BC Student Voice

The Voice on Harassment

a follow-up to the original 2001 report

BC Student Voice answers four questions concerning bullying, intimidation and harassment in schools

Thanks to
the Ministry of Education for its funding the students and advisors of BC Student Voice who participated in the forums the BC Principals & Vice-Principals Association for its support, and especially Jenn McParland, BC Student Voice alumni, who collated the information and wrote this report.

A note on the 001 report

Between October 1999 and March 000, provincial representatives of B.C. Student Voice answered four questions posed by the Ministry of Education concerning harassment. Much has changed in five years, warranting a new look at this problem. The results begins on the next page

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quality leadership in education

Process
B
etween November 005 and April 006 student representatives from 15 regions across British Columbia attended two provincial BC Student Voice meetings and facilitated a forum in their own region addressing issues concerning bullying, harassment and intimidation. These student representatives were in grades 8-1 having various levels of academic achievement and came from many cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Through their discussion, deliberation and brainstorming, this unique and talented group of students produced consistent and strong concerns regarding issues of bullying. Students answered the following four questions: 1. What are some examples of violence, intimidation and harassment that you have seen in your school? . Why is bullying, intimidation and harassment happening? What are some of the causes of these behaviors? . Describe people who are targets of bullying, intimidation and harassment at your school. Why are they targets? 4. What can be done about these issues? If you were to design an anti-bullying program, what would it look like?

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Question 1
What are some examples of violence, intimidation and harassment that you have seen in your school?

hen responding to question one, students listed examples of the different types of bullying, intimidation and harassment they witnessed in their schools. While these examples have come from students in different sized regions from across British Columbia, the majority of examples given were consistent despite the size of town and school. Many of the students focused their attention on bullying and harassment related to technologies such as MSN Messenger and Nexopia. Below are some major forms of bullying and harassment students identified accompanied with examples of each form. PHYSICAL Fights Sexual harassment Vandalism of others property Gang beatings Spitting Taunting Manipulation of clothing Shoving Pushing into lockers Throwing objects at others Tripping VERBAL BULLYING Name calling Rumors Gossip Yelling PASSIVE BULLYING Gossip Isolation Rumors Purposeful exclusion Alienation Mental manipulation Stealing

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MSN/NEXOPIA Identity theft Hacking into others accounts Gossip and rumors are easier to spread Misinterpretations of messages Makes it easy to escalate conflicts and problems Virus sending MSN: not used responsibly NEXOPIA: more of an issue in larger centers OTHER TECHNOLOGIES Students validate themselves as to whether or not they have current technological gadgets Camera cell phones: taking obscene pictures and sending or showing them to other people Text messaging: sending threatening or insulting messages Webcams: Students pressured to display themselves inappropriately on webcams to others Video cameras & websites: Students edit videos or photos to portray others inaccurately or in an obscene manner and post them on websites for other students to view Email: A fast way for personal information, personal photos, threats and rumors to be sent to others Phone calls: Threats, three-way calling and repeated phone calls DIFFERENCES WHICH ARE A FOCUS FOR BULLYING Age differences Racial/religious differences Social status Sexuality Appearance: eg: weight, piercing Different clubs Specific groups/individuals target other groups and individuals that are unlike them

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Question 
Why is bullying, intimidation and harassment happening? What are some of the causes of these behaviours?

