WELCOME!Making LHS Safe

February 4 & 5, 2009

Jim Hanson, School Psychologist

&Lavell Allen,

Site Technology Coordinator

Live your life ...so that your children can tell their children

that you not only stand for something

wonderful - you acted on it.

Don Zadra

Purpose of the Presentation:

Bullying: Latest Research

PoliciesLHS Research

2003/2008Responding to

intolerant statements training

School/personal next steps

How is bullying defined?

“A student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students.”

(Olweus, 1993)

Lincoln’s Definition of Bullying

Threatening, insulting, demeaning or systematically excluding any student or group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the District’s mission or the education of any student.

Portland Public Schools

Forms of bullying/violence

Verbal (name calling, teasing, threats, sexual comments or gestures)

Relational (spreading rumors, leaving out, email or blogging)

Physical (pushing, hitting, stealing, physical and sexual assault)

Who is involved right now? Victims (11% currently, 30% frequently) Bullies (13%) Bully-Victims (6%) Witnesses (80% of students, 58% of HS

Teachers)

Associated environmental factors: Conventional crime Child maltreatment Having a peer or sibling be victimized Sexual abuse Witnessing violenceHolt, M.K., Finkelhor, D., & Kantor, G.K. (2007).

Outcomes Victims: loneliness,

depression, school avoidance, suicidal ideation

Bullies: conduct problems, delinquent behaviors, crime

Bully-Victims: psychiatric problems, lower self esteem, fewer friends, most stigmatized

Holt, M.K., Finkelhor, D., & Kantor, G.K. (2007).

Why?

Sexual orientation (38%)Look, talk or dress (33%)Race (20%)Lower SES (14%)Gender (11%)Religion (10%)Bradshaw, C. P., Sawyer, A. L., & O’Brennan, L. M. (2007).

What makes a difference?

Teachers’ knowledge and attitudes about minority groups

School Norms-having an anti-bullying policy, having signs of school commitment (e.g., “Respect Our Differences” posters)

Teachers’ training in how to respondTeachers’ perceptions of administrative

follow-through when referrals are made McCabe, P.C., Rubinson, F. (2008)

Additional Factors For Boys

Teacher support (without it, victimization status can be predicted; 38% of victims reported no teacher connections)

School (climate, administration)

Father support for depression

Davidson, L. M. & Demaray, M. K. (2007).

Additional Factors For Girls

Parent support most important, particularly mother support for depression

Classmate support associated with increased retaliation by victim

Davidson, L. M. & Demaray, M. K. (2007).

TEACHER ATTITUDES/BELIEFSTSPC Ethics

The competent educator demonstrates:Ability to provide a climate for students

that is conducive to learning and respects the rights of all persons without discrimination;

Advocacy for social justice;Awareness of laws and policies affecting

learners;Creates a respectful and collaborative

environment.

TEACHER ATTITUDES/BELIEFSResearch

Teachers who agreed that bullying “was a part of life” were more likely to report that students’ bullying was acceptable and to believe that they made things worse when they intervened.

Being bullied as a student (53% of all teachers) did not influence teachers’ beliefs about their own efficacy in intervention.

22% of teachers report having been bullied at school as an adult by another staff member (8.8%), a parent (7.7%) or a student (6.3%).

Bradshaw, C. P., Sawyer, A. L., & O’Brennan, L. M. (2007).

School Norms: Policies GLSEN’s 2003 National School Climate Survey found a

relationship between student safety, school attendance and safe schools laws. Among the several key findings is that LGBT students who did not have (or did not know of) a policy protecting them from violence and harassment were 40% more likely to report skipping school out of fear for their personal safety. Only 8 states have such policies.

28% of LGBT high school students drop-out because of harassment relating to sexual orientation.

LGBT students who can identify supportive teachers/staff have GPA’s more than 10% higher than their peers.

PPS Board Policy-Norms• Signs against intimidation and bullying shall be

posted in all schools

• Staff in-service, focusing on the recognition of, prevention of, and consequences for harassment, intimidation and bullying

• Students shall be informed and reminded, at least twice a year, of the definition of, consequences for and obligation to report harassment, bullying and intimidation. This can be accomplished in the form of class discussion or activity

• Respect for cultural differences demonstrated. Bullying and harassment behaviors will not be tolerated at school or school related activities

SCHOOL NORMS:PPS Discipline Handbook

Abusive/Profane Language: Writing or saying anything which ridicules or humiliates another person on account of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.

