No More Bystanders = No More Bullies

No More Bystanders = No More Bullies: Activating Action in Educational Professionals by Shona Anderson, 2011, Corwin Publishers

- Bullying is intentional, REPEATED, purposeful to hurt or upset the victim
- Type of bullies: physical, verbal, social/relational, cyber/electronic, gender-based, racial/ethno/cultural, sexual, religion-based (most difficult to stop are verbal and social bullying as difficult to observe)
- Bully, the bullied, and the bystander (regardless of age, race, social status) are all affected – impacts school climate; and if cycle not broken, will continue to impact school culture as more bullying occurs
• Bullies: tend to become aggressive adults
• The Bullied can be reactive, passive, aggressive; can suffer social and emotional – e.g., anxiety, emotional distress, lower self-concept, social isolation, lose friends; 4X to 5X more likely to consider suicide
• The Bystander: can become aggressive in the future since they see no interventions in place nor consequences; adult bystanders may have loss of sleep, anxiety, loss of appetite, depression ; The Bystander is “the invisible engine in the cycle of bullying” (p. 80) – bystanders play significant role in bullying
- Craig, Pepler & Atlas (2000): education professionals as bystanders intervened in only 14% of classroom bullying episodes and 4% of playground episodes; bullying occurs every 7 seconds in Toronto schools but teachers aware of 4% of incidents; teachers surveyed said they intervene 71% of time which is disconnected to students saying teachers intervened 25% of time)
- 13% Canadian students reported being cyberbullied; 36% high school students do not feel safe at school; 53% did not tell a teacher of being bullied, 37% did not tell parents, 28% told nobody (code of silence as did not see it as big deal or want to make it worse)
- To prevent bullying, need bystander to intervene and use words or get help with an adult (and not remain passive observer) – bystander is present in 85% of bullying incidents – bystander impacts bullying incident and final outcome
- Anderson’s research sought to answer “why” – barriers that kept education professionals as bystanders
- Bystander Step 1: Noticing Something Unusual or Inappropriate Occurring – education professionals lacked awareness about what happens in schools and where incidents physically occur -> prevents education professionals from intervening in bullying episodes (lack of awareness NOT lack of caring)
- Bystander Step 2: Deciding if Help is Needed – does the victim (i.e., the bullied) need help? – survey results indicated education professionals do not hold same internal beliefs -> remaining bystander
- Bystander Step 3: Feeling a Responsibility to Help – extent to which bystander has responsibility to help (does education profession see incident as bullying and can they intervene appropriately?)
• Diffusion of responsibility: do not take action since someone else will (e.g., teacher on duty)
- Bystander Step 4: Having the Ability to Help – survey results indicate ¼ education professionals do not feel they possess appropriate skills for intervention; recognized help was required and they had responsibility to assist but lacked confidence, felt unsafe, unsupported, and victimized
- Bystander Step 5: Intervening – incidents occur very quickly, with little time to think
- Results: male and female professionals responded similarly; length of employment no bearing; custodians and secretaries intervened least as they did not feel responsible to intervene
• Education professionals may be experiencing bullying themselves – from students, parents, colleagues – lack belief they possess power to help
• Education professionals feel unsafe in school = 11.1%
- Need in-faculty antibullying training and how to report; explicit instructions from administrators on supervision duties (i.e., what to do – circulating, visible – of hot spots)
• Bullying can occur in classrooms, hallways, stairwells, entrances/exits, library, computer lab, gym, change rooms, washrooms, school bus, walking to and from school, cafeteria, near school property
• Be visible! Circulate during duty; walk different routes in the hallways
- How to Intervene:
1. Stop the bullying episode immediate with your words – be sure everyone hears you stop and denounce the beavhiour – bystanders will see
2. Label the unacceptable behaviour clearly – identify the behaviour
3. Expand your intervention – state school expectations
4. insist bullying actions change – can go to main office to discuss; victim and bystanders can also see admin later to discuss

Reflections

In Ontario, Bill 157 states that staff must report incidents that are suspendable or expellable which negatively impact the school climate. Bullying is included as suspendable or expellable. Keeping the school safe is everyone’s responsibility. Every 2 years, a School Climate survey is administered and the data results can be incorporated into the School Improvement Plan; this gives a pulse of the school – do students feel safe? Do staff feel safe?

As an administrator, Anderson’s book reminded me of the importance to be visible in the school – the hallways, classrooms, cafeteria, library, stairwell, etc. Students and staff need to view admin as being everywhere (as Anderson says). Such a proactive approach will save hours when incidents do occur. I like the 80-20 approach of 80% of the school bullying results from 20% of the students – this means getting at the “hard-core” offenders – by making connections with them (2-by-10 strategy: 2 minutes a day for 10 days) and giving them extra attention and monitoring. As I keep notes of each student I see, this will determine if a pattern develops – i.e., bullying is repeated. Anderson says each statistic has a face and a story – so it is important that second chances are provided – there will be consequences but through restoration, learning occurs. One of the priorities in the York Region DSB has been Character Education – it really says it all about the traits we value and expect by everyone in our schools. Bullying prevention and intervention is definitely a school approach. Everyone needs to feel safe and supported.