The Proven Effect of School Culture on Bullying

Doctoral Research on Bullying, Pt. 2

By DJ Skogsberg, Ed.D.

School Culture - Visions, Missions, and Touchstones

Practitioners and researchers have consistently opined that a shared vision of an organization at its inception is what allows an organization to grow and thrive. Fullan, et.al. (1990) noted, specifically, that this is the foundation of school improvement. Synonymously, the State University of New York at Albany noted that the “district-level vision is clearly articulated in terms of what it looks like in classrooms and how it will affect student achievement” (Wilcox and Angelis, 2007, p. 19), thus guiding school improvement in terms of both culture and academic performance. Elbot and Fulton (2008) specifically identified the differences between a vision, mission, and touchstone. The vision of an organization “states its goals” where as the mission of an organization “states the purpose of the organization.” A touchstone, however, “expresses the ‘how’ of the organization” (2008, p. 18).

Schein, as cited in Kariuki (2008, p. 25), defined culture as the “deeper level of basic assumptions, values, and beliefs that become shared and taken granted for as the organization continues to be successful.” Logically, then, the vision, mission, and touchstone are interwoven threads that shape and form the tapestry of the school and is known as the school’s culture. School culture is something that is felt. More specifically, school culture is something that can be observed. Think of each component as another lens of focus with which to look through. Observing goals through a global perspective emphasizes the codependency. Goals are driven by the mission, and the goals drive the mission. The touchstone, however, is not long term in its focus like its counterparts-the vision and mission. Elbot and Fulton posited that the touchstone is, “both academic and ethical-that a school community seeks to develop in its members, and it serves as a guide for daily thinking and action” (2008, p. 2). In keeping with the analogy of a tapestry, the touchstone is the common thread that holds the culture together and takes its community members to task.

Some recent action research supported this premise. One of the premier districts in implementing touchstones, Summit School District in Frisco, Colorado, took the lead to “incorporate a shared set of universal values and aspirations for all members of the school community” to hold the district together and “keep them focused, even during turbulent times” (2009, p. 1). The distillation of each school’s touchstone included the collaboration of all stakeholders, especially the active participation of students. Appelsies and Fairbanks made specific note of student ownership within the culture of a building, quoting students in their observations, “[t]his is where we work together” “[t]his is where we help each other,” and “[t]his is where we conversate” (1997, p. 70).

The action research by Appelsies and Fairbanks (1997) noted that part of what we called “school culture” and “student ownership” in the building was reflective of a fostered, democratic environment, a premise that was of vital importance for adolescents to experience as they lived through this stage of intellectual maturation. The fostered, democratic environment linked the aforementioned needs of developing adolescents. The question remained then, how did each stakeholder play a role in school culture?

Change of School Culture & Change in Theory:

With any change process, there is an inherent feeling that something is “wrong.” Simpson echoed the connotation “that culture and change are antithetical, that change threatens stability, predictability, and comfort of the culture” (1990, p. 35). Fullan (1993) emphasized that if the change process was addressed as a political process, what stakeholders faced was stagnation, frustration, discontent, disconnectedness, defensiveness, and superficial changes that resulted in a return to the status quo.

Change, while constant, is not nearly as difficult for adolescents as we educators claim it to be. Children, even those wrought with significant physiological, psychological, and sociological shifts (i.e. adolescents) are still malleable and able to be guided through these changes.

Ownership, Empowerment, and Stakeholders:

If we recognize that the change process as a whole, let alone the change of a school culture, is an ongoing process-a living entity analogous to the concept of the Constitution of the United States-then we have to accept that culture and the process of change must be nurtured. Research repeatedly noted buy-in from all stakeholders and lists those in the school community as administrators, teachers, non-certified staff, parents/guardians, and community members. Unfortunately, and of particular concern for the children impacted by this perceived bias, the students were consistently ignored, yet they were impugned for changes while being excluded from the change process itself. This seemed to be in direct contradiction to published research by Fullan (1999) which focused on collaborative cultures that fostered diversity while building trust, provoked anxiety and contained it, engaged in knowledge creation, combined connectedness with open-endedness, and fused the spiritual, political, and intellectual (p. 37). How can we possibly foster collaborative cultures when students are not given ownership in their school, in part or in whole, with any initiative?

