The first program is called
"SRE Ambassadors"Imagine a climate where kids aim to help those that are affected by bullying.
Imagine again how they can use their popularity, and kindness for another person.
Imagine if you will, how a climate can change by having staff nominate them for Information, and mentoring type roles.
What would a child feel like to have a way to talk, a way to communicate, a way to report.
Let's face facts here:
Some schools have limited budgets.
Some schools won't ever have adequate staff for hot spots.
What can be gained?
Intelligence on what is overheard.
Disruption of planned threats to the school system.
Those that have good writing skills are an asset to the school.
Daily logs that can be turned in to the administrator.
A presence to combate in a cool and effective manner for another student.
Peers by far have the most influence over other peers, more so than adults ever will.
A group of people that believe they can have an impact in school can change the climate and others will soon follow their good example. It might be that some will not change but, with this system you can have advanced warning on issues that are going on.
How does this work?
Selected peers are the ground network for the school, and are trained by the guidance counselor to effectively enter situations to protect another victim. Guidance counselor's have enough training in this area to help these students succeed on an interpersonal level. If the counselor does not have the training, then we can help train them as to what to do, and who they need to look for to train.
When you gain control of the population, you will start to see where the bad eggs of the school are. Management can watch these groups, and get help watching violent children by their appointed selectees. They also will have the ability to review reports with those selected for the program. In one sense, factories utilize safety personel that are selected to help catch vulnerabilities in employee work ethic. This follows the same guidelines and gives the selectees anonymity in the process.
Another program that will work.
- The school can add a reporting option to their websites homepage, and come up with a safety gimic for that link. When students report and see that something is done, it takes a huge burden off of them.
Remember, this will work only as long as your administrator takes the reports seriously.
- Anouncements from other classmates in the morning in higher grades about the importance of reporting and coming forward. No school is safe unless it utilizes a network of peers. It doesn't mean that schools need metal detectors or other high priced gadgets. It is about getting to know the children and their concerns around you.
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Prevention and Intervention Programs
The most effective prevention strategies are very comprehensive in nature, involving the entire school as a community to change the climate of the school and norms for behavior. It is crucial that parents, educators, administrators, health care professionals, and researchers work together to reduce bullying.
Prevention strategies should span from kindergarten through high school and involve educating the school community about bullies and their victims, as well as implementing school policies that set clear behavioral expectations. As of 2003, at least 15 states have passed laws addressing bullying in schools, which often include directives requiring or encouraging prevention program development, school employee training, and systematic reporting and disciplinary practices.
Strategies proven effective include having a consistent open dialogue about bullying and its consequences via classroom discussions, writing workshops, role plays, and parent-teacher meetings. Immediate intervention by school staff when bullying occurs has also shown to be successful. This involves the provision of adequate adult supervision in at-risk situations (e.g., hallways during class transitions and playgrounds) with strict enforcement of negative consequences in front of student bystanders to demonstrate that bullying behavior is not acceptable.
Parents must also be involved in their children's lives and intervene in a supportive and empathetic nature if they believe their child or another child is being bullied. To help prevent bullying, parents should enforce clear and concise behavioral guidelines and reward children for positive, inclusive behavior. Furthermore, parents should seek assistance from the school's principal, teachers, and counselors if concerns regarding their child's or another child's behavior arises.
The American Psychological Association Recommends:
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Support for research that will lead to a better understanding of bullying and victimization, as well as promote the development and evaluation of bullying prevention and intervention programs.
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Implementation and dissemination of comprehensive, research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs within schools and communities.
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Training for all school personnel (e.g., teachers, cafeteria workers, school-bus drivers, and maintenance workers) on bullying and bullying prevention.
