Thank you all for your contributions to this week's online discussion about the nature and prevention of bullying. Your comments were interesting, informative, and insightful! Please be sure to explore the Additional Resources found in the Resources & Links section to learn more about bullying at school, and make sure to continue your conversations about this important topic in the Discussion Area of the National Training Center's Web site.

• Day 1 Discussion Summary.
• Day 2 Discussion Summary.
• Day 3 Discussion Summary.
• Day 4 Discussion Summary.

Day 1 — Discussion Summary

Thank you all for a terrific first day of discussion! You are exchanging such valuable ideas and information about this important topic. It is clear that we are all going to learn a great deal from the online discussion component of this event. Please continue the rich discussion today as you read through and reflect on the information about bullies, victims, and bystanders.

Below is a summary of your discussion from Day 1 of this event.

While several participants mentioned that their schools/districts have clear definitions of bullying that mesh with the information provided in the materials from Day 1, a few participants indicated that their schools/districts do not yet have a formal definition of or policy targeting bullying.

"I am not certain that my district has a specific policy regarding bullying. I am almost positive that there is not a definition that is being used district-wide to help staff identify bullying behaviors."

"My township does not at this time have a policy that specifically deals with bullying. Currently the deans use the general misconduct codes to cover bullying behaviors."

A couple of participants plan to use information from this event to help shape their schools'/districts' efforts to define bullying and develop an anti-bullying policy.

"I am seeking information to help strengthen our bullying policy and anti-bullying campaign in our school system. My counselors just attended a statewide training here in North Carolina and I am anxious to gather addition resources to supplement their efforts in the schools."

"Great info on a subject that is just coming into it's own in our district. We don't have a defined bullying policy/definition. This year each of 4 middle schools developed their own definition that should be included in the district policy for next year. It needs some refinement. I hope to be able to provide a lot of good input after this week!"

One participant's district is slowly reaching agreement on a definition of bullying thanks to the efforts of the MSC/National Coordinator initiative:

"Unfortunately there is a lack of consensus as to how bullying is defined across our very large district, but thanks to the efforts of our MSCs, much of the district is defining bullying as follows: (a) aggressive behavior or intentional "harm doing," (b) it is carried out repeatedly and over time, (c) it occurs within an interpersonal relationship characterized by an imbalance of power, and (d) it is direct or indirect."

When thinking about the definition of bullying, several participants indicated that behaviors do not necessarily need to be repeated to be considered bullying because of the following:

• Students would probably not label bullying as an incident that occurs repeatedly

• Some assaults are severe enough to warrant discipline through a bullying policy

• If a child is successful with a single assault, he/she is more likely to repeat that behavior - either with the same victim or another victim

• Prevention means taking action before negative behaviors are repeated

One participant even plans to revisit a school policy that currently includes the "repeated attacks" component in the definition of bullying:

"Our bullying policy includes all forms (physical, verbal, emotional, indirect/direct). The policy notes that it is an imbalance of power, includes intentional harm doing and it is carried out repeatedly and over time. This is a new policy that came in place through the grants initiatives. I would like to review it again with administration at the end of the year and open up the discussion of the "repeated" debate. I think our assistance principal has been sensitive to this and looks at each case individually."

Several participants did, however, indicate that it is important to include the notion of "imbalance of power" when defining bullying:

"Bullying does involve an imbalance of power in most instances. The bully usually feels he has "control" over the target- The bully sees the target as "weaker" so that he/she feels a sense of power by his/her ability to manipulate/harass the target."

However, one participant believes that the "repeated attacks" component is more important than the notion of "imbalance of power" when defining bullying:

"The definition of bullying should include "repeated attacks". It is the repeated behaviors over time that cause the most emotional and physical pain. I am not sure if the imbalance of power needs to be part of the definition, but should be included in trainings."

And another participant believes that the definition of bullying should include reference to BOTH "repeated attacks" and an "imbalance of power":

"The imbalance of power is a must in the definition of bullying. I also see the need for repeated attacks to be included. I personally do not agree that one mean act makes a child a bully. We have all had days where we have lashed out in a rude or hateful manner because someone irritated us. If the same child repeats the acts over and over again then it is bullying."

