Invisible - NOT CYBER - Bullying in the School: Part III - The School Bus and the Classroom ( Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans )

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans 

This is the third in a series of three articles related to Invisible Bullying. We refer to it as invisible because it is happening virtually within 25 feet or less from adult supervision and it is going completely unrecognized because the supervisors are often on a completely different "wavelength" from the students they are supervising. Like the adults in the Charlie Brown specials, they are invisible to the students and speak a different language.

We refer to this as Decontextualized Supervision, and although it can prevent seriously bodily harm and make sure people get outside in a natural disaster and maintain general law and order, it does nothing to assist the victims of bullying during the school day. We spoke in Part I of the bullying that occurs in plain sight in the school hallways. Teachers, before you punish a child who is continually late to class automatically, will you please look at that child and ask yourself if this person looks like a person intent on beating the system or one who someone intends to beat on. If you are not sure, err on the side of caution and begin with the assumption that the child is purposely taking the long way to avoid hallway bullies that he or she dreads having to pass each day- because they are really lurking out there- even if you don't see them.

In the cafeteria, what do you surmise when a kid shows you his new Social Studies Book with a piece of pizza smooshed in the middle? If there are kids that always go to help the librarian instead of going to lunch, does anyone ask the child why?

More children than you would think dread walking in the hallways and going to the cafeteria because of the constant abuse. Yet, for us adults, most of the time we glance into the cafeterias or down the hallway, and everything looks fine to us, except for perhaps a little too much noise. Which group- the kids or the adults have a mistaken impression? Which group of people is out of touch with the realities of the situation? Which group is working with no contextual backdrop? As a supervisor of students, what skills have you developed beyond making comments like, "Keep it down you people, or else!" "If I have to come down there you aren't going to like it!"and, "I want the both of you to knock it off or you will be seeing me for detention for the next week!" When you said that last one, was it really an even battle, or might someone be the constant perpetrator?

So, we have spoken about the hallways and the cafeteria as being dreaded places for many young people. Next we will talk about the school bus, and this of course, includes getting on and off the school bus at the beginning of each day- another big reason for latenesses to school- an effort to avoid the gauntlet!

The law asserts that the school is responsible for each student who is transported to school from the time they leave their house in the morning till they return. That, of course, is ridiculous because we have enough to worry about in the building and since administrators are not really like the assistant principal in Ferris Bueller's Day Off- running all over town chasing people like idiots, to expect the school to police someone's street for the thugs that dwell there is very unrealistic. That being said, once again the bullies are at work at the bus stop in the morning terrorizing the weakest kids. Is anyone surprised that most new Elementary & Secondary schools are being built with pick-up lanes and older buildings have changed the traffic patterns in the parking lot for the cars of parents who drop off and pick up their children each day? 15 years ago, kids either walked to school or rode the bus, with very few parent pick-ups Overprotective? Tell it to the parents of children undergoing this terror every day. Additionally, even the students who are not bothered have learned early on to keep their mouths shut lest they be next on some bully's "Hit list".

An additional problem is that, in a school district where the population is sparse, there is only one bus run and all the schools in the district start and end at the same time. This means that your kindergarten child is on the bus every day with high school students, hearing all of the jokes, the verbal and physical abuse, and maybe even providing the bullies with additional easy targets for money, pencils, pens, markers, as well as abuse.

Another problem that nobody grasps is that almost all school districts, in an effort to contract out for everything including teachers, have done away with their busses and hired an independent contractor. The job of bus driver now is taken by someone happy to work part time and with no idea about discipline codes of the school and the disciplinary process. We recall one situation where a bus driver blared a radio the entire ride to and from school with religious music. Another driver curses and swears at the kids who are experts at getting an untrained adult to "take the bait" and lose their temper. In a school bus, people are hit, kicked, spat upon, verbally, assaulted, groped, propositioned, denied seats, their books and belongings are tampered with, they are tripped, the abuse folks, is endless. Occasionally you can see a story of a parent who, fed up with the school's process, takes matters into her own hands and enters the bus to confront the bullies. Attention you professionals- this is real stuff- we aren't making it up, and it is torture every day for children that nobody in the school ever hears about, and the driver cannot be expected to see since his or her eyes are on the road. Occasionally, an untrained bus driver will try to set up some kind of specific seating, and often they operate, like the supervisors in the school, with incomplete knowledge of who the culprits really are or they completely ignore the bullies in the hopes that nothing big will happen that day. The truth is, nothing actually noticeable ever happens when a adult watches, yet a girl could still be having lewd remarks about oral sex whispered in her ear, or a kid could be getting touched in some inappropriate way or having someone tamper with their violin, and no adult can see it and no one dares talk about it. The students law of Omerta- is even more iron clad than the Mafia.