Dorman, et.al (1985) raised this point regarding adolescents and their role in schools and developmental needs, which specifically called for “diversity, self-exploration and self-definition, meaningful participation in their schools and communities, positive social interaction with peers and adults, physical activity, competence and achievement, and structure and clear limits” (p. 46). Research conducted by Way, Reddy & Rhodes (2007) emphasized the tenet that students’ beliefs during middle school years formed the base from which they would grow into adulthood and be positive or negative. This was specifically true as it related to students perceiving a sense of autonomy and having the opportunity for autonomy. The researchers found “the intercept of opportunities for student autonomy was significantly associated with the intercept of depressive symptoms and self-esteem and the intercept and slope of behavior problems” (Way, Reddy & Rhodes, 2007, p. 206). This direct correlation between student autonomy and behavior problems indicated that there was a significant impact on school culture whether or not students perceived that they had autonomy. The key was that the students had the opportunity to be autonomous. Way, et.al. emphasized that “students’ beliefs of the school climate appeared to be important not just during the transition from elementary to middle school, but also during middle school itself” (2007, p. 209).

Taking the First Step:

There is clearly no simple answer to addressing bullying. We continuously see adults modeling bullying behavior for children. And so, if we must begin with a first step, let it begin with us. Be the model held to the higher standard, performing well above the expectations you have for your students (or children). Empower students to take an active role in their school by granting them ownership in their actions, the actions of their peers, and the consequences (good, bad, or indifferent) that naturally follow. Stop marginalizing children. If we want students to step up, sometimes it requires of us to give them a boost. And so, if the first step in stomping out bullying rests on the shoulders of the adult stakeholders, the real question is, do you have the courage to “take a step off the porch” (Poole, 2003)?

Download the research and works cited here: http://www.schoolimprovement.com/docs/120526-Bullying-Beyond-the-Playground-for-School-Improvement-Network.pdf

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For more information on bullying prevention and available resources to support your efforts, sign up today for the FREE professional development webinar for educators presented by the School Improvement Network, Bullying: Understanding the Problem, Defining Solutions on May 30th 2012, 3:00pm with Robin Young of the National Crime Prevention Council.

Click here to register for the FREE webinar:http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EA57D783884f

How to Make Your School Bully Proof

How to Stop Bullying in Schools

Amy E Bainbridge, GT Coordinator
Campus Middle School

Bully proofing beyond the classroom…umm bullying is such a problem in our nation’s schools. We like to teach students the golden rule, “Treat people the way you want to be treated!” This is great when you are dealing with a student who isn’t a bully! I read somewhere about implementing the platinum rule, instead of the golden rule. The platinum rule is, “Treat others the way THEY want to be treated.” This helps change our bullies’ thinking. Think about it, how many times have you told a kid, “Treat this student the way you want to be treated.” And what do they say, “I wouldn’t care if someone did that to me.” “I would think it would be funny if someone did that to me.” The problem here is that the person getting bullied doesn’t think it is funny and does care that it happened to them. At this point we change our words and say, treat others the way THEY want to be treated. Alice doesn’t like it when you do this, so please RESPECT her wishes. You might not care but she does!

Another thing that has worked is incorporating three basic school rules. The three Be’s! Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. Anytime a student does anything, inside our classroom, out on the playground, in the hallways, we can ask them, “Are you being…safe…respectful…responsible? The kids can internalize their behaviors and own them. I use it all the time in the classroom. A student is tipping in their chair. I don’t have to tell them to stop tipping; I ask them if they are being safe. If not, please fix it. The students own the choice & have more power over their choices (or so we let them believe that they have the choice).

The platinum rule and the three Be’s are steps to help bully proof our schools.

Officials Form Anti-Bullying Alliance

How to Stop Bullying in Schools

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, is making constant efforts to improve education. The latest efforts made by district officials (and even state legislation) are to form an anti-bullying alliance, according to this local article. I will herein outline the more salient points and discuss their efficacy. As always, we would all love to hear your opinion on this topic so essential to education.

School Officials--Not Parents--Band Together

I must applaud these educators for touching on an important topic. With the constant interconnectivity of our society (cell phones, smart phones, internet, social media), bullying is no longer confined to the school grounds.

However, my personal experience has shown that almost every "top-down" program always starts at the top and never seems to make it down. Students and parents already know that the administration stands against bullying; so what is going to change with this new "alliance"? I sense very good intentions put to mediocre use.

Like Jamie Stephenson-Theriot states in the article, parents need to be the target of bringing this initiative into the community.

Children Can Change Schools

If a child still does not know how to stop bullying, then parents can change schools. Yes, there is great potential for abuse of this policy, and it could cause some long-term damage to a school if there are not some measures put in place to curb school-hopping. Even so, I think this is a much better option than making a student stay in a place where he or she does not feel safe.

