Bullying Survey

Bullying Survey (2003)
Iris Kramer-Clarke

School Climate and Bullying: Is There a Correlation?

1.1 Introduction:

"Bullying among children is the repeated, negative acts committed by one or more children against another. These negative acts may be direct physical or verbal actions, and/or indirect actions, such as the manipulation of friendships, gossip, and the exclusion of others from activities" (Olweus, 1991). Bullying is an aspect of school life that imparts on students’ social, emotional, psychological and educational development. Recent years have seen the development of evidence-based strategies aimed at increasing awareness and understanding the issues relating to bullying and promoting an anti-bullying ethos within each school environment. The occurrence of bullying in schools has contributed to the structured efforts of school administration, school boards and government bodies to ensure that students’ educational experiences are free from intimidation, fear and unhappiness.

Recent studies are shedding light on the fact that put-downs and bullying are becoming the standard in our schools. For some time now we have known that the problem starts to become evident in early elementary school and is at its height during middle school. I am employed as a middle school counsellor and subsidiary to the ups and downs of adolescent development, bully prevention and awareness has become a continual and daily focus in my responsibility as a counsellor.

Olweus (1993) in his research indicated that:

Being bullied during middle school is predictive of low self-esteem 10 years later.
By age 23, children who were bullied in middle school were more depressed and had lower self-esteem than their peers who had not been bullied.
They also feel more isolated than their peers, who often reject them out of fear that they too will become a target of bullies if they are seen with targeted students
This can also lead to suicide
It often leads to violent retaliation by victims, like what happened at Columbine High School and Taber High School
Bullying actually is the most common form of violence in our whole society. Bullying occurs in every school and in every grade, in every culture. It is what drives the culture of violence, permitting the most powerful to dominate the less powerful. Bullying is everywhere and schools are a primary breeding ground for this pernicious and insidious element of the culture of violence.
Bullying is not about resolving problems but about having power and control over another. Although bullying is generally thought of as a childhood problem it takes many forms across the lifespan: sexual harassment, gang attacks, dating violence, assault, domestic violence, child abuse, harassment in the workplace, and elder abuse (National Crime Prevention Council, 1997)
Seeing "bullying" behaviours that children learn, practice and experience from a very young age as a potential antecedent to other forms of violence heightens the need to address this behaviour early and consistently (Stein, 1995).

Bullies acquire power over their victims in numerous ways: physical size and strength, pinpointing the target’s vulnerabilities, peer group standing, or enlisting cooperation from other children (National Crime Prevention Council, 1997; Pepler & Craig, 1999). When bullying repeats over time, control over the victim becomes entrenched, resulting in the victim feeling increased distress and fear. Bullying can be expressed in many ways (Health Canada, 1997; Pepler & Craig, 1999; Smith & Sharp, 1994)

Physical aggression — kicking, hitting, taking or damaging belongings;
Social alienation — excluding someone from social groups (often referred to as indirect bullying);
Verbal aggression — name-calling, insulting, repeated teasing, racist remarks;
Intimidation — spreading nasty rumors, threatening.
Sexual harassment

In a Canadian survey of 4,743 children in Grades 1 through 8, O’Connell et al. (1997) reported that:

6% of children admitted bullying others "more than once or twice" in the previous six weeks;
15% reported that they had been victimized during the same time period; and
2% stated that they both bullied and were victimized.

In the Canadian National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth (NLSCY), which surveyed over 11,300 children, aged 4 to 11, and their parents (Craig, Peters, & Konarski, 1998) parents reported that of children aged 4 to 6, 14% of boys and 9% of girls bullied, while 5% of boys and 4% of girls were victimized. Among children ages 7 to 9, 15% of boys and 8% of girls bullied, while 4% of boys and 7% of girls were victimized. In the 10 to 11 year old cohort, 13% of boys and 9% of girls bullied, while 9% of boys and girls were victimized. Self-reports were gathered only from the 10 to 11 year old cohort. They suggest that17% of boys and 9% of girls admitted bullying, while 14% of boys and 8% of girls reported being victims of bullying.

