Understanding the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program

Parents gathered at the Matawan Aberdeen Middle School on Nov. 15 for a presentation by Principal Tyler Blackmore and Interim Deputy Superintendent Patrick Piegari, who also serves as the district's Anti-Bullying/Learning Climate Specialist.

Blackmore and Piegari explained the Olweus (oh-VAY-us) Anti-Bullying program, which the Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District adopted at the July 25 regular action meeting of the Board of Education. As part of a requirement from the New Jersey State Board of Education Administrative Code, each school district in the state must implement policies that prohibit and remediate harassment, intimidation and bullying on school grounds, on buses and at school functions.

The Olweus Anti-Bullying Program was developed based on research done by a Dan Olweus, who was hired by the Norwegian government in the 1970s to conduct a long term study of bullying. According to Blackmore, the Olweus program is the only one with that level of research supporting it. The program is often successful, he said, because it is not a cookie cutter program. It provides a number of strategies designed to fit the specific school.

The program involves a multi-faceted approach. Students are educated on the definition of bullying and the anti-bullying rules and the long term emotional and physical effect bullying can have on all students involved. Teachers and school staff are trained how to educate students, how to identify and intervene in bullying and how to investigate a claim of bullying in a private way. The district is also trying to educate parents on how to reinforce lessons at home, encourage their children to walk away and tell an adult if bullying is happening and to set a positive example at home.

"Bullying is when someone purposely and repeatedly says or does mean or hurtful things to another person," according to a flyer distributed by Blackmore. Blackmore encouraged parents to hang the definition at home and around the community, in order to show support and reinforce the lesson to students outside of the classroom.

Bullying also involves aggressive behavior, typically involves a pattern of repeated behavior and an imbalance of power or strength. Blackmore further explained that aggressive behavior can occur in person or via text message, social media or email.

According to a flyer handed out at the program, the Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District School Bullying Rules are:

1. We will not bully others.
2. We will help students who are bullied.
3. We will include students who are left out.
4. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

The Olweus program involves classroom components and individual components. The district posts and enforces the rules against bullying, students have regular class meetings and ensures that staff intervene on the spot. Blackmore also said meetings will be help with students involved in bullying and individual intervention pans can be created.

The Olweus program provides a spectrum that identifies every person involved in an incident of bullying, rather than just focusing on the bully and the victim, and assigns them one of eight roles. In addition to the bully and the victim, there are the bully's active followers, the bully's supporters, passive supporters, disengaged onlookers, possible defenders of the victim and defenders of the victim.

The purpose of this spectrum, Blackmore said, is to help children understand that bullying is not black and white. It is also a way to encourage small steps toward stopping bullying. If a student can progress from a passive supporter to a disengaged onlooker, than that is considered a small success Blackmore said.

Blackmore repeatedly stressed that parental involvement is key to the success of this program. Parents should discourage bullying and encourage that when their child encounters bullying, they should walk away and tell an adult.

Recognizing the fact that students may be hesitant to come forward for fear of "tattling" on a fellow student, Blackmore said that children are also encouraged to talk to their parents about the bullying and have the parent come forward.

Blackmore said that in time, he believes the program will be successful. However, implementing the policies will not stop bullying overnight. Rather it is a long-term learning process for everyone involved. Students, teachers, staff and parents must all learn their roles in ending bullying. The important aspect, he said, is that everyone is talking about bullying and working toward a positive outcome.