Prevention Works

Overcoming the Challenges Faced in Implementing

Bullying Prevention Programs in Schools

Bullying has become a critical issue among schools everywhere. As educators attempt to get a handle on the growing concern, many attempt to implement bullying prevention programs on school grounds.  However, the implementation of such programs is often met with a number of obstacles, including student participation, funding, and deciding what’s the right program for your school and students. Yet, as we move toward developing comprehensive bullying prevention practices, there are a few key strategies that we should all keep in mind.

Finding the right program

Creating a program that addresses your school’s unique concerns is of vital importance. The first step in doing so is to conduct a two-tiered assessment process that will guide the development of bullying prevention strategies. The first tier should involve surveys that reveal information about the school’s social climate, while the second should identify flaws in security equipment and procedures. Development of any action plan designed to address bullying should always begin with an assessment. We can’t solve the problem, until we define it.

Student participation

Student participation is critical to the successful implementation of any bullying prevention program. It is important that students feel empowered and engaged in the action planning process and that they share the responsibility for creating environments in which they can learn and thrive. Getting students involved and excited about taking part in a bullying prevention program will ensure that the program works to its full potential and that they can identify and address concerns that are most important to them.

Keeping it a priority

Maintaining a program’s importance after the excitement has settled is a major challenge that schools may face. Periodically updating a program with new ideas and incentives can help keep up the momentum and excitement for both students and educators. Whether a program is structured or unstructured, school leaders can find different ways to keep the program relevant. From creating a poster contest to structuring an assembly focused on bullying, be creative in your efforts to keep students motivated toward bullying prevention.

Creating an open environment

Overcoming the unspoken rule among students of “no snitching” may stop even the most successful bullying prevention program in its tracks. Bullying is a tough issue to face, so it is important to create an open environment where students can express their feelings and concerns in a confidential and comfortable environment. All teachers and administrators should be well educated on the topic of bullying and be prepared to assist students in successfully putting a stop to bullying. Giving students realistic tips and advice is an important step toward bullying prevention. When students feel that a strategy actually works, they are more likely to use that strategy again and again.

For more information on bullying prevention and available resources to support your efforts, sign up today for the FREE Professional Development Webinar for Educators presented by the School Improvement Network; Bullying: Understanding the Problem, Defining Solutions on May 30^th 2012, 3:00pm with Robin Young of the National Crime Prevention Council.  

Click here to register for the FREE webinar: http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EA57D783884f

How Can You Make the New Year Safer?

As each new year rolls around, we are inclined to make a “new year’s resolution,” and decide that this is the year that we will actually stick with it. Resolutions normally consist of weight loss goals, exercising, eating healthier, or quitting bad habits such as smoking or drinking. While these resolutions are certainly important, why not make a second resolution, one that not only impacts you, but your family, work place and community? This year, do something different. Make a resolution not only with yourself, but with others to practice crime prevention and personal safety in your community.

Making a safety resolution is not only a great way to get yourself in the habit of practicing crime prevention, but also a way to make others aware of it as well. Whether you decide to practice safety at home, on the computer, or in your community, incorporating safety tips into your everyday routines will help to make crime prevention a regular part of your daily life.

So how will you decide to stick to your new year’s safety resolution? Here are a few ideas to get your started:

Home and Personal Safety

• Always be aware of your surroundings
• Always make sure all doors and windows are locked in your house and car
• Try to park in well-lighted areas with good visibility close to walkways, stores, and people
• Consider an alarm system, some alarms may be purchased for as little as $100

Cyber Safety

• Always keep your passwords private
• Avoid giving out your personal information
• Only order things online from websites you know and trust
• Avoid opening e-mails or visiting websites that don’t seem trustworthy, they could contain a virus that may harm your computer

Neighborhood Safety

• Start or join a neighborhood watch groupin your area
• Organize neighborhood clean-up days to pick up litter, paint over graffiti, plant flowers or repair broken equipment in playgrounds
• Always ensure walkway and streets are well-lit
• Get to know your neighbors-work together to keep your neighborhood safe

For more ideas on how to kick-off your safety resolutions for 2010, visit www.ncpc.org.