Due to declining enrolment in Powell River, the two middle schools have had to merge. The former JP Dallos Middle School students joined their peers (grades seven and eight) in Oceanview Middle School in September of 2002. In a survey (February 2003) by the Ministry of Education of all grade seven students in British Columbia, Oceanview Middle school grade 7 students indicated that 47% of students ‘sometimes’ liked school. That is slightly below half of the grade seven-student population of 233. This would indicate a problem with school climate at Oceanview in the grade seven areas. Positive attitudes towards school are often linked to good relationships with parents, general health and happiness and avoidance of health-risk behaviors.

The school milieu has been impacted in some way by this amalgamation. I am interested to explore if bullying is a contributing factor that impedes the school climate at Oceanview Middle School.

“Some 80% of middle schoolers reported engaging in bullying behavior—ranging from excessive taunting and rumor spreading to destruction of property and physical aggression—according to a study published this month in the Journal of Early Adolescence. A high percentage of students who bully others also report being victims themselves. Bullying is worst in the middle school years, as kids make transitions to new schools, and peaks during the first few months of school, when students vie for power among their peers,” Dickinson states in her article, entitled “Bully Pulpit.”

THE STUDY

2.1 The overall aim of this research was to establish an evidence base about bullying in Oceanview Middle School. I would also like to explore if there is a correlation between bullying and school climate.

2.2. The research set out to identify the following:

Nature and extent of bullying at Oceanview Middle School from the students’ perspective.
To describe the demographic characteristics associated with bullying behaviour.
To examine the pro social factors: sense of belonging at school, confidence, adjustment to new school configuration and identifying the most serious school problem as perceived by students.
To provide a benchmark from which to measure bullying and school satisfaction.

METHODOLOGY:

3.1 All students at Oceanview Middle School who were present on the particular days of the surveying were included. This would not have included students who were absent from the class because of absence from school or absence from the class due to remediation classes scheduled at that time and several students who refused to partake in the survey. The methodology used was a combination of qualitative (focus groups grade 7 (n=196) and grade 8 (n=146) students and quantitative (survey questionnaire) as part of my baseline data collection. There is a set of questions based on an attitude scale with several closed items. The survey took approximately 15 minutes to administer, a copy of which is appended.

Parents were informed of the survey via the school newsletter and could request their child not to participate. No parents responded negatively.

The principal gave approval for the survey. Staff was informed of this survey at a staff meeting. Some classroom teachers and myself undertook distribution of the questionnaire.

From the questionnaire I am able to report on:

Student feeling about security and support.
How the students’ are treated.
Indicators of how the students’ treat others
Indicators of reacting to others being bullied
Indicators of the students’ sense of connectedness
The students’ evaluation of bullying in the school
Student viewpoints of the amalgamation of the two campuses.
The most serious school problem

Students recorded their anonymous responses on a Scantron sheet, which was intended to speed up the tabulation of results, but as it turned out, I had to hand score the responses due to the inappropriate form used. As it turned out, it was rather tedious but didn’t disqualify those who marked the ballots with pen or otherwise spoiled them by over coloring in the designated circles and gave me a better perception of the results.

KEY FINDINGS

4.1 The key findings of the report are set out below:

4.2 Student’s feeling of security and support at Oceanview Middle School

(How I feel about being at school most of the time)

In grade 7 17% of students were very happy
In grade 8 18% of students were very happy
In grade 7 6% of students were very unhappy
In grade 8 16% of students were very unhappy
In grade 7 45% of students were relatively happy
In grade 8 49% of students were relatively happy
Overall 79% of Oceanview students in both grades identified themselves as being relatively happy

(Helpfulness of teachers and adults in dealing with bullies)

In grade 7 19% indicated teachers and adults to be very helpful
In grade 8 13% indicated teachers and adults to be very helpful
In grade 7 39% indicated teachers and adults are sometimes helpful
In grade 8 30% indicated teachers and adults are sometimes helpful
In grade 7 8% indicated teachers and adults to never be helpful
In grade 8 14% indicated teachers and adults to never be helpful
Overall, both grades saw their teachers as being helpful 35% of the time.
The grade 7 students saw the teachers and other adults to be helpful.
The grade 8’s didn’t see them as helpful as the grade 7‘s.

Locations of Safety:

(In the classroom)

In grade 7 55% of all students felt very safe in the classroom
In grade 8 42% of the students felt very safe in the classroom
In grade 7 3% of students felt unsafe and scared.
In grade8 7% of students felt unsafe and scared.
Overall, 73% of the students at both grade levels had no concern about classroom safety.