I bet you think this is all exaggerated- I mean, really, it can't be that bad can it? After all, I work in an upper middle class place that fancies itself to be like a private school. Please, we implore you school people, make friends with the students who operate on the dark side. They will enlighten you as to the goings on in their world that you don't see even if you are looking in the right direction. Well-to-do students can be as cruel and heartless and, in our experience, often even more so than their less fortunate counterparts- and the parents of these children are much quicker to threaten bringing in the "dream team" of lawyers as opposed to working with the school to improve their child's behavior.

Now we switch to the classroom where one would think that law and order and the prevention of bullying would be the easiest to accomplish because there is a confined area with a teacher watching. Here are some examples of how children can be bullied in plain sight right in the classroom. I take you back to 1965. We are in the band room of a suburban high school where the morning rehearsal is taking place. A very overweight Japanese boy was the tuba player. At least twice a week, the bullies, of which the writer was at least an encouragement to the bullies would have him kicked out of band practice for passing gas out loud during the rehearsal. When the loud gas-passing sound occurred, everyone in the section would get up and walk away yelling, " Ugh, Benny (his nickname) that's disgusting", "I'm not sitting near him", "he's a pig", etc. This would happen during a pause in the playing and the band director's attention was diverted. The band director, ever the willing dupe, went for the frame up and would angrily toss Benny out of the rehearsal. The problem was, Benny was not passing gas- one of his tormentors was making the gas passing sound, and when it was made, everyone in the section joined in the collective disgust at "Benny" passing gas. In an assembly, when there was a lull in a speech being given by the principal about patriotism, this writer, seated halfway back in the middle of a row, got up to use the lavatory. A "friend" yelled out, "This is boring, I'm Leaving!!! Everyone in the auditorium immediately looked at me and I stood there trying to tell nobody in particular that it wasn't me who said that. I got detention for a week and worse, of course, since it was still the sixties, even more when I got home.

That is one kind of dilemma. Here's the next one. A student punches another student in class or pushes his books off the desk for example. The victim, tired of the constant abuse that has been going on every day decides to confront the bully. The teacher turns around from writing on the board, sees the victim standing up in front of the bully in a confrontational pose and immediately sends the victim to the office for his/her aggressive behavior. Do you know your students? After the first few days, any experienced teacher already knows, either by sight, or through the grapevine, which student requires constant scrutiny. When the bully is sitting there looking innocent and a non bully is striking an aggressive pose, do you think that might be a good time- or perhaps after class, to delve into the story with greater intellectual curiosity? The bullies, friends, know the precise moment to strike. As a teacher, do you pay attention to who is going to the lavatory and the time the person always goes? You are right, it's an impossibility for the most part. Know that abuse is occurring in the lavatory constantly. Creating a process which disturbs the process of the bullies is a good thing, but a teacher must be aware of the context. False equivalency where both parties are told essentially to "sit down and shut up- both of you!" is hurtful to the one who was not doing anything in the first place, but it does bring order, if not justice, to the classroom. Call some Moms and invite them in to sit with their child throughout the class. When the grapevine learns of what you did, most people will stop their devious actions because the shame of one's Mother sitting in class next to him or her will be a sufficient deterrent.

How about the locker room? How about students paying another student money to snap a picture of someone in the locker room changing clothes and having it go viral? Tampering with one's clothing and belongings, stealing, physical abuse, verbal abuse is occurring all the time in the locker room and the teacher is generally sitting in his or her office or waiting for the students in the gym. Yes, we realize that the school district refuses to hire anyone past a half day because then they have to give the person benefits, but if there is any place that needs constant watching it is the locker room. Do you have any idea how many students never dress for gym in the high school, choosing instead to take an F and then take Physical Education in summer school where they are required to, for example, walk around the building each day or swim, or go bowling?

