Sean, what motivated you to begin your bully intervention program at Punta Gorda Middle School?

I was bullied in middle school. I had experienced the mental and emotional pain that comes with the verbal, physical and mental/emotional torment of being bullied. I knew too well the importance of trusting a teacher and being able to talk with them in school.  Kids that are bullied are consumed by it.  I can spot a bully a mile away. We have them here.  I decided to use my planning period as a time to meet with students who were concerned about bullying. At first, it was intended to be a student led discussion about conflict in school.  I approached my building principal, told her what I was planning. She approved the idea.  

Sean, what were your entry-year teaching responsibilities and what are your current teaching responsibilities?

I began teaching Math and Science “drop-out prevention students.” The program, which does not exist anymore, was referred to as Personalized Student Learning (PSL).  The classes consisted of between 6 and 25 high-risk students per class.  I taught PSL for 2 years before submitting a Health Education class proposal to our new building principal, Cathy Corsaletti. She approved the proposal. I represented our school on the Charlotte County Wellness Committee and introduced them to the Coordinated School Health Program Model. The county has adopted the model. I currently teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Health Education in Punta Gorda, Florida. I graduated in 2004 from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a degree in K-12 Health Education.  I have certification in Ohio and Florida in both Health Education and Physical Education.

Bill, what do you currently teach?

I currently teach the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Broadcast Communications courses at Punta Gorda Middle. Because of my background as a Language Arts teacher, along with the fact that this is the first year of TV Production at our school, I was able to shape the courses’ curricula to incorporate instruction about journalistic styles and techniques for writing and speaking, as well as instruction in media literacy, the responsible uses of media, and production processes involving audio and video editing.

Bill, how did you come to be involved with the Bully Group project?

The video was a natural extension of a video series called “The Round Table,” which was a collaborative effort between the TV Studio and the Drama Department. The initial segment of the show focused on student reactions to being in a brand-new school facility and the new policies and procedures that inevitably follow such a move, along with identifying aspects of the school that were not working smoothly and generating suggestions for improvements. After the first segment aired, Sean Brooks approached me with the idea of using The Round Table's format to broadcast some of the discussions that the Violence and Conflict Prevention Group were conducting about a related issue: namely, bullying. We felt that the fact that several highly regarded 8th grade girls were willing to talk openly about what was really going on in the halls, restrooms, and other locations outside the classroom, in other words, where students weren't in close proximity to teachers or administrators, provided an opportunity to recognize problematic elements in the school and potentially produce some real change in its environment. We had to do it.

Sean, did your program move through any identifiable stages of development?

Yes. There was a “nomination stage.”  Our 8th grade counselor nominated some very mature eighth grade girls to be the first participants.  Later, with the help of our 6th grade counselor and teachers, 6th graders took part in the group second semester.  They were all potential leaders.  We started by defining “bullying” as saying or displaying anything verbal, nonverbal or physical that would be taken as hurtful or unkind. I asked who among the group had been a part of bullying another student or had been bullied themselves. All the students admitted to having been bullied or being a bully. This “admission stage” seemed very important. It seemed to create a bond inside the group.  They realized they were not alone in feeling peer social pressure to be a bully or the humiliation of having been bullied. The students talked about the social pressure to be a bully, so other students would not bully them. This bully “food chain” is hard for teachers to see in middle schools where the pressure to conform is so intense. 

There was an “information stage.”  Second, We defined what conflict and violence are, all it's forms and what it looks, sounds and feels like in school. I shared online surveys completed by students that addressed bullying in schools. These conflict surveys focused the students on what causes it, the damage it can cause if left ignored, and how best to stop it. There was a “sharing stage.” We met everyday.  Every daily session began by students sharing examples of conflict they had seen or heard in school since the last meeting. We examined why they thought the conflict had occurred and purposefully tried to develop solutions to reduce or stop the conflict in the future. 

We moved to an “intervention stage.”  We began to pinpoint students within their own grade levels with a reputation for being at the center of conflicts. We tried to determine who of these students would be willing to come into the group for a few sessions. The students were remarkably adept at this.  They either volunteered or suggested who should go to the cafeteria to ask the student if they would be willing to participate in the group for a day.  Participation was not mandatory, but most agreed.  I think they agreed because peers asked them, not authority figures. The student was assured that they are not in trouble and will not be.

There was a “discussion stage.” I managed the discussion.  In a polite and courteous manner, students expressed their concerns with the invited student.  The invited student shared with the group. My remarks focused on better ways to resolve conflict.  I think there was a “resolution stage” that was very important. The students offered solutions and I discussed the suggestions. Before the bell rang, I asked the student if they would like to come back for another meeting, and most said “yes.” Typically, the students recognized that their more aggressive behavior had not worked in the past and considered alternatives suggested by the group. New members regularly showed up at sessions. Many had been victims themselves.   I apparently had created a safe place for them to express how they feel without being judged.  That was my first goal.

Dr. Douglas Brooks is a Professor in the School of Education, Health and Society at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in classroom management. He is the Director of Partners In Learning at http://performancepyramid.muohio.edu

Sean Brooks is a Health Education teacher at Punta Gorda Middle School in Punta Gorda, Florida. He advises the Conflict/Violence Prevention Focus Group for participating PGMS students and is an Associate with Partners In Learning.

Bill Steelnack is a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Broadcast Communications teacher at Punta Gorda Middle School and Director of WPGM.

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