(On the school grounds)

In grade 7 38% of students felt very safe
In grade 8 36% of students felt very safe
In grade 7 3% of students felt very unsafe and scared
In grade 8 6% of students felt very unsafe and scared
Overall 67% of all students at both grade levels expressed confidence of safety on school grounds.

(In the commons area: a general meeting spot for all students)

In grade 7 53% felt very safe in the commons
In grade 8 40% felt very safe in the commons
In grade 7 5% of students felt unsafe and scared
In grade 8 7% of students felt unsafe and scared
Overall 74% of grade 7 and 8 students felt safe in the commons area.

(In the Physical Education Change Rooms)

In grade 7 40% of students felt very safe
In grade 8 35% of students felt very safe
In grade 7 7% of students felt unsafe and scared
In grade 8 7% of students felt unsafe and scared
Overall 82% of grade 7 and 8 students felt safe in the change rooms

(In the hallways)

In grade 7 40% of students felt very safe in the hallways
In grade 8 38% of students felt very safe in the hallways
In grade 7 5% felt unsafe and scared in the hallways
In grade 8 7% felt unsafe and scared in the hallways
Overall 70% of grade 7 and grade 8 students felt safe in the hallways.

(On the school bus)

Half of the student took the school bus, the other half walked or had other means of transportation.

In grade 7 50% of students who rode the bus felt very safe
In grade 8 42% of students who rode the bus felt very safe
In grade 7 2% of students who rode the bus felt unsafe and scared
In grade 8 3% of students who rode the bus felt unsafe and scared
Overall, 64% of all the grade 7 and 8 bus students felt safe on the bus.

(In the washrooms)

In grade 7 54% of students felt very safe in the washrooms
In grade 8 42% of students felt very safe in the washrooms
In grade 7 6% of students felt very unsafe and scared in the washrooms
In grade 8 10% of students felt very unsafe and scared in the washrooms
Overall, 72% of all students in both grade 7 and grade 8 felt safe in the washrooms.

4.3 Indicators of how students are treated:

(Frequency of hurtful words)

In grade 7 29% of students have never experienced students saying things that hurt their feelings.
In grade 8 46% of students have never experienced students saying things that hurt their feelings.
In grade 7 16% have students say things that hurt their feelings every day.
In grade 8 22% have students say things that hurt their feelings every day.
In grade 7 students identified that everyday, or once or twice a week 34% were abused by their peers.
In grade 8 students identified that everyday, or once or twice a week 32% were abused by their peers
Overall, 34% of all grade 7 and 8 students felt abused more than once per week.
** These levels of abuse exceed what should be acceptable levels.

(Identification of bullies by age)

In grade 7 34% of students have not been bullied this year
In grade 8 37% of students have not been bullied this year
In grade 7 48% of students have been bullied by kids their own age.
In grade 8 42% of students have been bullied by kids their own age.
Overall both grade seven and eight identified kids the same age as being the perpetrators of abuse.

(Gender of bullies)

In grade7 30% of students identified no one bullies them
In grade 8 35% of students identified no one bullies them
In grade seven 29% of students were bullied by boys alone
In grade eight 32% of students were bullied by boys alone
In grade seven 9% of students were bullied by girls alone
In grade eight 10% of students were bullied by girls alone
In grade seven 30% of students were bullied by both boys and girls
In grade eight 23% of students were bullied by both boys and girls
Overall a significant majority of bullies were identified as male by both grade seven and eight.

(Identification of grade level of bullies)

In grade seven 36% of students were bullied by someone in the same grade, but different class
In grade eight 30% of students were bullied by someone in the same grade, but different class.
In grade seven 11% of students were bullied by someone in their class.
In grade eight 10% of students were bullied by someone in their class.
Overall 49% of all students in grade 7 and 8 identified being bullied by someone at the same grade level. 42% of students indicated they were not bullied.

(Frequency that a student hurts another)

In grade 7 14% of students physically hurt other students every day.
In grade 8 20% of students physically hurt other students every day.
In grade 7 48% of students say they never physically hurt any one.
In grade 8 43% of students say they never physically hurt any one.
Over all 22% of all students indicated that they hurt another student more than once per week.
Grade 8 students are more physical than grade 7 student.