One participant reminded us about the importance of considering community and cultural perspectives when thinking about the meaning of bullying:

"As for the definition of bullying and whether it is different for youth and adults, I think that this is a cultural distinction more than one of age. For example, in the rural area that I work in, many adults believe that a little harassment makes kids stronger and that picking on each other is not a big deal. This belief is then regenerated in the minds of youth. If a child is not taught the vocabulary or the definitions of bullying, they will not identify their experiences as such. And since the adults are teaching that vocabulary, I think this becomes a social, community, and cultural difference."

Several participants feel that bullying is most common during the middle school years for the following reasons:

• New social groups are being created

• Onset of puberty/physical and emotional changes

• More disparity in size and emotional development of individual children

• Students are unsupervised more often than in earlier school years

• Increased anonymity

According to participants, elementary schools seem to have smaller teacher-student ratios with greater connectedness among students and staff, as well as higher levels of supervision -- and students in high schools seem to form cliques that function within a clear hierarchy and tend to stay away from one other. All participants acknowledged, however, that bullying occurs and is problematic across the K-12 grade range.

One participant believes that bullying increases - but changes - with age:

"I agree, however, with the statements that suggest that bullying is just as prevalent, if not more so, in high school. I agree that the form changes to be more subtle (to the eye of an adult) and may take place more frequently off school grounds. The workplace becomes a site for bullying, as well as parties, sporting events, and any social or public setting...even in department stores. Again I think this has to do with the huge increase in the amount of time and areas that youth are without direct adult supervision."

Participants agree that girls are less physical -- but more covert -- in their bullying behaviors and equally - if not more - likely to bully their peers than boys.

"The girls at the school do not many incidents that end up on the assistance principal desk. I believe they are involved with more indirect bullying, as compared to the boys who will get to the point of discipline actions."

"Girls can be much more verbally aggressive and hurtful than boys. Girls are also clever in their approach to bullying. This is something we need to educate others on. Many people still carry the definition of the big guy picking on the small guy. Yes, in our district the girls are as aggressive, if not more so, than the boys."

"In my experience girls can be just as brutal, if not more so, than boys. The girls tend to use exclusion and emotional degradation more than physical aggression. I believe the reason that male aggression tends to be identified more is because it is more easily observed and more apt to be supported by physical evidence. Most girls probably don't categorize what they do to each other as bullying."

"If you ask a young girl if they are a bully or are being bullied, they may not have the vocabulary to answer in the affirmative. As was presented in the literature, bullying has traditionally been classified as having only male perpetrators and females were not even considered until very recently."

"I believe that girls are more 'catty' in their bullying techniques. It is the rolling of the eyes, comments in the locker room, notes passed in class, exclusion in the lunchroom, and writing on the bathroom walls that are more common with girls, and in many ways, more successful in causing long term harm than the more traditionally recognized bullying behavior."

Several participants voiced concerns about the limited awareness and understanding of bullying problems exhibited by many school staff members.

"The biggest obstacle that my principal and I face is getting the counselors, deans and teachers to admit that bullying is a problem that must be addressed from many angles. Everybody cites bullying as a huge problem in the 6th and 7th grades but nobody wants to be responsible for stopping it."

"Dealing with bullying is a major component in my position. It does occur frequently according to students and the discipline data; however, teachers and staff have an opposite opinion. They believe it occurs but they don't see it, which is probably true. I think many staff members feel it is not a major problem of the school."

"Bullying is a larger problem than many of our staff admit. However, I think that it is a lack of awareness that causes this denial. Many of the bullying offenses that are reported at our schools are reported as another misbehavior because of a lack of understanding."

"I believe that bullying is a more common problem than many teachers and principals admit. Often, teachers do not encourage what they consider to be "tattling", thus, many incidents are often unreported. There is also a mentality that cruelty is a necessary childhood evil and that "boys will be boys" so there is no effective method of alleviating these pre-cursory behaviors to often more violent behaviors."

We hope that, as you proceed through this event, you develop some concrete ideas about how to raise awareness about the terrible problem of bullying in your schools and districts. Please be sure to talk with one another in the Discussion Area about how to achieve this important goal.

