Barry: A Bullying Prevention Program that Works

The definition of bullying: Intentional, aggressive behavior, which can take the form of physical or verbal harassment and involves an imbalance of power.

Bullying is not a politically incorrect or hurtful remark. It is most often premeditated and repetitive, and people are targeted by bullies for their race, religion, gender, sexuality, disabilities, height, weight and etc.

We know what bullying is, and yet we haven't been able to stop the escalation of the most common form of violence in schools. In Connecticut, 25 percent of high school students overall and 35 percent of ninth-graders reported being bullied or harassed on school property during the previous year.

The problem is, there have not been clear and consistent rules, consequences, and enforcement regarding bullying behavior in our schools.

It looks like that's about to change.

October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month - particularly meaningful this year, since on July 13, Gov. Dannel Malloy signed into law Public Act 11-232, which "takes comprehensive steps to prevent bullying and ensure every child the right to learn in public school without fear of teasing, humiliation, or assault."

The law expands staff trainings, mandates that all school employees report all incidences of bullying, addresses cyberbullying, and gathers date to assess the extent of bullying in the schools.

A proven-to-work program is already available to schools that addresses every one of these anti-bullying mandates: the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). Conceived by Dr. Dan Olweus of Norway in the early 1970s, OBPP is the most researched and successfully implemented anti-bullying program in the world. Several large-scale studies of OBPP's effectiveness show 20 to 70 percent reductions in reports of students being bullied and bullying others, as well as marked improvements in schools' overall social climates.

OBPP has been implemented in all states, except four. Iowa, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and South Carolina are using the program extensively, and it is beginning to be employed in Connecticut.

Cyd Slotoroff of Stony Creek is among the first people in the state to become an OBPP trainer. A board certified music therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience, as a Young Audiences of Connecticut-VSA arts educator, she has been creating and presenting programs since 2001 in schools throughout the shoreline, including Lyme/Old Lyme, New London, and Stonington.

Slotoroff says she can't wait to get local schools on board with this program.

"Every child has a right to feel safe in school and to be able to live up to their potential, and you can't do that if you're being bullied," she asserts. "What's unique about Olweus is it's a complete package. It's based on 35 years of research, it's evidence-based, and it hits the problem on every level. It pervades every aspect of the schools and the school culture… there's lots of support for teachers, and kids really get to understand what the rules mean. There's accountability."

The program is designed for students ages 5 to 15 and Slotoroff points out that there is a misconception that most bullying occurs in middle school, but in fact it starts much earlier.

A 2010 study by Olweus (based on 500,000 students in the U.S. in grades 3-12) indicated that students in grades three and four had the highest reports of being bullied.

As an OBPP trainer, Slotoroff trains a bullying prevention committee, which then trains every adult that has contact with children, including bus drivers, to intervene on the spot when bullying occurs. Consequences are consistent, including follow-up meetings with the child who bullied and the child who was bullied - these meeting are held with the adults at school with whom each child has the best relationship.

Each child's parent is contacted and involved in the intervention part of the program.

"Very clear anti-bullying rules are enforced, in compliance with the new legislation passed this spring," Slotoroff says, stressing that parental involvement is key.

She notes that common characteristics of students who bully include parents who lack positive involvement in their child's life, may not set clear limits on their child's aggressive behavior towards siblings and other children, and are likely to use physical punishments and other "power-assertive" methods of childrearing.

A critical component of OBPP, Slotoroff says, is anonymous student surveys conducted every year, starting in third grade.

"It does a few things," she says. "If you want to fix a problem, you need to know what the problem is. The surveys provide important information on nine aspects of bullying by gender, grade, including who's the bully and who's been bullied."

The survey, she says, also identifies hot spots in the school where bullying is likely to occur. For example, under the trees at the back of the playground, so more supervision can be (provided) where necessary.

Federal funding is available for OBPP and Slotoroff says parents can work with a trainer to find available grants and funding sources.

"For this to work, it's a big commitment for the school," she admits. "Sometimes in America you want an easy fix. There is no easy fix for something that's become such a pervasive problem. And the level of cruelty is staggering. You can't believe it.

For more information about The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program visit Slottoroff's website: www.cydslotoroff.com

Email Amy Barry at aimwrite@snet.net.