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Friday, September 29, 2006
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Grabbing bullying by the horns Lincoln Elementary, district schools making strides in effort to curb problem Staff Writer One of the keys to preventing childhood bullying, as Lincoln Elementary Principal Jeff DeVaney sees it, is making sure that children feel they are an important part of their community.
And while Lincoln Elementary School, in downtown Brainerd, isn't really considered a "neighborhood school" - only eight of the school's 235 students in kindergarten through fourth-grade actually walk to school - school staff members are attempting to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and school pride that makes students, their teachers and parents feel they belong to a school family.
"What we try to do is create a community of learners, that we need to be compassionate toward others, which lessens bullying," said DeVaney.
While all schools in the district have developed strategies to curb bullying and other negative behaviors, the changes in negative behaviors at Lincoln have been dramatic. During the past five years, DeVaney said major behavioral problems among students have declined by about 75 percent.
"Before, it was constant," said DeVaney of students in trouble for acts of aggression toward other students. "They were just lined up getting consequences. They're bullied by some kid in the neighborhood so they come here and bully someone else."
Childhood bullying is a significant problem nationwide, the PACER Center recently reported. The center, which stands for Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights, is based in Minnesota and last month launched a Web site for elementary school students, including those with disabilities, to teach students about bullying and how to prevent it. The site, www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org, features celebrity videos, Webisodes, interactive games, animation, contests and other activities.
Tips to stop bullying
Discovering that your child is being bullied can be devastating. Parents may feel bewildered, scared, sad, guilty, angry or helpless. Parents also may feel like a target themselves.
While it's important to recognize and acknowledge all these emotions, feelings alone will not change the situation. It is most effective to focus on the issue and develop a plan.
First, make sure that the issue is bullying and not routine childhood conflict. Ask your child:
» Did someone hurt you on purpose?
» Is the other child bigger than you or scary to you?
» Did the other child know you were being hurt?
Watch for signs, such as:
» Suddenly wanting to be driven to school instead of taking the bus.
» Unexplained stomachaches or headaches.
» Changes in sleep routines or temperament.
If your child is being bullied, you can take action at home to help your child learn how to respond more effectively. Encourage your child to:
» Avoid situations in which bullying occurs.
» Hang out with classmates, friends, peers or siblings.
» Tell the child who is bullying to stop.
» Do something the bully does not expect or want: yell, blow a whistle, laugh.
Encourage group involvement. Children who interact with peers are less likely to be bullied. You may want to help your child:
» Join an after-school program or activity.
» Develop a hobby that allows interaction with others.
If your child is being bullied at school, you can work with teachers and administration to create a safe environment:
» Talk with teachers and administrators.
» Notify them of the situation in writing. Schools are obligated to respond to bullying.
» Discuss ways the school can help, such as by developing a bullying awareness program.
» Be part of your child's school.
» Join the PTA and raise awareness of bullying as an issue.
» Offer to speak to the school board and be the "bullying expert."
» If your child has disabilities, you can build bullying prevention goals into your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
For more information on bullying prevention, contact the PACER Center at (952) 838-9000 or toll free at (888) 248-0822 or visit www.pacer.org.
Children may visit the PACER Center's new bullying prevention Web site geared toward students in second through sixth grade, including those with disabilities, at www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org.
Information provided by PACER Center of Minneapolis.
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"The site is for all children," said Paula F. Goldberg, executive director of PACER. "No one deserves to be bullied. This site will help children know how to respond positively and effectively."
According to the PACER Center, childhood bullying can cause school absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, poor self-esteem, and in some cases, school violence.
Statistics show that:
» 160,000 children in the United States miss school each day as a result of being bullied.
» Seven to 15 percent of children experience bullying.
» 50 percent of children who are bullied have disabilities.
The new Web site is specifically designed for children who are bullied, who witness bullying and kids who bully others.
On Oct. 27, CLIMB Theatre, a Twin Cities-based theater company that presents plays about social issues to students, will perform for Lincoln students, along with other schools in the district this year. This year's play is about bullying.
At Lincoln Elementary, positive character traits, like respect, self-control, perseverance and compassion, are reinforced every day. Students meet in their classrooms each morning together "on the rug" and talk about issues that affect them. The entire student body meets in the school gym each Monday morning for 3M, which stands for Monday Morning Meetings. DeVaney stresses a monthly theme (this month's theme is respect) and he and the students discuss real world examples using that theme. "Character Counts" awards are presented to students who have, over a period of time, acted out the traits of that month's character theme. These students also are highlighted in the principal's monthly newsletter, "The Link."
Any students "caught" performing a random act of kindness by teachers and staff place their names in DeVaney's "Spam Can." Two names are drawn from the can each Monday morning and those students are invited to have lunch with DeVaney at Giovanni's Pizza, a lunch that takes place every two weeks.
Lincoln also has its own theme: "Lincoln Pride - Know it, Show it," which can be found on posters throughout the building. All students know what "LP" stands for when they see it around the school. Students are redirected from negative behaviors by being asked by staff, "What's your job?" It's a saying that reminds students in a positive way what they should be doing without telling the student to instantly stop that behavior.
"It gives students that common language," said DeVaney. "It starts in kindergarten. You can never start this too early."
Lincoln teachers use teaching strategies like Responsive Classroom, which is designed to promote a sense of community and Love and Logic Training, another proactive discipline strategy that focuses on logical and realistic consequences, said DeVaney. The Literacy Collaborative, which began at Lincoln, also helps create this sense of community and teaches discipline strategies.
The school hosted Family Fun Night Thursday night and last year hosted a Classic Movie Night, which brought parents and students together in the gym to watch the Swiss Family Robinson classic movie. Everyone wore their pajamas and lugged their sleeping bags. It was a huge hit for everyone of all ages and will be planned again this year, said DeVaney.
All of these activities provide an opportunity for students and their parents to feel like Lincoln is their school family and a way for parents to positively interact with their children, said DeVaney.
"We're just trying to grow traditions," he said. "A lot of these kids don't have traditions in their lives and when you fill in those gaps you don't have time for negative in your life."
JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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