AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, AND BULLYING

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AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON HARASSMENT,
INTIMIDATION, AND BULLYING
Christopher Willis Ph.D. Newport County, Rhode
Island John Lestino MS, LPC Edgewater Park, New
Jersey NASP Convention Atlanta Mini Skills
Workshop March 31, 2005
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THE ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

• For most behavior there are multiple causes that
  occur at all levels of the individuals social
  ecology.
• (Smalls and Kerns, 1993)

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THE ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Bullying is best conceptualized as an interaction
  that occurs not only because of individual
  characteristics of the bully, but also because of
  the actions of peers, actions of teachers and
  other adult caretakers at school, physical
  characteristics of the school grounds, family
  factors, cultural characteristics, and even
  community factors. (Swearer Doll, 2001)

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ADW SIMPLE ASSAULT THREATS OF VIOLENCE
HARASSMENT INTIMIDATION BULLYING
VIOLENCE PREVENTION CUBE
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ADW SIMPLE ASSAULT THREATS OF VIOLENCE
VIOLENCE PREVENTION CUBE
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• Bullying Behavior Defined
• Intentional, usually unprovoked attempts
• To cause physical and/or emotional harm
• To one or more targets
• Where there is an imbalance of physical,
  psychological, and/or social power
• Of the perpetrator(s) over the target(s)
• Occurring usually, but not necessarily, over
  time.
• Victimization - not a conflict

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• Hate/Bias Crime Defined
• A criminal act directed against a person, group
  of persons, or property in which the perpetrator
  either
• a) intentionally selects the victim, or
• b) is motivated by hostility or bias toward
  the victim, because of the victims actual or
  perceived race, religion, national origin,
  sexual orientation, gender, or disability.

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VIOLENCE PREVENTION CUBE
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PREVENTION / INTERVENTION
UNIVERSAL Primary Prevention Promotion of
wellness for all students.

• Character Education
• Teacher Training
• School Climate Initiatives
• Bully Proofing
• Project ACHIEVE
• Second Step

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PREVENTION / INTERVENTION
SELECTED Secondary Prevention Early
Intervention for students at risk .

• Improve protective factors
• Early identification of students at risk.
• Prevent long term negative outcome.
• Reduce risk factors.
• Conflict Resolution Training

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PREVENTION / INTERVENTION
TARGETED Tertiary Prevention Intensive
Intervention for afflicted students.

• Anger Management
• Disciplinary Actions
• Functional Behavior Analysis
• Positive Behavior Plans
• Counseling (Victim Bully)

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VIOLENCE PREVENTION CUBE
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MICRO
MESO
EXO
MACRO
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MACRO SYSTEMCultural / Community Level
EXO SYSTEM (Parental Work Setting, Teacher
In-Service Training)
MESO SYSTEM
Individual Child Level
MICRO SYSTEM (Family Level)
MICRO SYSTEM (Peer Level)
MICRO SYSTEM (School Level)
Bogenschneiders (1996) Model of Analysis
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MICRO ECOSYSTEMS

• A pattern of activities, roles, and interpersonal
  relations experienced by the individual person in
  a given face-to-face setting that invite, permit,
  or inhibit engagement in sustained, progressively
  more complex interaction within the immediate
  environment. (Brofenbrenner, 1993)

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MICRO ECOSYSTEMS

• Family Level
• School Level
• Peer Level
• Neighborhood Level
• Faith organization level
• Other

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MESO ECOSYSTEM
Family Micro Ecosystem
Youth Org. Micro Ecosystem
Peer Micro Ecosystem
School Micro Ecosystem
Faith Micro Ecosystem
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EXO ECOSYSTEMS

• Consultation
• Training / Workshops
• Parents, teachers , school psychologists, etc.
• Parent Work Settings
• ER Docs Nurses
• Iraq / Afghanistan
• Police Fire

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MACRO ECOSYSTEMS

• Overarching Pattern of all Ecosystems
• Community, Culture. Example
• NJ Anti bullying legislation.

