Student Welfare and Wellbeing News

PREVENTION 4

CSPS takes any instances of disrespectful behaviour seriously.  In 2023, we have introduced a new component of our SWPBS program.  We call it 'Prevention 4." 

Staff and students are taking part in lessons that discuss respectful and disrespectful behaviour and outlines strategies for ALL students to use when someone is being disrespectful. In Term 2 CSPS will be offering a workshop to present PREVENTION 4. Stay tuned for further details

What is Bullying Prevention

Bullying has many formal definitions, but typically it is when someone repeatedly uses threats, intimidation or aggression to obtain objects, activities or social gain from others. Bullying prevention focuses on the strategies for reducing bullying behavior by blending SWPBS with explicit instruction and redefining the bullying construct. Teaching students to identify and respond effectively to the bullying and harmful behavior of others needs to match the students’ developmental level. The goal is the same – to reduce bullying behavior.

• Foundational Elements:  There are four foundational elements of bullying prevention.
• School-Wide Expectations:  Everyone in school should know what it means to be respectful. They should know what it looks like and how it feels to be respected. On the other side, they also should be able to identify if, when, and how someone else’s behavior is inappropriate. School-wide definitions help everyone stay consistent.
• Signals and Routines for Unwanted Behavior (STOP):  Building on the school-wide foundation of expected behavior, all students should know the signal and routine to let someone know their behavior is unacceptable and needs to stop. The signal is something anyone can use anywhere, anytime. It’s short, easy to remember, and easy to do.
• Responses to the Stop Signal (WALK):  When a student signals a behavior is unwanted and needs to stop, other students need to know how to respond. Students should be taught appropriate responses that are calm and responsible.
• Recruiting Help (TALK):  The last routine to teach is how students can recruit help from an adult when they experience bullying, harassment, or intimidation.

Why Address Bullying Prevention?

Every school benefits from strategies to prevent bullying as a way to increase student safety, prevent problem behavior, and improve student outcomes.

Not all students respond equally to bullying prevention strategies, for lots of reasons. At CSPS we have a tiered approach to how we work with students.

Tier 1 - Core instruction:  All students and school personnel are taught directly and formally how to behave in safe, respectful, and responsible ways in every school setting. The emphasis is on teaching and encouraging positive social skills and character traits. At this tier, all students may also learn how to respond to the problem behavior of others.

Tier 2 - Targeted intervention:  Students whose behaviors don’t respond to Tier 1 supports receive additional preventative strategies which might include:

Targeted social skills instruction

Increased adult supervision and positive attention

Specific, daily feedback on their behavioral progress

Additional academic support, if necessary

Tier 3 - Intensive intervention:  Students who don’t respond to Tier 1 and 2 supports receive intensive preventative strategies. This might include:

Highly individualised academic and/or behavior intervention planning

More comprehensive, person-centered, function-based wraparound processes

School-family-community mental health supports.