(Frequency that a student verbally abuses another student)

In grade 7 40% of students never tease or call other people names.
In grade 8 36% of students never tease or call other people names
In grade 7 12% of students tease, name call or say mean things every day.
In grade 8 22% of students tease, name call or say mean things every day.
Overall, the grade 7’s were the fewest abusers. The largest numbers of offenders of verbal abuse are in grade 8.

4.4 Indicators of how students treat others

(Frequency that a student observes verbal abuse of others)

In grade 7 58% of students see another student saying mean things, teasing and name calling daily.
In grade 8 66% of students see another student saying mean things, teasing and name calling daily.
In grade 7 14% of students have not seen another student being verbally abused.
In grade 8 12% of students have not seen another student being verbally abused.
Overall, 62% of the entire student population report observing abuse of another student daily by saying mean things, teasing and name calling.

(Frequency that other students at recess and lunch reject a student)

In grade 7 6% of students spend recess and lunch alone
In grade 8 10% of students spend recess and lunch alone
In grade 7 75% of students are not alone at recess and lunch.
In grade 8 74% of students are not alone at recess and lunch.
Overall, 75% of all students in grade 7 and 8 never feel out and aren’t alone at recess/lunch.

4.5 Observing and reacting to others being bullied

(Frequency that a student observes physical abuse)

In grade 7 14% of students never observe another student physically hurt another student
In grade 8 13% of students never observe another student physically hurt another student.
In grade 7 32% of students have seen another student physically hurt another student daily.
In grade 8 44% of students have seen another student physically hurt another student daily.
Overall, 37% of all students reported seeing physical abuse of another student every day.
The incidence was greatest in grade 8.

(Action Taken When Having Observed Physical Abuse of another student)

In grade 7 25% of students stood and watched while another student was being physically hurt by another
In grade 8 28% of students stood and watched while another student was being physically hurt by another.
In grade 7 40% of students walked away and ignored it when another student was hurt by another.
In grade 8 44% of students walked away and ignored it when another student was hurt by another.
In grade 7 18% of students helped the person being bullied.
In grade 8 9% of student helped the person being bullied.
In grade 7 8% of students help the bully hurt the victim.
In grade 8 14% of students help the bully hurt the victim.
Overall, 43% of all students in grade 7 and 8 walk away when observing abuse, a further 26% stand and watch abuse occurring.

(Action Taken When Verbal Abuse was observed)

In grade 7 46% of students walk away and ignore it when they observe verbal abuse of another student.
In grade 8 47% of students walk away and ignore it when they observe verbal abuse of another student.
In grade 7 14% of students stood and watched another student getting verbally abused by another.
In grade 8 27% of students stood and watched another student getting verbally abused by another.
In grade 7 8% of students helped the bully.
In grade 8 6% of students helped the bully.
Overall 46% of all students in grade 7 and 8 walked away when observing verbal abuse towards another student.

4.6 Indicators of the students’ sense of connectedness:

(Person to report bullying to)

In grade 7 18% of students would feel comfortable reporting to a teacher that they are being bullied.
In grade 8 8% of students would feel comfortable reporting to a teacher that they are being bullied.
In grade 7 32% of students would feel comfortable reporting to the counsellor that they are being bullied.
In grade 8 11% of students would feel comfortable reporting to the counsellor that they are being bullied.
In grade 7 4% of student would feel comfortable reporting to an administrator that they are being bullied.
In grade 8 5% of student would feel comfortable reporting to an administrator that they are being bullied.
In grade 7 40% of students wouldn’t feel comfortable reporting if they were bullied.
In grade 8 68% of students wouldn’t feel comfortable reporting if they were bullied.

4.7 Evaluation of bullying in the school:

(Size of bullying issue)

In grade 7 11% do not see bullying as a problem at Oceanview.
In grade 8 23% do not see bullying as a problem at Oceanview.
In grade 7 39% of students see it as somewhat of a problem.
In grade 8 36% of students see it as somewhat of a problem.
In grade 7 27% of students see it as a big problem.
In grade 8 16% of students see it as a big problem.
In grade 7 23% of students see bullying as a huge problem.
In grade 8 25% of students see bullying as a huge problem.
Overall, 47% of all students consider bullying a problem. Grade 7’s consider it less of problem than grade 8’s.

