Peer Bully Prevention

This website offers teachers very valuable information to identify students being bullied as signs of bullies. I thought this information was extremely beneficial because it gives you clear signs of both examples as well as tips to create community building that prevent bullying.

Recognizing the signs of a student being bullied...

Is reluctant to go to school
Cries when being taken to school
Becomes violent with smaller children or siblings
Begins to harm animals
Has suspicious bruises or marks on her body that she cannot explain

Recognizing the signs of a bully....


Dominant personality
Short temper
Disrespect for authority figures
Disregard for the feelings of his peers

I really liked this website because of the valuable information that it offered...
Some other information listed on this website include tips for establishing rules, educating parents on bullying, and exercises to improve social skills.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5266521_peer-prevention-elementary-school-children.html

Bully Prevention

Bullying prevention programs target the bully as well as those being harassed. If a person recognizes that his behavior is threatening and sees that others are conscious of it, he may stop it.

I think this article gave really good tips on how to prevent bullying. This is a short article but it has a lot of valuable information.

The article discusses how we perceive bullying as something that happens when children are in middle school and beyond. However, bullying occurs at ages 4 and 5.

This is something we definitely have to be on the lookout for.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5019257_bullying-prevention-schools.html

Autism and Child Abuse

"Most of the time, parents have to foot the very expensive bills required to help care for and treat their autistic children. All too often though, parents cannot afford, and therefore do not supply the specialized interaction, integration and behavioral therapies required. This puts their autistic children at an even greater risk for child abuse, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of teachers, students and adults in the child’s life, as these people attempt to “make the child conform”, or punish them for not conforming. "

http://myautisticmuslimchild.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/autism-and-child-abuse-part-two/

I think this article is definitely a worthwhile read, I was looking for something else but stumbled upon this while I was searching. This really keys in on some of the things we were discussing in our class the last time we meet. This article does a good job explaining things we can do as teachers to help students with disabilities and their families.

Qutoe of the Day

"Children’s experiences of abuse and neglect have many negative consequences over both the short term and the long term including behavioral problems, poor self-esteem, feelings of isolation, depression, self-injurious behaviors including substance abuse, suicidal ideas and behaviors, revictimisation, academic and vocational problems, sexual dysfunctions and criminal behaviors (De Paul & Arruabarrena, 1995; Gauthier et al., 1996; Browne & Lynch, 1997; English, 1998; Brown et al., 1998, 1999; Kaplan et al., 1999; Iwaniec & Sneddon, 2001 in press; Iwaniec et al., 2003). Current data indicate that, compared with other medical conditions during childhood, more children are affected by maltreatment than all other serious illnesses combined (Theodore & Runyan, 1999). There are also many cases of abused and neglected children that do not come to the attention of social service agencies. For example, in studies of child abuse homicide, only 13—35% of the victims have physical evidence or documented history of maltreatment.
There will be individual variations in how well victims of abuse cope with their maltreatment (Jacelon, 1997; Masten et al., 1999; Clark & Clark, 2000). This will be influenced by at least five broad classes of variables (Budd & Holdsworth, 1996):

1.The nature of the abusive act (e.g. hitting, forced sex) as well as its frequency, intensity and duration. On the whole, single stressful experiences that occur in isolation are less damaging than cumulative stresses. Timing is also important: at particular stages a child may be developmentally more protected or developmentally more vulnerable to adversities.

2.Individual characteristics of the victim (e.g. age, self-blame). Individuals may also have biological personal traits that make them more or less likely to respond positively or negatively to personal adversities. Not all victims will show the same outcomes and this can be due to resilience (Rutter, 1990; 1995). Stress-resistant children show better outcomes in environments of stress or adversity. But it must be remembered that no one has absolute resistance to stress. Fonagy et al. (1994) identified the following factors that have been associated with resilience: higher socioeconomic status, the absence of neurobiological problems, the possession of an easy temperament, the absence of early loss and trauma, secure attachment, positive social support, good educational experience, a high IQ, a good problem-solving ability, task related effectiveness, high self-esteem, autonomy and self control, social understanding, awareness and empathy, the ability to plan and a good sense of humor.