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Day 2 — Discussion Summary

Thank you all for another great day of online discussion! Please continue to share your valuable ideas and information about bullying as we explore different bullying prevention strategies in today's materials.

Participants appreciated receiving names and descriptions of the different types of bullies and victims.

"Having "categories" in which to place the different types of bullies, their victims, and those involved as bystanders helps me to mentally sort through all of this information. This also helps digest the information and give me a "place to start" and not feel so overwhelmed."

Some participants posed questions or offered additional information about bullies:

What about bullies who are not aware that they are bullies?

"I agree with the types of bullies defined, but I see bullies who don't seem to recognize that they are bullying. These are the ones who have "power" and sometimes real responsibility over another person or group. Since it is their "job" to supervise the person, they don't realize when the cross the line from supervisor to "nit picker and bullier". This seems to happen with older children watching younger siblings, teachers and students, bosses and employees, etc. Are these people oblivious to the harm they cause or just good actors?"

How do you deal with differences in the messages that children receive?

"My frustration is in recognizing the problem for what it is. I have heard several (too many in fact) parents say "Well, if he hits you, hit him back!" Or "My child was provoked b/c he/she called him a name"!!! It blows my mind! We teach kids one thing at school and they hear the opposite message at home! How do we work with that?"

What about bullies who target multiple students?

"I didn't see mention of bullies who target several students rather than focus on just one. One student may not be the victim repeatedly. Several students may be the target of one or two bullies. I find that true at a fairly large middle school of over 1200 students. It is written off as "boys will be boys" or "that's how girls are". Again, we know boys tend to be more physical and girls more personal in their attacks but it should be no less tolerated.

What about when "good kids" bully?

"I agree that especially if the student is in good academic standing, we tend to turn the other way to teasing. Everyday I witness an act of bullying/teasing by the "good kids" who are "just kidding". I address it when I see it and talk about how "just teasing" can hurt others. I believe that if kids are called on their behavior and talked to about it, it can make a difference. I don't agree that disciplining the bully should always take place in all situations (though it should in serious acts of bullying). There has to be some education and teaching taking place. Kids often model what they see. They may see bullying at home or may even experience it from teachers or other adults in school. I DO think that it needs to be taken seriously. It erodes school climate and undermines the good things that are taking place."

One participant shared the following thoughts about provocative victims:

"Perhaps the most difficult of bullying situations, I have seen time and again the experience of "provocative" victims. In our SAP sessions and other situations, the student who exhibits some of the characteristics as defined in day 2 usually do have a diagnosis of ADD or related that causes difficulty in the classroom for themselves and others. The result being they often by mid year, are trying to find excuses to be out of or go out of classes by going to social worker, counselor, admin. or nurse. Or roam the halls of our particularly large school. The student perceives that he/she is not liked by classmates, feels people are judging, etc. It is good to actually have a definition to go along with this behavior as there are possibilities for informing teachers and other staff of the needs of the student from a bullying/victim perspective."

Another participant mentioned that many of the characteristics associated with bullies and victims are often apparent during the early school years:

"In many cases, I think you can spot the tell-tale characteristics of some of these children even in the very early elementary years before they actually become bullies or victims. The personal characteristics they exhibit seem to perpetuate them into one of these roles. I think it helps to be able to separate out the different characteristics of each type of bully or victims as a way of identifying and helping these children break out of these molds."

A couple of participants stated that bystanders tend to ignore bullying behaviors:

"As for bystanders, my school has not activated them. We have administered a name calling survey and the result found that the majority of students witnesses name calling and the majority ignores it. Ironically, the majority also feels that name calling is not a problem, that it is mostly a joking around incident."

"At our JHS, we have administered both the California Healthy Kids Survey and a Bullying survey that was based on one from Colorado. The data from both was consistent and indicated that most kids will not intervene or report bullying. As MSC at our two upper elementary schools for the three years prior to this one, I found that even 4th through 6th graders were reluctant to report incidents of bullying for fear of being labeled a "tattletale" even with significant education around that issue. The culture of "don't tell" is very strong and pervasive. I believe that the attitude of the teachers and administrators influences how students will react to bullying. We just completed a School Safety Review with our county dept. of education and the students indicated a severe lack of trust with teachers especially. Our Safe School Planning Committee (includes 7 students) is dealing with this issue right now."

