In 2008, St. Joseph was given a grant to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (or OBPP for short) in our school. The program is the most researched and recognized program available. Its goal is to “change the norms around bullying behavior and to restructure the school setting itself so that bullying is less likely to occur or to be rewarded.” Since 2008, the committee has developed “I’m concerned about…” forms for volunteers to use to recognize potential bullying behaviors. These forms are then used to track potential bullying behaviors. We’ve also had numerous assemblies about prevention of bullying along with teachers conducting classroom meetings with students on dealing with bullying.
What is bullying?
A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.
4 Rules
- We will not bully others.
- We will try to help students who are bullied.
- We will try to include students who are left out.
- If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and at home.
What should I do as a parent if my child says someone did something to them?
Even if you’re not sure if an incident is actual bullying, it is important to contact Pat Byrnes or the child’s homeroom teacher and report what happened. Remember, bullying happens repeatedly and over time and the best way to know if a student is being bullied is if we can track the incidents.
Resources
Books
- Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet: How to Deal With Bullies; by Catherine DePino and Bonnie Matthews; Magination Press, 2004 (ages 6-12)
- Blubber; by Judy Blume; Econo-Clad Books, 1999 (ages 9-12)
Websites
Committee Members
- Pat Byrnes (Principal)
- Jodie Gibbons (Faculty Representative)
- Cheryl Green (Faculty Representative)
- Linda Francis
- Julie Brown
- Kelly Steward
- Cristina Jahn
- Marilyn Matthews