Bullying has increasingly become a menace for educators in elementary, middle, and secondary schools across the United States. A report by the National Center of Education Statistics (2012) indicated that 27.8% of students in American schools had been victims of bullying. This report supports the findings of s study by XX which reported bullying is the most prevalent criminal activity in schools, accounting for up to 64% of all crime rate in schools amongst students. The U.S.Department of Health and Human Services also underscored the prevalence of bullying in schools. According to DHHS, 33% of students in American students had experienced bullying (Graham, 2016). Educators are finding a problem curbing the vice in schools, not to mention the psychologic effects and physical harm incurred by the victims. Bullying is not only a cause of concern to the educators and the victim but also the parents. The evidence on how bullying is rampant is overwhelming, prompting the need to develop and implement effective professional development strategies.
The primary area of focus for this plan is in the elementary grades; which has seen an increase in bullying in recent months. Within the last three months, tens of students have reported being bullied by their peers, with the number peaking to twenty in the past fortnight alone.
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Teacher Preparation:
Adequate knowledge of the current anti-bullying models and strategies in use in schools.
Evaluation and selection of the appropriate strategies to apply in the situation.
Determination and evaluation of the reasons for and against the strategies; and why some strategies would work better than others in the given situation.
Organization of appropriate resources that will be used in the knowledge development plan.
Intervention Strategies
Zero tolerance policy: This policy will involve the creation of increased school staff awareness, to ensure that all the teachers involved in the program stress the need for a social change and creation of a positive school environment for all students.
Individualized discipline: There will be a need for teachers to provide immediate punishment and reproach for perpetrators of bullying while providing support for the victims. The bullies will be singled out and punished by the school policies.
Whole school intervention: This strategy will involve bringing all members on board, by emphasizing to the staff and students the negative effects of bullying. School administrators, counselors, staff members alongside teachers should be encouraged to be supportive of the bullying victims.
Resources Required
Conducting Professional development will require a medium-sized room to accommodate the teachers and staff members. A laptop, projector, markers, charts, and copies of bullying articles will be needed for dissemination of information. Five round tables will also be needed for conducting small group discussions.
Stakeholders
The school administration led by the principal will officiate the PD plan. Elementary grade teachers, other members of staff, students, and the parents will take part in the PD.
Timeline for Plan Implementation
The professional development will be conducted for the 2019 -2020 academic year and will commence on 6 th May 2019 before the summer holidays. The implementation will take place in the following chronology:
May 2019: Meeting with the school administration and to deliberate on the plan.
May 2019: Presenting the proposal of the plan to the administration and teachers.
June 2019: Acquisition of all the necessary resources for the PD.
June 2019: Organizing the resources, printing of materials – flyers, brochures, and charts.
July 2019: Emailing all school staff the comprehensive plan and minutes in preparation for the firsts PD meeting.
August 2019: Conducting the PD meetings with the school administration and teachers to bring them up-to-speed on the implementation of the bullying intervention strategies.
September 2019 – April 2020: Periodic meetings will be conducted to evaluate the progress of the plan and update the teachers on changing trends in the bullying intervention strategies.
Evaluation of the Plan
The plan will be evaluated monthly based on percentage reduction in the cases of bullying reported among the elementary grade students. The parents will also be required to b vigilant to look out for possible signs of psychological trauma in their children. This might be indicative of unreported bullying.
References
Brookshire, B. (2019). Friendly Adults Help Teens Stand Up Against Bullies. Science News for Students .
Graham, S. (2016). Victims of bullying in schools. Theory into practice , 55 (2), 136-144.
National Education Association. (2012). Bullying prevention in public schools. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/PB43bullyingprevention2012.pdf
Rodkin, P. C. (2011). Wwhite House Report/Bullying – And the Power of Peers. Educational Leadership .