Another participant reflected on situations in which bystanders actively encourage bullies:

"Most of the instances of bullying that I have witnessed have involved bystanders who simply watch and don't assist either the bully or the victim. But I have witnessed cases where the bystanders encouraged the bully. They often laugh or joke as what is transpiring which appears to be an act of support to the bully. I feel like this is due to their desire to have the bully befriend them either because they see the bully as powerful or because they want to keep the bully from turning on them as another target. Usually the sympathy for the victim is expressed after the event rather than in the presence of the bully due to fear of retaliation."

Another participant mentioned that, while some students join in on bullying behaviors, others do try to support victims -- and they seem better able to do so when backed up by friends:

"Students have admitted to joining in with a bully situation but they also told us how bad they really felt when doing it…but thought they couldn't do anything else. We've also had students tell us they have stood up for their friend or classmate when he/she was being bullied. We ask them to always 'Name It and Claim It'…if it's bullying, call it that. Say "Stop…that's bullying and our school doesn't allow it". They also have told us that it is easier to do this when they have a couple of friends there to back them up and saying the same thing."

Several participants acknowledged the value of targeting bystanders in bullying prevention efforts:

"I have witnessed most of these types of bullies and victims in the schools I work in. I think the largest groups among these are the followers. This probably has a lot to do with the idea that bullies are usually popular and have no problem making friends. Also, many of the bullies that I see are very active in school and in extra-curricular activities. I like the movement to empowering the bystander instead of focusing on the bully because this seems to be the most logical way to stop the cycle."

"I agree that working with the bystanders to intervene would be so much more productive and beneficial than working with the bullies themselves because the bullies don't see themselves as the problem."

"I am working with our Safety Task Force Coalition to work on getting students on board to play a role in the task force and begin to work on helping bystanders in those tough situations."

"We believe the Bystander is our key to helping break a bully cycle."

"The materials really brought home for me the value of addressing the bullying challenge in our school through the bystanders. Obviously we have been learning that there are different types of bystanders, but I am drawn to the idea of empowering the bystanders who are the witnesses, but are afraid to help. I've seen this time and again. The victim, who comes in with a friend, but the friend themselves felt powerless to intervene for fear of being hurt, becoming a victim themselves, or of retaliation of some sort. But I also see these ancillary ( who are really not so ancillary ) students as a powerful resource. They are also angry and scared, but often step forward to support their friends " after the fact ". If they could be moved to the ' other side of the circle', what a tremendous asset."

Several participants have mentioned some of the different bullying prevention programs and activities being implemented by their schools, including the following:

• Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders

• Don't Laugh at Me

• No Bullies Allowed clubs

• Olweus' Bullying Prevention Program

• TRIBES

Since today's materials focus on bullying prevention strategies, including school-based programs, we would like to hear more from you about this important topic. Please continue to talk about the different programs that your schools are currently implementing -- including any important lessons learned that could help your fellow coordinators.

Please keep in mind that we will explore Olweus's Bullying Prevention Program in quite a bit of detail on Day 4 of this event. If you have any thoughts about this particular program, you may want to wait until tomorrow to share them.

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Day 3 — Discussion Summary

The online discussion continues to be an important and vital part of this event. Thank you all for sharing such interesting and helpful comments with one another. Please continue to talk with your colleagues today as we explore the need for and components of a comprehensive approach to the problem of bullying at school.

Some participants have discussed concerns about bullying among adults at school. This is problematic for several reasons; for example, bullying among school personnel contributes to a negative school climate, is poor behavioral modeling for students, and may make it more difficult to build buy-in for bullying prevention activities.

"My main concern in my district is how are we going to stop the children from bullying when the administration repeatedly does it to the staff?"

"I am worried about staff buy-in to stop bullying when frequently it happens to them by front office staff and administration. I have observed many of the characteristics of bullies that were described. Most were bystanders and followers who do nothing to help or stop things from happening to the victim. As students observe bullying behavior between adults, they perceive it is OK to act in kind toward each other."

