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See also...
The Planner and associated practices have been developed in response to the everyday experiences of its users.
And here is another example.
About bullies and victims - the core issue is harassment
Bullies and victims go together because they are both involved in incidents of harassment.
Schools using the Planner track naturally the bullies' actions in such incidents
There are explicit laws about workplace harassment and, as I understand it, schools are workplaces and students are deemed to be 'employees' under the law. I am happy to be corrected on this matter..
Now the Prospect High Year 7 team are keen use the Planner to track the victims behaviour.
They are naturally keen to use data to reduce the incidents in which the victim is the victim.
Example...
Incident: Fred Bully physically and verbally harassed Bill Victim in a soccer game on the Oval at Recess time today, Monday 30 March
Observations might be recorded as follows:
1. In Fred Bully's record:
Mon 30 Mar O:R Harassed a
peer in a soccer game HV, HP ....
2. In Bill Victim's record:
Mon 30 Mar O:R Harassed
by peer in soccer game VV, VP ...
Coding victim and bully behaviours
NB.. Schools will need to develop codes for both victim and bully behaviour - in the above example the school has uses the codes
- HV = Harassment - Verbal (putdowns..)
- HP = Harassment - Physical
- VV = Victim of verbal harassment (putdowns...)
- VP = Victim of physical harassment
Additional codes may be required to cover other forms of harassment such as
- Threats
- Sexual
- Racial
- Aiding harassment (see Bullies & Bystanders)
- ... and so on
Using data to support the victim and the bully
Being a bully is not good for the bully. Being successful as a bully reduces the bully's need to develop more acceptable and constructive ways of meeting their own needs. The long term costs can be huge for the bully.
The combined data may be useful in
- Clarifying the specific goals for those involved for both bullies and victims!
- Implementing Restorative Practices in comprehensive, informed and objective way.
- Understanding the distribution of harassment across the school
- Coaching students, especially 'victims':
The data may provide a strong starting point for coaching Bill Victim about his victim behaviour, e.g.,
- How did things go wrong?
- What things did you notice as the situation deteriorated?
- Can you think other similar examples? Where? When? How often?
- What did you do that made things worse?
- What else could you have done? What else?...
- Can you think of a similar situation that turned out OK?
- What was the difference?
- Who was helpful? Who wasn't?
- What did you do to help yourself?
- What will you do next time?
- When have you been a bully? (How did that person feel?)
