Bullying and Students with Disabilities: Effective Coping Strategies for Classroom Teachers

“Students with disabilities experience greater victimization and engage in more bullying perpetration than their peers without disabilities” (Rose et al., 2).  As teachers bullying can be a huge issue when trying to maintain an inclusive and supportive classroom environment where students feel accepted and safe to learn and explore.  There are multiple types of bullying which include but are not limited to; physical, verbal, indirect and sexual, with some forms being more prevalent than others.  “Often just being different in a noticeable way can put a student at risk for victimization” (Rose et al., 100)

While putting a stop to bullying must be a whole school approach in order to make a real difference, the following are some strategies for teachers to help facilitate positive student behaviour and decrease bullying, particularly when it is involving students with exceptionalities.

Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS)

• Collaboration and problem solving increases social competence and by helping students with exceptionalities understand how to work with others in a collaborative setting and use their strengths to the groups benefit and gain assistance from other students with different strengths.  Teachers should provide positive reinforcement when they notice positive interactions occurring, whether it is an exceptional learner or not.

Student awareness initiatives

• Making sure to discuss anti-bullying initiatives that are going on and to encourage students to participate and get involved in the events.  Some examples of awareness initiatives are; anti-bullying week in September, Pink Day etc.  Also make students aware of bullying prevention programs in the school and other resources that they may find helpful such as http://www.stopabully.ca/  or the kids help line.
• In the case that it is a student driven initiative; teachers can act as supports for the students engaging in these initiatives and can encourage the positive behaviour being displayed by these students. 
• Create opportunities to increase social competence and positive interactions
• “Chronic victims of bullying frequently have a low self-concept and lack self-confidence.  Often these students maintain few close friendships” (Rose et al, 10).  Students with exceptionalities, regardless of the type, tend to be less included by their peers in social and extracurricular activities as well and classroom activities, which are a form of indirect bullying and can have detrimental effects of the students’ self-worth and self-image. 
• Creating opportunities for students to socialize and work this others, such as assigning groups for group work, having an older student volunteer during their spare to work with the student as a buddy are some options that can be used to increase social interactions and create a sense of inclusion for students with exceptionalities.

While putting a stop to bullying must have a whole school approach in order to make a significant difference, as teachers we can help bring our students a step in the right direction.  Students with exceptionalities are often more likely to be targeted for bullying.  I know I will be trying some of the strategies listed above in my future classrooms to help prevent or eliminate situations where bullying is more likely to occur, and help improve these students self-image and social interactions.

References

Rose, Chad. A., Monda-Amaya, Lisa. E. (2011) Bullying and Victimization Among Students With Disabilities: Effective Strategies for Classroom Teachers. Intervention in School and Clinic. 48 (2) 99-107

Restorative Conversations: Easy to Use Questions for the Classroom

The current Safe Schools policy in Ontario defines progressive discipline as: an approach that promotes positive student behaviour and enables the principal to choose the appropriate consequences to address inappropriate student behaviour.” (Ontario Ministry of Education, Parents: Safe Schools par, 3). The policy includes three main elements, which include engaging parents, giving students choice in their education and offering more support with outside professions.

What about a fourth element? What about a fourth element of Restorative Practice?

Teachers can look to restorative practice as an alternative to exclusionary method of discipline. In the journal titled “Ethical Considerations in a Three-Tiered Approach to School Discipline Policy and Practice” a psychologists looks at this method in depth and discusses the need for understanding why the child acted a certain way and then learn from it, building a behavior plan around it and responding accordingly (Mayworm, M., & Sharkey, J.,).

Keeping children with exceptionalities in mind, a rule of thumb is always to be consistent and make school rules known which is critical for creating an awareness of fairness and understanding about the school’s behavioural expectations (Mayworm, M., & Sharkey, J.,). By using the restorative approach for discipline with children with exceptionalities, teachers and caretakers can become more aware of home life or simulants for certain types of behaviour and know when and how to take care. According to Mayworm and Sharkey, teachers can “provide tailored proactive education plans to help prevent future problems and engage student self-discipline” (Mayworm, M., & Sharkey, J.,).

As a portion of the 3-tiered approach, restorative practice focuses on student choices and problem solving, with shared responsibility (“Behavioural or Emotional Disorders – Discipline Past and Present” p. 696). This type of discipline helps the child feel empowered and in control of their own destiny.

Guidelines for a Restorative Conversation

Be..

Curious and Concerned

• What has happened?