4.8 Viewpoints of the amalgamation of two middle schools

(First Reaction when hearing that the two schools would be combined)

In grade 7 54% of students didn’t care one way or another.
In grade 8 64% of students didn’t care one way or another.
In grade 7 7% of students were very nervous.
In grade 8 9% of students were very nervous.
Overall, 59% of students didn’t care one way or another that the two schools were being amalgamated.

(New friends made)

In grade 7 84% of all students said they made new friends since combining the two campuses.
In grade 8 84% of all students said they made new friends since combining the two campuses.
It total of the students who were a part of the amalgamation 90% of all students made new friends.

(Evaluation of amalgamation)

In grade 7 41% of students felt students from both campuses mix well together.
In grade 8 51% of students felt students from both campuses mix well together.
In grade 7 36% of students felt students from both campuses mix well most often.
In grade 8 33% of students felt students from both campuses mix well most often.
In grade 7 13% did not feel the campuses mixed well together.
In grade 8 11% did not feel the campuses mixed well together.
Overall, 84% of all students who were part of the amalgamation felt that combining the two schools was very positive.

(Summation of the 2003-03 year)

In grade 7 38% of all reported academically and socially it was a good year.
In grade 8 44% of all reported academically and socially it was a good year.
In grade 7 36% reported it was a socially good year.
In grade 8 30% reported it was a socially good year.
In grade 7 8% reported they wished they had more friends.
In grade 8 9% reported they wished they had more friends.
In grade 7 18% reported that it was not a good year for them academically or socially.
In grade 8 17% reported that it was not a good year for them academically or socially.
Overall, 83% of all students in grade 7 and 8 reported that it was a socially and academically good year for them.

(Atmosphere/Climate Evaluation)

In grade 7 58% of students think the atmosphere at Oceanview is so-so.
In grade 8 41% of students think the atmosphere at Oceanview is so-so.
In grade 7 10% of students think the atmosphere at Oceanview is excellent.
In grade 8 12% of students think the atmosphere at Oceanview is excellent.
In grade 7 18% of students think the atmosphere at Oceanview needs improvement.
In grade 8 31% of students think the atmosphere at Oceanview needs improvement.
Overall, 62% of students at Oceanview feel the climate and atmosphere are good.
The scores indicate that the grade 8 students are more discontent with the atmosphere and feel it needs improvement.

4.9 The most serious school problem

(Major school problem)

In grade 7 25% of students felt that the major school problem was bullying.
In grade 8 36% of students felt that the major school problem was bullying.
In grade 7 9% of students felt that the major school problem was drugs.
In grade 8 62% of students felt that the major school problem was drugs.
In grade 7 66% of students perceived Oceanview to have no really major problems.
In grade 8 2% of students perceived Oceanview to have no really major problems.
Overall, 30% of all students surveyed see bullying as a problem.
Overall, 32% of all students surveyed see drugs as a problem.
It is significant to note the high percentage of grade 8 students who identified drugs to be 62% of a major problem in contrast to the 9% of grade 7’s who perceive it as a problem.

5.0 SUMMARY

The highlights of responses from grade 7 through 8 students are summarized by category:

Demographics:

The total school population as of April 30, 2003 was 429. Out of 233 grade 7 students n=196 participated in the survey. Thirty grade seven students were either absent or not available for the testing due to delivery of services or being elsewhere in the building.
In grade 8 the total population is 196. Over the course of two days, n=146 students were surveyed, 50 students did not take part in the survey due to absence or being elsewhere in the building at the time of the survey. Three grade 8 ballots were written on expressing that these surveys are a waste of time because nothing ever gets done as a result of the surveys.
The total number of students surveyed at Oceanview Middle School was 342.

There were approximately the same numbers of male and female students responding to the survey.
Slightly more students were bus-riders than non bus-riders.
A significant number of bullies were the same age level.
The vast majority of bullies are boys (18%), nearly (6%) were girls, but (15%) of all students identified being bullied by both girls and boys together.

Role of Teachers and Adults

A minority (35%) of students felt teachers and adults were very helpful in dealing with bullies; and 6% felt they were never or hardly ever helpful.

Safety of Students in Classroom, School Grounds, Commons, P.E. change rooms, hallways, bus & washrooms:

The vast majority felt safe in all circumstances. In only one or two cases did students feel very unsafe.

Physical Bullying

Physical bullying occurs too frequently since (37%) of all students see physical abuse happening to another student on a daily basis. Grade 8 students observed the occurrence most frequently. Overall, 43% of students at both grade levels walk away when observing abuse of another student. A smaller percentage of 26 stand and watch.

