Stop and DEBUG Anti-bullying ProgramDefinition: Bullying is repeated and intentional acts of physically or verbally aggressive behavior over time that involves a real or perceived imbalance of social or physical power with the more powerful person (or group) attacking those who are less powerful in order to harm them by bodily injury, discomfort, fear, slander or threat.
Policy: Any form of bullying, as defined above, between students and between staff members and between staff members upon students is prohibited. All acts deemed as bullying by administration will be subject to disciplinary action. What the American School Counseling Association says about bullying: http://bit.ly/qFBQ6V |
The Stop and DEBUG Anti-Bullying Program
Phase I:
STOP!
Decide to Ignore
Exit
Be Calm
Use I-Message
Get Adult Help
STOP!
Decide to Ignore
Exit
Be Calm
Use I-Message
Get Adult Help
Stop: Students learn how to use their hands to create an understood stop signal to indicate to a peer that their behavior is bugging them. This signal is a safe way to tell the person to stop. Students are taught when it is and is not appropriate to use the Stop signal. The Stop signal must be clear and firm, but respectful in tone and body language.
Decide to Ignore: Students are taught how to ignore others when they are bugging them. To ignore is to give no sound or expression. When the person who is bugging him/her is attempting to get a reaction, giving that reaction only reinforces the behavior. Ignoring it has a greater likelihood of making the person stop. The teaser will typically give up his/her attempts to get a reaction and stop the behavior.
Exit: Another strategy of handling someone who is teasing is to exit, or walk away from the problem. To exit is to get away without ever responding to the teaser.
Be Calm: It is important for all students to try to remain calm when someone is bothering or bugging him/her. Calm does not show anger, fear, shock, or misery. Students need to understand that their reaction to teasing could sometimes "feed" the teasing and cause it to continue. If the student remains calm, the reinforcement for the teasing is not present.
Use I-Message: Students are taught "I-Messages." I-Messages are "I" focused statements that let the person who is bugging them know how they feel about the way that person is treating him/her. I-Messages are more effective than "You-Messages" because they typically do not create a defensive response. An I message is a way to be assertive without being mean. An I message looks like this: "I feel ____ when you ____because_____. Next time, please _____."
Get Adult Help: Some problems are beyond what a child can solve him or herself. An adult must intervene. Students learn that they are able to use the "Get Adult Help" strategy when they have attempted to use the other strategies and the person continues to bug them. It is important to note that students are encouraged to attempt to respectfully resolve the problem themselves first, but they are made clear that they may get adult help from any trusted adult WHENEVER they feel unsafe or believe that someone else's safety is threatened.
Emphasis is placed on the importance of taking student bullying concerns seriously. Conn staff members are trained in how to respond when a student approaches them for help. We understand the importance of supporting students with social and peer relational matters, especially when they become problems that are too big for them to deal with alone.
Decide to Ignore: Students are taught how to ignore others when they are bugging them. To ignore is to give no sound or expression. When the person who is bugging him/her is attempting to get a reaction, giving that reaction only reinforces the behavior. Ignoring it has a greater likelihood of making the person stop. The teaser will typically give up his/her attempts to get a reaction and stop the behavior.
Exit: Another strategy of handling someone who is teasing is to exit, or walk away from the problem. To exit is to get away without ever responding to the teaser.
Be Calm: It is important for all students to try to remain calm when someone is bothering or bugging him/her. Calm does not show anger, fear, shock, or misery. Students need to understand that their reaction to teasing could sometimes "feed" the teasing and cause it to continue. If the student remains calm, the reinforcement for the teasing is not present.
Use I-Message: Students are taught "I-Messages." I-Messages are "I" focused statements that let the person who is bugging them know how they feel about the way that person is treating him/her. I-Messages are more effective than "You-Messages" because they typically do not create a defensive response. An I message is a way to be assertive without being mean. An I message looks like this: "I feel ____ when you ____because_____. Next time, please _____."
Get Adult Help: Some problems are beyond what a child can solve him or herself. An adult must intervene. Students learn that they are able to use the "Get Adult Help" strategy when they have attempted to use the other strategies and the person continues to bug them. It is important to note that students are encouraged to attempt to respectfully resolve the problem themselves first, but they are made clear that they may get adult help from any trusted adult WHENEVER they feel unsafe or believe that someone else's safety is threatened.
Emphasis is placed on the importance of taking student bullying concerns seriously. Conn staff members are trained in how to respond when a student approaches them for help. We understand the importance of supporting students with social and peer relational matters, especially when they become problems that are too big for them to deal with alone.
Stop & D.E.B.U.G, Phase II:
Empowering Bystanders (Bystander Strategies)
Bystanders play a very important role in combating bullying and teasing at school. A bystander is a person who is a witness to the teasing. This person may be friends with the victim or friends with the teaser; or they may not be friends with either, but are in the position to see or hear someone being teased. We are teaching that the bystander may help the situation in six significant ways, IF he or she feels comfortable. It is made clear that the bystander is not responsible for stopping the bullying or defending the victim.
Here are the Stop & DEBUG: Phase II strategies for bystanders:
1. Stop signal …to tell the person to stop teasing the other person.
2. Discourage the teasing …by not laughing or participating in it.
3. Exit …help the victim leave the situation.
4. Be calm …and don’t escalate or instigate the situation by becoming
excited or trying to solve the problem
5. Use respect …by not talking about what happened to any others or
spread rumors about it.
6. Get adult help …and report the problem
We believe that being familiar with these strategies and knowing when to use them will help all students feel safe and respected at Conn Elementary.
Here are the Stop & DEBUG: Phase II strategies for bystanders:
1. Stop signal …to tell the person to stop teasing the other person.
2. Discourage the teasing …by not laughing or participating in it.
3. Exit …help the victim leave the situation.
4. Be calm …and don’t escalate or instigate the situation by becoming
excited or trying to solve the problem
5. Use respect …by not talking about what happened to any others or
spread rumors about it.
6. Get adult help …and report the problem
We believe that being familiar with these strategies and knowing when to use them will help all students feel safe and respected at Conn Elementary.