Understanding

• How did you feel when that happened?
• How are you feeling now?
• Who do you think might have been affected by this?
• How do you think……might be feeling about this?

Empowering

• What do you think you might be able to do to help sort things out?
• How might you stop this from happening again?
• (Taken from a hand out during a session on Restorative Practice)

References

Course Content Module 2, Slide 10:  “Behavioural or Emotional Disorders – Discipline Past and Present”.

Mayworm, A.M., & Sharkey, J.D., ( 2014). ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN A THREE-TIERED APPROACH TO SCHOOL DISCIPLINE POLICY AND PRACTICE. University of California, Santa Barbara. Psychology in the Schools, Vol. 51(7),. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ontario Ministry of Education (2008). Progressive Discipline: A new approach to help make schools safer 2014-15. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/discipline.pdf

Strategies for Using Restorative Justice in Special Education

Image: Ebay

Restorative Justice (RJ) approaches help schools create more inclusive learning environments.  But when things do go wrong in school communities, RJ can act as an equitable system for addressing harm in the classroom. 

Regardless of exceptionality, the needs, feelings, and abilities of each person involved are central to understanding the harm done, and finding a way forward to a better future through Restorative Justice. For the exceptional student this system provides a meaningful pathway to being better understood by their peers, both in the harms that may be done to them, but also the harm to the community that they may be responsible for. So how do we go about using Restorative Justice techniques in special education? What considerations should we make?

The central question to answer before proceeding with a restorative process is whether it is appropriate for a student. Will they be able to participate in a meaningful way with appropriate supports that will enable the expression of their feelings and needs, and the understanding of the feelings and needs of others? In-school teams, IEP documents, and other staff may need to be consulted to ensure that Restorative Justice is the right means of addressing the situation for a student. You should also speak to the facilitator who will implement the Restorative Justice process in your situation to discuss the specific process that they were considering. Whether face to face mediation, a questioning process, community circles, peacemaking discussions, or other common RJ techniques, we must take into account the needs of the students in our classrooms when implementing restorative processes.

When a decision has been made to move ahead with a Restorative Justice intervention, consulting with your in-school team, reading through the IEP, and consulting with support staff for any student who is to be involved in the Restorative Justice process will help you make good decisions about an appropriate course of action, and what, if any, accommodations or modifications would be beneficial. 

Often times schools begin implementing Restorative Justice frameworks with techniques that rely heavily on verbal communication and auditory processing. Would any students in your class have difficulty participating fully in such a technique? What accommodations or modifications can be made to fully enable their participation?

In some cases, having an advocate may be beneficial for a student. An advocate can lend moral support, facilitate communication, help the student be better understood by their peers, and speak for the rights and needs of the student where required. An advocate may also be able to help other students understand the capabilities and behaviours of the student for whom they are advocating. Advocates should be carefully selected and have a good understanding of the situation. This can be a very difficult task.

Using drawings, pictures, and visual prompts may also help students with exceptionalities express themselves more fully in the Restorative Justice process. In one study on bullying involving young people with Cerebral Palsy, researchers used common images of harm within the school community and asked participants to point to or circle things that had happened to them personally, or that they had committed themselves. They also provided images of common places from students lives to understand where this had happened.

Creating physical space for processing and thinking about feelings before a restorative process might also be beneficial. Set aside an areas in the room or the school that allows students to spend time thinking without distractions. This space can include images, words, toys, art supplies, and other prompts that help students find ways to express their feelings and needs. Provide support and personnelle where needed to collect, and clarify student ideas as they arise.

Restorative Justice interventions can be used for a wide-range of situations within the school community where there is harm to people and relationships, but should always be facilitated by staff with deep knowledge of the process, and adequate training. Your task as an educator of exceptional pupils involved in an RJ process, is to provide meaningful, creative, and expansive ways for students to express themselves. The process will be dynamic and beneficial as exceptional students learn skills for self-expression and self-advocacy, and all students come to a more thorough and deepened understanding of one another as they address harm together.


References:

British Columbia Association for Community Living (2006). Restorative Justice and People with Developmental Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.inclusionbc.org/sites/default/files/CL_Booklet_Community_Living_0.pdf

Inglish, J. (2014). "Restorative Justice Practice in Special Education: Resolving Conflict and Promoting Equity for Students with Disabilities (Webinar Transcript)." Retrived from http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/restorativejustice.cfm

Morrison, B.E., and Vaandering, D. 2012. “Restorative Justice: Pedagogy, Praxis, and Discipline.” Journal of School Violence, 11(2), 138-155. 