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MACRO SYSTEMCultural / Community Level
EXO SYSTEM (Parental Work Setting, Teacher
In-Service Training)
MESO SYSTEM
Individual Child Level
MICRO SYSTEM (Family Level)
MICRO SYSTEM (Peer Level)
MICRO SYSTEM (School Level)
Bogenschneiders (1996) Model of Analysis
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Limitations of RISK FACTORS

• No single risk factor or set of risk factors is
  powerful enough to predict with certainty that a
  particular youth will become violent.
• Risk factors can be used to predict violence in
  groups with particular characteristics
  (ecosystems) or environmental conditions but not
  in individuals. (Report of the Surgeon General,
  2001)

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Individual Child

• Protective Factors
• Strong Problem Solving skills
• Well developed IQ
• Good social skills
• Mastery
• Religious commitment
• Empathy

• Risk Factors
• Attitude to violence
• Lack of empathy
• Antisocial behavior
• Alienation or rebelliousness
• Bully Victim
• Aggressive reaction pattern physical strength
• Need for power dominance
• Temperament

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Micro Ecosystem School

• Protective Factors
• High performing school
• Connectedness with adult at school
• Faculty staff that understand bullying
• Physical features of school
• School climate

• Risk Factors
• School transitions
• Low commitment to school
• Poor supervision at lunch and recess
• Physical features of school
• Adult denial /unawareness of problem

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Micro Ecosystem - Family

• Protective Factors
• Parent love involvement
• Well defined limits (especially re aggression)
• Non-physical discipline methods
• Empathy

• Risk Factors
• Hostility toward the environment
• Lack of warmth from primary care giver
• Tolerant of aggressive violent behavior
• Violent models
• Poor Parental Monitoring
• Unclear rules, rewards expectations

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Micro Ecosystems - Peers

• Protective Factors
• Close friends

• Risk Factors
• Peers engaged in high risk behavior
• Supportive of bullying behavior
• Bystanders

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Meso Ecosystems

• Home School collaboration
• Future of School Psychology Priority Goal 3

• Enhanced family-school partnerships and parental
  involvement in schools.

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Exo Ecosystems

• Risk Factor Parent work environment over
  exposure to violence and stress, long working
  hours.
• Protective Factor In-service training in
  Bullying Prevention

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Macro Ecosystem

• Protective Factors
• Anti Bullying Policies and legislation
• The Media

• Risk Factors
• The Media

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Edgewater Park, Burlington County
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NJSA 18A, 37-15 (3)(b)(3) or The 10
Commandmentsplus, 1
1.   Prohibition 2.   Definition 3.  
Description 4.   Consequences5.  
Procedure(s)6.   Principal/Promptness7.   Range
of Responses8.   Prohibition of Reprisals9.  
Falsely Accused 10. Policy Publication11.
Employee Training
School related prohibition of harassment,
intimidation and bullying
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Model Language From, NJSA, 18A Consider
whether a response beyond the individual level is
appropriate, the administrator should

• Consider thecircumstances of the act, the level
  of harm
• Consider the nature of the behavior, past
  incidences or past or continuing patterns of
  behavior,
• Consider the context in which the alleged
  incident(s) occurred

SAMPLE
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Model Language From, NJSA, 18A Consider
whether a response beyond the individual level is
appropriate, the administrator should

• Consider that acts may be so serious or parts of
  a larger pattern of harassment, intimidation or
  bullying that they require a response either at
  the classroom, school building or school district
  levels or by law enforcement officials.
• Including suspension or expulsion, as permitted
  under N.J.S.A. 18A37-1, Discipline of Pupils

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NJSA, 18Ai.e Range of responses

• Positive behavioral interventions
• Institutional (i.e., classroom, school building,
  school district) responses School and community
  surveys,
• Mailings,
• Focus groups,
• Adoption of research-based bullying prevention
  program models,
• Training for certificated and non-certificated
  staff,
• Participation of parents and other community
  members organizations,
• Hotlines

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NJSA, 18Ai.e Range of responses

• Small or large group presentations for fully
  addressing the actions and the schools response
  to the actions, in the context of the acceptable
  student behavior and the consequences of such
  actions
• Involvement of law enforcement officers,
  including school resource officers
• Individual responses can include positive
  behavioral interventions (e.g., peer mentoring,
  short-term counseling, life skills groups) and
  punitive actions (e.g., in-school suspension,
  expulsion).

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NJSA, 18Ai.e Range of responses

• Classroom responses can include class
  discussions about an incident of harassment,
  intimidation or bullying, role plays, research
  projects, observing and discussing audio-visual
  materials on these subjects and skill-building
  lessons in courtesy, tolerance, assertiveness and
  conflict management.

