Reducing Peer Mistreatment and Improving School Climate Safe School Ambassadors ® :

Reducing Peer Mistreatment Reducing Peer Mistreatment and Improving School and Improving School

ClimateClimate

Safe School Safe School AmbassadorsAmbassadors®®::

What’s the What’s the Issue?Issue?

Raise academic achievement

Keep schools safe

Schools face enormous pressures to:Schools face enormous pressures to:

These pressures create…These pressures create…

The Current The Current DilemmaDilemma

Focus on academic achievement

OR…

Focus on whole-child, social-emotional development

Visible

Less Visible

FightsWeaponsGangsPhysical bullying

Unwanted contact Relational aggression ExclusionPut downs Rumors

Peer Mistreatment Peer Mistreatment “Iceberg”“Iceberg”

160,00025,000 Assaulted

Absent

6 0ut 0f 10 Witness

Costs of MistreatmentCosts of Mistreatment• People are afraid and tense

• Students can’t focus and learn

• Illness - Absenteeism

• Loss of ADA Funds

• Students bring weapons

• Drug and alcohol use or abuse

Costs of MistreatmentCosts of Mistreatment

• Depression

• Eating disorders

• Self-mutilation

• Suicide

• Time spent on discipline

• Lower teacher, staff, and student morale

22% of 4th through 8th graders reported academic problems due to bullying

Impact on Impact on LearningLearning

Maslow’s Maslow’s Hierarchy Hierarchy of Needsof Needs

Physical needs

Safety physical & emotional

Belonging

Self-esteem

Self actualization (achievement)

The National Longitudinal Study

of Adolescent Health

When students get When students get along, they feel:along, they feel:

- safer safer - more connected more connected - more engaged in more engaged in learninglearning

“It’s not a hardware issue anymore —

it’s an interpersonal issue.

It’s the relationships between the people in the

school.”

Bill Bond, Security Consultant

National Association of Secondary School Principals

Creating Safer Creating Safer Schools:Schools: Focus on Focus on

School ClimateSchool Climate

Traditional “Outside-Traditional “Outside-In” ApproachIn” Approach

Security

Adult-Driven

Rules

Consequences

What is school What is school climate?climate?

Degree of safety

we feel

Based on our

inner sense

It’s visceral

Everyone can feel

it

““Inside-out” Inside-out” ApproachApproach

Relationships

Student-Centered

Norms

Social Change

The Power and Potential The Power and Potential of Youthof Youth

Students: Are 90% of the school population. Are the primary targets and perpetrators of mistreatment in schools.

See, hear and know things adults don’t. Can intervene in ways adults can’t. Turn to each other first when upset or in need.

Set the tone and social norms on campus..

Adults can’t do it alone!Adults can’t do it alone!

Strategies for Getting Strategies for Getting ThereThere

EngageEngage

EmpowerEmpower

EquipEquip

… the silent but caring majority of students to stand up and speak out for what’s right, to prevent and stop the mistreatment they see.

Targets

Aggressors

Bystanders 85% = Passive Majority

Dynamic of Dynamic of MistreatmeMistreatme

ntnt

Bystanders (85%)Why don’t they Why don’t they

get involved?get involved?Fear of retaliationDon’t know what to do

or sayAfraid they’ll make things worseWorry about losing social status

Belief that adults won’t

listen

Safe School Ambassadors®

developed by developed by Community MattersCommunity Matters

www.safeschoolambassadors.orgwww.safeschoolambassadors.org

A research-based, field-tested strategy A research-based, field-tested strategy to empower and equip students to reduce to empower and equip students to reduce

bullying and other forms of bullying and other forms of mistreatment.mistreatment.