fter identifying the various forms of bullying and harassment in their schools, students analyzed reasons why these trends are occurring throughout all regions of British Columbia. Students identified some main reasons why bullying and harassment is occurring as well as the causes for these actions. SCHOOLS Students agreed that one of the main reasons why bullying, intimidation and harassment are occurring is due to the fact that the school system is not doing enough to prevent it and does not deal with situations properly when they arise. There was a general consensus that the school system simply allows bullying and harassment to happen. This could consist of teachers turning a blind eye in the classroom or administrators tiring of having to deal with problem students. Whatever the situation, students agreed that the school system in general appears to be run in such a way that students are able to get away with poor behavior. While students felt that nothing was being done when bullying did occur, they also concluded that this may be happening because there are no systems established to prevent or solve the re-occurring problems. In all regions and school districts, there was an agreement among students that there is a lack of processes and systems that could be used as preventative or problem solving programs. They felt that if there were forms of anti-bullying counseling or peer mediation programs in place, many of the problems that do occur could be dealt with in a more positive and successful way that would result in long term benefits. Throughout their discussions, students agreed on the majority of the roles that the school system plays in the occurrence of bullying and harassment. However, the most evident and widely agreed upon reason is that there are simply no consequences for the behavior of bullies. When choosing one out of four options as to why harassment is happening, the choice of no consequences outnumbered all of the other options combined. It is therefore evident that students are not only witnessing harassment in their schools, but also that it is re-occurring because there are rarely any consequences for unacceptable actions. Many students expressed confusion in regards to the schools zero tolerance policy for violence. While they see this policy written in their school agendas and reviewed at the beginning of every

students agreed that there are simply no consequences for the behavior of bullies

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school year, many students from across the province felt strongly that this policy is rarely followed through, thus allowing actions of harassment and bullying to occur without consequences. THE BULLY/INDIVIDUAL While the processes of a school system could be an environment set up to allow bullying to occur, many of the reasons why harassment is happening in our schools are due to personal difficulties of the bully. Students identified that many of the reasons why harassment occurs in their school environment are due to the individual struggles of the bully. Having low self confidence was a widely agreed upon trait that a bully would have, due to the fact that those with low self esteem often resort to putting down others in order to make themselves feel superior. While all students admit to having their own emotional issues that they deal with outside of school, individuals who do not know how to deal with these issues again resort to picking on others as either an outlet of emotion or to pull others down as low as they feel. These actions are a personal attempt by the bully to make themselves feel powerful and in control, feelings they do not know how to achieve in any other situations. It was also concluded that peer pressure and expectations that the individual faces cause bullying behavior. In the same way that bullies can pick on other students to make themselves feel superior, they can also do this for attention from their peers. If an individual does not know how to gain the attention or respect of his or her peers in a normal setting, students suggested that he/she would often resort to making a scene of targeting another student. This creates a situation in which the bully is the centre of attention and gives his peers a reason to talk about him or her. These actions can also lead to the expectation that the individual is tough or harsh which would cause the bully to act in such a way in all future situations, thus causing more instances of harassment. One final source that students discussed that would cause an individual to act as a bully is the environment that they are exposed to on a daily basis. The life one goes home to at the end of a school day greatly determines the action of the individual in social and educational settings. There was a strong consensus among students that family problems are an instigator for the bullys actions. Witnessing harassment or intimidation in the home on a regular basis would cause an individual to imitate such actions in social and educational settings, merely because they have not witnessed any other form of interaction. continues next page

there was a consensus among students that family problems are an instigator for the bullys actions

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PEER PRESSURE/FITTING IN While our schools are undoubtedly educational settings, for the majority of students it is also their main social scene. This causes the formation of exclusive cliques, the mark of being part of a certain social group, group mentality and the general pressure of fitting in and being cool. While students previously identified that bullies are commonly individuals who have a need for attention and are lacking in appropriate social and interactive skills, the pressure to fit in would evidently cause bullies to act out. The stress to be part of a group or seen as cool would cause a bully to target weaker students or certain groups in order to be accepted by another clique or social group. GROUP MENTALITY The pressure of group mentality also causes bullying behavior. Whether it be a specific social group or a crowd of people at lunch, the cheering on and encouragement of harassing behavior an individual may be inflicting on another is enough to escalate the situation and make it a re-occurring situation. OUTSIDE FACTORS Students agreed that school systems, obstacles that the bully as an individual faces and peer pressure are the main reasons why bullying, harassment and intimidation occurs. When given a list of 4 choices these are the top 10 causes students identified. 1. . . 4. 5. 6. . 8. 9. Family related issues Peer pressure Feeling of power Low self-esteem A need to fit in Acceptance Popularity Media influence The way someone looks, jealousy, no consequences (three-way tie) 10. Control

bullies are individuals who need attention

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Question 
Describe people who are targets of bullying, intimidation and harassment at your school. Why are they targets?

