School Sampler:
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Location
Rocky Mountain Middle School (Grades 6–8)
3443 N. Ammon Road
Idaho Falls, ID 83401

Contact
Lori Wickham or Jim Veazey, Bullying Prevention Coordinators
Phone: (208) 525-4403
E-mail: wickham1@d93.k12.id.us

Description
Rocky Mountain Middle School counselor Lori Wickham at first did not refer to the school’s anti-bullying strategies as a “program.” As she discussed the strategies in an interview, however, it became evident that the school’s methods were very much part of a whole-school, comprehensive effort where everyone is involved in creating a physically and emotionally safe place for children to learn.

To initiate discussion and create awareness of what everyone can do about bullying, all students and staff together in individual classes watch the video, “Set Straight on Bullies” (produced by the National School Safety Center in collaboration with the National Education Service). The 18-minute video, shown over two class sessions, explores all sides of the bullying problem--bullying behavior, what can victims do, what parents can do, and how the school and community can work to prevent the problem. A facilitator's guide is designed for up to four hours of staff development time that lays the groundwork for an anti-bullying action plan. Says Wickham, “it is very important to get across to all staff and students that bullying is not acceptable at our school, that reports will always be followed up on, and that everyone knows what the consequences are.”

Bullying prevention strategies do not end with the video and discussion. Many other strategies are in place. “Hassle logs” in which children log incidents of bullying have been effective for determining where a problem is and how much of a problem it is. If the logs indicate certain areas of the school where bullying often takes place, teacher observation is beefed up in those areas.

One effective strategy has been the formation of PALS, a program in which children are taught how to be aware of what is going on with their peers, including bullying. PALS emphasizes how bystanders can prevent bullying behavior, teaches children the skills to recognize bullying, and encourages children to report any signs of it.

The most effective strategy has been forming separate groups for children who have been targets of bullying and for children who bully others. These groups allow the children to communicate with each other in a safe setting. About one-third of all staff members in the school have been trained in facilitating these groups by a program called Student Assistant Training from the Chemical Awareness Training Institute. [For more information, call CATI at: (602) 867-7851]. The group provided training for one-third of the school staff, including non-teachers, to facilitate these groups. All the facilitators train together in Phoenix for three days. The facilitators are also given manuals to guide them in facilitating their bullying groups. This strategy has been in place for the last three years.

The groups have been effective for middle school students, who have the communication and social skills to be able to verbalize issues in the safe group climate. Wickham, who had been a counselor in an elementary school as well as at the middle level, said that in working with younger children on the issues of bullying, social and communication skills are emphasized more, as these children are still learning the art of getting along. Role-playing and empathy training are key. Role playing and empathy training are also necessary with middle school children, adds Wickham, but because older students have the verbal skills to articulate the problem, group sessions have developed an interpersonal connection for students that is crucial to creating that safe climate.

In a climate where teachers, administrators, and students all feel the push of high academic standards, it might be more of struggle to have staff invested in issues such as bullying. However, there has been little problem with buy-in at Rocky Mountain. Most staff members realize that anything that creates an unsafe climate will affect student learning. As staff are trained in the bullying prevention strategies and group facilitation, the message is spread to others in the school. “The training is crucial,” says Wickham. “You can see the difference [in the understanding of the problem] between teachers who have been trained and [those] who haven’t been.” Because so many staff members are given the same training, the students know they will get the same message and assistance from many staff at their school, says Wickham.

To evaluate how the various strategies are working, the children are surveyed before they see the video and are again at the end of the school year. Children have reported feeling safer in school. There also has been a lower level of absenteeism in the last two years. Children are reporting fewer overt incidences of bullying.

When Wickham was asked, “What do you say to people who doubt the usefulness of a bullying prevention program, or even doubt that there is a problem?” she replied:

“Anything that is making kids not want to be at school is too much. We want kids to be here. We want it to be a safe and pleasant place to learn.”