Verbal Abuse

Verbal abuse such as name calling, teasing and taunting occurs more frequently in grade 8 and the frequency of seeing this happen (62% of the entire population) indicates this is an area of concern.

Overall 34% of all grade 7 and 8 students felt abused by students saying hurtful things to them. Sadly, overall, 46% of all students walked away when observing verbal abuse towards another student.

Connectedness:

Significantly, students at Oceanview do not feel comfortable reporting bullying if it were happening to them. A greater number of grade seven students reported they would report it to their counsellor (32%); this could be a result of the Safe Teen Program and the Bully Awareness Program that all grade 7 students participated in. The grade 8 populations were swayed largely towards not reporting. The majority of students didn’t feel comfortable reporting it to teachers or administrators or other adults in the building. This would improve when the climate of trust is further enhanced.

Amalgamation Viewpoints:

The majority of students at Oceanview weren’t too concerned about the fact that the two campuses were amalgamating. Overall, 84% of all students felt that combining the two campuses was a good thing. A large portion of students (90%) made new friends and indicated that both campuses mixed well together. This ascertains that the amalgamation of the two middle schools was overall very successful.

Climate:

Although the grade 8 students are slightly more discontent with the climate, the overall percentage of 62 indicated the climate and atmosphere are fairly good. This score is not ideal and is an area that needs to be reviewed.

Significance of Major Problem:

The grade seven students identified bullying to be the most significant problem (25%). The grade seven’s considered drugs to be a minimal problem (9%). Generally (66%) didn’t think there were any really outstanding problems. The general consensus of the grade 7 populations is probably better than most middle schools as their perceptions about school problems are relatively normal for their age group.

The grade eight students identified drugs to be the most significant problem (62%). Bullying was perceived by the grade 8’s as 36% of a problem. Only 2% of the grade 8’s saw the school as having minimal problems. It appears that there are far more problems with the grade 8 students who see the school in a more negative way. **All drug offences this year came from the grade 8’s and bullying incidents, violent acts, vandalism and skipping were more frequent at this level.

When combining these numbers together by both grades, overall, the students at Oceanview see drugs to be the number one problem (32% of the population) and bullying (30% of the population).

Conclusions:/

A good school climate has been found to predict not only superior academic achievement but also positive behaviour, high self-esteem and facilitates learning. (Rutter et al.,1979; Ouston et al., Hoge et al., 1990). A poor social climate by contrast has been reported to relate to student stress and psychological problems. Bullying behaviour, the most common form of violence is designed to gain power over or to dominate another person. It happens on a regular basis through power plays, intimidation and threats. Bullying comes out of the quest to have one of four emotional needs met. These needs, as identified by William Glasser, are belonging, personal power, personal freedom, and fun. If students feel the alienation and isolation that comes from having an unmet need, they will often be motivated to gain control over their environments by seeking power over others through some form of anti-social behavior, such as bullying and turning to drugs. A feeling of security and connectedness in school are essential to a student’s academic success. Bullying, fighting, drug use undermine the mission of schools. Research clearly shows that students will commit few violent acts when they feel supported, respected and liked. Students’ needs include structure, safety and strong relationships. A positive school climate has been consistently found to be effective in the reduction of bullying (Olweus, 1993). A positive school climate should be strongly emphasized.

Although no one wants to believe that our educational institutions are anything other than safe and positive environments that support the learning experience, it is incumbent upon those in positions of responsibility to take a "step back" and gain perspective on the emotional climate of their schools. Creating cultures and climates of safety is essential to the prevention of violence in schools. This perspective can be gained by systematically surveying students about the emotional climate of schools.

The findings of climate surveys such as the one I have administered can help with implementing future plans to enhance safety and respect within the educational environment. It can also serve as a benchmark for future measuring. It is important to give feedback about school climate data to all involved and affected parties. I found that a correlation between bullying and school climate does exist at Oceanview Middle School as it probably exists in most middle schools, some more than others.