Several participants mentioned that their schools are currently implementing such violence prevention programs as Get Real About Violence, Second Step, and AVB (Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders). They seem very pleased with these programs and hopeful about the potential for positive outcomes.

Get Real About Violence:

"We have begun using a violence prevention program called "Get Real About Violence". With this program, we spend a lot of time dealing with bystanders. It has made a small dent in the problem but we are very hopeful."

"The second good thing is the "helping contract." This is part of Get Real About Violence. In the beginning of the year, the homeroom teacher has the class brainstorm problems with violence that might happen this year. He or she then has the class brainstorm helping resources in the school. The choose one helping resource in the school and one out of school and sign a contract with them that they will come and talk to their helping resource if the have problems with violence. This has helped the adults in our school take complaints more seriously and has helped the new 6th graders feel more confident about asking for help."

"Our system uses "Get Real About Violence" as the base curriculum for bully prevention efforts. The elementary counselors feel confident that the lesson content in the elementary component helps address the bullying issue in grades K-5. We are just beginning to use the follow-up program at grades 6-8 as a booster to the elementary program. While it is a little more difficult to implement in a middle school setting because the counselors do less classroom instructional sessions, we are planning on using it during the advisor/advisee time rotation. Get Real About Violence approaches violence prevention from he perspective of changing the norm of behavior by teaching students not to get involved in violent incidents if they are bystanders and teaching them to stand up for and help the victims in a violent incident."

Second Step:

"Today's session was very helpful and informative. I am in the process of trying to implement the Second Step program in my district, and I had no idea there was an additional component created until I read it today."

"Second Step is awesome…so glad you are going to use it. Teachers especially love it in the elementary because it is so easy to use and students love it because it is so "real" for them. Role playing is such a great part of this program…wish most teachers felt more comfortable with role play."

"I work at a middle school and we have implemented the Second Step program. The social skills taught are crucial to everyday interaction. I find having the consistent message between all students helpful. I can refer to certain lessons when needed as I observe the students and their interaction."

Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders:

"We have implemented the AVB program at one of our intermediate campuses for grade 5. It has been very effective."

"I believe that bullying takes place when a serious imbalance of power exists. That is why Aggressors, Victims and Bystanders seems to be the most effective program that I have seen. This is a great way for children and adults to realize that they are not "innocent" if they view and allow abuse."

Some participants have mentioned that their states do not yet have anti-bullying policies, but they are clearly working hard at the local level to make sure that bullying is addressed in their schools and districts. Participants are further interested in hearing more about how they can work with their states to introduce anti-bullying legislation.

"Our state does not have an anti-bullying policy. Our district has something in place as we have moved bullying to a level two offense on the Discipline Management Plan. But our concern is that they do not have the actual definition of bullying documented anywhere. We have adopted a definition with district approval and we use it in our presentations but we have recently submitted a proposal to our boss who is going to take it "up the administrative ladder" and try to get something going on this subject."

"Massachusetts does not require schools to have bullying policies in place. I would be interested in hearing about the grass roots efforts of other school systems that worked with their states to introduce such a law. I know Fred (MSC) worked on this, but I am not sure where and how he started."

Other participants are working in states with strong anti-bullying policies, but this clearly does not mean that the work is done! There is always a great deal to do at the local level to make sure that the state policy has actual meaning.

"Oregon has a strong law and my school district has a strong policy against bullying. We are not as strong as we could be at the elementary level in preparing our students for the 'tweenie" years. We do use 1st steps and 2nd steps and have strong Positive Behavior Teams in all k-9 schools, but we also have large schools in which it is easy to get bullied because of lack of physical space and supervision. The elementary schools do a better job of reinforcing positive behaviors and changing negative behaviors. They have strong classroom teachers and school climates that foster anti-bullying. The middle schools are working hard but with children moving from classroom to classroom 5 times a day it makes it difficult to establish a true classroom climate. We are working to remedy that next year with a move to a more traditional middle school model and away from the old junior high school model."

