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Maine's Best practices in Bullying and Harassment prevention Information

• Appendices
• Creating Safe, Fair, and Responsive Schools
• Creating the Infrastructure or Best Practices Bullying and Harassment
• Guidelines for Effective Discussions About Bullying
• Maine's Best Practices in Bullying and Harassment Prevention Printable Version (pdf)
• Overview: School Climate and School Culture
• Resources
• Survey Tools and Information
• Teacher to Parent Communication
• Training Links and Opportunities

Training Links and Opportunities

 

Bullying Prevention Online Course
The ABCs of Bullying: Addressing, Blocking, and Curbing School Aggression:
This free, online bullying prevention course is offered by CSAP (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention) and is designed for professionals in education, health and mental health, and related fields, including social workers, school counselors, school nurses, teachers, and principals. Quizzes at the end of course modules allow course participants to gauge their learning against course objectives. Here is the link to the online course:
pathwayscourses.samhsa.gov/bully/bully_intro_pg1.htm

 

Maine Best Practice Awareness in Bullying and Harassment Prevention Two-Day FREE Training
WHO: Accepting School Teams of Four (4) to include: Building Principal, Guidance, Class-room Teacher, Coordinator School health Staff or Health Educator/Nurse
DATE: October 1st and 2nd (Attendance of both days is mandatory for full team)
TIME: 8:30-4:30
WHERE: Colby College

Training Background: Since 2000, an up-swell of bullying both in incidents and awareness, has risen nationally and most certainly in Maine, as demonstrated in the Maine Youth Risk Behaviors Survey and Maine Youth Alcohol and Drug Use surveys conducted throughout Maine schools. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDCP) there is a direct link between bullying and harassment, which negatively impacts student learning, attendance, emotional wellbeing, and overall school climate, and self-medication or substance abuse.

Because of reduced incidents of bullying noted in several Maine schools after the implementation of the federally-funded, “evidence-based” Olweus Bullying Prevention Program between 2000 and 2003, the Maine Office of Substance Abuse began funding this program model, as part of its One ME Substance Abuse prevention strategies through community coalitions. Likewise, Drug Free Schools and other Maine CDC funding have supported training for this model within roughly 40 schools statewide in the past several years. Although Olweus is the only “bullying prevention” model funded by the federal government, it is far from comprehensive or current with Maine’s laws and priorities relating to the latest research on peer aggression, civil rights, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic factors and realities.

In December 2005, the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet was charged with researching the factors contributing to youth suicide in Maine. Cabinet staff held three meetings with key leaders to include state medical examiners, suicide prevention educators, AG/Civil Rights, MCDC epidemiologists, school officials, staff, various data from youth surveys (Youth Risk Behavior, Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use), who recommended that the School-Community Climate Committee be formed to address what had been identified as a critical factor in youth stress and self-harm ---bullying and harassment – unsafe climate for youth.

Immediately a sub-committee formed (LD564 Design Team) to work with Representative Carol Grose of Woolwich on her pending bullying legislation to ensure it captured and ensured “best practices” strategies to prevention. With the unanimous passage of LD564, again, the Children’s Cabinet (under the leadership of the Department of Education) was instructed to develop and implement the elements in LD564: Best Practice Guide and Policy with Maine School Management, website, and educational workshop/s. All have been completed as of September 2006 through volunteer efforts. (Go to: www.maine.gov/education/bullyingprevention)

During this same timeframe from December 2005 to January 2006, the Ugly Ducklings Campaign to reduce the bias-based harassment of gay and lesbian youth was underway to address the fact that these youth are attempting suicide 2-5 times more frequently that their heterosexual peers; have higher rates of substance abuse and alcohol use and obesity; and experience higher rates of poor school attendance. The Ugly Ducklings resource, film and workshop directly addresses the Human Rights Act Amendment in which schools are now obligated to protect sexual minority youth.  The three-phased Campaign to include a film, Community Action Kit and hands-on workshop was championed by two local non-profits in Waterville --- Hardy Girls Healthy Women and Greater Waterville’s Communities for Children and Youth Coalition. Please read campaign details here:  http://www.uglyducklings.org/about.html

Finally, significant research was conducted by Colby Professor Lyn Mikel Brown et al relative to gender and class issues and the way in which both issue are addressed in the bullying and harassment context is critical to successful bullying/harassment prevention efforts.

 

As a result of this collective body of work and drawing from elements of the federally recognized Olweus Bullying Prevention Program foundation, The Maine Best Practice Design Team emerged between and among the various experts and prevention trainers, all of whom seek change in the cycle of behaviors that are leading to school drop out, truancy, self-harm and violence in Maine.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR TRAINING TEAM SIGN-UP AGREEMENT

 

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