Violence Prevention/Intervention Program Justification Paper

PBH643: Safe and Healthy Relationships

Professor Dipzinski
Megan Godfrey
6/29/23
Justification Statement

Sidney is located in Delaware County, New York with a population of 3.716 individuals and it is the 204th largest city in New

York. According to the ACS, the racial composition that makes up Sidney consists of 88.99% White, 4.09% other race, 2.32% Black

or African American, and 0.52% Asian (World Population Review, 2023). When looking at the broad spectrum of Delaware County,

USNews shows an overall score of 54 out of 100. The public safety category is aimed to reward communities with low crime rates,

while diving deeper into public safety in Delaware county, USNews shows that the overall rating is 63 out of 100. Meaning, the

national median for the violent crime rate falls 204.5 out of 100,000, whereas Delaware county violent crime rate falls within 193.1

out of 100,000. Not only that, but Delaware county spends roughly 375 dollars per capita spending on health emergency services, and

Delaware counties public safety professionals in population falls roughly around 0.72% where the national median is roughly 0.73%

(U.S.News & World Report, 2023). These statistics show that although Delaware County and the town of Sidney may be a good

community to live in and the community safety is around the average median.

Although the statistics above show that Delaware County may be considered a safe community for individuals to live in,

bullying is still a problem when it comes to the school district and the communities that make up Delaware County. According to the

New York State YRBS, in the year of 2021 4,555 individuals reported being bullied 2.250 of those were female and 2,244 were male

(NYS YRBS, 2021). Not only that, but data also shows that bullying is also occurring online with youth. For instance, according to the

NYS YRBS approximately 4,539 individuals in New York state reported being cyberbullied which is a form of bullying that takes
place online (NYS YRBS, 2021). This data shows that bullying is an ongoing issue that is occuring not only in New York State, but

worldwide and is a proven case of why it is important for the school district to implement a violence prevention/intervention program.

According to Olweus, “Bullying consists of repeated, unwanted, aggressive actions between peers where there is an imbalance

of power. Bullying may be classified as verbal, physical, or relational” (Seifert, 2011). Bullying takes the form of multiple different

roles that may include the bully, the victim, the bully/victim, or the bystander of any given situation. In the book Youth Violence,

Seifert also states that some risk factors that could lead to bullying may include lack of parent-child bonding, disorganization,

ineffective parenting, stressors, and parental depression. Not only that, but parental maltreatment is also associated with increased risk

of both being a bully and being a victim (Seifert, 2011). Because of this proven data, if a child experiences domestic violence at home,

it may lead to future actions during school and towards their peers. According to the NYS division of criminal justice services, it is

proven in Delaware County that amongst the sheriff and state police department there have been a total of 91 cases of domestic

violence, which 15 of those cases happened in Sidney which is where Sidney Central School District is located (Division of Criminal

Justice Services, 2020). This data shows that students within our district may be growing up in a home where domestic violence is

demonstrated. Students may see this type of behavior and may think it is okay and demonstrate these types of behaviors at school

which may lead to different forms of bullying as stated above.

Social learning theory proposes that violence is a learned behavior while also suggesting individuals learn how to act through

behavior modeling which can be defined as learners watching and copying what they see and observe. While observing the social

learning theory and diving deeper into it, it proves that a person who experiences or witnesses violence whether that be in their
childhood home, in their community, or through the media will learn that is acceptable and demonstrate it themselves (Seifert et al,

2011). Due to the data above, Sidney Central School District may be suffering from the issue of bullying and the use of violence

within their community. Because of this, the school district may benefit from the school safety program that was developed in 1992

called bullying proofing your school. This intervention program targets children who are neither bullies or victims, but instead

operates through, “The creation of a caring majority of students who take the lead in establishing and maintaining a safe and caring

school community” (Seifert et al, 2011).

The goal of the intervention program is to convert the silent majority of students into a caring majority by teaching them

strategies to help them avoid victimization and to be able to take a stand on a bully free school. The National Institute of Justice states

that in all outcomes the schools that used this intervention program showed statistically significant reductions in bullying,

victimization, and witness aggression in addition to an increase in school safety. Bully Proofing Your School is done in a classroom

setting and consists of three components; heightening awareness of bullying, teaching protective skills for handling bullying, resisting

victimization, and helping potential victims, and creating a positive school climate by promoting a “caring majority” that focuses on

bystander behavior (Bully Proofing Your School, 2015). The evaluation outcomes of the program consist of physical aggression

perpetration, physical aggression victimization, relational aggression perpetration and victimization as well as bullying discouraged,

witnessed aggression and perceived school safety. The study that included 3.497 students in grades three through five found that

physical aggression perpetration was lower in treatment schools that participated in Bullying-Proofing Your School, compared to other
schools in the course of the intervention. Menard and Grotpeter state that the statistics and data was significantly different

(Bully-Proofing Your School, 2015).

