Resources and Related Links

As research and additional supportive information becomes available, we will post links and downloads to valuable resources to aid parents, youth, school staff, and administrative supports for addressing bullying and harassment and improved school climate.

FindYouthInfo.gov is the U. S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding infomration, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth related news.

http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/topic_bullying.shtml

Family diversity in the lower grades http://www.welcomingschools.org

Project AWARE, Inc.PO Box 1244, Saco, Maine 04072 ph. 207-282-5598, www.projectaware.net

Carl Lakari, Project AWARE Coordinator email: projectaware@maine.rr.com

"Untold Stories: the Truth about Bullying and Harassment www.untoldstoriesmovie.com

Actions parents can take to eliminate bullying: www.education.com

School Climate Consulting Services, LLC: Molly Gosline, EdM, MA www.school-climate-consulting.org

Cromwell Disabilities Center

The Cromwell Disabilities Center, a non-profit organization offers two programs as resources to schools in Maine to address the attitudes and understanding of all students towards individuals with disabilities. The focus of the presentations builds on individual understanding and facilitates awareness that leads to positive interaction and prevents bullying and harassment of students with disabilities.

Student Disabilities Awareness Program consists of various interactive based exercises in classroom based presentations designed for Grades 3 through 8. The program material lead students to discover on their own and from their peers positive attitudes, sensitivity, and understanding about their classmates and individuals with all kinds of disabilities – learning, behavioral, developmental, and physical. The exercises demonstrate that persons with disabilities are different in the same way that every person is unique; that no one can change an inherent difference, whether or not the person has a disability; and that all differences are worthy of respect. The focus on youth builds into communities a value system that will better the lives of people with disabilities and contribute to a positive climate in classrooms and schools for all students. Quality books emphasizing disability diversity are left in classroom libraries for further student and teacher resources. The program has been offered at no cost to schools in southern, western, and central Maine with current and past funding from private charitable foundations and business, and an earmark grant through the Department of Education for the 2005-06 year. The Cromwell Center welcomes all school inquiries and is actively pursuing resources to expand to all Maine schools and the northern part of the state. There may be a fee for the program for schools outside the current geographic service area for instructor and transportation costs.
Educator Disabilities Awareness Program offers training presentations that focus on the school and classroom environment as it relates to attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. The program consists of interactive exercises designed for adult participants to discover on their own and from their fellow colleagues the principles that promote disabilities awareness in all aspects of their work. The presentation explores perceptions and bias in relating to individuals with physical and silent disabilities. Each training session lasts approximately 3 hours, including a question and answer period. Session length can be adapted to specific school need in addressing the topic. There is a fee assessed for this program which can be negotiated.

For further information on the programs contact:
Donna Richard- drichard@cromwellcenter.org
(207) 775-9955
www.cromwellcenter.org

Office of Substance Abuse

The Maine Office of Substance Abuse’s Information and Resource Center (IRC) houses a library of videos/dvds, and pamphlets on bullying. Materials, including the ones listed below, are available on loan, and pamphlets and handouts are distributed free statewide. Staff will assist with searches for information. For information on borrowing materials, search the topic ‘bullying’ at http://osairc.informe.org/ .

Bullying
12 min
Grade level: 5-8
Synopsis: This video and the accompanying teacher's guide illustrate strategies to reduce bullying in school. Students are presented with various bullying scenarios in the video. At the end of each scenario, questions are asked to provoke thought and discussion about the characters involved and the circumstances surrounding their situations. These strategies may be implemented on school-wide-level, on a classroom level, or on an individual level with the bully and the victim. This video may also be used in conjunction with the Blueprints for Violence Prevention: Bullying Prevention Program

Let’s Get Real
35 min. accompanying curriculum guide
Grade level: 6-9, Adult
Synopsis: The students featured in Let's Get Real discuss racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, disabilities, religious differences, sexual harassment and more. From the youth who are targeted to the students who pick on them to those who find the courage to intervene, Let's Get Real examines bullying from the full range of perspectives. This film educates audiences of all ages about why we can no longer accept name-calling and bullying as just a normal rite of passage. Contains explicit language. Processing recommended.