Another behaviour among middle school students that further exacerbates the issue of bullying is that of the bystander. The bystander rarely gets involved for fear of being the bully’s next victim or doing the wrong thing. At Oceanview Middle School there was far too much ‘observing’ of verbal and physical bullying behaviors. The very fact that almost half of the school population at Oceanview walks away when they observe a bullying situation is a concern. Developmental studies of children have suggested that as children get older their capacity to empathize and understand the perspective of another increases, however, this may actually contribute to the consequences of bystanders’ avoidance behaviour. This may include feelings of powerlessness and loss of self -respect and confidence (Hazler, 1996).

There has been evidence that bystanders become desensitized to bully behaviors and that girls even more so than boys actually become “less and less sympathetic” toward bully victims until about the age of 15, when this trend begins to reverse (Rigby, 1996).

The school culture needs to focus on empathy and other character virtues. Good character is essential to kids' success in life. It helps them deal with the challenges of growing and developing into healthy, responsible adults.

By using peer pressure to create a community of intolerance to bullying this increases self-esteem and confidence in everybody and bullying behaviour is hopefully reduced. The kids in the middle who have the best social skills can often change the school climate if they are coached by a supportive culture.

Sharing this climate data establishes a foundation for building an integrated systems approach that will bring these central "players" to the table; empower students to make change; and connect the school to the community and involve parental support. It is my intention to share this with all students and staff at Oceanview Middle School and get their input into changing and promoting a more positive school culture.

Students must listen respectfully to adults and to their peers, and teachers, administrators, and other adults must listen respectfully to their students and to each other. Grownups often expect that students listen to adults in authority. However, all too frequently adults forget that respectful listening is a "two-way street." A school with a culture of "two-way listening" will encourage and empower students to have the courage to break the ingrained code of silence.

With the Ministry of Education Satisfaction Survey results indicating student dissatisfaction, the administration/counselling team at Oceanview was anxious to address issues pertaining to school climate. Myself and the other counsellor initiated a climate committee at Oceanview Middle School. Two volunteer representatives from each division at both grade levels represented their class. Students were instructed that they would be reporting back to their classes. We held the meetings (45 minutes) during class time so that it gave the committee a sense of importance and didn’t interfere with their free time. There were approximately 36 representatives at the Wednesday morning meetings.

In the first session we focused on icebreakers and outlined our purpose for the committee. Students had an opportunity to vent their concerns in a brainstorming session. Each group wrote these concerns on large chart paper. At the end of the first session students were given five stickers to prioritize their concerns.

By the second Wednesday, we narrowed the concerns to five which included: more dances, being able to wear hats, more fun assemblies, more attractive surroundings (in particular washrooms and school grounds) and more up-to-date life lessons (improved Career and Personal Planning format and delivery of the program so students could express themselves more).

On the third Wednesday the group invited the principal and vice-principal to an open forum where students had an opportunity to ask about some of their concerns. This was very successful because it was organized to be very structured and time managed. Students and the administration walked away from it in a very positive way.

At the fourth meeting, the administration was invited to ask questions of the students. This again was a successful format as it became evident that a doable task force was emerging. Students who had vested interests in some of the main concerns broke into groups to identify how they could accomplish the task.

At the fifth meeting we reviewed the results of my climate survey and discussed ways to begin to set our goals. The results were incontrovertible to the majority of students and they confirmed that many of my findings were accurate. They were especially vocal about the fact that they cannot disclose to staff members when they are getting bullied or others are bullied.

Students brainstormed and gave us a list of their priorities and so that we in turn could present them to the staff. At the staff meeting, the staff was informed of the climate survey results (verbally) as they had not been published yet, and were briefed on the evolving climate committee.

After our presentation, we were successful in having a staff volunteer to spear head the decorating committee to beautify one bathroom as a start to the ‘beautification of Oceanview‘. Two school dances before the end of the year compliment the concern that we don‘t have enough dances.

Listening also must be expanded beyond academic concerns. Communications between teachers and students also should include listening to feelings, especially those of hurt and pain. In addition, it is important to "listen" to behaviors. Many students, including some who consider violence an appropriate way to solve problems, have a difficult time finding the words to articulate the disenfranchisement, hurt, or fear that they may feel. Not knowing how to express their problems and feelings may prompt these students to take action.