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NJSA, 18Ai.e Range of responses

• School responses can include theme days,
  learning station programs, parent programs and
  information disseminated to students and
• parents.
• District-wide responses can include community
  involvement in policy review and development,
  professional development programs, adoption of
  curricula and coordination with community-based
  organizations (e.g., mental health, health
  services, health facilities, law enforcement,
  faith-based).

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NJSA, 18Ai.e Range of responses

• In addition, the district should make resources
  (e.g., counseling) available to individual
  victims of harassment, intimidation and bullying
  and respond in a manner that does not stigmatize
  victim(s).
• Social skills training provided for all students
  is an example of a school or district-level
  response for addressing victimization.

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Its the lawhttp//www.njleg.state.nj.us/2000/Bi
lls/S2500/2408_I1.HTM
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Prevention / Intervention to Increase Protective
Factors and Decrease Risk Factors in SCHOOL

• Is it a Universal, Selected, or Targeted Approach?

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By the end of kindergarten, children trained
repeatedly

• Able to name more solutions to social problems
• Significantly better at naming consequences for
  social acts like grabbing from peers or taking
  from adults
• Rated by teachers as having significantly better
  adjusted behavior

A rising tide raises all boats
Doll, et al.
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How classroom goal structures predict student
help-seeking

• Within students, gender and academic efficacy
  were significant predictors of avoidance of
  help-seeking
• 20 of the variance in student help-seeking was
  due to classroom effects
• When classrooms had task-focused goals, students
  were more likely to seek help
• When classrooms had relative-ability goals,
  students were more likely to avoid help
• It was student reports of the classroom goal
  structure that predicted help seeking and not
  teacher reports.

Doll, et al.
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Unified Discipline (White, 1996)

• Clearly described school and classroom rules
• Similar and consistent correction procedures when
  students misbehave
• Roles and responsibilities are described for all
  school personnel

Doll, et al.
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Three Sound Bites to Remember

• School Climate is most important factor affecting
  nature and extent of bullying in school.
• Bystanders play crucial role in dynamics of
  bullying behavior.
• Committed Coordinating Committee is most
  important feature of a bullying prevention
  program
• spearheads the effort
• maintains momentum
• keeps issue on front burner

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Two Ways in Which Power Is Determined in Social
Groups

• Agonic
• Resource-holding potential
• Toughest wins the most fights

• Hedonic
• Power determined by social attention
• Achieve status by showing talent, being
  knowledgeable and/ or attractiveness

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Social Development In Early and Mid-Adolescence

• Increased importance of peer relationships
• Look to peers for guidance on behavior and
  affirmation of individual worth
• Development of young persons racial, ethnic,
  religious, sexual/gender identity
• May lead to hostility toward those who are
  different
• Important period of social development
• Behavior patterns learned during this time
  usually persist

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Direct v. Indirect Bullying

• Direct Bullying
• Physical - hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting
• Verbal - taunting, teasing, putdowns
• Non-verbal - threatening, obscene gestures
• Indirect Bullying
• Physical - getting another person to assault
  someone
• Verbal - spreading rumors, gossip
• Non-verbal - deliberate exclusion from a group or
  activity
• Cyber-bullying - using email, Instant Messages,
  web sites

(Adapted from the Olweus Bullying Prevention
Group, 2001)
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Bullying and School Violence

• Youth who bully others more likely to engage in
  serious violence
• frequent fighting and carrying weapons
• more often boys than girls
• Bullying victims also engage in violence to
  defend or get revenge (less often than
  aggressors)
• Preventing bullying reduces more serious forms of
  violent behavior, including gangs

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School Climate Factors Related to Bullying

• School discipline that is too authoritarian or
  too lax
• Reinforcement of bullying behavior
• Ignoring bullying behavior
• Acceptance of bullying by peer groups
• Acceptance of bullying by staff
• Modeling by school staff and other students

Swearer Doll, 2002, NJASP
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School ClimatePlayground Lunchrooms Factors
(Power, Costigan Manz et al. SPR, 2003, No. 3)

• The development of violence prevention programs
  demand greater study of recess, playground and
  lunchtime environments of student's. RPL
• RPL environmental characteristics can have a
  substantial impact on childrens behavior in
  school and classrooms.

