Middle school bullying declines - The Arizona = Republic: Archives

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Middle=20 school bullying declines

Arizona=20 Republic - Phoenix, Ariz.
Author: Date: Start=20 Page: Section: Text=20 Word Count:

Emily Dean

May 7, 2009

Scottsdale Republic 8

754

Document Text

Prevention efforts are being credited with a steep drop in the number = of=20 bullying incidents at Scottsdale middle schools.

In the past three years Scottsdale Unified School District = eighth-grade=20 students who reported being picked on or bullied declined significantly = from=20 21.5 percent in 2006 to 10.8 in 2008, according to the 2008 Arizona = Youth Survey=20 provided by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.

Dana Sherman, former Scottsdale Prevention Institute specialist for = Cherokee=20 Elementary School, said this type of behavior can begin as early as = elementary=20 school.

"We all know these kids; they are the ones who have temper tantrums, = refuse=20 to listen and kick or hit others on the playground and generally disrupt = the=20 learning environment," she said.

Teaching kids anger management exercises such as clenching and = unclenching=20 their fists when they feel angry helps them release stress and can help = them=20 stop before acting out, Sherman said.

Milissa Sackos, executive director of Student and Community Services = for=20 Scottsdale Unified School District, credited the decline in incidents of = bullying to district prevention efforts.

"It's very difficult to pinpoint a single program to contribute to = the=20 decrease," Sackos said. "Our main goal is to create a safe school=20 environment."

Starting in 2005, Scottsdale began using a curriculum called = Lions-Quest that=20 addresses the issue of bullying in middle schools. The program's goal is = to=20 decrease anti-social behavior and increase social behavior.

Lions-Quest also uses components of the Olweus Bully Prevention = program such=20 as reinforcing school rules, regular classroom meetings with students to = increase knowledge of pro-social behavior and empathy, and meetings with = parents, Sackos said.

The curriculum is implemented on a school level with a = bully-prevention=20 coordinating committee, as well as on a classroom and individual level, = Sackos=20 said.

"We do everything we can to prevent (bullying), but what is extremely = important is to be able to acknowledge and be able to intervene = appropriately,"=20 Sackos said.

"However, we know we still have students that exhibit inappropriate = behavior=20 and that's where our relationship with the police comes in."

Sackos said although other schools have student resource officers, = the close=20 relationship between the district and the police department makes a big=20 difference.

"It helps serve as a comprehensive approach, because the officers are = able to=20 develop positive relationships with youth," Sackos said. "It also allows = the=20 students to come forward when they see a problem."

Sgt. Mark Brachtl of Scottsdale's Student Resource Officer Unit said = aside=20 from the bullying awareness campaign, officers mostly interact with = students in=20 school cafeterias.

"We also spend a fair amount of time with school counselors. It can = be as=20 simple as assisting a principal in bringing in a child and having our = officers=20 come in and speak with the student."

Five years ago, the student resource officers decided to make = bullying their=20 top priority, Sgt. Brachtl said

Although instances are decreasing in Scottsdale schools, bullying, = defined by=20 the National Association of School Psychologists as "aggressive = behaviors=20 ranging from overt acts of physical violence to more subtle patterns of = cruelty"=20 is still a national concern.

According to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Education, 28 = percent of=20 students age 12 to 18 reported having been bullied in the previous six = months on=20 school grounds.

Ruby Alvarado Hernandez of the Arizona Prevention Resource Center in = downtown=20 Phoenix has helped more then 160 schools implement the Olweus = curriculum.

She said school shootings have helped bring the issue of bullying to = the=20 forefront. One in four children who bully will have a criminal record by = the age=20 of 20, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Even though states are realizing the need for bullying prevention = efforts,=20 results are hard to track and it's often one of the first programs to = face=20 budget cuts, Alvarado Hernandez said.

"Chances are it (bullying) will increase, not just because of the = loss of=20 SROs but the removal of social workers and counselors," Alvarado = Hernandez=20 said.

Lynne Marion, formally of the Arizona Prevention Center and an = elementary=20 school teacher who does volunteer work in bully prevention, said she = dedicated=20 herself to volunteering for bully prevention because she knows it can be = stopped.

"Bullying is child abuse and it's just as severe as verbal or sexual = abuse,"=20 she said.

Prevention is important because the impact of bullying is so great, = she=20 said.

"Not only do the kids bully each other, but they bully the teachers," = Marion=20 said. "Every once in awhile you'll find a school that says they don't = have a=20 problem but it just takes one person to start it."

Reproduced with permission of the copyright = owner. Further=20 reproduction or distribution is prohibited without = permission.

Abstract (Document Summary)

According to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Education, 28 = percent of=20 students age 12 to 18 reported having been bullied in the previous six = months on=20 school grounds.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright = owner. Further=20 reproduction or distribution is prohibited without=20 permission.

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