Finally, you have all heard the adage, usually said in jest that, "You just can't find good help anymore!" Well that adage is true in the world of substitute teachers. Most schools cannot find enough trained teachers to serve as substitute teachers. We have seen substitutes actually sleeping in class and others who smell as though they have never showered. Most commonly, however, the substitute teacher seldom, if ever is actually certified in the area of the person he or she is replacing. Now you have a situation like this... A student who strikes another student is seen by the substitute teacher who asks, "What is your name young man?" "Joe Smith!" answers the student.

Bullies love substitute teachers because to begin with, they don't know anybody's name. Add to this the fact that the new teachers we see today are different than the old timers who saved up every day so when it came time to retire, the retiring teacher could collect full pay for a year or more. Today's teacher misses school for the slightest reason without any regard for 30 years from now. The result- infinitely more days with substitute teachers coming in when they can be found.

The week after Thanksgiving is Christmas shopping week, for example- don't look for a full staff in that week! When substitutes can't be found the regular staff is asked to watch the class during their duty free period or whole classes are sent to the auditorium where adults who would rather be somewhere else are assigned the task of watching the students during a duty-free period. Check the floor of the auditorium after a couple of mass coverage classes... that will give you some idea about the passion that the supervisor is bringing to the task at hand.

In summary we make these assertions and offer these admonitions.

1. Most of the bullying that occurs in schools occurs in plain sight and goes unperceived by adults because the adults cannot conceive of such a thing happening in such a place. They approach their responsibility with no grasp of context. They are good at keeping the noise down. No justice can be expected here for the victims. The greatest plans by mental health professional and counselors are doomed to failure without a grasp by the adults of the world in which a student operates.
2. There is no actual safe place in the school from a bully. The busier the place the better. Bullies need to experience some discomfort and disruption of their process. Be creative. Get Mom in there to walk next to Junior all day for starters. Machiavelli would have referred to this as a "Signal Example"- the effect of which is to deter future bullies- it's the reason that the law considers punitive or exemplary damages- to send a message to future would-be wrongdoers.
3. Take a close look at students who frequently miss school, are late for school or class, never dress for gym, or never go to the cafeteria because they want to help a teacher. Do all of these people really look like trouble makers trying to beat the system thus deserving of letter- of- the- law school discipline or do they give off a different message?
4. Have a meeting in August with all bus drivers to explain to them how the disciplinary process works so there might be a shred of consistency between this disparate group of individuals, most of whom think school discipline would be no problem if the administrators would just "kick a little more butt." Nobody told them that this kind of punishment is generally against the law- and educators do not make the law- politicians do- educators just try to carry out the law.
5. Have incentives for teachers who do not miss any school days. At least they know the names of the students. The bullies hate that!
6. Take the time to develop a working relationship with students who are usually on the wrong side of the discipline code. Many of them are dying to talk to an adult about what is going on but no one has ever taken the time. The police ALWAYS have their informants who operate under cover. Have incentives for these individuals too. The effect will be to disrupt the plans of the Bully. You will know, for example, when someone has brought a weapon to school. In one district, we excelled at this. Kids were always coming in early to tell us things. They became very caring too and would alert you if a certain student looked "strange" that day and could be on drugs, or drunk, for example.

We guarantee that you will be amazed at what you, the adult, did NOT know about what was really going on- even if it was hiding in plain sight. Bullying is never going to go away. Schools are a microcosm of the society we live in. How civil is that society these days? A look at the embarrassing behavior of our elected officials should provide you with some clue as to how fast bullying will disappear. Creativity, perseverance, and awareness are crucial to making any changes in the status quo- get some parents and kids on your side as well.

