The Power of Bystanders

This is a powerful, brief video that represents what we hear from our students all the time - we need students to be advocates, to take one small step that will change the world for another.  

The Role of Bystanders in Bullying Behavior

Bully and Social Justice

Bullying and Social Justice

(The issue’s overall importance to individuals, organizations, and society,

 including a discussion of social justice issues that bear upon the issue.)

Dahlberg LL, Krug EG.  Viloence – A Global Public Health Problem. In: Krug E, Dahlberg LL, Mercy JA, Zwi AB, Lozano R, eds. World Report on Violence and Health. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO ; 2002: 1-56.  http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/overview/social-ecologicalmodel.html

The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention

The ultimate goal is to stop violence before it begins. Prevention requires understanding the factors that influence violence. CDC uses a four-level social-ecological model to better understand violence and the effect of potential prevention strategies.¹ This model considers the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. It allows us to understand the range of factors that put people at risk for violence or protect them from experiencing or perpetrating violence. The overlapping rings in the model illustrate how factors at one level influence factors at another level.

Besides helping to clarifying these factors, the model also suggests that in order to prevent violence, it is necessary to act across multiple levels of the model at the same time. This approach is more likely to sustain prevention efforts over time than any single intervention.
Individual

The first level identifies biological and personal history factors that increase the likelihood of becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence. Some of these factors are age, education, income, substance use, or history of abuse. Prevention strategies at this level are often designed to promote attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that ultimately prevent violence. Specific approaches may include education and life skills training.

Relationship

The second level examines close relationships that may increase the risk of experiencing violence as a victim or perpetrator. A person's closest social circle-peers, partners and family members-influences their behavior and contributes to their range of experience. Prevention strategies at this level may include parenting or family-focused prevention programs, and mentoring and peer programs designed to reduce conflict, foster problem solving skills, and promote healthy relationships.

Community

The third level explores the settings, such as schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods, in which social relationships occur and seeks to identify the characteristics of these settings that are associated with becoming victims or perpetrators of violence. Prevention strategies at this level are typically designed to impact the social and physical environment – for example, by reducing social isolation, improving economic and housing opportunities in neighborhoods, as well as the climate, processes, and policies within school and workplace settings.

Societal

The fourth level looks at the broad societal factors that help create a climate in which violence is encouraged or inhibited. These factors include social and cultural norms that support violence as an acceptable way to resolve conflicts. Other large societal factors include the health, economic, educational and social policies that help to maintain economic or social inequalities between groups in society.

Other Possible References:

https://prezi.com/dgz-_v_ja4bh/how-bullying-is-a-social-justice-issue/
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-45-fall-2013/there-are-no-bullies
https://bullying.humanrights.gov.au/cyberbullying-human-rights-and-bystanders-0
http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/

Key Statistics Regarding Student Bullying

Activist Groups

Activist Groups Against Bullying

(An activist engaged in the issue and the work done by that activist.)

http://www.endcyberbullying.org/event-2/
http://www.stompoutbullying.org/index.php/about/teen-ambassadors/

Activist groups around the country have emerged to address the nation-wide dilemma of bullying. The END CYBER-BULLYING and STOMP OUT BULLYING organizations are dedicated to providing greater awareness and understanding of the problem, as well as resources designed to equip all stakeholders in dealing with bullying.  In addition, these activist groups tell the stories of those victimized by bullying.  They also provide information on volunteering, National Campaigns, news, and other events.  While these are just two examples for how activists are addressing bullying nation-wide, they potentially provide ideas for a more local approach to addressing the dilemma.

Relationship to Leadership, Learning, and Service

Relationship to Leadership, Learning, & Service

(The issue’s relationship to leadership, learning and service.)

Leadership: Given the magnitude of the bullying problem, strong, strategic, and effective leadership is necessary.  While it is a nation-wide problem in need of scaled out support, my sphere of influence for leadership will take place at the organizational level.  It will be critical to be inclusive in our approach by seeking assistance from all stakeholders including students, parents, and staff.

Learning:  In viewing the issue of bullying as a problem to be addressed through prevention vs. Intervention, learning is critical.  Learning needs to take place for those being bullied, the bullies, and bystanders.  Learning how to address all groups can create a level of empowerment needed for these individuals.
 
Service: Addressing the problem of bullying is clearly a service to all students involved.  It is important for school to be a safe and supportive environment for learning.  Likewise, students are entrusted by parents to provide a high level of growth – academic, social and emotional.  This service is one in which the individual, the organization, and society benefits from.

Personal Mission Statements

Personal Relationship to Topic

(The role you believe you can have in addressing this issue given your personal mission.)

Personal Mission Statement

I am called to make a positive impact on my “part of the world” so as to leave it better because of my life’s journey.  I will strive to achieve and celebrate this by continuing to learn and grow so as to formulate a personalized vision for myself, a collective vision for others, and turn it into a sustainable reality.

Given my personal mission, as Principal of Asa Clark Middle School, in the School District of Pewaukee, I believe it is imperative for me to actively address the individual, organizational, and societal problems associated with bullying.  Kids who become associated with bullying through directly being bullied, being the actual bully, or being a bystander to bullying can experience dramatically negative short-term and long-term results.      

Kids Who are Bullied

Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

• Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
• Health complaints
• Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

Kids Who Bully Others

Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:

• Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
• Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
• Engage in early sexual activity
• Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
• Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults

Bystanders

Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:

• Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs
• Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
• Miss or skip school

The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide

Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors. Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can make an unsupported situation worse.

Bullying – A Wicked Problem

 Bullying has long been a problem in the educational system.  The long-term impact of bullying is such that the impact on individuals, organizational, and society are dramatic.  With the advent of increased technology, cyber-bullying has only made the problem more severe.  In order to best combat the problem, my focus is on using learning and digital citizenship as vehicles to address the problem in "my part of the world."