A Whole-School, Inclusive Anti-Bullying Approach One of the ways we can create a safe school is by adopting a whole-school anti-bullying program. With the whole-school approach, everyone affiliated with the school must be educated about bullying and their roles in affecting change. In ensuring that the program is inclusive of students with exceptionalities, parents, students, employees, and community members are made aware of disability bullying and encouraged to report it. Up-to-date training is essential in order for staff and students to recognize and handle potential bullying. Counselling services must be made available for those who have bullied and those who have been bullied, as well as monitoring programs to follow up on resolved issues of bullying. Existing disability harassment policies and procedures should be assessed regularly, and modifications made as needed.
Awareness can be raised by educating the school about disability needs, and creating a school environment that is sensitive to bullying. For young students and/or those with processing or communication disabilities, “bullying” can be explained in terms of concrete behaviours, such as someone hurting someone else, someone calling names, or someone taking another person’s things. It is also helpful to use a broad range of examples and scenarios when explaining the concept of bullying.
Efficacy can be built by teaching students and staff how to recognize bullying and stop it. Students need to feel that their voices will be heard, particularly for those with limited or no verbal communication. Anti-bullying policies and disability harassment policies and procedures must be regularly assessed and modified to ensure effectiveness. Special training may be needed for staff members who work with students with disabilities.
Skill Building can be developed by emphasizing prosocial skills such as helping, sharing, and co-operating, and by supporting positive behaviour. Staff and students must be trained and prepared in recognizing and handling potential bullying, and able to teach students with communication difficulties strategies for reporting bullying or harassment. Follow-up and support for students (both bullies and victims) is also essential.
References:
Raskauskas, Juliana, and Modell, Scott. (2011). Modifying Anti-Bullying Programs to Include Students with Disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(1): 60-67. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/docview/887546632?pq-origsite=summon#