Dr. Dan Chandler is an Assistant Professor of Pedagogy at The College of New Jersey. His career has included successful teaching in the Elementary and Middle School Classrooms, High School Physical Education, Undergraduate and Graduate Preparation of Aspiring Teachers and Administrators, Coaching, and 18 years as a High School Principal. His information is never "Ivory Tower", tastefully irreverent, and usually applicable the next day. Dan's modus operandi is to "Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable." An advocate of Vygotskian Pedagogy and Nachmanovitch Improvisation in life and work-not just music and comedy- he asks his charges to always keep in mind the words of Alfred Korsbysky, namely, "The map is not the territory", and by extension, "The Lesson Plan is not the Lesson!" Dan can be reached at chandler@tcnj.edu

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans 

The Disruptive Child: How to Help and not Hurt Them ( Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans )

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans

Disruptive behavior is any behavior that will prevent an instructor from teaching, thus preventing his or her students from learning as much as they need to in class. A child whose unacceptable behavior is repeated or continuous must be corrected, but with these particular children, it seems as though nothing works. However, there are the less common occasions when a teacher may have to deal with a student because of a single disruptive event. There is a significant difference between dealing with a disruptive child who is consistently disruptive, and dealing with a student who has displayed inappropriate and disruptive behavior only once.

There are always reasons underlying a student's behavior. If a child has been disruptive once in class, it may be that something about that day upset the child emotionally, perhaps at home or on the playground etc., which caused a disruptive reaction. By the same token, if a child is always disruptive there is likely a more deep-seeded problem involved. For example: trouble at home, some sort of undiagnosed disorder, problems with not being accepted or being bullied by other students. Therefore, dealing with a disruptive student is going to have to be carefully executed.

As teachers, we must remember that even though it is incredibly frustrating to have a child continuously interfering with your lesson plans--it may be that that student is suffering just as much if not more than you or others who deal with the behavioral problems the child has. I cannot emphasize it enough; dealing with a disruptive student must be done with special care.

The typical forms of disruptive behavior are those such as a student monopolizing discussions, talking in class, trying to change the subject, coming to class late or leaving class early, sleeping in class, eating in class when not allowed, and passing notes etc. Correcting the behavior of a child who is an extrovert and seems to just be hungry for attention is different than dealing with a disruptive student who displays more introvert-like behaviors such as sleeping in class, coming late and leaving early--or just leaving class at random during the school day.

If you do not already, think of your students as little people, and their disruptive behavior as a sign of something wrong--like a fever or a cough would indicate some kind of illness.

Not to say that such a student should be without punishment. Sometimes the punishments need to be severe--if for no other reason than to continue class as planned. But this sort of severe punishment, i.e. expulsion, suspension, long hours of detention etc. should (and of course, on a case-by-case basis) be coupled with trying to get the child some help, if it seems as though there is an underlying issue at hand.

Many schools offer student counseling, and if this is not enough--you may want to meet with the parents. However, be very careful not to put the child's parents on the defensive. Try to find out if the problem may be related to something at home, while at the same time speaking to them in a non-accusatory fashion--this can be tricky. As another staff member or the principal to sit in on the meeting, so that no false accusations against the teacher can be made. Sadly, this does occur.

Then there are the other kinds of misbehavior. When a disruptive student makes threats--whether they are made against a student, a faculty member or staff member, there is almost certainly a problem regarding violence in the student's life, whether at home or in their social interactions. If a student is threatened that he or she might be beaten up, whether by bullies or by a parent or guardian--he or she is likely to imitate this type of behavior elsewhere. A child exposed to yelling and screaming and constant fighting at home, may have trouble not doing the same in a social situation--or these things can have a reverse effect, and the child will withdraw him or herself, not care about the work or the grades or anything else. So the "how to" is a big and difficult decision to make when dealing such students and every case is different.

On the upside, it is quite possible that a teacher can enable their troubled student to have a better overall life if this kind of problem is taken care of in a timely fashion, before the disruptive behavior is embedded in the child permanently. Thus, sometimes your actions will require the assistance some of the other faculty--especially a guidance counselor--or another type of social work professional (even from outside the school) to decide what is the best thing to do.

Despite the fact that dealing with a problem student is often dealing with a person who is legitimately troubled--there are, unfortunately by no fault of their own, very nasty behaviors that can come along with an unfair and unfortunate life.

For example: if you meet with a disruptive student to discuss his or her problems--you should probably have another person present. The reason for having more than one adult there when you are dealing with a disruptive student is partly that the student may become angry with you. The student may lie and say that you hurt or threatened him or her--which can escalate into a much more serious problem legally.

One warning, however, is that you seriously consider NOT having the parent, parents or guardian of the child be the third party in discussion, in case the problem does indeed stem from the home environment. If this is so--the child may freeze up and not say a word around with his parent(s) or guardian(s) present--leaving you concerned and giving you nothing to go on.



