Youth Connections

A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS BULLYING PREVENTION AND RESPONSE

ABOUT BULLYING

Bullying is a widespread and serious problem that can happen anywhere. It is not a phase children have to go through, it is not "just messing around", and it is not a rite of passage. Bullying can prevent students from being able to learn and it can cause serious and lasting harm.

Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying involves:

Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves

Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm

Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same the person over and over by the same person or group

Bullying can take many forms. Examples include verbal (name-calling, making fun of, threatening), social (spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships), physical (hitting, throwing things at, punching, shoving, kicking, tripping, intimidating), and cyberbullying (using the internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to hurt or harass others). An act of bullying may fit into more than one of these groups. When bullying is based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability, it violates civil rights laws.

ABOUT STRATEGIES TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO BULLYING

Though research on preventing and addressing bullying is still developing, we know that efforts to improve school climate, promote positive youth development, and encourage positive interactions among students and staff can significantly reduce bullying. Creating connections—a sense of belonging and acceptance—is a critical element of this approach.

Effective bullying prevention and response requires strong administrative leadership and ongoing commitment on the part of the adults in the school system and at home. Programs that show the most promise are comprehensive in approach. Efforts need to begin early and continue throughout the children's education... effective bullying prevention programs should have no "end date" but should instead become part of the life of the school

ABOUT EXPECT RESPECT

EXPECT RESPECT is the theme for the Helena School District’s comprehensive plan to address bullying prevention and response by placing a focus on creating school-wide learning environments that build connections and caring and discourage bullying and aggression. Supported by the Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative, Youth Connections and the Montana Behavioral Initiative (MBI), the approach focuses on teaching students to show respect to one another instead of on telling them not to bully. It begins by establishing respect—or being respectful—as one of the school’s positive universal expectations. One of MBI’s key ideas is “if you expect it, you need to teach it”.

Some people might think that students, especially older ones, should already “know” how to be respectful. However, just as many, if not more, might believe that respect is not a behavior that is frequently observable in today’s society. Disrespectful behaviors are not limited to students and school grounds. Adult bullies continue to exist in the movies, the news and the workplace. Being respectful can be viewed as a lifelong skill that needs constant reminders, practice and reinforcement.

Each school community will develop a list of specific behaviors that describe what respect looks like in that building. All students and staff spend will spend time examining and discussing examples and non-examples of respect, making sure that everyone in the school community knows what it means to be respectful. The school will also create a system to encourage and recognize students who show respect, knowing that positive reinforcement helps to establish these behavior expectations.

Students will be given a strategy to use if they receive or witness disrespect. “Stop… Walk… Talk” encourages students to tell the perpetrator to stop, walk away, and tell a trusted adult. Clear distinctions are drawn between “tattling” and responsible reporting. Teachers will be trained in the appropriate ways to respond to such reports.

A systematic approach to teaching and expecting respect does not ignore that a continuum of clear and consistent consequences need to be in place for students who continue to display bullying behaviors. In addition, students who feel threatened or unsafe need extra support.

Another critical element is communication between the school and the community. All schools will include a parent component to provide families with information about their bullying prevention and response efforts.

It takes the entire school community to establish a caring school where everyone feels they belong and are safe. Working together, administrators, teachers, school staff, parents, and students can EXPECT RESPECT… and create the best possible learning environment—one that welcomes each and every student and offers the opportunity to be successful.