Hickory Creek Middle School Bully Prevention Program

Middle School can be a very challenging time both socially and developmentally for kids. They are faced with a multitude of decisions related to who they are and who they want to be. Many students often find themselves struggling with the balance between trying to fit in and make good choices by doing what's right. As a Middle School, we believe that it is very important to support our students both academically and emotionally. We have identified two programs that will help us meet the needs of our students. One is our Bullying Prevention Program, and the other is the CHARACTER COUNTS! Program.

We implemented our Bullying Prevention Program with bi-monthly activities through Advisory class. Each class participates in a series of activities developed by our school social workers and team teachers. These activities are designed to help students define bullying and what it means, understand the different types of bullying behaviors, and develop classroom and school-wide rules related to bullying. We also work with students to understand when and how to report any acts of bullying behavior that they may be witness to. Research shows that while it is critical for schools to set clear expectations related to student behaviors, the most effective way to prevent bullying in school is to empower students involved in those daily social interactions to make better choices. We are excited about continuing this program in the 2009 - 2010 school year, as it has already had a positive impact on many of our students.

Bullying is defined as a situation in which a student is exposed repeatedly and over time to negative actions on the part of one or more students. Negative actions can include inappropriate gestures, written statements, verbal remarks, or physical acts of aggression that place the student in reasonable fear of harm to his person or property, or that has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student in such a way as to interfere with their education.

Bullying most often will occur when a student asserts physical or psychological power over, or is cruel to, another student perceived to be weaker than they are for an ongoing period of time.

Bullying revolves around the basic premise that there is some imbalance of power between the aggressor and the victim. This can be either physical or psychological in nature. Therefore, conflicts and arguments that develop between friends or students of comparable social and physical standing do not fall in the arena of bullying. These situations need to be mediated and are met with consequences in accordance with the School Handbook, but they are typically not considered bullying-related incidences.