How to handle a troubled student may very well be one of the most difficult challenges you will face as a teacher. But do not give up. All of your students need the support and love of the adults who take care of them--and that means you, directly, for about six hours out of the day five days a week.

The most important advice I can give you in regards to dealing with a disruptive student is--try not to get frustrated or upset. Be the adult. And set your goal to help the student as best you can.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, education and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on education please visit Teaching Supplies.

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans

Violence in Schools ( Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans )

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans

School violence has been identified as an increasing problem facing all members of school communities. Intervention programs have been developed to combat this ever increasing problem, with varying levels of effectiveness. Following, individualised and generic intervention programs which aim to reduce the incidence of school violence will be discussed in relation to issues such as cost, cultural fit, power, training, acceptability, and involvement.

Both individualised and generic intervention programs aim to reduce the incidence of school violence and create a safe and secure learning environment. In which staff and students are protected from all forms of violence. Bullying and aggression occur more frequently in schools where there are unclear standards of behaviour, inconsistent methods of discipline, inadequate supervision and lack of awareness of children as individuals (Pearce, 1991, p76). Generic intervention programs may address issues relating to methods of discipline and supervision but less often address issues relating to the children as individuals. Individualised intervention programs address the specific learning, social and emotional needs of the student rather than the wider school community. Individualised intervention programs also address issues relating to discipline and supervision of the target student.

Generic intervention programs appear to have limited scope when addressing the effects of violent episodes on victims and witnesses. Generic programs may be less effective in addressing the specific needs of the victim as they are typically general in nature and not developed for the specific and individual needs of particular students. Individualised intervention programs address the specific needs of the victims within the specific school context. Therefore, individualised intervention programs are likely to be more effective in addressing the effects of violence for those involved, including the victims of violent episodes. Intervention programs, either individualised or generic, which require the abuser to make amends, are effective in reducing further incidents (Pearce, 1991).

Some teachers commonly use emotional maltreatment along with punitive practices to discipline and punish students for unwanted behaviour (Briggs & Hawkins, 1997, p34). Abuse perpetrated by teachers often occurs within a school climate where violence and aggression is tolerated (Saudermann, Jaffe & Schieck, 1996, p5). A generic intervention program may be effective in changing the culture of the school and impacting on expectations of acceptable professional behaviours. However, the changes required to limit the abuse by teachers may happen over time as the culture of the school improves. An individualised intervention program would also be effective in reducing incidents of abuse by teachers, although changes in abusive behaviours should occur more rapidly. Both generic and individualised intervention programs can provide abusive teachers with new strategies for managing students' behaviour thus reducing the incidence of violence and abuse.

Due to its broad focus generic intervention programs may not meet the needs of the students that it is targeting. A 'one size fits all' approach may not meet the specific needs of students, teachers, parents or community because of its generic nature. A generic intervention program strives to create a school environment that is warm and interesting and has clearly defined limits regarding behaviour. The program fosters consistent, non-violent strategies to address violations of the school rules (Olweus, 1994). Generic intervention programs mainly utilise staff already available at a school, including parents or caregivers, school administration, teachers and students (Olweus, 1994). These program and of others like it aim to reduce maladjustment and violence by providing at risk students with alternative, pro-social attention (Jackson, 2002, p115).

Individualised intervention programs are developed according to identified needs of individual students. They are very costly as they require intensive observation and investigation as to the context and the purpose of the misbehaviour. They require the ongoing support of specialists in Functional Behaviour Analysis (FBA). The FBA is the process of identifying events that predict violent episodes and maintain that behaviour (March, 2002). Specialists may be required to complete the behaviour analysis and to develop a plan of action to address the violent episodes. They may require extra staff to assist teachers in development and implementation of the program. Using an FBA to develop an individualised intervention program, whilst being effective, is costly and requires the use of non-school based specialists or highly trained specialist teachers.

Alternatively, generic intervention programs which are commercially available are less expensive for schools to purchase and implement. They may require a training component, but this is usually an isolated period of training for those involved. Research has shown (March & Homer, 2002) that these one off teacher training programs are not likely to generate skills that teachers can use and maintain in various classroom settings. Teachers require meaningful and regular training in the strategies outlined in the intervention program for it to be successful. Generally, generic intervention programs are able to be effectively implemented by classroom teachers with limited training in violence reduction strategies.