The Bully-Proofing Your School program is proof that the school district needs to implement an intervention program that will

decrease the amount of bullying and violence that may be seen at the Sidney Central School District. The program will not work

without the use of all staff members and the community. In the year of 2024, the Sidney Central School District will decrease bullying

in students grades three through five by at least five percent through the use of a comprehensive prevention program called

Bully-Proofing Your School. The Bully-Proofing Your School program is to ensure that bullying is reduced in the school district,

while also ensuring students learn the skills to protect against bullying while also learning the skills to prevent violence. The program

shows and supports by using this type of approach and if the classroom teachers apply this program into their classroom for 30 to 45

minutes once a week during the first year of the intervention, then the district and the community will start to see a decrease in

bullying and by the surrounding domestic violence in the area.

Purpose Statement

The Bully-Proofing Your School program is a comprehensive prevention program that is designed to stop bullying in

elementary schools, in particular grades three through five. The goal of the program is for the district to create a safer school

environment by building a school culture that does not tolerate acts of physical nor psychological aggression. The program consists of

five key groups when implementing the program that may include; teachers and other staff, students, bullies, victims and parents. The

program is used to identify common myths about bullying, explore different types of bullying behaviors, and examine long-term
consequences of bullying for both the bully and the victim (Garrity et. al, 1996). A complete implementation of the program will last

up to three years. In order to implement the program, a classroom teacher or staff member will be trained to teach the students for a 30

to 45 minute session once a week for the first year. The second and third year of the program is used to reinforce the curriculum and

review any information that was given during year one. Sidney Central School District is a district that focuses heavily on personal

and social behaviors. The school district statement is surrounded by the acronym PRIDE which stands for patience, respect, integrity,

determination, and excellence. Respect stands for treating themselves and others with respect, meaning this program is a good

example of what the district needs to continue with the mission statement and reduce bullying and violence that may be seen in the

district and surrounding community.

During the program, students are also taught assertiveness and avoidance strategies to try and decrease bullying throughout the

district. In order to encourage these different strategies, they are taught when to use them as well as when and how to intervene as

bystanders when they may be witnessing a form of bullying. BPYS also “includes and incorporates classroom management and

classroom rules, training and the provision of information to parents'' (Bully-Proofing Your School, 2015). To be successful at

implementation, it is important that the district works as a team to provide teachers with at least 15 hours of training in which they are

given information and different strategies to recognize and intervene in any bullying situations each individual may witness. Lastly,

this program would also be beneficial for the community and for the district to work together using the WSCC to implement BPYS

because it also gives the parents an opportunity to view any information offered through newsletters and are given consultations if

their children are victims of bullying or are being the bully.

Importance of the Project

In order to reach the intended outcomes of the BPYS program, Sidney Central School District needs to work together as a team

in order to involve teachers and other staff, students, bullies, victims and parents. In order to do so the district can use the WSCC

model which stands for Whole School, Whole Community and Whole Child. By doing so, the district would be working together on

an evidence-based school practice such as BPYS that will be student-centered and emphasize the role of the community in supporting

the school, and the connections between health and academic achievement (CDC, 2023). If implemented correctly, the district may

start to see the decrease in bullying and violence and prevent any other actions from happening in the future. The BPYS program will

be implemented in grades three through five and the importance of the program is to heighten awareness of bullying, teach protective

skills and create a positive school climate by creating caring “majority”. This program would be beneficial for the district because

according to the numbers, it may have lost the sense of respect or excellence which is part of their mission statement. If the district

starts to implement the BPYS program, then the district may see a turn in the amount of bullying and/or violence.

In order for the Bully-Proofing Youth Program to be successful, it is important to use a risk assessment tool that may capture

any measure of dynamic factors that can change over time, as well as historical factors that could capture a measure of risk at a

particular point in time (Seifert et al, 2011). Not only that, but using a risk assessment tool should be able to present any treatment and

behavior management options rather than just measuring the risks. The program that the district will use to implement the assessment

risk tool is CARE2 which is created to target youth 6 to 19 years of age. The CARE2 program is used to “break out risks and

resilience that have been identified by a decade of research, by age and gender” (Seifert et al, 2011 p.174). The assessment involves
multiple risk factors, which can include a youth’s history of violence, severity of behavioral problems, substance abuse,

impulsivity/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental illness, abuse history, and any family problems. The CARE2 assessment is

based on a scoring system that will go into in-depth risk factors, which can help any professional in the district to provide best

treatments and services. This assessment tool will be most beneficial to the district because it targets the population that is used for

BPYS and will help support and implement the program. The CARE2 assessment tool is based upon the severity of the risk and

resiliency factors; if a student scores high on those different characteristics then the district will have services provided for them. This

is a beneficial tool for SIdney Central School District because it is currently partnered up with Bassett HealthCare, who provides

school based health for the students who attend the district.

