Radford schools, NRVCS partner to address
bullying
By Kathy
Kenley, CPP
NRVCS Prevention Services Supervisor
Brian, a student in Georgia in the 1990s, was a target of bullying for many
years at his elementary and junior high
schools. In ninth grade, Brian ended his
life by gunshot - in a classroom and in the
presence of his peers. Some 18 years later,
these questions remain: How did the bullying
students fare in the long term? Were their
lives inextricably changed that day? How
were the bystanders, both students and
adults, who knew of the bullying but did
nothing to stop it, affected? Do they
remember Brian, and were the trajectories of
their lives forever changed?
Some questions
may never be answered. But decades of
research on the effects of bullying indicate
that in all probability, this tragedy has
had long-term consequences on all the
witnesses, regardless of their role in
Brian’s bullying. Tragically, Brian’s story
has been repeated by others many times since
the 1990s. Bullying is a community problem
with far-reaching effects, and Radford is
taking steps to prevent similar tragedies
from happening here.
Radford City
Schools is serious about bullying, and has
made major strides in the past few months to
address the issue. In partnership with New
River Valley Community Services, Radford
City Schools was recently awarded a grant
from the Department of Criminal Justice
Services to implement the Olweus Bullying
Prevention Program (OBPP) in the elementary
and intermediate schools. A recent survey of
Radford students tells us that most students
(more than 88%) do not approve of bullying,
but aren’t sure how to stop it. The OBPP
empowers bystanders (students and adults) to
take appropriate actions to stop bullying,
thereby giving a voice to the silent
majority and shifting power away from those
who participate in bullying.
The program is
named for Dr. Dan Olweus (pronounced
Ol-VAY-us) of Bergen, Norway, who is the
pioneer of bullying research and prevention.
He has studied bullying for more than 30
years, and has developed a blueprint for
schools to implement to reduce and prevent
the problem of bullying. Dr. Olweus’ program
is a model prevention program and has been
more thoroughly evaluated than any other
such program. When implemented with
fidelity, 20- to 70-percent reductions in
reports of bullying can be expected, as well
as clear improvements in classroom social
climate and marked reductions in
antisocial/delinquent behavior.
The OBPP is not
a curriculum that is completed at year’s
end. Instead, it is an ongoing effort to set
and maintain a climate that allows students
to feel safe and secure, free from peer
abuse. It provides high expectations of
student behavior and consequences when the
expectation is not met. The OBPP addresses
bullying at the school-wide, classroom,
individual and community levels, which
allows students to hear a consistent message
about bullying over time in a variety of
settings.
Since November,
faculty and staff at McHarg Elementary,
Belle Heth Elementary and Dalton
Intermediate Schools have been trained in
the OBPP and have been provided resources
for implementation. They receive ongoing
assistance from their certified Olweus
trainer and consultant. Parents have been
informed of the program, and kick-off events
at each school are occurring. School
schedules have been adjusted to allow for
classroom meetings, which are critical to
the development of a positive social
climate. Program evaluation is ongoing to
constantly assess progress.
Brian did not
die in vain. Eighteen years later, his death
is still inspiring change in regards to
bullying. Schools in Radford are challenging
the belief that bullying is a rite of
passage. It does not “build character” or
have any other redeeming value. As adult
community members, we must also challenge
the rite of passage myth by intervening in
potential bullying situations and by setting
high expectations for respectful behavior in
our homes, our playgrounds, our businesses,
and our work environments. Schools are doing
their part. We must do ours.
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