Antecedent-based interventions, a type of individualised program, are effective in reducing violent episodes at school and therefore reduce the need for punitive consequences to violence (Kern, 2002 p 113). They address the environmental issues that contribute to violence occurring within a school or classroom setting. The Antecedent-based interventions are similar to the FBA, a component of an individual intervention program, as they address the specific needs of individuals and the factors that contribute to violent episodes occurring within a particular setting. These individualised intervention programs have been identified as being effective in reducing school violence by limiting the identified environmental factors that contribute to violent episode's with targeted students.

Many generic intervention programs are long term and may take several years to see meaningful improvements and changes in the school culture, as well as a reduction in violent episodes. Teachers may find an increased workload due to increased expectations (Saudermann, Jaffe & SchieckSaudermann, Jaffe & Schieck, 1996, p9).

Individualised intervention programs are designed to address the specific needs of the target individuals. They are developed using specific data which informs the type of program that needs to be implemented. Individualised intervention programs access specific information through meaningful investigation of the behaviours of those students involved. A hypothesis is developed regarding the function the violence performs and the intervention is developed to specifically address this need. Generic intervention programs generally do not address why a particular student is violent and therefore run the risk of failing to meet their specific needs. They provide a band aid solution to prevent and reduce violent incidents in general. All students exhibiting similar behaviours will receive similar intervention (March, 2002, p159), without addressing the cause of the violence and the student's specific emotional, social and academic needs.

Generic intervention programs usually involved teaching those involved skills to reduce the level of school violence. These may include conflict resolution and peer mediation for the students and new strategies to manage student's behaviour for teachers. The skills taught during the intervention are not usually transferred by students into other contexts, therefore are far less likely to reduce violence. Generic intervention programs may include a proactive prevention section which outlines procedures, lessons and supervision ideas to prevent violence actually occurring within school contexts. This may include instruction relating to the development of effective social skills. Social skills should be taught, as part of an intervention, with effective instructional techniques (Scott, Nelson & Liaupsin, 2001), to maximise the enhancement of student's pro-social behaviours. Individualised intervention programs may also include opportunities for students to develop social skills which may enhance their school experience, skills that are useful in many contexts.

Behaviour mapping programs encourage students to identify and understand their non-productive behaviours and explore more appropriate alternatives (Unruth, Anderson & Bartscher, 1997). This encourages students to become more aware of their behaviour and to make choices about how they want to behave. Behaviour Mapping is an effective generic intervention program that is tailored to the individual student's behavioural needs. It requires a skilled, knowledgeable and committed teacher to implement the program effectively.

Some generic intervention programs by nature must be general and include information that is aimed at the dominant white middle class student. These programs may therefore exclude students who don't form part of the dominant school culture. (Hyman & Snook, p134) These programs may contain a lot of assumed knowledge, behaviours and expectation which may be unfamiliar to some students. This may render the intervention program ineffective for those students. An individualised intervention program should be tailored to the specific cultural and language needs of the student. To be effective, an intervention program should be culturally inclusive and be accessible for all targeted students.

Peer violence can be related to a variety of causes, including family, individual and school factors (Saudermann, Jaffe & Schieck, 1996, p4). Intervention programs should therefore address these factors if they are to be real successful. Generic programs to reduce school violence are often limited in their scope and only address individual and school factors. Family factors which may contribute to peer violence within schools are rarely addressed in generic intervention programs. Studies indicate that aggressive behaviour is elevated in children who witness violence within the home (Jaffe, Wolfe & Wilson, 1990). Therefore, family factors must be addressed for any intervention program to be successful. Peer abuse may relate to a power imbalance between the abuser and the victim (Sudermann, Jaffe & Schieck, 1996, p2). Therefore, intervention programs should include opportunities for students to develop interpersonal skills and self esteem.
Research has identified that intervention programs that emphasise punishment, control and zero tolerance are ineffective at preventing school violence and may even contribute to antisocial behaviours occurring (Leone, et al 2000). Teachers are in a powerful position to reduce the incidence of school violence through their use of appropriate behaviour management strategies, providing adequate supervision and an engaging curriculum. They can also attain this position by establishing an environment where violence of any kind in unacceptable and students are treated respectfully. According to Scott, Nelson & Liaupsin (2001), students who are successful in school have little incentive to engage in behaviours that might typically result in their exclusion from school. Long term generic intervention programs with multiple components which include conflict resolution, values education, cultural education, positive discipline and effective communication that is aimed at teachers, staff, students, and parents are powerful in changing the school's culture (Smith, Duaric, Miller & Robinson, 2002, p574).

