Posts Tagged Bullying

How to Stop Bullying

On November 14, 2019 / Discipline Help, Responsibility

Here is a marvelously successful idea to stop bullying. You can use this approach to prevent bullying in classrooms, reduce bullying school-wide, and even stop bullying behaviors in homes. The key is to approach the motivation of bullying that prompts people to bully others.

Start with sharing the Levels of Development, which shows that choosing bullying behavior is operating on Level B—bothering/bullying.

Here is the procedure I used as a teacher. You can use this procedure in any circumstance to reduce bullying behavior or even completely stop bullying.

The Stop Bullying Procedure — Step One

Use a ruler or book and hold it flat so viewers see only the thin edge. Announce that it is like a teeter-totter or … >>>

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Bullying in Schools

On February 14, 2019 / Responsibility

Image of a young person crying at school

We all know that we have a bullying epidemic in this country. But few adults realize how bad it is in today’s schools. Did you know that approximately 160,000 students skip school each day for fear of being bullied? And over 70% of students say they have witnessed another person being bullied.

So what exactly constitutes bullying? According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, “Bullying is any unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time … It can include making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.”

Bullying often has long-lasting … >>>

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Bullying in Schools

On July 24, 2015 / Discipline

A Pennsylvania teenager was convicted of disorderly conduct after using his iPad to film his alleged tormentors harassing him at school.

According to a transcript of the court hearing obtained by the The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the teen said he made the seven-minute recording “because I always felt like it wasn’t me being heard.” He said classmates bullied him daily over a period of several months.

The bullied teen’s mother called the situation a “horrible nightmare,” questioning why officials at the high school went after her son for making the recording—but did not punish the bullies. At one point, the school authorities even considered pursuing a felony wiretapping charge against the student who was continually bullied.

It is … >>>

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Bullying and Law Enforcement

On April 17, 2014 / Levels of Development

I recently read a news article about a Pennsylvania teenager who was convicted of disorderly conduct after using his iPad to film his tormentors who were bullying him at school. The boy claimed to have been bullied for several months by a certain group of kids. Each time he complained to the school about the many incidents, he felt no one was listening since nothing ever got done. So he took matters into his own hands by creating a 7-minute recording of the bullying events.

But when he showed the school his video, rather than go after the bullies, the school administrators went after him, even going so far as to suggest pursuing a felony wiretapping charge!

While this story … >>>

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Using the Levels of Development with Very Young People

On July 24, 2013 / Discipline, Effectiveness, Levels of Development

The Levels of Development uses just four (4) concepts, or vocabulary terms, to describe two unacceptable behaviors (Level A and Level B) and two other terms to describe the concepts of external motivation (Level C) and internal motivation (Level D). The use of these terms leads to improved self-discipline.

Some primary teachers feel uncomfortable using the terms associated with unacceptable behaviors—anarchy and bullying. Rather than ignoring these negative concepts, young people are empowered when they can identify, articulate, and resist them.

The way to learn a concept is to have a way to describe it. This is the reason that one of the most fundamental approaches to … >>>

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Bullying and Discipline

On June 4, 2013 / Discipline, Responsibility

I read an article today that a town in Wisconsin is going to attempt to reduce the number of bullying incidences by imposing fines on the parents of reported bullies. According the article, parents will be fined $114 within 90 days following a written notice about their child’s bullying; the fine will increase to $177 for each repeated instance of bullying within a year of the first violation. The goal is that once the parents are fined, they will discipline their bullying child, which will then stop the bullying.

Of course, bullying is wrong and needs to stop at all levels. However, I doubt this approach will work for three key reasons: 1) It is putting the responsibility not to … >>>

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Bullying and How Not to Stop It

On October 16, 2012 / Discipline, Learning

A teacher recently ordered the poster containing the Levels of Development. When she hung it in her classroom, the school principal asked her to take it down. Why? The poster contained the word bullying.

I developed the hierarchy around of the thinking of Stephen Covey’s first habit of highly effective people: Be Proactive.

The Levels of Development places “Anarchy” at the bottom level of unacceptable behavior. In a classroom this would be exemplified by such behaviors as leaving materials around, pushing others, throwing paper airplanes, and other unacceptable and unsafe behaviors.