"Our State (Washington) has a bullying law SHB 1444. By Aug 1, 03 each district had to adopt or amend current policy of bullying. They then also were required to share this with parents, students, volunteers and all school employees. By 2002-03 school year each district has to send a report of all incidents (resulting in disciplinary action) involving harassment, intimidation, or bullying to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The superintendent then compiles the data and reports to the appropriate committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate."

This participant also shared information about a harassment form that was developed in response to the State (Washington) law:

"It basically has name of person making complaint, harasser's name. What type of harassment (there are boxes to check, such as sexual, race, age, threat of harm, et. and a box for other with please explain by it). The form asks when and where the incident took place. A place is provided for What happened (include all details). Asks for witnesses names. There is a place for: did you do or say anything in response? List any attempts you have made before to stop the bullying. Do you think this will happen again? What would you like to see happen as a result of this report? Has law enforcement been involved? The bottom part (and back of page) of the form lists the administrator dealing with the report and a place for findings and actions taken."

Another participant also mentioned the utility of incident reports that students can complete immediately following an assault:

"This has been a great tool. First of all, it is helpful to write out what happened and talk to someone. Second, it encourages kids to tell their story as soon as possible. If they have to wait until a counselor or administrator is ready, they might forget important details. Third it teaches them an important skill. If you were attacked on the street, you fill out a police report. If you have a complaint, you put it in writing. This gives our students the same opportunity."

Some participants talked about other related policies, such as human rights and anti-harassment policies:

"We have a human rights policy which covers a wide range of behaviors. Human Rights offenses are taken more seriously than "victim-less" offenses."

"We don't have a specific policy aimed at bullying, but our policy is aimed at harassment. This encompasses much of the characteristics of bullying so bullying can be addressed under this policy."

"As of now, there is no policy for the state and our district tucks it into the harassment policy."

One participant mentioned that local students' seem to prefer the term `harassment' over `bullying':

"I found in my school that students do NOT want to refer to it as bullying, but as harassment."

A couple of participants reflected on the manner in which bullying has been addressed in the media:

"In regards to the questions about the portrayal of bullying in the media, I have to say that I have rarely seen the more subtle, psychological trauma of bullying shown well. I also can recall very few instances of the negative effects of bullying on the bully (as opposed to the victims). However, I think these types of omissions accurately reflect the global perceptions about bullying. I think it is difficult for many people to consider the detrimental effects of bullying on the actual bully, or for that matter to see beyond the bully in that role . I also think that it is rarely shown that there are different types of bullies/ and victims."

"It is always great to see a bystander take up for and help a victim of a bully in the media. It makes us all feel good and makes us realize that we ought to always act on situations where we know a wrong is being committed. However, it is much more difficult to do in real life because of the fear of potential consequences (retaliation, being known as a snitch, etc.)."

Several participants shared their thoughts about some of the difficult issues that tend to arise when schools try to address the problem of bullying, particularly those having to do with identifying and dealing with the bullies themselves.

"The main problem I see is how to deal with bullies - What are the appropriate consequences? If no-tolerance policies are counter-productive to anti-bullying efforts because the punishments (suspension, expulsion, etc.) are too severe thus keeping bystanders from reporting incidents and if bullies don't recognize their own problems keeping them from responding to change and if group sessions on anger management/conflict resolution are not effective in situations where there is not a balance of power, what are the appropriate consequences when bullying is occurring? If you implement a system of reporting bullying such as the incident forms mentioned by one of the participants, you then must have an effective system of dealing with the reports. How do you overcome the issue of having staff swamped by what they consider students tattling on each other for every situation?"

"It is hard to "catch" bullies. As our school grows, a lot of victims don't know their aggressor. A lot of bullying also happens on the school bus (Middle school and high school students ride the same bus). A lot of times, kids don't want to tell on a bully, because this individual will be at the high school when they get there."

"I think that enforcement is a crucial part of reducing bullying. I also feel like it is the part we hear the least advice about It is frustrating for the victims to see a bully get away with the crime. Every time the bully succeeds in getting away with torturing someone else, it reinforces the behavior."

"My state has Bully laws on the books as does the school I'm at but like you stated, the enforcement is a different story. It is inconsistent, biased in some instances and has affected the climate of our school. There doesn't seem to be a benefit if nothing is enforced consistently."