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School Playground Recess ActivitiesPositive
Effects

• Playground experience may promote social
  competence
• PRAs playground recess activitiesdevelop
  fine and gross-motor skills
• Rough and tumble play ( e.g. chase, play fights)
  can help
• children learn social-problem solving and
  social norms
• PRAs help allow for the development of
  friendship experiences
• Recess may have direct positive impact for
  improving attention and learning
• Greater B.T.U.s energy available for
  academic work
• PRAs cultivate skills that are transferable to
  classroom setting, e.g. turn-taking
  problem-solving

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School Climate Implications for Playgrounds
Lunchrooms

• When school climate SC is positivesocial
  interactions are less problematic
• Feelings of trust and mutual respect are more
  reciprocal
• Interpersonal relations show more caring
  interactions
• Student and teacher relations are also more
  collaborative
• SC has a positive impact on student behavior
• SC has a positive impact on academic achievement

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Playground and Lunchtime Climate Questionnaire
PLCQ(Power, Costigan Manz SPR, 2003, No. 3)

• Potential use of PLCQ to measure
• Lunchtime activities and structure of how staff
  work with students in the PLR settings
  playground, lunchtime, recess
• Attempt to account for adult observation and
  perspectives of staff who supervise PLR ( see
  Leff Power, et al.) PLCQ can help review
• Structure for
  activities and monitoring
• Understanding staff
  collaboration
• The PLCQ study demonstrates participatory-action
  research (PAR) Active reciprocal partnering
  between school-community and university
  researchers, which provides direct impact from
  research questions in the school

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Aggressive Interactions among classmates do not
always equal bullying

• Aggression is a normal part of childhood
• Socially competent children routinely engage in
  aggressive interactions (AI) with peers
• AIs are not always detrimental ( Pellegrini,
  2002)
• Rough and tumble play or jostling that is not
  intended to intimidate should not be labeled as
  bullying
• AI e.g. bugging and/or busting occurs within
  reciprocal interactionsboth for entertainment
  and solidifying friendships
• Unresolved conflicts, often occurring outside of
  friendship groups, may often lead to more
  difficulty for children

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The importance of school climate toward violence
preventionDoll, Song, Siemers

• The school environment is often a/the primary
  setting for bullying
• Bullying often occurs between classmates
• Bullying is a special type of aggressive peer
  interaction in which a powerful classmate
  repeatedly intimidates, exploits and victimizes a
  weaker classmate

From Bullying in American Schools - D. Espelage
S. Swearer
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The importance of school climate toward violence
preventionDoll, Song, Siemers(continued)

• Classroom ecosystems are highly relevant to an
  understanding of bullying
• The quality of social relationships among and
  between students, staff, teachers, and parents
  impact school climate
• The support for human agency in the many
  environments in which students live and work
  helps determine harassment, intimidation and
  bullying occurrence.

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Strategies that help reduce bullying

• Reducing the frequency of all aggressive
  interactions
• Pulling more children and students into
  friendship networks
• Teaching and modeling the resolving of peer
  conflicts successfully
• Discouraging intimidation by distributing and
  equalizing power in the classroom and school

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The effects of school climate on changes in
aggressive and other behaviors related to
bullying (Kasen, Berenson, Cohen,
Johnson)

• Schools function as a socializing agent for
  children
• Successful school bonding relates to enhanced
  student motivation and achievement
• Schools are accountable formore than academic
  distinction
• School policiesand the overall atmosphere or
  school ethos determine the internal life or
  social, emotional and motivational climate of the
  school
• Schoolsmay be an indispensable force toward
  eliminating or reducing the threat of
  victimization

From Bullying in American Schools - D. Espelage
S. Swearer, 2004
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Resilient Classrooms Creating Healthy
Environments for Learning

• Beth Doll University of Nebraska Lincoln
• bdoll2_at_unl.edu

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Six Implications for Schools(Swearer Doll,
2001)

• Bullying must be defined as a constellation of
  behavioral interactions.
• 2. Internalizing disorders contribute to bullying
  and victimization, but are too often overlooked.
• 3. Families must be active partners in
  anti-bullying interventions.

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Six Implications for Schools(Swearer Doll,
2001)

• 4. Anti-bullying interventions must interrupt and
  neutralize the peer support for bullying
  behavior.
• 5. Bullying interventions must alter the
  responses toward bullying of teachers and other
  supervising adults.
• 6. Anti-bullying interventions require changes in
  the upper reaches of administration to have a
  lasting effect.