Dealing with Bullies, Troublemakers and Dangerous Situations
26 min.
Grade level: 7-12
Synopsis: This video (part of the 10 film Peace Talk series) educates kids about violence in our society, the risks they face every day, and the positive choices they can make to stay safe. It prevents violence by teaching kids how to avoid dangerous situations, handle their own emotions, and use conflict resolution skills

Howard Grey : Counselor Version
16 min.
Grade level: . K-12, Adult
This is a video by Lee, a man who shunned a poor boy, Howard, in his childhood and has had remorse ever since. Lee finds Howard and talks to him about how it felt to be ridiculed by his peers. The issue of putdowns and their effect on people are of universal concern to both students and adults. Through the use of this video, students experience the pain felt by Howard Gray. They can identify how fragile a person can be and understand the importance of giving and receiving acceptance, support, and understanding.
The Intermediate version of this video (also available) includes a curriculum with lessons. This is the same video as the "Counselor Version," with 3 stopping points in the video for discussion.

Journal of the American Medical Association
Research Articles on Bullying Behaviors
jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/285/16/2094

Stan Davis': Stop Bullying Now
The Stop Bullying Now Web site is here to help you stop bullying in your school and community. Here you can learn about what works to stop bullying, Stan Davis's train-the-trainer seminars, and more.
www.stopbullyingnow.com/

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now Campaign website:
http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/detail_materials.cfm?ProdID=3864

Steps to Respect

The Steps To Respect Program is a bullying prevention curriculum designed to decrease bullying at a school and help students build more supportive relationships with one another. The program's dual focus is based on the research showing that friendships help protect children from the harm of bullying.

pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/bully/bully_supps_pg35.htm

Restorative Practices

The restorative approach, which is a philosophy or guiding principle for the school community, sees relationships as central to learning, growth and an inclusive, respectful school culture. It is a paradigm shift from traditional rule-based, punitive discipline systems. It is not a program, curriculum, or specific activity. Restorative Practices enable us to integrate and normalize this approach within the school community.

Restorative Practices focus on building, maintaining, and when necessary, repairing relationships among all members of the school community.

These practices include:

Language that invites and encourages curiosity, empathy, respect, trust, honesty, compassion, accountability, inclusion, collaboration and repairing harm;
Tools for community building, such as Community Circles, and for addressing conflict and misbehavior, such as restorative dialogue, problem-solving circles, Resolution Circles, and Restorative Conferences.

A comprehensive, whole-school approach incorporates various restorative practices throughout the school. Community Circles are used for relationship-building and problem-solving, and may be held in the classroom, homerooms, advisor-advisee meetings, and guidance. Resolution Circles are used in place of traditional detention, where students acknowledge their misbehavior and come up with ways to apologize and repair the harm done. These circles are facilitated by a trained staff member and may include a teacher representative if the misbehavior has involved a teacher. Restorative Conferences, the most formal practice for serious offenses, are facilitated circles which may include those harmed, the harmer, their parents and/or supporters, school administrators, and community members. The trained facilitator meets with the parties before the Conference to prepare them and to be sure they are ready and willing to participate. In the Conference itself the facilitator asks questions that allow all parties to be heard, and then to develop an agreement to repair the harm and change future behavior.

Restorative Practices create safe schools where all members of the community are accountable for their actions, resolve conflicts, create positive relationships, and repair any harm done to the community and its members. These practices build a caring school community that supports students, staff and administrators in feeling connected and respected, which enhances learning outcomes.

Restorative Practices - in PDF

SPRC is pleased to announce the release of a new brief on suicide and bullying:

http:/www.sprc.org/library/Suicide_Bullying_Issue_Brief.pdf

Maine's Best practices in Bullying and Harassment prevention Information

Resources and Related Links

Office of Substance Abuse

Restorative Practices