Ossining Introduces Anti-Bullying Program at Three Schools

Nobody likes a bully – especially at Anne M. Dorner Middle School and Roosevelt and Claremont Elementary Schools in Ossining where a new, widely researched and highly regarded anti-bullying program is being rolled out this fall.

Thanks to a grant from Ossining MATTERS, all three schools are now using the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program to define and prevent bullying in elementary, middle and high schools. Developed by Dan Olweus, a research professor of psychology in Norway, the program is used in thousands of schools in the United States and more than a dozen countries across the globe.

 “I think it’s an excellent program,” said Stephen Hancock, an administrative intern at Anne M. Dorner Middle School. “It’s taken off and really made a difference. From day one, it has been a buzz around the building.”

Peter Bossinas, a seventh grader at the middle school, agrees.

“I think it’s helping,” Peter said. “In the beginning of the year I saw a little more bullying, but little by little it’s going away. I haven't seen enough to say bullying is a big problem in the school, but I know I’ve been bullied by kids who have learned to stop.”

The effectiveness of the program has been assessed in several studies in Norway and in the United States, and is being praised by Ossining school leaders who see it at work in their buildings. Rather than a typical curriculum, the Olweus program uses open-ended discussions that involve teachers, students, school staff and parents in an effort stop bullying while also teaching empathy.

“The research shows that bullying incidents are greatly reduced when bystanders get involved by showing support for the child who is being bullied,” said Claremont Principal Kate Mathews.  “At Claremont, we have already seen decreases in our referrals for negative behavior on the playground, in the cafeteria and in the classroom.”

The Olweus Program also helps parents and students to distinguish true bullying from ordinary disagreements among children. Unlike ordinary disagreements that are separate, isolated incidents, bullying happens repeatedly over time.

“Now students and parents understand the difference between bullying and just a situation that happens, and that helps when they fill out incident forms” Hancock said. “Before, everything was considered being bullied. It was a misuse of the term. Olweus has given us a distinct definition that we are promoting to the students and to parents.”

Hancock notes that the Olweus Program has been integrated into many of the district’s existing practices and programs throughout Ossining schools.

“We didn’t want to layer everything, so we found a way to infuse and integrate all three together,” Hancock said. “Part of the Olweus Program ties into the Dignity Act by teaching students not to deny each other of their rights, and then students’ positive behavior is rewarded through our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions Support) program.”