What the article does not detail is whether or not parents can move a child who they know is being a bully. If a parent feels that the child needs a change of venue in order to force a change in friends, do they have the latitude to make those kinds of decisions? And what if a student is neither the bully nor the victim--could the student change schools if he/she feels like a likely target due to religion, race, or economics?

Bullying Goes Beyond School

Legislation has restraining orders for bullying among adults, but a personal experience related in the article shows that adults and children share more in common than we'd like to think. We aren't just teaching children. We're building an entire generation.

What do you think about this new alliance? Is it effective, or is it simply a nice gesture? Why?

How to Stand Up to Bullies…And Get Expelled

How to Stop Bullying in Schools

image courtesy of cnn.com

We have talked about students’ need to have a secure learning environment, and we have discussed understanding bully mentality. Deia Sanders, a master teacher, even showed us how she turned bullies around in her school.

But what recourse do students have when they still don’t feel safe?

This 17-year-old student took matters into his own hands, as reported by CNN. And there exists a terrible connotation behind the words “took matters into his own hands”—we seem to think less of a billionaire philanthropist spending his nights as a masked vigilante, and we seem to think more of street gangs and violence. But when a student feels that he or she has two options—suffer physical harm, or stand your ground when the odds are four to one—who is really to blame?

Of course we cannot condone bringing weapons to school, so the administration is forced to expel the student. But by expelling the student, the administration plays right into the hands of the bullies. And if the bullies feel like they have the support—or control—of the administration, then who is to stop them from picking more targets?

I realize that this post poses more questions than it does answers. That is why I would love to hear your comments. This is a problem that is not going to go away. So what can we do about it?

Leaving comments is now easier than ever. Let’s hear your side.

How a New Perspective Stopped Bullying in My Class

How to Stop Bullying

Bullies are simply people with difficulty handling their problems. But if you give them a chance to help someone else out of their problems, they will stand together with their peers until the very end.

By Deia Sanders, Master Teacher and Instructional Coach

As a teenager I fractured my spine doing what I loved, gymnastics. I went through a couple of surgeries and several procedures over the next 10 years. There were many times when I would feel angry or upset that this happened to me. It always seemed that about the time I would be feeling my lowest it would be time to visit the spine center, where I was usually the only person who walked in to the office. It never failed that being surrounded by people who were unable to walk made my problems seem small, and changed my attitude to grateful. In life, I’ve learned that there are two things that change my perspective very fast, and that’s seeing others suffer and helping those less fortunate.

It was no surprise that with this experience growing up, my first response to dealing with students who whined about school and bullied others was to change their perspectives. I tried to do this with telling them about the wonderful children in Kenya we worked with who walked many miles to school, and how no one made fun of each other because they were all trying to survive. I brought my husband in to talk to the kids about his experience in Haiti after the earthquake to spur their hearts and motives to change, but there was little lasting effect.

It wasn’t until we got our hands dirty that I saw my student’s attitudes begin to change. Like in most junior high’s, kids often make fun of special needs students. So we began learning about how disabled babies were thrown out like trash in some countries. We read and looked at pictures of this injustice, and began to talk about the wonderful life some people would be missing by not having a “special” child in their life. My students were spurred to action and began raising money to send to orphanages that housed special needs students. Their attitudes began to change towards those in our own classes.

Another reason many kids were bullied and made fun of was because of their economic circumstances. I could share with them about growing up with a single mom and the hardships we had, but it wasn’t until we began to raise money for small business loans in third-word-countries that their attitudes began to change. They wanted to give to the less fortunate rather than put them down.

In a school with 93% living below the poverty line it was astounding to see them cleaning out couches and cars, doing laundry, and picking up coins in parking lots to raise money for these needs. But the most impressive outcome was their perspective change. Many time bullies come to school carrying so much baggage and dysfunction from home that they can’t help but spread it everywhere they go. In the same way my attitude was changed as a teenager regarding my situation, their attitudes were changed regarding theirs. Many times we don’t give an outlet for the weight our campus bullies are carrying around, so it naturally spills on to everyone they come in contact with. If we could find more programs for them to shift their disappointments and struggles to, we could leverage their negative energy towards a positive outcome and show them that it’s not so bad, and not too much to overcome after all.

Understanding Bully Mentality

How to Stop Bullying in Schools

It is essential this month as we discuss the complexities of bullying that we not create the Other out of children who bully. Bullies are often the children who need the most help.

