In the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre of 1999, where the perpetrators identified themselves as victims of bullying, there was a significant global push to eradicate bullying. Subsequent research has linked bullying to other school shootings and youth suicides, underscoring the urgent need for effective intervention. Mental health professionals are pivotal in preventing bullying and supporting affected children. Most current interventions draw heavily on the work of Professor Dan Olweus, a pioneer in bullying psychology since the 1970s, whose definitions and recommendations have become widely accepted across education, psychology, and law.
Despite over two decades of concerted anti-bullying efforts, bullying remains a pervasive issue, with school shootings and suicides linked to bullying still occurring at alarming rates. Furthermore, litigation against schools for failing to prevent bullying has surged, with settlements reaching millions of dollars. This necessitates a critical evaluation of the Olweus approach, which is predicated on a law-enforcement paradigm that criminalizes bullying behavior. Such an approach may be counterproductive for the majority of bullying incidents, which involve social dynamics like insults, rumors, and exclusion rather than criminal acts.
To enhance the efficacy of anti-bullying interventions, it is essential to adopt a psychological paradigm that focuses on understanding bullying dynamics and empowering individuals to manage these situations independently. This webinar introduces a modern psychological framework grounded in the ancient wisdom of the Golden Rule. It offers structured, engaging, and easily implementable techniques that mental health professionals can use to help students and staff diffuse bullying and foster a peaceful school environment. These techniques are designed to promote resilience, emotional maturity, and social competence among students.
Participants will critically examine the limitations of current anti-bullying strategies, explore alternative evidence-based practices, and develop practical skills to enhance their professional practice. By integrating advanced theoretical insights and empirical findings, this webinar aims to equip mental health professionals with the tools necessary to address bullying more effectively and contribute to the well-being of the school community.
https://nefesh.org/workshops/BullyProofingMade/viewFREE WEBINAR
Bully-Proofing Made Easy
Previously Recorded
Presenter: Israel Kalman, MS, School Psychologist
Course Length: 3 Hours
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the impact of typical adult interventions supporting victims against bullies and explain how these interventions can unintentionally intensify the bullying problem.
- Describe the mechanisms by which victims unwittingly reinforce bullying behaviors they aim to stop.
- Demonstrate a simple role-playing procedure that can be used to teach victims effective strategies to overcome bullying.
- Instruct educators on a specific question they can use to help reduce bullying by encouraging victims to adopt a more resilient approach.
This workshop Offers 3 Continuing Education Credits
This webinar is recorded and will not grant live credits.
In the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre of 1999, where the perpetrators identified themselves as victims of bullying, there was a significant global push to eradicate bullying. Subsequent research has linked bullying to other school shootings and youth suicides, underscoring the urgent need for effective intervention. Mental health professionals are pivotal in preventing bullying and supporting affected children. Most current interventions draw heavily on the work of Professor Dan Olweus, a pioneer in bullying psychology since the 1970s, whose definitions and recommendations have become widely accepted across education, psychology, and law.
Despite over two decades of concerted anti-bullying efforts, bullying remains a pervasive issue, with school shootings and suicides linked to bullying still occurring at alarming rates. Furthermore, litigation against schools for failing to prevent bullying has surged, with settlements reaching millions of dollars. This necessitates a critical evaluation of the Olweus approach, which is predicated on a law-enforcement paradigm that criminalizes bullying behavior. Such an approach may be counterproductive for the majority of bullying incidents, which involve social dynamics like insults, rumors, and exclusion rather than criminal acts.
To enhance the efficacy of anti-bullying interventions, it is essential to adopt a psychological paradigm that focuses on understanding bullying dynamics and empowering individuals to manage these situations independently. This webinar introduces a modern psychological framework grounded in the ancient wisdom of the Golden Rule. It offers structured, engaging, and easily implementable techniques that mental health professionals can use to help students and staff diffuse bullying and foster a peaceful school environment. These techniques are designed to promote resilience, emotional maturity, and social competence among students.
Participants will critically examine the limitations of current anti-bullying strategies, explore alternative evidence-based practices, and develop practical skills to enhance their professional practice. By integrating advanced theoretical insights and empirical findings, this webinar aims to equip mental health professionals with the tools necessary to address bullying more effectively and contribute to the well-being of the school community.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the impact of typical adult interventions supporting victims against bullies and explain how these interventions can unintentionally intensify the bullying problem.
- Describe the mechanisms by which victims unwittingly reinforce bullying behaviors they aim to stop.
- Demonstrate a simple role-playing procedure that can be used to teach victims effective strategies to overcome bullying.
- Instruct educators on a specific question they can use to help reduce bullying by encouraging victims to adopt a more resilient approach.
Agenda:
Bully-Proofing Made Easy
Trainer: Israel "Izzy" Kalman
Introductory and Background Information 30 Minutes
The suffering caused by bullying
What is bullying?
Examining our attitudes regarding bullying
Problems with anti-bullying programs and laws
How this approach is different
A psychological explanation of the Golden Rule 10 Minutes
Why we’re biologically programmed for reciprocity
Why reciprocity can cause problems in civilization
How the Golden Rule takes advantage of reciprocity to
create win/win situations
Eight rules for treating people like friends rather than 20 Minutes
enemies
Teaching kids how not to be victims 90 Minutes
The power of role-playing
(Role-plays will be conducted with participant volunteers)
- How to handle insults
- How to handle racial, sexual and gender orientation
slurs
- How to handle physical aggression and threats
- How to stop rumors
- How to handle social exclusion
- How to handle possessions taken
- How to handle cyberbullying
- How to improve relationships with siblings
- How to handle angry teachers and parents 5 Minutes
How to Help Bullies 10 Minutes
Laughter, the Best Medicine 5 Minutes
The poorly recognized nature of humor
Why humor is necessary for resilience, happiness and
good relationships
Three important rules for using humor
A simple approach to responding with humor
Resilience Development Game
WHEN THESE APPROACHES DON’T WORK 10 Minutes
Who it doesn’t work with
When to inform the authorities
When to switch a child’s school
Q&A
This presentation is open to:
- Social Workers
- Professional Counselors
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
- Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
- New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
- Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
- Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
- Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives
Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.
- NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0048.
- NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Mental Health Counselor #MHC-0082
- NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0046
- CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
CE You! maintains responsibility for this program. - NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.
- The School of Sex Therapy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The School of Sex Therapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.