The next level up the ladder refers to “Bullying” and bothering others. Examples are making fun of others, not being kind, and other activities where a child … >>>

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Bullying, the Bus Driver, and Punishments

On June 24, 2012 / Discipline

Karen Klein, the bus supervisor in Greece, New York has recently been in the headlines since a student videoed her being bullied by some middle school students and then posted it on the Internet. The video went viral.

The media has been clamoring for the involved students to be punished.

What form should the punishment take? The usual approach is to have punishment imposed. In this way discipline standards will be maintained. However, a more effect approach is to ELICIT the punishment. Having the person or people involved will have them committed to responsible behavior. The reason is that when punishment is imposed, future motivation will be based on fear. Having young people committed to responsible behavior is far … >>>

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Eliciting and Impulse Control

On January 10, 2011 / Discipline

QUESTION:

I have your book, and I’m trying to find the best way to approach students who have physically harmed another. An example: One little girl pinched a boy because she thought he was going to pull some books down on her. He almost pulled the books on me.

The three of us discussed the incident and the two students seemed satisfied. I asked the pinched child what he thought should happen and the pinching child apologized. Was there another way for me to approach the situation?

RESPONSE:

Excellent! You ELICITED from the child, rather than impose something.

The next step is to establish some procedure. Let’s assume the student has the urge to do it again. Discuss what … >>>

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Bullying

On December 28, 2010 / Discipline

I am a teacher of English from Argentina. I read your book and decided to put your great ideas into practice. I am implementing the system with a group of nine-year-olds. I am writing to you because I had a problem with a parent and I would like your advice.

One of my students behaves like a bully, hits his classmates and threatens to hit them outside the classroom. He pushes them or he sometimes makes them stumble and he told a classmate something like ” Kiss my ass” ( in Spanish, of course). I decided to send a note to his parents when he did this, and asked him to write the following:

Dear Mom and Dad,
Today I … >>>

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Intermediate/High School Book- “Letters to a Bullied Girl”

On April 11, 2009 / Connections to Literature, Discipline Answers, Teaching the Hierarchy

I’d like to share a new book I recently signed out from my public library.

It’s called Letters to a Bullied Girl; Messages of Healing and Hope by Olivia Gardner with Emily and Sarah Buder.

Book Cover

Just as the title suggests, the book is filled almost entirely with personal letters––presented in an easy-to-read format. The letters are all addressed to one of the authors, Olivia, expressing messages of encouragement to help Olivia get past the serious issues of bullying that she experienced for several years.

Olivia, now 15, suffers from epilepsy and was bullied relentlessly at school and on the Internet, to the point where she considered taking her own life. In March of 2007, two sisters read about … >>>

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Primary Book – “Hooway for Wodney Wat”

On July 29, 2008 / Connections to Literature, Discipline Answers

Cover Illustration

Hooway for Wodney Rat by Helen Lester is a great read-aloud, especially if you like taking on different voices!!

Camilla Capybara is a perfect character for introducing the concept of Level B of the DWS Hierarchy. Once the kids have correctly identified Camilla’s level of operation, the illustrations really lend themselves to discussing the outcomes and natural consequences of operating on Level B.

Look at the picture where Camilla is screaming out the answers. How are the others reacting?
Discuss the picture where she runs out over top of everyone to get to recess first. How do the others feel about Camilla? Will they be seeking her out to play on the playground? Not likely! They’re scared of her!

… >>> READ MORE >>> →

A simple Technique to Stop Bullying

On July 7, 2008 / Reduce Stress

To be most effective, communicate not only to prompt thinking but to also prompt good feelings. This is especially the case when you would like to put a stop to irresponsible behavior—such as bullying. Explain the MOTIVATION of those students whose behavior is on Level B of the Levels of Development—those who boss and bully others.

Use a ruler or a meter stick (yard stick in the U.S.A.) to demonstrate a teeter-totter (see-saw). Hold it flat, parallel to the floor, and describe that this is how it looks when people are balanced with themselves and with others—when they are making responsible choices.

However, when one person starts to pick on another person, the teeter-totter gets out of balance. The … >>>

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