Over the past year, Harvard schools have initiated a range of programs to address the problem of bullying and are in full compliance with the state mandate, Superintendent Joe Connelly told the School Committee at its Oct. 24 meeting.
"The instructional component is in place, and the staff knows what it needs to do," Connelly said.
Bromfield School Principal Jim O'Shea concurred, saying that a district-wide task force with school administrators and representatives from the community, the police department, and local clergy has been meeting for the past year. O'Shea said that forms to report bullying are available, and protocols have been established to deal with incidents.
Still, O'Shea acknowledged that turnout at an Oct. 13 public presentation about Bromfield's anti-bullying program was disappointing. The evening presentation in Cronin Auditorium had been an effort to communicate with parents, O'Shea said, because parental communication was the one area in which the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education had faulted Harvard's anti-bullying program when it was submitted for state approval.
"Maybe that speaks to the fact that the problem is not as pervasive as we thought," O'Shea said, reflecting on the low attendance.
Hildreth Elementary School Principal Linda Dwight told the Harvard Press it is hard to gauge the level of concern about bullying among parents in town. Only three or four parents attended a presentation that Dwight gave on the anti-bullying program for the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). But, she said, she was told that SEPAC meetings are often small.
The Bromfield School and the Hildreth Elementary School are tackling the issue with different programs. Last year, Bromfield began a program called "A World of Difference," which was created by the Anti-Defamation League to encourage respect for differences and to combat bigotry. A World of Difference features peer trainers—older students who work with younger ones—in a series of sessions held during the advisory period. Last year, O'Shea told the School Committee, there had been four such sessions in a row, with high-school students meeting with sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders.
"We have a strong sense of community here," O'Shea said. "It [bullying] can be a problem, but it's not pervasive. We see it as a developmental problem. Students in middle school are more likely to act in a way that can be defined as bullying, but as they mature, it is less of a problem."
School Committee member Piali De suggested that Bromfield might need a more comprehensive program.
"I have an anxiety about not appropriately guiding these students," she said.
O'Shea agreed that the high school could investigate other programs, perhaps in conjunction with a new wellness curriculum that is under consideration. Dwight said that the newly adopted program at Hildreth, called "Steps to Respect," has a middle-school component that might be useful at grades six, seven, and eight.
Dwight described Steps to Respect as a program that is "not just anti-bullying, but pro-social." To fulfill the anti-bullying policy approved by the School Committee last year, teachers and administrators at Hildreth had sought a program that matched well with Habits of Mind and others programs already in place at the school. Steps to Respect fulfilled that requirement, as well as being one of the programs approved by the state, she said.
From kindergarten through fifth grade, the program offers a lesson a week, which Dwight says will be taught by lots of people throughout the school. The principal herself read "How Full Is Your Bucket?" to each class in the school. Other administrators and faculty members will present later lessons. Dwight explained that the involvement of all staff members raises awareness of the program's importance.
The program also includes materials for parents to use at home, usually a game that reinforces concepts taught in the week's lesson.
At early levels from kindergarten to second grade, lessons help students to identify feelings, manage frustration, and stay focused, among other skills. One lesson highlights the difference between something that happens by accident and something that is done on purpose. Another involves "handling being knocked down," a useful topic for keeping peace on the playground.
The focus on anti-bullying techniques is more specific for grades three through five. According to the program's website, the basic steps are "Three R's": Recognize, Refuse, Report. Students learn to recognize bullying for what it is, as distinct from horseplay or joking. They learn to refuse it—by walking away, expressing disapproval to the bully, or giving support to the victim. And, if those measures are ineffective, they learn to report the incident to an adult.
As for the prevalence of bullying at Hildreth, Dwight said about 10 reports had been filed so far this year. Although most did not match the full definition of bullying under the new state law, she said that all had been taken seriously and dealt with by the school. One formal case has been filed.
Parents often want to know "what's been done" to the child they feel bullied their son or daughter, Dwight said. But she explained that she cannot talk about matters involving another student because of confidentiality requirements. Usually, she says, she can only assure them that the other family has been contacted.