Effective academic instruction has also been identified as a strategy to help prevent school violence. Scott, Nelson & Liaupsin (2001) contend that by creating schools that facilitate student success, the goal of improving school safety will also be addressed. Therefore, teachers must provide an academically challenging environment in which positive interpersonal relationships are fostered.

There are many programs that can be implemented across school level or to target individuals to reduce incidents of violence at school. Certainly there are many commercially available intervention programs available for schools to choose from. It is important that programs are identified and implemented that are appropriate to the school culture, are acceptable within the wider community, involve parents. Individualised intervention programs are invaluable for creating behavioural change for students exhibiting serious aggressive behaviour. A generic intervention program may be effective in preventing and addressing violence across a whole school level by encouraging students to develop effective and pro-social interpersonal skills.

Often through early experiences with family, schools, media, peers and community children learn that violence, rather than communication or negotiation, is an appropriate way to solve interpersonal problems WHO/UNESCO, 1999, p2).

Samantha is a qualified Early Childhood teacher with 10 years experience. She is currently studying Master of education. She is the mother of 2 young boys. Although parenting is her main focus, furthering her understandings about how children learn and develop is something of great interest to her. She is interested in parenting, as a teacher, as a mother and a member of a wider community.
She believes that how we look after our children impacts on others in the world around us. For more information and articles please see [http://www.saneparenting.com]

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans

Ways to Prevent Bullying ( Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans )

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans

One way to prevent bullying in schools is to have parents change the way they parent their children at home. This is easier said than done. A lot of children who bully come from homes where they see violence and physical & mental abuse from their parents. Then the children think it is OK to go and do the same to other children. Usually children that come from violent or abusive homes take their anger out on other children. I think it is important for parents to ask questions and know what is going on in their child's life. Parents have to look for sign to see if their child is being bullied or bullying others. If your child is being bullied some signs you should watch for are:

- Unknown injuries
- Doesn't want to go back to school
- Looking depressed or sad
- Sudden loss of friends

If your child is bullying others some signs you should look for are:

- Getting into fights with others
- Being very aggressive
- Get in trouble frequently at school
- Wanting to be popular/look cool

Those are just some of the signs to look for. Parents should investigate any kind of behavior change in their child to make sure everything is OK.

Another way to prevent bullying is to establish an anti-bullying policy at the schools. This is important because it shows the students that there is a zero tolerance for any kind of bullying behavior. You want students to know you are providing them safe environments where they will be treated with respect know matter how different they are. Make sure the policy is communicated and understood by parents, faculty, staff, and the community. To make the policy effective it is important to have the support of everyone involved. Without every ones support it would be hard to implement. The consequences for violations should be clearly defined. Also, there should be a confidential reporting system included in the policy. That way it makes it easier for students to report incidents without the fear of retaliation. It helps students to feel more comfortable reporting incidents. If all the steps are followed an anti-bullying policy is a very effective way to prevent bullying in schools.

A third way, which kind of ties in to the anti-bullying policy, is to educate faculty, staff, and students about bullying. It is important for the faculty and staff to know what bullying is and how to deal with it because they are the role models to the students. I think schools should put the faculty and staff in workshops where they learn what bullying is, what the schools policy is, and how to enforce the rules. They would be able to ask any questions and add suggestions to the content. Once the faculty and staff have been educated they will be able to teach the students about bullying. One method to educate the students is to have the schools put the bullying topic in the lesson plan or activities.

Schools could allow students to have discussions about the topic of bullying to see how much they know about the issue. They could also allow students to do a role play or speech on how to stop bullying. I think it is important for schools to incorporate the topic of bullying into the lesson plan because it makes students aware of the issue and how to deal with it. If the issue is not discussed then students would not know how to deal with it and nobody to turn to for help. The more we educate faculty, staff, and the students, the better we can prevent bullying.

Bullying Prevention Lesson Plans