Adults who listen to behavior and assist students in learning how to articulate their feelings and experiences provide students with critical skills that can contribute to preventing and reducing violence. Historically it has been proven that a school climate in which students connect to each other and to adults is one that promotes a safe and secure educational environment. These climates teach conflict resolution, peer mediation, active listening, and other non-violent ways to solve problems. Personalization, or human-scale schooling, can create contexts to counter violence. Smaller classes enable schools to become communities in which teachers and students know and value one another as individuals. And they allow education professionals to form steady, caring relationships with the students most likely to perpetrate or suffer from physical and psychological violence.

Since many schools cannot afford to reduce class sizes by hiring more teachers, other innovations can help provide opportunities for small-scale schooling. Schools within schools, block scheduling, mentoring programs, and the increased use of paraprofessionals create more opportunities for working directly with students. When students feel a strong connection to their school, they are less likely to engage in violent behaviors or tolerate them among peers. Policies to promote personalization foster not only safety, but also academic achievement (Sizer 1992). Schools with climates of safety and respect are establishing foundations for pro-social behavior.

A student who finds the courage to tell a caring adult about a friend in pain may save a life. This was an area of great concern in my study, as many students didn’t feel comfortable reporting bullying to an adult. Students articulated to us through this committee that they wanted to be able to have opportunities to communicate their problems, bullying and feelings to teachers.

It is hope that an ad hoc committee will be formed to examine the resources to enhance the current CAPP program and service delivery at Oceanview, which in turn will help to support the student concern of not being able to express their feelings. Continued bully prevention programs will reinforce school wide behavioral expectations. Character education has been introduced to staff as the possible ‘missing piece' in [violence] prevention programs, which focus on the skills of empathy and self-discipline. Character education experts Diane G. Berreth and Sheldon Berman (1996) state, "Without these skills, we run the risk of schools becoming locked-down and oppressive institutions built around fear rather than responsiveness." Empathy and self-discipline can be learned hand in hand with academic content. The dimensions of social, intellectual, and ethical development are interconnected in children. In practice, character education requires instructional environments that consistently model ethical behavior, self-discipline, and compassion.

People support most when they have had genuine input in creating. Overall, the students have felt that through this committee, they have noticed that their voices were heard and changes are occurring and will continue to occur as a result of this committee. Hopefully, the committee will continue next year and it is our intention that the climate will be influenced and enhanced in a positive way.

Many local factors contribute to the creation of a culture and climate of safety. These factors include: the leadership of the school principal; "empowered buy-in" of student groups; connections to teachers. the local community and its leaders; and the respectful integration into the safe school climates process of "safe keepers," such as parents and law enforcement personnel close to the school.

Schools that have succeeded in creating safe school climates have done so because of their recognition that such climates of safety actually "raise the bar" on sound educational expectations, which, in turn, keep students, engaged and learning at high levels. Schools do need to have a policy that says we accept people’s differences and won’t tolerate disrespect or intolerance. Perhaps even more important than policy, though, is perception. Students must understand and have faith in their school’s policies and systems of support.

To work effectively, safe school climates that create relationships of respect and connection between adults and students must be accepted as integral to the mission of threat assessment and management, and understood from "the top down" as integral to the success of the learning experience. Such schools achieve their aims by realizing that safe school climates are not created overnight.

We all struggle with getting respect in our respective communities. All adults--teachers, administrators, and parents--are influenced by the lessons and experiences they had as adolescents. Seen in this light, bullying in all its forms is an expression of how we contribute to a culture that either creates a safe environment in which students can do their best or a culture in which bullying students reflect what we have taught them.

Not long ago, to think of having to ensure a safe and secure building was foreign to the minds of many. Today, safety is paramount in the minds of principals, teachers, parents and students. Because of this unwavering and dedicated commitment, schools are safer today than they ever were ten years ago. Implementation of a safe school climate process requires continuous planning and dedicated work to continue to enhance supportive learning communities where students can develop academically and socially while meeting high expectations for student achievement.

References

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Craig, W.M., Peters, D., & Konarski, R. (1998). Bullying and victimization among Canadian school children. Available online from Applied Research Branch, Strategic Policy, Human Resources Development Canada at http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/arb/publications/research/abw-98-28e.shtml.

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Olweus, D. (1996). Bully/victim problems at school: Facts and effective intervention. Reclaiming Children and Youth, Spring, 15-22

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Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (1999). What should we do about bullying? Research into practice. Peacebuilder: Schools & Youth, 2(1), and 9-10.

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Sizer, T.R. (1992). Horace's School: Redesigning The American High School. New York: Houghton Mifflin.