Franklin Lakes School District Anti-Bullying Initiatives

Character Education & School Wide Positive Behavior Systems

Even a district with a majority of compassionate & caring students needs to constantly maintain an Anti-Bullying

Policy as the ABR (Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights) affects us all.

Definition of HIB According to the NJ 2011 Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights

¨"Harassment, intimidation or bullying" means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic…”

Differences between Conflict, Bullying, & Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying under the Anti-

Bullying Bill of Rights Act

Conflict

-“Mutually” competitive or opposing action or engagement. -Includes disagreements, arguments and fights. -A normal part of growing up and of life.

HIB -HIB is one-sided. -One or more students are victims of one or more person’s aggression, as it applies to the HIB definition under the ABR. -The intent is to physically or emotionally hurt someone.

Bullying

-Typically, repeated hurtful behavior by one student or group who has more power (socially, physically, etc.) than the victim. -All faculty are trained to stop bullying on sight. -Handled according to student Code of Conduct.

https://youtu.be/iXXKMehgiAk

Harrassment, Intimidation & Bullying School District Training

O  School districts annually establish and implement programs and approaches designed to create school-wide conditions to prevent and address HIB.

O  School district HIB training for employees and

volunteers includes preventing bullying of protected categories and other characteristics for full, part-time staff, volunteers, contracted service providers, and any employee with student contact.

What have we done as a district to address bullying in our schools?

O  Creation of School Safety Team O  Informed all staff of new HIB law and reporting

procedures O  HIB Parent Info sessions O  Character Education

O  Monthly Character Education Themes O  Implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention

Program O  Class Meetings starting at elementary level

O Individual and Group Counseling O Conflict resolution between students

How do we reach our student body?

O  Monthly Lessons O  Class Meeting O  Olweus Bullying Prevention

Program (OBPP)

Building the Culture of Our School Community & Bullying

Prevention

Character Education by Topic Elementary Themes

O  Responsibility O  Respect O  Self-Control O  Compassion O  Acceptance O  Problem Solving O  Courage

O  Honesty O  Friendship

Middle School Themes

O  Responsibility O  Respect O  Self-Discipline O  Empathy O  Tolerance O  Cyber-bullying O  Conflict Resolution O  Courage O  Stress Management O  Knowing Yourself

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

O Olweus Bullying Prevention Committee O Administrators O Teachers from each grade level O Special education teachers O Counselors

O Olweus Components O Research-based program O 4 Rules to Prevent Bullying Districtwide O Class Meetings 2x/month O Goal of the program is to address bullying behaviors

and begin to change the school climate. O Lessons provided to teachers from Olweus

Curriculum

Class Meeting

O Middle school teachers conduct class meetings 2x/ month for 20 minute periods. ●  Teachers can use the resource Classroom Meetings That Matter by Vicki

Crocker Flerx along with guidance materials from Olweus. ●  Homeroom meeting coincides with monthly Character Education topics.

Class Meeting Topics include but are not limited to: ●  Building a Positive Classroom Climate

●  Bullying Scenarios ●  Identifying Feelings

●  Friendship ●  Communication ●  Spreading Rumors ●  Role- play Scenarios ●  Peer Relationships

●  Acceptance of Others/ Respecting Differences ●  Sets the tone for respectful learning and establishes a climate of trust

amongst peers and staff. ●  Merges social, emotional, and intellectual learning to build class & school

cohesion.

Common Language All students in CRS, HMR & WAS are taught the same common language during Character Education Some examples are: O Telling vs. Tattling O Problem Solving Steps O Definition of a bully, target, bystander and brave bystander O I-Statements O Character Education Themes

Goals

O  Reduce existing bullying problems among students

O  Prevent the development of new bullying problems

O  Achieve better peer relations at school

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is designed to change the school climate, prevent and understand bullying behaviors, as well as foster a sense of community for our school.

Olweus Rules ____________________

1. We will not bully others.

2. We will try to help students who are bullied.

3. We will try to include students who are left out.

4. If we know some is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

What Students Need to Know to Feel Safe

O Bullying may occur in many parts of life O Bullying will not be tolerated O Students will be given tools to deal with conflict O  It is safe to tell an adult O We will protect the right of every child to feel safe

and comfortable in our school system O Students have a responsibility in effecting change

in their own school climate

© New Jersey State Bar Foundation, 2011

Updates Students and teachers fill out surveys each year so we can gauge changes in the climate and in student impressions.

Lessons are updated and modified regularly in order to continuously meet the needs of our developing students.

How can you help? O Talk at home

O Open lines of communication will reinforce the same anti-bullying messages and social rules about caring for others at home.

O This provides a consistent message in all of their settings.

O Continue to use the “common language” O  EX: Explaining the difference

between being a by-stander and taking action.

O Easier to talk to parents about possible situations if the positive relationship has already been formed.

What to do if you have concerns...

●  First, discuss with your child. Get as much information as possible. Have an open dialogue about what has happened.

●  You can contact the school and work

together to support your child. It is a team effort!

You can contact the:

O  Teacher

O  School counselor

O  Assistant principal

O  Principal

Resources O  http://www.stopbullying.gov

O  http://www.tolerance.org

O  http://www.stompoutbullying.org

O  http://www.thebullyproject.com

O  http://www.state.nj.us/education/students/safety/behavior/hib/ParentGuide.pdf

O  http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/talking-with-kids-about-school/talking-strategies/

O  http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/communication-parents.aspx

O  www.hazelden.org/olweus

QUESTIONS??

Thank you for coming and have a great rest of your evening!