fter determining common examples of bullying and reasons why harassment occurs, students were asked to explain who are the targets of these actions, and more importantly why they are targets. Within their discussions it became evident that targets of bullying can arise on two different levels: either between or within social groups, or on an individual level. GROUPS Targets within social groups: Students in all regions felt that no matter what social group one belongs to there are always levels of power within each group or clique. Despite the fact that members of social groups are presumably friends, these different levels of power within the group cause targets for bullying. Looking back to question one, students identified various forms of passive bullying. Within a social group passive bullying can happen if one member of the group is not invited to a social event or gossip occurs between members of the group. Students also expressed that bullying and harassment that happens in relation to MSN Messenger and Nexopia occurs most often within individual social groups. They stated that conflicts or gossip which started at school within a group are often continued in the evening over these messenger services, which causes the issues to escalate as students will often say or do things on the computer that they would not in person. It is therefore easier for various individuals of a social group to gang up on another member who is perhaps a lower level than the rest. Targets between different social groups: When discussing targets of bullying, students expressed that anything or anyone different is automatically a target for bullying, intimidation and harassment. The difference between social groups within a school setting is therefore an automatic scenario for harassment. This can occur when a majority group picks on a minority group. Students explained that a situation such as this could occur if there is a large group of students that are associated with popularity and wealth, they may target a social group of only 5 students that are associated with unpopularity and financial need. This scenario displays evident differences; therefore, in comparison to the larger and seemingly powerful wealthy group, the smaller and less fortunate group becomes and automatic target for taunting and teasing. A similar situation occurs between different racial groups. Students
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anyone different is automatically a target for bullying

bullying targets include being too skinny, overweight or having hair that is excessively short or long

expressed that while it is a benefit to attend school in a multicultural province such as British Columbia, many schools especially in the lower mainland, face challenges between the various racial groups. Again, going back to the fact that anything one group views as different becomes their target for bullying, racial differences evidently cause a great deal of conflict. Whether the group conflicts may be between Caucasian students, Indo-Canadian or Asian students, these various racial groups become each others targets because of their physical, cultural and religions differences. INDIVIDUALS When tabulating a list of reasons why someone may be targeted by a bully due to individual traits, students listed a variety of appearances and personalities that you find in a school setting. Students listed that outspoken individuals and those who are non-conformist in some way are targets. They also expressed, however, that those who are shy or weak in any form are targets as well. In terms of appearance, it was concluded that anything out of the ordinary automatically became a target of bullying. This could entail having acne, being too skinny, being overweight or having hair that is excessively short or long. At first this appears to be contradictory information due to the fact that traits of many individuals are listed and not every single student in a school is a victim of harassment. However, it truly points back to the fact that anything viewed as different from one persons perspective becomes a target of harassment to some degree.

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Question 4
What can be done about these issues? If you were to design an anti-bullying program, what would it look like?

hen asked about solutions and what might be done about these identified issues of bullying and harassment, students brainstormed responses under three different headings: as a Student, as a Teacher and as Individuals/Citizens. While the actions to be taken under each heading varied, it was apparent that all students felt that overall awareness is the key to many solutions. STUDENTS Education and Involvement: Students expressed that as student leaders and members of their student body, it is one of their responsibilities to educate other students about harassment issues and to become involved in programs such as anti-bullying and peer mediation. The implementation of these programs allows the student body to become aware that bullying is an issue that everyone has either experienced or witnessed in one way or another and that it is okay to talk about it. This feeling alone in a school setting works as a deterrent for future problems and creates a more welcoming environment to talk about and deal with related issues. Attitude and Actions: Not only would involvement in anti-bullying programs aid in the prevention and solving of harassment issues, but also students attitudes and actions in the school setting and in peer groups. Students stated that it is part of their personal responsibility in the prevention of harassment to keep a positive and open mind about others and accept diversity. Students also identified positive actions towards bullying that can also be used as preventative and problem solving methods such as not being a by-stander, talking to a teacher or parent about an issue or involving a school liaison officer. TEACHERS, VICE-PRINCIPALS & PRINCIPALS Work as a team: Students had previously expressed that one of the reasons why bullying and harassment was happening is due to the lack of consequences when these issues do occur. Decisions were therefore unanimous when discussing teachers involvement in preventing and dealing with harassment. Students expressed that if all teachers and administrators worked as a team and were consistent in their rewards and discipline, a great deal of harassment and intimidation would be prevented. The level and type of bullying that occurs, particularly in a classroom setting, is greatly dependent on the teacher and what behavior they have previously allowed to happen in their classroom. If all teachers and administrators do not take the
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it is part of the students personal responsibility to prevent harassment

