One Voice Bullying Prevention School Climate Primary Prevention Presented by Brian Koenig, M.S. www.k12associates.com K12 Associates, LLC Copyright 2013
Dec 26, 2015
One Voice Bullying Prevention
School Climate Primary Prevention
Presented by Brian Koenig, M.S.
www.k12associates.comK12 Associates, LLC Copyright 2013
Bullying Prevention Since Columbine
1999 Tragedy Prompted a National Focus Since Then Hundreds of New Programs and Products Still No Clear Model to Prevent Bullying Families, Students and Community Members Expect More Than a
Partial Solution Schools and Students At Risk
Legal Wasted Teaching Time Student Torment and Sometimes Tragedy
Why So Little Progress?
Most Bullying Goes Unseen by Adults Tough to Intervene
Kids are More Influenced by Other Kids Best Practices Out-the-Window in
Real Life Drama Students Don’t Trust Adult
Intervention Lack of Reporting
Structures at School are Bullying “Friendly” Bus rides, playgrounds, hallways, locker rooms
Adults Preach One Approach, Practice Another Unintentionally Ignore Bullying or Bully
Current Prevention StrategiesInherently Limiting
Students Motivated by Self Interest Safety Friendships Status
Bullying Prevention Skills, Nice But Not Necessary
Training of Students Uneven
Maintenance Equally Uneven
Two Simple Goals
Most Bullying Prevention Focuses on Student Attitudes and Behavior
But Design of the School Day Overpowers Student Skills
Two Simple Goals Reduce the number of situations where
students alone make the rules. Change the circumstances so positive
behavior is the easiest choice.
New Mindset
Current Mindset Stuff happens at school. Kids need to learn how to avoid bullies,
intervene in bullying incidents, stay away from unsafe places. This is the nature of school.
New Mindset Anything unsafe about school we must do our best to change. Adults create the school climate not kids.
Keeping School SafeWhat Adults Must Do
Social Emotional
Skill Building
Model Behaviors
Keep a Safe Physical Environment
Unsafe PlacesMost Bullying Occurs Here
Student Managed Space – Recipe for Trouble Low/no supervision Scarce resource No guided activity (nothing to do) Waiting
Examples School bus seating Lunchroom seating Isolated areas on the playground Lining up
Keeping Spaces Safe
Environmental Assessment Observation and report Paraprofessional and bus driver focus groups Student focus groups
Improve opportunities for student reporting More supervision Be intentional about personal space Less crowding Less waiting More guided activity and structure
Modeling Positive Behavior
Motto: Kids do what we do, not what we tell them. Positive problem solving language for adults
What do my comments communicate to the student My language during conflict Scripted comments that de-escalate trouble
Discuss age appropriate feedback for students Build self awareness of adult responses to conflict
Student Social Emotional Skills
Problem solving strategies during conflict Role playing in the classroom Strategies to ward off bullying behavior Meshes with Conscious Discipline (Becky Bailey) strategy, only with
youth not adults. Resource: Second Step Bullying Prevention by the Committee for
Children