Stay Safe Even When the News is Good

The FBI has recently released its 2008 Crime in the United States report, and it brings good news! The FBI reports that violent crimes are down for the second consecutive year. Among violent crimes, murders and non-negligent manslaughters declined 3.9 percent; aggravated assaults are down 2.5 percent, and forcible rapes dropped by 1.6 percent. Forcible rapes specifically, are at the lowest rate they have been in the past 20 years.

While this is great news, we must keep in mind that crime prevention is just as important now as ever. In order to continue to keep crime statistics dropping, we should all be aware that crime prevention is crucial to keeping our children, loved ones, and communities safe.

It is important to note that while violent crime rates have gone down, other crime rates have risen. According to the FBI, the largest number arrests made in 2008 were for drug abuse violations. Other crimes that also rose in 2008 were burglaries and larceny-thefts. Keeping in mind that since crime rates are always subject to change, learning what you can do to prevent crime is vital to continue to keep crime rates dropping. After all, we all want to stay safe in our neighborhoods, right?

If you’re new to crime prevention or don’t know where to start, October, Crime Prevention Month, is the perfect time to dive in. All month long, crime prevention will be celebrated in communities across the nation. A number of communities will be participating in Celebrate Safe Communities, the kickoff to Crime Prevention Month, when local communities organize safety-focused events. These events can range from safety education fairs to trash pick-up days; it all depends on the needs of each community. If you feel inspired to organize a safety event in your neighborhood, register your event here.

You may think crime prevention is something that should be left up to law enforcement; however, you can play a big part too and should not leave the burden on law enforcement’s shoulders. Crime prevention starts with you. Each and every one of us can make a difference to keep our communities safer. Throughout time, crime has remained a constant in our world that threatens the very lives we live. Now is the time to start transforming our neighborhoods, communities, states, and the nation into a safe place to live. How will you make a difference?

Find out how you can get involved by visiting www.ncpc.org

The Bucket List

“Live life to the fullest,” “Live like there’s no tomorrow,” “Live each day as if it were your last,’’ — our society is filled with a number of catch phrases designed to inspire us all to take nothing for granted and seize the day! Unfortunately, we don’t all take heed of this advice until our days are numbered. Enter the Bucket List—things to do before you “kick the bucket,” the theme of the movie The Bucket List, in which Morgan and Jack travel the world in search of fun and adventure because they believe they are about to die. What would your bucket list look like if you knew or just believed you were going to die? What if you were young? Would you head off into the wild beyond, like Morgan and Jack, or would you abuse drugs and engage in other unsafe behaviors like so many of your peers today?

The perception of time is everything and unfortunately, a number of teens don’t believe they have much time left. According to a recent study conducted by Dr. Iris Borowsky, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, nearly 15 percent of teenagers believe that they are going to die young. Consequently, these feelings of hopelessness cause teens to engage in dangerous behaviors because they feel that they have nothing to lose. Dr. Borowsky’s study found that over seven years, adolescents who thought they would die young were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS, attempt suicide, and participate in fights that resulted in serious injuries.

Hope for our children’s future, requires us all to ensure that they believe and behave as if they will indeed have one. To do this we must offer them guidance and teach them the necessary skills that promote a safe and long-lasting life. NCPC offers various resources, such as our Community Works curriculum, that educate young people about the cost and consequences of crime and encourages youth to analyze situations, exercise reason and critical thinking skills, effectively communicate ideas, and exhibit positive behaviors. If you have advice or program and resource recommendations for our young people, leave a comment below.

Have A Safe Summer!

It’s that time of year again; the time that people, especially children, look forward to the most. Yes, you guessed it – it’s summer break time! The time when families go on vacation, children are out of school, the weather is warm and inviting, and the beach is calling. It’s a much needed time for children and parents to relax from the demands of school and work. It can be a time when one may let his or her guard down and not be as attentive as he or she should be.

Unfortunately, criminals do not take a break. Many times, criminals may see this as an opportunity to take advantage of relaxed vigilance. In recent weeks in the Washington, DC, area, sexual predators have entered unlocked doors and windows and preyed upon women. A high school student was sexually assaulted and almost abducted while walking on a wooded path to high school. And in Prince Georges County, a county just outside of the District, home invasion robberies have doubled.