As we examine where bully motivation comes from, this Education.com article provides salient points about why bullies do what they do, how bullies act among their peers, and how bullies choose victims.

The article addresses the following five points:

1. The motivation to bully relates to one’s social standing in a group
2. The peer group often reinforces bullying behavior
3. Classroom-level factors influence the occurrence of bullying
4. Reasons for targeting the group as a whole
5. Combat bullying by influencing bystanders

We learn from the article that there is a paradox—a child feels a lack of stability in his or her peer group and therefore creates instability for others. School Improvement Network’s Dr. Lisa Leith gave this Common Core webinar wherein she discusses the correlation between feelings of insecurity and a higher risk of academic failure. Curtis Linton, author and VP at School Improvement Network, also gave a webinar featuring Bonnie Davis wherein the two discuss a secure classroom environment and how it relates to equity in education (download the audio here).

So bullying is very closely—and perhaps ironically—related to safety. How then can we help all children, especially those who are prone to bullying and prone to be victims of bullying, feel safer in our schools? Or am I missing the mark? How do you feel safety relates to the cause of bullying?

Administrators Win an iPad 3

How to Stop Bullies

As we discuss how to stop bullying on this blog, the video blog, and in a webinar by the National Crime Prevention Council (info coming soon!), educators on this blog have asked to hear more from administrators.

Your time is precious, and so are your students. So as a way to help make your time worth a few minutes to type out a blog post, we want to give one guest blogger administrator this month an iPad 3, totally free.

But let’s not lose our focus—this blog is dedicated to provide all educators with effective ways to create a learning atmosphere. The iPad 3 is nice (very, very nice); however, it’s not why we do what we do.

In the month of April we had more blog post submissions than we were able to publish, and the feedback that we received was phenomenal.  This month, May is dedicated to understanding the complexities of bullying, helping bullies stop, and helping victims protect themselves. In other words, it’s another essential part of creating a learning environment. Administrators deal with bullies several times a day—and we’d like to hear what strategies you use to create a safer school.

So, to all you administrators, superintendents, and principals (or to all your secretaries), we invite you to win the iPad 3 at the end of the month by sending us some of your most successful strategies (and yes, more posts will increase your chances).

29 days. 1 iPad 3. Unlimited potential.

I can’t wait to hear from you. Send your submissions to jared.heath@schoolimprovement.com.

5 Steps of Cyber-Bulling: How Proxy Bullying Works, Part 2

 How to Stop Bullies

The internet makes bullying by proxy far more available, manipulative, and hurtful. Cyber-bullying by proxy can take place anywhere at any time—even without the victim’s immediate knowledge.

Of course, cyber-bullying requires an online social network—it is how a student comes in contact with a bully in the first place. The network can be as simple as the school’s intranet, or it can be a student’s Facebook account.

Here are 5 steps that cyber-bullies follow to use others as their proxy.

Step 1. Flag a peer’s account online

Cyber-bullies will start flagging another student’s online account as inappropriate, though the student has done nothing wrong. When internet provider (IP) servers receive enough flags on a particular IP address (computer), then the account gets blocked or shut down.

However, service providers are aware of this kind of abuse, and they usually verify the flags as a counter-measure. In response to that measure, a bully will often provoke the target into retaliating or saying something mean or defensive so that the flag shows up as legitimate.

Step 2. Tag an inappropriate image

Whether on their own account, a dummy account, or even on their victim’s account, a bully may post an inappropriate, insulting, or defamatory picture and tag their victim. The victim’s peers see the image and it spreads, or the peers may think the victim posted the image, causing backlash from friends.

Step 3. Hijack a student’s account to send inappropriate messages

If a bully is able to access account information, he/she may send rude, hateful, and inappropriate messages to the victim’s list of friends. Not only can the account then be flagged for inappropriate activity and get shut down, but the social ramifications are far reaching.

Step 4. Create a defamatory web page or group

A web page can create traffic, discussion, and inappropriate content related to a student. This is akin to gossiping in that the victim is unaware of the activity, but it goes far beyond merely talking about another person when pictures and even videos can be posted.

Step 5. Advertise their victim in chat rooms

One of the most harmful forms of bullying is the use of a chat room. Bullies have been known to enter explicit chat rooms and there advertise their victim’s online profiles, email, and sometimes even home phone numbers.

The internet provides a forum wherein the worst forms of bullying can be encountered. Now our students are bullying each other outside of the halls of school. What are your methods for preventing cyber-bullying? What role do we educators play in stopping these activities?