Bullying/Harassment/Hazing: Disturbing consistently, by pestering or tormenting; abusive words.

SCHOOL NORMS“Respect Our Differences” PostersVisible reminder

of educators' commitment to a fair and welcoming learning environment for all students and families.

TEACHER BEHAVIORAL CONTROL: Staff Training

Tame ItName ItClaim ItReframe It

Do you remember how?

TEACHER BEHAVIORAL CONTROL: Administrative Support-Consequences

Minor or First Offense: Conference, Contract, Class, Minor Suspension

Serious or Repeated Offense: Major Suspension, Police Referral, Expulsion.

LHS Research Project 2003-8

Student Questionnaire-Number of Offensive Comments about Minorities

Public Posting of Respect Our Differences Posters (Norms)

Yearly Staff Training in Responding to Intolerant Statements-Tame It, Name It, Claim It, and Reframe It (Teacher Behavioral Control)

Lincoln High School Climate

How many times per day do you hear a comment that would be offensive to:

Ethnic/racial minority

Sexual MinorityWomanPerson of

different abilities

The Results: 2003 and 2008

Racial Minority: 3.5 3.1

LGBTQ: 9.0 4.2

Women: 4.0 2.8

Different Ability: 3.0 3.1

Other categories: 2008 write-ins

Jewish (5 responses, average 8.5)Other religions (5 responses,

average 6.3)Weight (4 responses, average 4.4)Men (4 responses, average 3.9)Poor (3 responses, average 4.6)Swearing (3 responses, average 9.0)

What do you do as a student? 2003 & 2008

20032008

Join in: 8% 11%Ignore: 59% 59%Stop it: 22% 18%Support: 9% 10%Report it: 1% 1%

What LHS students write in 2008

“I tell a lot of racist jokes but not to anyone but people who don’t take offense.”

“I am made fun of because of my race a lot.”“People make jokes all the time. I have not

seen it to really harm someone’s feelings.” “We need to change the way students treat

each other…name calling should never be present in an academic atmosphere.”

“It bothers me when I hear, “That’s so gay” or the “N” word. Racially offensive words make me INCREDIBLY uncomfortable.”

What do teachers do?

20032008

Join in: 1% 4%Ignore: 23% 25%Stop it: 65% 58%Support Victim: 1% 6%Report it: 9% 6%

Comparison to National

Average US high school students hear anti-gay slurs 25 times a day … yet teachers who hear these slurs fail to respond 97% of the time!

In Massachusetts, 53% of students surveyed reported hearing epithets from their own teachers

GLSEN Survey 2003

How do we compare?

Have you ever heard a Lincoln High School teacher make a comment that a woman or a minority might find offensive?

2003 2008No: 55% 65%Yes: 45% 35%

Questions based on data Significant reduction in number of GBLT offensive comments,

about the same in other categories-what are your reactions? Are the Respect Our Differences posters working? Has teacher modeling improved? What role did recent cultural and demographic changes

(e.g., GSA, BSU, Obama, Senate Bill 2 from 2008, different cohort: younger generation more aware) play in our results?

Most students perceive that teachers intervene when they hear offensive comments; many go unnoticed

Students are still ignoring offensive comments-no training is provided to them

Interest on students’ part to do something-what are possible venues?

Aligning student training with staff/parent training? Public posting of Tame, Name, Claim & Reframe model?

Empowerment in School

Youth are becoming empowered by taking action in their schools to create groups which support the premise that all students deserve the right to respect and safety

Basic Rights Oregon 2008

Legislative anti-bullying bill Ensure wider adoption of anti-bullying

policiesClear notice and complaint

proceduresComprehensive approaches to anti-

bullyingOEA, other professional groupsMarch 6, 2009 “Day of Action”

Interrupting name-calling is one of the most important actions all educators can engage in on a daily basis

Tame itName itClaim itReframe it

Small Groups of 3

Actor, Responder, ObserverWhat is easy?What do you hear yourself leaving

out?Brevity of “bullying first-aid” versus

longer, more thorough methodsObstacles to follow-through

How important you are

The reality is that YOU might be the most positive person in this young person’s life and that doesn’t mean you yourself have to be a minority.

Personal Action Plan

One thing you will do to remember the Tame, Name, Claim & Reframe model