responsibility to discipline and implement consequences, the safety of their students becomes questionable. Be an example: Even though many students felt that consequences and discipline were important preventative measures for harassment on a part of the teachers, they also believed that the example they set as a leader in the school and their involvement in programs and mediation were just as important. If teachers and administrators have a positive and encouraging attitude where they treat others with respect, bullies will not feel that they can get away with disrespectful and harassing behavior. Involvement in programs and their role in mediation of disputes sets a similar tone not only in the classroom but through the school. This type of involvement makes it easy for students to see who they can talk to about bullying and intimidating issues. INDIVIDUALS/CITIZENS Awareness and Media: Many students felt that general awareness of the various issues of bullying is one of the keys to prevent it from happening and to solve current issues. They said that stories in the media can help to shape the actions of students. Students also felt that awareness can be created even in their own schools through the implementation and participation of anti-bullying and peer mediation programs. Choices and Actions: When they stepped back from their role as students and viewed teachers as those other than leaders in the classroom, students felt strongly that bullying is also an issue that is of concern as a citizen and individual. Students agreed the choices one makes in terms of friends and actions can have an impact on the bullying that occurs in their surroundings. Also being open to people from other walks of life and those who make different choices than you can create a sense of welcome that can act as a deterrent for bullying behavior. The strongest consensus on this topic among students was that to be a leader and to get involved in the issue would create general awareness of the issues of bullying, harassment and intimidation. After being placed into groups with students from various regions, each group was asked to design an anti-bullying program. They were asked to choose a main focus or specific issue, have a goal in mind (what the program will achieve) and finally what resources they will need to make the program successful. Out of all the anti-bullying programs that were designed, students felt that the following are the most important elements of a successful program.

when teachers, vice-principals and principals treat others with respect, bullies will feel they cannot get away with harassing behavior

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MAIN GOALS Increase awareness Prevent and understand bullying Reduce the occurrences of sexual harassment Make it a talked about issue Open minds Acceptance Involve students Build friendships IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF PROGRAMS Interactive Comfortable learning environment Lead by students Restorative justice Committee based Recruit all types of people Mentorship Provide education on topic Build self-confidence Workshops for self-empowerment Strong teacher support Younger counselors/ advisors Help learn how to deal with situations when victimized Build tolerance Be aware of the effect of what we say Empowering victims with confidence Help the bullies find another outlet for their feelings Guest speakers Start educating kids at a young age RESOURCES Older students Teachers Administrators Ministry of Education Time during school Counsellors

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Summary
hrough answering this question, many students discovered that Question #1 there are more forms of bullying than originally thought of. StuWhat are some examples of dents agreed that physical and verbal bullying, such as pushing and shovviolence, intimidation and harassment that you have ing, gang beating, vandalism and name calling are forms of harassment seen in your school? that are clear for everyone to see, therefore are somewhat easier to inter-

vene and prevent. Harassment in relation to differences was also expressed as evident issues due to the fact that students felt that many of their peers did not have a great deal of respect for individuals of other racial groups or socio-economic classes. When formulating examples of passive bullying, many students had difficulties coming up with ideas, as forms of this behavior are not as obvious. These include rumors, alienation, gossip and mental manipulation and can be quite traumatizing as they often involve hurt emotions. Despite all of these forms of bullying and harassment, students emphasized the technology related component of this question. They all agreed that the use of internet messenger services, email, cell phones, text messaging and video and web cams gave students an increased amount of opportunities to harass their peers. Students emphasized that the use of these technologies created a mask for bullies due to the fact that the harassment is not occurring on a face-to-face level. This gives the bullies a greater feeling of power that causes them to take their harassing behavior to an extreme level. Of all forms of bullying, students agreed that harassment related to technology was the newest form and therefore an issue that needs to be addressed.