When it comes to implementation of the Bully-Proofing Your School program, there are a few barriers that may get in the way

and need to be addressed beforehand. The two main barriers that may be an issue in the district and surrounding community include

financial resources and the lack of individuals playing their role when it comes to the implementation of BPYS. In order to be

successful, it is important that these two barriers are addressed. For example, individuals such as board members, administrators,

classroom teachers and other staff, as well as students and community members need to be on board with implementing this program.

In order to get the funding for this program, a grant can be proposed with supporting data of how successful the program is and the

statistics behind the decrease and prevention of bullying and violence. The grant can be proposed to the board members as well as the

administrators and the grant foundation. This action will not be possible without the support of all members stated above while also

explaining the statistics we may encounter of bullying within our community. If the district works together as a team and involves any
community member, then the grant will be a successful way for the district to provide funding for the program. Not only is it

important to gain the proper financial funding for the program to be successful but it is also important for each individual to play an

important role in order to implement the program. The program needs to consist of a teacher or other staff member as well as the bully,

the victim, and the parent. If the above individuals do not take on their important role for the program, it could be a barrier that needs

to be faced. In order to gain these different stakeholders into committing to the program, it will be important to show the statistics of

bullying, as well as the benefits of the program and how it will help our community. By doing so, the hope is to gain the individuals

trust and help implement the program to improve the district and the surrounding community.

Youth violence is a continuing issue within the society, especially when it comes to bullying and domestic violence which may

be the cause of bullying in school districts. Because of this, there may be a break in the community and the district. Not only that, but

the Sidney Central School District and the community proves that domestic violence and bullying is an issue. The theory that best

aligns with the school district, the community and the implementation of the BPYS program is the social learning theory. Social

learning theory suggests that people learn how to act through behavior modeling which can be defined as watching and copying the

behaviors of others (Seifert et al, 2011). Applying the theory to the district and integrating it into the BPYS program, it will help

individuals who experience or witness violence whether that be in their home, their community and through the media to demonstrate

acceptable strategies and those individuals will be less likely to partake in any violence action in the future. This applies to the BPYS

program because it is a preventive program that helps individuals learn the tools and strategies to stick up for themselves and for

others while being a bystander or victim. Not only that, but it also helps teach each student acceptable strategies just as the social
learning theory approach does. If the Sidney Central School District works together as a district and a community then this

implementation will help limit any cultural barriers and promote social justice to the community.

If implemented correctly and if the district works together with the community and everyone plays a magnificent role then

there will be long lasting implications on the community as well as the district and the individuals themselves. The Bully Proofing

Your School prevention program is used to reduce instances of bullying and victimization while also increasing the safety of students

in grades three through five. The district's implementation of the program will help bring the community together and the district may

start to see a decrease in violence and bullying and an increase in school safety. In order to see success for the program and see the

change in violence it is important that the district works together as a whole. Not only ensure that the program is implemented in

grades three through five, but ensure that the characteristics learned in the program continue on throughout the child's life. By doing

these different steps and actions the implications of this program will be everlasting.

Summary Statement

The Sidney Central School District and the community that it is in needs a program like Bully Proofing Your School to see a

change in violence rates. As stated above, Delaware County made almost 100 arrests when it came to violence, in which 15 of those

were from the Sidney community. The Bully Proofing Your School is a national school safety program that started in 1992. The

importance of this program is that it does not target a single individual, but instead is created through a “caring majority” of students

who are able to take the lead in establishing and maintaining a safe and caring school environment. In order for this program to work,
it is crucial that each member of the school take part in putting it into action. Not only that, but the program has to consist of staff,

bullies, victims and parents. Therefore, the district and the community need to work together for the sake of the students and the safety

of the community and district. By implementing this program, it gives students safety when coming to school, not only that but as an

educator it is their job to provide an environment that is safe to all. With the implementation of this program, the district can start to do

just that, and provide an environment that is welcoming and that all students want to be a part of. In conclusion, the program can look

to change the dynamics of the school and community and start to put a positive spin on how each individual is viewed.
 References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, February 9). Whole School, whole community, Whole child (wscc). Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/wscc/index.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). High school YRBS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/app/Results.aspx?TT=C&SID=HS&QID=H24&LID=NY&LID2=SL&YID=2021&YID2=S
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Division of Criminal Justice Services. NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services. (n.d.).

https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/crimnet/ojsa/domesticviolence2020/index.htm

How healthy is Delaware County, New York? | US news healthiest communities. (n.d.).

https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/new-york/delaware-county

Program profile: Bully-proofing your school. CrimeSolutions, National Institute of Justice. (n.d.).

https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/403#programcost

Seifert, K., Ray, K., & Schmidt, R. (2011). Youth violence: Theory, prevention, and intervention. Springer Pub. Co.

Sidney, New York population 2023. (n.d.). https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/sidney-ny-population