A few participants talked about the difficulties associated with getting school personnel interested in this issue, as well as some of the challenges that arise when teachers are interested in addressing the problem of bullying -- specifically, that they often want to do something immediately.

"I was sharing some information this morning with our staff and some just "rolled their eyes" and went "delete"… but I did get two teachers that came to talk to me about how they can implement an anti-bullying thematic unit in their classes. Of course they wanted it "right now" and could not wait. My concern is that they will pick and choose (piece meal a curriculum) from different available resources and not use or wait for an exemplary program that would show significant change in behavior. Any ideas? It takes time to get approval, order things and get them in a timely manner."

One participant made the following suggestion in response to this dilemma:

"I am always excited to have some teachers come forward and be on board...and then you have to tell them to wait. Not a good feeling. But I have found that if I can give them some little preliminary materials to look over and send them updates on your progress each week, it is easier to keep them fired up. It also helps them realize all that actually goes into trying to implement something like this. As for the piece-mealing worry, I am a data person so my response would be NOT to stress how important fidelity is but rather DO stress what happens when programs are not implemented with fidelity. And perhaps the teacher that 'needs it now' can get some pieces to put into their curriculum immediately, understanding that the full program will take time but also being sensitive to the idea (in his or her mind) that something is better than nothing and wanting the kids they have now to get that 'something'."

One participant mentioned that some local schools are using many of Dan Olweus's materials to help build a comprehensive plan to address the problem of bullying. This will be the main focus of tomorrow's materials, so please think about your school's potential for and/or experience with developing a comprehensive bullying prevention initiative.

"Campuses in our district are governed by site-based decision making. Some of our campuses are implementing a building policy around "no-bullying". This is done through an awareness training with staff and a comprehensive plan for how to address bullying and the consequences for such actions. We have used a lot of the Olweus material to assist us in this mission. These decisions are made by the building personnel with the leadership of administration. Each campus willing to develop and implement this policy has different consequences and assistance for the bullies, victims, and the by-standers. There is not a consistent district policy or approach at this time. We are working towards that goal."

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Day 4 — Discussion Summary

Participants had a very active discussion about many of the different issues that arise and need to be addressed when trying to create a school-based bullying prevention initiative. The following are just some of the interesting ideas that emerged from this discussion:

• Make sure that school staff are on the same page and really understand the nature of the problem:

"I don't know if we have to call it bullying in order to stop it. Even if all of the teachers don't agree what bullying is, we all agree that certain behaviors Name calling, hitting, shoving, and lying are mean or violent. We all agree that those are against the rules and that there are consequences for them."

"My district has little consistency where bullying is concerned but I honestly feel that administration is beginning to understand the importance of addressing this issue. Although the term 'bully' is not widely used, the actions that are discussed at discipline meetings, administrative meetings, policy meetings, etc. center around bullying behaviors. Calling the behavior what it is is the first step. It needs to be part of our vocabulary before we can expect the students to use it."

• Find a way to help the bullies:

"The one thing that is lacking from this program is counseling for the bullies. I know that you should not counsel bullies in a group setting, but how should you counsel them. Do any of your programs have a plan for this?"

• Make sure to support the victim:

"After trying for over a year to crack down on bullying, I changed my direction. Support the victim. The victim needs us to restore their self-confidence."

• Enforce bullying-related policies:

"My state has Bully laws on the books as does the school I'm at but like you stated, the enforcement is a different story. It is inconsistent, biased in some instances and has affected the climate of our school. There doesn't seem to be a benefit if nothing is enforced consistently."

• Make sure that young people are able to think critically about the images they see in the media:

"With the media examples of humor we often see that it is more important to "put someone down" instead of using positive and actually funny humor. Too many times women are portrayed as a wife who is making fun of her husband's inadequacies or her children's faults. Men are often left looking like idiots for the sake of humor. We see primetime sitcom's regularly making fun of and ridiculing others, all in the name of humor. How difficult is it for children to take that a step further and "put down" kids at school or neighborhood? Then the next step is to use their new found knowledge and strength to further bully others."