tudents agreed that some main factors contributing to this quesQuestion #2: tion were the schools role, the bully as an individual, peer pressure Why is bullying, intimidation and group mentality, emphasizing the schools role. They agreed that the and harassment happening? What are some of the causes inconsistency or lack of consequences their schools put in place for bullying behavior was a main factor contributing to the occurrence of bullying. of these behaviors?

They felt that the zero tolerance policy was not used effectively therefore bullies were able to get away with a great deal of unacceptable behavior. It was also stated that the lack of preventative and problem-solving programs caused bullying to occur. Anti-bullying or peer mediation programs were suggested to contribute to problem solving and long-term solutions. The individual make-up of the bully contributed greatly to this question as well. Students recognized that the home life of the bully has a great impact on their behavior at school, due to the fact that if they grow up in an insulting or violent home, these interactions are the most common and comfortable with them. Confidence level of the bully was also expressed as a cause for bullying. Students pointed out that those with low self-confidence often insult their peers in order to make themselves feel superior. Students stated that factors such as peer pressure and the media were other causes of harassment. fter identifying many reasons why bullying occurs and the different forms harassment may take, students explored who are targets of these behaviors and why. They stated that a certain group of students or an individual might be a target of bullying. Within a particular social group, students explained that there are different levels of power, therefore those with the lowest authority within the group automatically become a target for teasing and tormenting. After pointing out that bully-

Question #3 Describe people who are targets of bullying, intimidation and harassment at your school. Why are they targets?
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ing can be caused by disrespect or misunderstanding of differences, students explained that different racial or socio-economic groups become each others targets. They explained that cliques made up of a particular race, class or style equally become targets as well as instigators of bullying due to the differences and disrespect between each clique. This disrespect of differences also applies to targets of bullying on an individual level. Students explained that a peer of a particular social and individual make-up would target a peer solely because of their opposing traits, if they are prone to bullying behavior. s leaders in their school, students felt it was their duty to get involved in anti-bullying programs and educate others students on the issues of bullying. They also expressed that their attitude and actions could act as preventative measures of bullying. As leaders in their schools, students felt that their actions, choices and attitudes towards others can set an example for other students as well as a positive tone through their classrooms and hallways. Students suggested that their teachers role in a team as well as individual attitude can greatly contribute to solving problems related to bullying and harassment. Students stated that the inconsistency of discipline and consequences when harassment does occur leads to further problems. They suggested that if all staff worked together and agreed upon methods of prevention and discipline, bullies would not feel as if they can get away with certain behaviors around particular staff members. Students realized that teachers and administrators roles as leaders of the school set a strong standard for behavior and attitude within a school. They agreed that if staff members of a school act as examples for students, they will follow. Positive, encouraging and respectful attitudes in the classroom as well as involvement in programs would set an excellent example for students. Despite their school roles of students, teachers or administrators it was recognized that bullying, harassment and intimidation is such a large issue that it should be cared about and acted upon at a citizen and individual level. Students suggested that media awareness and choices made in terms of whom you associate with and the respect you have for other people can either instigate or prevent bullying. When discussing anti-bullying programs, students described particular elements of a program that were seen as key aspects of a successful program. These included an emphasis on awareness of the issue as well as the comfort to discuss it on all levels. The use of peer mentorship, teacher involvement and guest speakers were pointed out as important, along with support and motivation. Students also emphasized that the building of self-confidence for many individuals was key, as well as facilitating respect between different people.

Question #4: What can be done about these issues? If you were to design an anti-bullying program, what would it look like?

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Notes

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BC Student Voice
The Voice on Harassment has been published by The BC Principals & Vice-Principals Association October, 006