Webb, D.L. (2010). "My Classroom's Journey with Restorative Practice." Retrieved from http://www.iirp.edu/article_detail.php?article_id=NjU4

Restorative Justice: A more equitable response to harm in schools?

Repaired with gold. The kintsugi method of pottery repair seeks to

mend damage to create something new and beautiful (Image: Wikipedia).

School discipline in North America has often been automatic and punitive. School administrators look at the harm done, and dole out punishment that fits the crime. For a number of years in Ontario schools, this was the way of things. The Safe Schools Act drew ire from human rights groups and disability advocates who pointed out the failings of punishment based discipline and the inequitable application of mandatory suspensions and expulsions as it related to exceptional students. 

Currently, things are different. Progressive discipline approaches Ontario schools seek to include ‘mitigating factors’ when applying disciplinary outcomes for students but may do little about the environments and relationships that led to the behaviour. Restorative Justice may provide a framework that not only reduces harm in schools, but reinforces, positive, inclusive learning environments, and the understanding of the individual characteristics of each student.

Restorative Justice (RJ) frameworks hinge on the idea that being part of the community is a more powerful tool for motivating positive behaviour, than rules and control from the school. Building positive relationships and being inclusive of all, including those who have done wrong, drives the process.

It can be difficult as educators to give up what we see as the reins of discipline, but RJ is characterized by support and accountability. Both are provided and expected in the process of resolving situations that aren't working in the school. In an RJ approach, emotions and actions are considered responses that we should all try to understand better and find reasons for. Most importantly the power to rebuild damaged relationships and environments, and find resolutions to problems in the school, is given back to the students. Like all skills in school, it needs practice and guidance to develop. The process might involve community conferences, peacemaking circles, and peer mediation with teacher support gradually withdrawn over time. 

Restorative Justice is not unlike character education programs or anti-bullying initiatives as it works best when it is a whole-school approach with all staff on board and implementing it in classrooms and at an administration level. Schools that adopt RJ as a way for managing harm, create more positive spaces. These schools see values of respect, honesty, trust, humility, sharing, inclusivity, empathy, courage, forgiveness, and love, more present in students and staff as they shift from being rule-based, to relationship-based institutions. Successful schools report a reduction in office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions, as well as a reduction in repeat offending behaviour.

Safe Schools are only safe when they can be so without the need for external control. With past Safe Schools legislation, automatic suspensions and expulsions sat as deterrents, but usually only served to remove individuals from the school community and the places where they could practice pro-social and problem solving skills. More recent progressive discipline policies have helped more Ontario students remain in the school community, but these approaches are often reactive, and still do little to address the damaged relationships in the classroom when harm occurs. Safe Schools can not just be buildings where well defined rules and regulations will protect students from harm, they must be places where offending behaviour is known by the entire community as unacceptable, and the entire community is capable of managing that harm in a way that makes them more whole.

Restorative Justice schools rely on the power of student relationships. These practices move us closer to providing equitable education to all students. These communities are capable of internally addressing many of the issues and concerns that we as teachers have for our students safety and well-being, with sensitivity, resiliency, and creativity, all while teaching students skills for self-management, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Restorative Justice responds more equitably to harm, and is an ideal community for the exceptional student.

References:

Morrison, B.E., and Vaandering, D. 2012. “Restorative Justice: Pedagogy, Praxis, and Discipline.” Journal of School Violence, 11(2), 138-155. 

Ontario Human Rights Commission. 2003. The Ontario Safe Schools Act: School Discipline and Discrimination. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ohrc.on.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/The_Ontario_Safe_Schools_Act%3A_School_discipline_and_discrimination.pdf

Ontario. Legislative Assembly. “An Act to increase respect and responsibility, to set standards for safe learning and safe teaching in schools and to amend the Teaching Profession Act (The Safe Schools Act).” Bill 81, 37th Legislature, 1st Session, 2000. [Toronto]: The Assembly, 2000. (Assented to Jun. 23, 2000). 

Ontario. Legislative Assembly. “An Act to amend the Education Act in respect of behaviour, discipline and safety.” Bill 212, 38th Legislature, 2nd Session, 2007. [Toronto]: The Assembly, 2007. (Assented to Jun. 4, 2007). 

Ontario Ministry of Education. 2010. Caring and Safe Schools in Ontario: Supporting Students with Special Education Needs Through Progressive Discipline, Kindergarten to Grade 12. Retrieved fromhttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/caring_safe_school.pdf