3.The nature of the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator (e.g. sibling, step-parent).

4.The response of others to the abuse (e.g. social support, legal or psychological intervention). Compensatory experiences such as a good relationship with a significant other (e.g. parent, teacher, therapist, etc.) do not necessarily have to take place at the same times as the risk (Fonagy et al., 1994). Early or later experiences may compensate for the cumulative effects of the risk factors.

5. Factors correlated with abuse that may exacerbate its effects or, in fact, may account for some of the putative consequences of abuse (e.g. family chaos). "


http://www.cyc-net.org/quote2/quote-668.html

When is it going too far to protect students from maltreatment?

In Houston, Texas a teacher is put on administrative leave afer being caught on tape beating a thirteen year old student. The student supposed was making fun of a child with special needs that was dancing. I do feel that the teacher went extremely overboard with punishing the student. The punishment did not fit the crime whatsoever. I do think it is good that she did address the issue but she went about it in poor fashion.

This happened at a charter school in Houston, Texas. I would be extremely upset if I were the parent of this student.

ASTOUNDING VIDEO!!! Worth watching

www.khou.com/video?id+93463379&548547

Responsive Classroom Approach

I was first introduced to the Responsive Classroom Approach in my Primary Practicum/Internship experience. The whole school followed the approach however, it was evident that it wasn't being implemented just by the behavior of other classes. I was pretty much submerged in this philosophy that I really knew nothing about.

I was very fortunate to have a Mentor Teacher that was formally trained in this approach. I even got to share some of the ideas and practices with other UC professors in the ECE program. My Mentor Teacher gave me six books she had purchased and allowed me to borrow them throughout the year. By watching her daily teaching style I easily picked up on the philosophies and ideas of the Responsive Classroom Approach.

We did not have any students with identified disabilities, however, in previous years my Mentor Teacher had a handful. She said this Approach above all other types of classroom management techniques/ideas was the most effective. I think that the social education is just as important as the academic components to raising and teaching practices concerning young children.

The website is very helpful in helping to create a sense of community and belonging in your classroom.

www.responsiveclassroom.org

Pediatric Study of Prevailence of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/119/5/1018

According to research performed by the Boys Town National Research Hospital, children with disabilities were found to be at greater risk of becoming victims of abuse and neglect than were children without disabilities. The study showed that children with disabilities are 1.8 times more likely to be neglected, 1.6 times more likely to be physically abused, and 2.2 times more likely to be sexually abused than are children without disabilities. Another study found the overall incidence of child maltreatment to be 39% in 150 children with multiple disabilities admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Of those children, 60% had been physically abused, 45% had been neglected, and 36% had been sexually abused.

This website was extremely informative! I learned a lot of valuable information.

I thought this website presented some astounding statistics on the prevalence of child abuse and maltreatment of children, especially concerning students' with disabilities and special needs.

As teachers, I think we need to be aware of these increases and do everything we can to prevent the abuse, neglect, and especially maltreatment of students with disabilities.

The Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect among Children with Disabilities

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/cascw/attributes/PDF/Students/IVE%20SeminarNoelke4-29-09.pdf

This website presented a lot of interesting facts:

Incidence Rates:

nChildren with disabilities were 1.7 times more likely to experience maltreatment compared to children without disabilities

n9% rate of maltreatment for children without disabilities vs. 31% rate for children with disabilities

nChildren with disabilities were 3.4% more likely to be abused


nRates of abuse among a sample of children with mental retardation and cerebral palsy was not higher than what is found in the general population of children.



nBoys with disabilities showed a greater likelihood of being neglected and physically abused compared to the non-disabled sample of abused children

nTwice as many boys with boys disabilities were victims of sexual abuse than what was expected on the basis of the non-disabled






Prevalence of Maltreatment by Disability Status