everyone with fairness


Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Programs

Students (and teachers) acquire skills to:Students (and teachers) acquire skills to:• understand and manage conflictunderstand and manage conflict• identify alternatives to resolve issuesidentify alternatives to resolve issues• mediate conflictmediate conflict• contribute to positive school climatecontribute to positive school climate


Building a Climate of RESPECT

RReflect on the current climate;eflect on the current climate; EEducate the faculty; ducate the faculty; SSecure a commitment; ecure a commitment; PPrepare for the unexpected;repare for the unexpected; EExamine data;xamine data; CCooperate across all the content areas;ooperate across all the content areas; TTransform the school culture and climateransform the school culture and climate

What issue will you tackle first?What issue will you tackle first?


What can you do to help ensure that your school will be safe, respectful, and free from prejudice?


Legal and Ethical Challenges

What are the legal challenges that school What are the legal challenges that school counselors need to be mindful of with counselors need to be mindful of with regard to school safety issues? regard to school safety issues?


School Counselors: Committed to Safe and Supportive Schools

Schools have the power “to turn a child’s Schools have the power “to turn a child’s life from risk to resilience,” (Benard, p. 63) life from risk to resilience,” (Benard, p. 63) and that power is in our hands and that power is in our hands


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