SSA VIDEOSSA VIDEO

Safe School Ambassadors Safe School Ambassadors Program Key ElementsProgram Key Elements

Acknowledge and recognize AmbassadorsAcknowledge and recognize Ambassadors

Identify, recruit, select and engage Identify, recruit, select and engage the right studentsthe right students Provide skills based trainingProvide skills based training

Assess and measure program Assess and measure program effectivenesseffectiveness

Provide ongoing supervision/supportProvide ongoing supervision/support

Goths

Punks

Stoners

GeeksJocksTechies

Gangsters Preppies

Skaters

IdentificaIdentificationtion

Identifying the Change-Identifying the Change-AgentsAgents

Socially-influential youth

High verbal skills

Tendency to speak up on behalf of others

Classes Classes or or CliquesCliques

DiversDiverse e

StudenStudent t

LeaderLeaderss

Selecting the Change Selecting the Change Agents:Agents:

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’tsDoDo Select students Select students based on based on Social positionSocial position InfluenceInfluence PersonalityPersonality Positive values Positive values RelationshipsRelationships


Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts Select a diverse Select a diverse group of students group of students based onbased on

EthnicityEthnicity InterestInterest CliqueClique AgeAge

DoDo


Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts

Survey both the students and Survey both the students and adults to compile a list of adults to compile a list of potential Ambassadors.potential Ambassadors.

DoDo


Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’tsDon’tDon’t

Select students that need Select students that need to be “fixed.”to be “fixed.”


Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’tsDon’tDon’t

Select just aggressors and Select just aggressors and targets.targets.



Don’tDon’t

Select students based Select students based only on good behavior only on good behavior or grades.or grades.



Don’tDon’t

Select only those who Select only those who volunteer to “help”volunteer to “help”

Student Student Recruitment Recruitment

Process OverviewProcess Overview Identify the“change agents”

Invite potential Ambassadors to orientation

Conduct orientation and assess degree of student interest

Select final 36-40 (or 25-30 for Elementary) and notify parents and students

Two days

26-30 (Elementary) or

36-40 (Middle or High) student leaders

6-8 adults

Safe School Ambassadors Safe School Ambassadors TrainingTraining

5 Types of 5 Types of MistreatmentMistreatment

1. Exclusion2. Put-downs3. Bullying4. Unwanted physical touch5. Acts against campus

Six Types of Six Types of InterventionIntervention

1) Balancing

2) Supporting

3) Reasoning

4) Distracting

5) Directing

6) Getting Help

With whom With whom do they do they

interveneintervene??Start with

self

“Walk the Talk”

Friends & Family

Others in school & community

Classmates

Regularly-scheduled

Deepen skills

Debrief experience

Collect data Connect & inspire

Ongoing Support & Supervision Ongoing Support & Supervision ==

Family Group Family Group MeetingsMeetings

Ambassadors are Ambassadors are active:active:

2 actions per week x 25 Ambassadors

= more than 50 actions per week

50 actions per week x 40 weeks in a year =

More thanMore than 2,000 actions 2,000 actions per yearper year!!!!

Reduced BullyingReduced Bullying

100

0

80

% 60

40

20

Reduced

Adults

Greatly Reduced

55%

11%

70%66%

Ambassadors

58%

12%

Reduced FightingReduced Fighting

100

0

80

% 60

40

20

Reduced

Adults

Greatly Reduced

41%

18%

60%59%

Ambassadors

48%

12%

Ambassadors influence Ambassadors influence their peers in ways that their peers in ways that

result in 59% - 70% result in 59% - 70% reductions in fighting and reductions in fighting and

bullying.bullying.

Benefits of these Benefits of these reductions include:reductions include:

Students are less fearful Students are less fearful and less distracted and less distracted

and can perform better in and can perform better in school.school.

Educators spend more time Educators spend more time on teaching on teaching

and supporting the and supporting the learning in classes.learning in classes.

Improved School Improved School ClimateClimate 100

0

80

%60

40

20

Better

Adults

Much Better

66%

12%

78%

Research has shown Research has shown

that improved school that improved school

climate is correlated climate is correlated

with better test scores with better test scores

and higher overall and higher overall

academic achievement.academic achievement.

Decrease

in fights

Decrease

in suspe

nsion

s

Decrease i

n

administra

tiv

e time

Increase i

n

attendance

and academ

ic

performanc

e

What We Need From What We Need From StaffStaff

Serve as Family Group Facilitators

Support Ambassadors throughout the year

Nominate students to be Ambassadors

Documents

Reducing Peer Mistreatment and Improving School Climate Safe School Ambassadors ® :