• Engage the school nurse:

"The nurse is a crucial part that is often forgotten. If you were a student and you were hurt by a bully and you didn't want to tell anyone, you would probably still want to get out of class and treat your injury. Teachers rarely deny middle schooler's requests to go to the nurse (probably because teachers do not want someone throwing up or bleeding in their class)."

• Make it clear that bullying will not be solved by another "add-on" program. The entire school community needs to be involved in order to effectively address the problem of bullying among young people.

"I'm concerned on how do you change administration/staff paradigm that throwing another PROGRAM at a problem will not improve the bullying issue that schools need to address. We know that success requires extensive and coordinated efforts, ongoing efforts through the grades, and are integrated with the curriculum and discipline policies."

"As of today my school doesn't have any improvement or bullying prevention programs in place, but the administration is aggressively seeking committee members who are committed to change. Again, the biggest obstacle to improving school climate, discipline issues, and bullying prevention is to get the key stakeholders to acknowledge that the solution will require some changes for everyone."

"The packaged programs that have proven effective and have name recognition cannot be expected to show the school climate change without support and participation of school leaders, mandated staff training, and booster lessons after the initial implementation. The core milieu on the campus is established in the classroom. This is followed by student interactions with other staff. Teaching staff, administrators, and support staff (including custodial, cafeteria, and clerical) need to establish on their campus a family atmosphere where everyone believes that they have an influence on each other and on the students. If a student forms an impression that the school cares, efficacy of the program has to improve. Once the student cares, the message is more likely to be heard and aberrant behavior decreased."

• Look beyond the school walls to create a comprehensive approach to bullying problems among youth:

"I liked the addition of a community action plan that includes the faith community. Many teens turn to their faith community for their positive messages and who better to carry that message to school as concerned bystanders? We have a great force for good when we involve not only the schools but the parents, business members and faith community in anti-bully activities. As adults we should know what is right. Our students are looking to do what is right in their treatment of others. We need strong mentors in the schools, communities and media to help lead the way for our young children. Without our involvement and concern there will be no change."

"Many in our community (schools, organizations, businesses, neighborhoods, police, emergency service workers, county and state officials) have a close and open communication and the potential to address the threats that bullying pose to our society, but in order to make a huge impact, our challenge is going to be to get the parents and teachers to come out in numbers and support programs that directly recognize the ramifications that bully can create in our society. I truly believe if we reach the parents of the children that are bullying and also being victimized, and we educate them on how to be "active" intervention role models, we will then reach a milestone in making an even bigger impact on the subject of bullying."

Participants also shared some comments about how they have already used and plan to use the information from this event to help shape their schools' bullying prevention efforts.

"I have gotten a lot of great ideas from the info and discussions this week and have been just throwing lines to various staff members and am discovering, to my delight, that they want to know more. Our staff lunch conversation yesterday was centered around the topic and we had a very good discussion about the 'administrators bullying staff' idea that someone posted yesterday. I am getting closer to putting bullying on our radar screen!"

"This online event has been so valuable to the attention of implementing an anti bullying program. The overview and steps to conduct a comprehensive program implementation has provided motivation and knowledge to get started. Thanks. I will be meeting with the school administrators today to discuss a comprehensive anti bullying plan. I will be looking at purchasing an evidence based program such as Olweus Bullying Prevention Program."

"I found today's topic very helpful as I have a need to integrate either existing and/or piloted programs (Get Real About Violence; Safe School Ambassadors; Project Alert; TAPP; Sex Ed etc). Right now there is a concern that our existing programs are splintered and isolated from each other. I have ordered the Olweus Program and have hopes to use it not only as a school-wide antibullying program but as a way to integrate all prevention programs under one umbrella."

"Great tips! Today's info is perfect timing. I just spent three hours with our school admin and guidance discussing our bullying policy. At times I think we are so ahead of ourselves, then days like this, I feel there is much more work to be dome. It is amazing the amount of work that needs to go into this to be successful. There are so many different possibilities to work with. But I guess that is the nature of the beast...bullying is a complicated issue, therefore solutions will be complicated! I am going to use some of the tips for teachers during the upcoming staff training. Thank you!"