As summertime kicks in, let’s remember to be safe and to teach and remind our children how to be safe. On NCPC’s website, there are hundreds of safety tips directed toward every audience and almost every topic. Below are just some of the examples:

Travel Tips

• If you are about to travel, check out our vacation tips (pdf) and our preparedness guide (pdf) for travelers.
• Don’t let your guard down when driving or filling up the car for that road trip. Look at these tips for car theft (pdf) and gas station theft prevention.

Safety Tips for Children and Youth

• Have your children check out the bike safety and streetwise tips (pdf).
• If your child will be home alone, share these tips with them.
• Review these facts with your teens about how NOT to be a victim of crime.

Safety Tips for Parents and Adults

• If your children will be spending more time on the Internet this summer, share these tips with them to help keep them safe.
• Before you go on vacation, use these convenient checklists for apartments (pdf) and homes (pdf) to help prevent intruders.
• If you want to prevent yourself from being a victim of violent crime, check out this list.

The bottom line is that we all need to continue to be attentive to our surroundings. Protect yourself and your loved ones by reducing the chance for criminals to victimize you and your family. NCPC wants you to have a fun and safe summer!

P.O.S.S.E Keeps Kids Out of Gangs

A recent NCPC training conference call on gangs sponsored by the Community Capacity Development Office attempted to answer the question, "Why Do Kids Join Gangs?" Oscar (Ossco) Bolton, founder of a Kansas City, MO, gang prevention organization gave his insights and he should know: Bolton was a former gang leader and helped recruit scores of youth into his gang. Nowadays, Bolton uses his influence for good and works with thousands of youth annually in the Kansas City area and provides positive alternatives to gangs through his organization— P.O.S.S.E. (Peers Organized to Support Student Excellence). Since a drive-by shooting claimed the life of his 11-month old nephew in 1993, Bolton has made it his mission to save youth from lives of gang crime and to capitalize on the potential in all youth to become leaders and solid contributors to the community.

Bolton said that there are three factors that encourage youth participation in gangs: (1) a sense of familial acceptance and being part of something bigger than themselves, (2) survival and protection, and (3) financial gain. He said gang recruiters were successful because they spent time with the youth, "out talked" them and their positive adult figures, and, finally, became big brothers and father figures to the youth.

In his P.O.S.S.E. program, Mr. Bolton provides youth with a specific mission and ensures that they know that they are the agents of change. He begins by declaring to the youth that there is an emergency in their community and that they have to form a posse to become the agents of the changes that are needed. Training sessions on conflict resolution, communication, team building, decision making, life skills, and peer mentoring and service are the necessary components that make the program work. In the conference call, Mr. Bolton also underscored the importance of changing adult attitudes towards youth as well. When a teacher or other adult in a youth's life can begin to see the youth in a different, positive light, their attitude toward the young person and their expectations of him or her can change as well.

Bolton's program is open to boys and girls in Kansas City schools. For more information on gangs, search NCPC.org for "gang" to find helpful resources including Gang Fact Sheets for Youth and adults and educators.

"Sexting" and Other Picture Posting Pitfalls

In the past few weeks, I've read stories that should make us all pause and think about how some folks are using online media and providing an unprecedented view of potential crimes and wrongful actions. From girls posting a video of themselves beating up a classmate to the infamous picture of Olympic champion Michael Phelps using drug paraphernalia, these are examples of where people really need to think before they post. It is likely the person who took and then posted the picture of Phelps didn't think of the potential repercussions—like possible jail time and lost endorsements for the athlete.

Likewise, teens and young adults (and older adults too) probably aren't thinking of the criminal repercussions of sending or sharing nude or inappropriate photos. From Wisconsin to Virginia and points in between, young people are engaging in "sexting"—sending nude or partially nude photos via text messaging. What they don't realize is they can be charged with possession of child pornography and, if convicted, could be labeled as a sex offender for the rest of their lives.

A recent Business Week article highlighted a new website called "Yo Busted" that allows people to post whatever pictures they want of you. But then, you, the victim, will have to pay them if you want the pictures taken down. Currently labeled "under construction," this website is frightening. Someone can post pictures of you in intimate or embarrassing situations that could live forever on the Web! Just think of what a cyberbully could do.

I love technology and the instant access it gives us to our family and friends. It allows us to do many great things. But, I'm also concerned. Are we creating a culture where sexting, cyberbullying, and other inappropriate technology-based behavior can thrive?

