Create a Bully Free Culture in Your School

Posted on February 5th, 2010 by Richard Paul

I presented a program for the Henry Ford Health System for their School Health Network. They called the event R.A.P. City- Resources Are Plentiful “Building Character- Create a Bully Free Culture in Your School.” The event was geared for school social workers, teachers, principals and it was open to several districts in the area.

They had several awesome presenters at the event. Roberta Davis, Injury Prevention Educator, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Peter Lundgren, President of the Bucket Fillers for Life, Sugarbush Elementary School Health Team presenting their own Character Counts, School wide anti-bullying program and Assistant Principal Pat Donahue of Chippewa Valley Schools presenting his own high school program that his team has created entitled Heros in the Hallway. It was a very enlightening event and I plan to contact each of these presenters in the next few months to record an interview so they can personally share their programs with you.

I was asked to present our Eliminating the Bullying program that I offer for both teacher and parent groups. We share tips and tools for both the victim and the bully. The last part of the program I discuss working as a team to stifle the bully. I break them up into three groups 1) a student group, 2) A safety group 3) school staff group.

The student group are instructed to offer ideas that students can actually implement in the school to end the bullying problem. The group at the R.A.P. City event offered these suggestions:

1) Use the bucket filler concept where you do for other and you will also be rewarded.

2) Continue to reinforce the bullying programs and or implement the school policies when need to help their fellow students.

The safety group consists of bus drivers, safety squad, crossing guards and parents in the community. The group at the R.A.P. City event offered these suggestions:

1) Monitor the bullying on computers (Parents need to be proactive)

2) Document poor behavior on the bus or outside the school

3) Praise positive behavior

4) Have a parent volunteer on the buses to monitor activities

The staff group consists of teachers, secretarial, custodians, lunchtime personal etc.

The group at the R.A.P. City offered these suggestions:

1) Be more accessible, proactive and have an open line of communication

2) Listen more to the students

3) Don’t jump to conclusions when listening to parents

4) Staff needs to use the same language when communicating to possible bully students

5) Ask parents to be volunteer eyes and ears at school events and on the bus

6) CIA Agent students to secretly document and give information on a bullying situation.