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Class Maps

• Operationalizes a definition of psychological
  health that is functionally linked to competence
  in accomplishing important developmental tasks
• Acknowledges dysfunction as characteristic of
  children-in-context rather than targeted children
• Fosters healthy school contexts prior to pulling
  children aside for targeted treatment

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Behavioral Self-Control

• Students are responsive to the the lesson,
  actively engage in classwork, interact
  effectively with peers and move efficiently
  through transitions
• And their behavior continues to be appropriate
  regardless of the presence of an authority
• Improved classroom behavior increases the time
  allocated for instruction and when academic
  engaged time increases, learning improves

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Interventions for behavioral self control

• Involve class in a classroom meeting to set
  classroom rules
• Practice routines for following the rules
• Set classroom goals and monitor progress towards
  the goals
• Involve families in setting standards for
  behavior
• Use pictures, gestures or other cues to prompt
  behavior

Doll, et. al.
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What behavioral self-control looks like in
classrooms

• There are few or no disruptive behaviors
  including excessive noise, movement, or
  aggressive behaviors by students
• Students are on task and engaged with few teacher
  prompts
• Rules are infused into ongoing classroom routines
• Students have been included in the planning and
  decisions about rules
• Students behave appropriately when outside of the
  teachers immediate view

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ClassMaps Surveys

• Anonymous student surveys
• Collected in 15 (4th 5th grades) to 25 (2nd
  grade) minutes
• 6-8 item surveys of each of the six
  characteristics
• Uniform response format
• Content derived from related individual measures
  and classroom research on each characteristic

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My Classmatessample items.

• I have a lot of fun with my friends in class.
• My friends care about me a lot.
• I have friends who eat lunch with me and play
  with me at recess.
• I have friends who will stick up for me for me if
  someone picks on me.
• I know other kids will not tease me or call me
  names.
• I know other kids will not say bad things about
  me to other kids.

FROM RESILIENT CLASSROOMS
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Example
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Following class rulessample items

• I follow the rules in class.
• I pay attention when I am supposed to in this
  class.
• I do my work when I am supposed to be working in
  this class.
• I am care not to bother other students by moving
  around or making noise.
• Most kids follow the rules in this class.
• Most kids pay attention when they are supposed
  to.
• Most kids work quietly and calmly in this class.

FROM RESILIENT CLASSROOMS
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Seven domains toward resiliency(Doll, Zucker
Brehm, 2004)

• Believing in Me
• Taking charge
• Following the class rules
• My teacher
• My classmates
• Talking with my parents
• I worry that

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Edgewater Park Systems Level Approach

• In-service all staff
• Increase and utilize local staff knowledge
• Lead by collaboration
• Integrate grade-level character ed. programs with
  developmentally approximate goals
• Presentations to PTO
• Utilize building level leadership teams
• Continually probe, program, and discuss needs
• Look to others for information
• Be part of the community
• Utilize administrative backing
• Teachers as excellent mentors, guides, leaders
• Understand governmental mandates on the
• curriculum and class/building wide
  practices
• Seek external information and support
• University collaboration

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renewing the notion of good character is a
core assumption of Positive Psychology
Seligman Authentic Happiness, 2002

• LESSON TWELVE Respect Samples
• Objectives 1. Students will review
• 2. Students will recognize
• NJCCCS 9.2.C.9.2.D
• Activities 1. Students will discuss the
• the term respect
• 2. Students will group and
• 3. Students will work
• 4. Using a chartlikenesses
• Homework Students are encouraged to
• share with parents what they learned

• Character Education
• Dear Parents/Guardians,
• Hope you all had a wonderful break from the
  normal routine. We are excited about a new year
  here at Magowan.
• Your child participated in a Character Education
• lesson today. Students had the opportunity to
• Please encourage your child to share with you
• Thank you,
• Betsy Miles

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Teach Your Children_______________
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HIB The Consultation Highway

• Confirm discussion with your building principal
  and/or designee.
• Be prompt.
• Relay your perspective of why you are requesting
  a HIB consultation.
• Discuss your concerns with the parent(s).

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HIB The Consultation Highway(Continued)

• Report on-going progress or concerns.
• Review appropriate classroom procedures,
  discussion, and/or consultation strategies,
  interventions, and/or techniques.
• Inform other appropriate school staff in a timely
  fashion.e.g. Grade-level colleague(s),
  counselor(s), school nurse, CST, other staff

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Promising Practices for Safe Effective
Schools

• Safe Supportive and Successful Schools
• Step by Step
• David Osher Ph.D.
• Kevin Dwyer M.A. NCSP
• Stephanie Jackson Ph.D.