Teen and Tween Dating: Hazardous to their Health?

National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week has just concluded. A 2008 report commissioned by Liz Claiborne, Inc. produced some startling findings about the conduct of tweens and teens in relationships. According to the report, about one-third of 11- and 12-year-olds are having relationships. Often these can be hazardous.

• Sixty-two percent report that they know friends who have been verbally abusive in a relationship
• Forty percent report that they know friends in relationships who have been put-down, insulted, or called names through social networking media or text messaging
• Twenty percent say they have friends in relationships who have been punched, slapped, or kicked by a dating partner

When sexual activity at a young age is added to the mix, the results worsen. Tweens seem to have a hard time navigating their roles in relationships and understanding that abuse is not an acceptable or appropriate element. U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R, Idaho) has championed an awareness campaign about teen dating violence. Check Senator Crapo's website for information about the campaign, which is supported by the American Bar Association, and the American Bar Association website for resources on the topic for teachers and other leaders of youths. The Domestic Violence and Workplace blog also has a number of helpful links.

One of the pillars of the National Crime Prevention Council’s mission is protecting children and youth. NCPC has numerous resources, including its Teens, Crime, and the Community curriculum, which dedicates chapters to this important topic and includes the "Dater's Bill of Rights."

If you’d like to know more about NCPC’s offerings in this important area or the Community Works curriculum for youth, please contact us.

Dating: A New Crime Prevention Strategy?

A new report has found that teens in serious dating relationships are less likely to commit crime than peers who date casually. But before we ask our crime prevention officers to become matchmakers, let’s examine why those relationships may reduce crime. The authors of the study believe the key reason is the connection and sense of responsibility to another person that develops in a committed dating relationship. In these romantic relationships, young people can develop empathy and concern for their significant other’s well-being. They have a sense of generosity and a desire to help and support that other person. Young people are also prompted to think about the effects of their actions on others.

It is these attributes, then, not merely the presence of a girlfriend or boyfriend, that serve as a deterrent for committing crime. The good news for crime prevention practitioners is that these qualities are not just nurtured by committed dating relationships. They can be developed when youth have committed relationships with family members, mentors, teachers, coaches, faith leaders, and other caring adults in their lives. In your work with young people, continue to provide opportunities for youth to connect with others in positive ways through sports, clubs, job training programs, volunteering, or tutoring or mentorship programs. Make a list of what opportunities for youth exist in your community, and keep it handy. You never know when you may be able to match a young person with a great opportunity.

Make a Call, Save a Life

A basic principle that underlies NCPC's work is neighbors watching out and helping out. One of the first public service announcements starring McGruff featured an elderly woman, Rose, who spoke into a gigantic walkie-talkie to report suspicious activity—an apparent burglary—at a neighbor's home. In our lessons and activities for children, a core message is tell a trusted adult who can help you feel safe.

And so, this weekend, I was deeply saddened to read about the deaths of two young people that could have been prevented if someone had just called for help. In one case, a college student killed himself in his father's bed as people watched a video feed of the suicide online. Some viewers thought the act was a joke; others sent messages encouraging the suicide. After many hours, one viewer finally notified authorities and police were sent to the boy's home, but it was too late to save his life.

In the other case, a girl overdosed on heroin while texting with her boyfriend. The boyfriend asked friends to check on the girl, and when the friends saw her unconscious, they called the police. By the time police arrived, the girl was dead.

The initial question you may be thinking—why didn't anyone take the warning signs seriously and call for help?—can really only be answered by the individuals involved. Maybe the Internet viewers didn't call because they questioned the authenticity of the suicide attempt. Maybe the boyfriend didn't believe that the girl could really be dying. But as crime prevention practitioners, the more important issue is how we can motivate individuals to call the authorities when they see something suspicious.

First, we need to educate them on who to call. In addition to 911 and the police, are there hotlines or other community service agencies they could call? A domestic violence or suicide prevention hotline, for example, may be a good resource. Second, we need to continue to build relationships with community members, especially young people, so they have a positive connection to those who can help them before they need the help. And third, we should continually remind others that everyone has a responsibility to keep the community, and its members safe. We should make sure that if anyone sees a crime, or worries that someone is being abused or hurt in any way, they should just make a call to the authorities. That call just might save a life.