A school-wide anti-bullying project

Template Plan of Action for bullying intervention

The Playground Heroes anti-bullying program recognises the importance of a uniform
approach to bullying intervention, seeking to empower all teachers, administrators,
students and parents in the creation of consistent attitudes, expectations, rules and
procedures across the school (Grossman, 2004, p.14). The following plan of action is a
useful template for adaption to your individual school needs, calling upon State Department
guidelines, in addition to elements of Glassers Choice Theory and its application through
Reality Therapy.
Before tackling specific problems
- It is important that before addressing specific bullying incidents that the school
identifies the extent of bullying, its types, frequencies and severity. Student
surveys, vigilant yard duty and record-keeping should all be adopted by the
school in response to bullying, but also reflection upon management strategies
and prior policies (Ashman & Elkins, 2005, p.172). Students should be consulted
as much as possible to involve their perspectives in any programs of intervention
(McNamee & Mercurio, 2008).
Directly after reporting/observation of bullying
- Regardless of the level of inappropriate behaviour, teachers should intervene
immediately after reporting or observation, in order to quickly end bullying
incidents when they occur (Grossman, 2004, p.14). It is important to note that
all reported cases of bullying are treated seriously by the school and followed up
with appropriate procedures.
- Staff members should act to provide a safe environment for the target of
bullying, and recipients of other unacceptable/detrimental behaviours (Victorian
Department of Education and Early Child Development, 2010, p.28)
- In the case of an emergency, staff contact appropriate emergency service
personnel on 000 (Victorian Department of Education and Early Development,
2010, p.38)
Staff communication
- Staff member immediately contacts and consults with a member of the schools
leadership team confirming the incident and potential negative impacts on
individuals or the school, planning a suitable response (Victorian Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010, p.28)
- Here a member of the leadership team should contact the parents/guardians of
the target and aggressor (28).


Dealing with the behaviour- Conferencing- Attitude Adjustment Program (Alberta
Teachers Association, 1999)
After these steps it is paramount that conferencing between the child instigating
bullying behaviour and staff (from the leadership team) should begin. Throughout
this process it is crucial that teachers assertively refuse student excuses, and it is also
important that they avoid arguing with the student (Glasser, 1998 & 2000). The
Playground Heroes program recognises that conferences are crucial procedure in
enabling students to own their bullying behaviours, taking responsibility for their
actions and its effects on others (Glasser, 1998 & 2000).

- DEAL: Teacher must deal with the childs present behaviour, enabling students
an opportunity to reflect, recognise and own their actions (Glasser, 1998 &
2000). It is important that teachers avoid attributing behaviours on the child (eg.
You are doing), rather they should be facilitating reflection by asking students
if their actions align with the school-wide expectations and code (Dyson, 2012).
Refer back to the Playground Heroes behavioural expectations in this process.
o Wants- Students should explore the wants, needs and perceptions of
bullying behaviour, defining and clarifying what their Quality World
Picture would look like (Wubbolding, 2001), and essentially, what they
want from the world around them (Glasser, 1998 & 2000)
- VALUE: Obtain a value judgement from the child, allowing them to assess their
own behaviour. Here evaluation occurs by the student, NOT the teacher. Again
references can be made back to school-wide code of conduct/expectations
(Glasser, 1998 & 2000) Getting a value judgement may involve the following two
steps:
o Direction- In evaluating their actions, students should examine the
direction of their bullying behaviour and also more widely, the direction
of their lives (Wubbolding, 2001).
o Evaluation- students should be encouraged to evaluate their bullying
actions, particularly the effects on the direction of their life, and the
wider world around them (Wubbolding, 2001). Students should consider
whether their bullying actions are actually helping them meet their needs
and wants (Glasser, 1998 & 2000).
- PLAN: Plans should be established to change the direction of bullying behaviours
(Wubbolding, 2001). These strategies must be controlled by the planner (the
student) and committed to by the planner (Glasser, 1998 & 2000), and teachers
should ensure that they remain simple, attainable, measurable, immediate,
consistent (Wubbolding, 2001). The plan should be revised routinely to
evaluate its effectiveness.
Consequences for bullying behaviours
- Grossman (2004, p.14) asserts that bully intervention must involve application of
appropriate consequences, applicable to bullying and school-wide behavioural
expectations.
- The Playground Heroes program recommends application of logical
consequences with regards to all forms of unacceptable behaviour. Logical
consequences are non-punitive consequences, maintaining a logical link to the
unacceptable behaviour displayed (Malmgrem, Trezek & Paul, 2005, p.37).


Logical consequences should be agreed upon by all students and staff prior to
their implementation (37). It further important that care is taken to ensure
aggressors are provided the opportunity to learn different, more constructive
ways to interact with peers (social skills training) (Alberta Teachers Association,
1999).
o The Playground Heroes program recommends school development of
appropriate logical consequences in accordance with the following
guidelines:
1. Reasonable; the consequence fits the bullying behaviour
2. Related; the consequence teaches a specific skill or attitude to
prevent further bullying behaviour
3. Respectful; the consequence respects the dignity of both the
aggressor and the target
4. Responsible; the consequence holds the aggressor accountable for
their bullying actions

Adapted from Alberta Teachers Association handbook The Society for Safe
and Caring Schools and Communities (1999, p.16).

Debrief- Circle Time
- Whole class debriefing may take place through a democratic Circle Time
meeting (Northern Territory Department of Education and Training, 2009). It is
particularly useful in supporting targets of bullying, but also to encourage
aggressors to change their behaviour (Grossi & Santos, 2012). Avoiding naming,
blaming and shaming, Circle Time should be used to collaborate and develop
strategies to prevent bullying incidents in future, but also develop a safe and
inclusive learning environment (Northern Territory Department of Education and
Training, 2009).

References
Alberta Teachers Association (1999). Beyond Bullying: What You Can Do To Help: a
handbook for parents and teachers of junior high students, The Society for Safe and
Caring Schools and Communities, Alberta.
Ashman, A., & Elkins, J (eds) (2005). Educating children with diverse abilities, 2
nd
ed.,
Pearson Education Australia, pp. 138-182.
Department of Education and Training, Northern Territory. (2009). Circle Time Solutions,
retrieved from
http://www.det.nt.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0005/12686/CircleTimeSolution
s.pdf
Dyson, M. (2012) EDF4250, Seminar on Wellbeing and Glasser Management plan, Monash
University Gippsland, 11/10/2012.


Glasser, W. (1999 & 2000) Glasser-Based Classroom Management Plan, EDF4250 handout.
Grossman, H. (2004) Classroom behaviour management for diverse and inclusive schools
3
rd
ed. USA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., pp.11-75, 263-273.
Grossi, P. K. & Santos, A. M. D. (2012). Bullying in Brazilian Schools and Restorative
Practices, Canadian Journal of Education, Vol. 35(1), pp. 120-136.
Malmgrem, K. W., Trezek, B. J., & Paul, P. V., (2005) Models of classroom
management as applied to the secondary classroom, The Clearing House: A
Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, Vol.79(1), pp.36-39.
McNamee, A. & Mercurio, M. (2008). School-wide intervention in the childhood
bullying triangle, Childhood Education, Vol. 84(6), p. 370.
Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2010). Building
Respectful and Safe Schools: a resource for school communities, State of Victoria,
Communications Division for the Student Wellbeing Division, Melbourne.

Wubbolding, R. E., (2001) Cycle of Managing, Supervising, Counselling and Coaching,
EDF4250 handout from A Set of Directions for Putting and Keeping Yourself
Together.