2024 Bullying Prevention Summit - Dr. Michele Borba

Summary

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Michelle BBA, an expert in character and empathy, discusses how empathy deficits contribute to bullying and violence, and the role of education in prevention. She emphasizes the importance of proactive measures in schools, such as creating a respectful culture, defining bullying, and empowering students to take action. Dr. BBA advocates for fostering empathy, both in students and educators, and highlights strategies like peer involvement, understanding power imbalances, and teaching students how to stand up for themselves and others. Her work aims to replace harmful behaviors with kindness and understanding, shaping a more compassionate future.

Takeaways

• 😀 Proactive measures are crucial in preventing bullying, with a focus on building empathy and emotional resilience in students.
• 😀 A culture of respect and safety in schools is essential for reducing bullying, and it can be achieved by creating student-led initiatives and involving all students in the process.
• 😀 Empathy is at the core of solving bullying issues; when empathy decreases, bullying increases. Educators must fortify their classrooms by promoting respectful communication.
• 😀 Involving students in defining the problem is powerful. Rather than posting anti-bullying messages, let students help create solutions and messages that resonate with them.
• 😀 Defining bullying clearly and consistently across all levels of the school helps ensure a common understanding, so everyone can respond appropriately.
• 😀 Teaching students the difference between bullying behaviors and everyday conflict is essential. Look for power imbalances, cruelty, and patterns of repetition.
• 😀 Reporting bullying can be more effective when students are given multiple avenues to report safely, like anonymous surveys or physical suggestion boxes.
• 😀 Staff visibility and presence in 'hot spots'—areas where bullying is likely to occur—can significantly reduce bullying and make students feel safer.
• 😀 Empowering bystanders (upstanders) to act is crucial. The majority of students are witnesses, and they should be given strategies to support the victim and disrupt bullying in non-confrontational ways.
• 😀 Children who bully need to be taught to replace harmful behaviors with empathy-building actions. This includes role-playing, peer support, and teaching assertiveness and kindness.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's advocacy?

The main focus is on teaching empathy and emotional intelligence to children, as a means of preventing violence and fostering positive behaviors.

Why does the speaker believe that violence in children doesn't happen overnight?

The speaker emphasizes that violence is a learned behavior that develops over time, often as a replacement for empathy or conscience, and not something that occurs suddenly.

How does the speaker define the relationship between empathy and violence?

The speaker suggests that violence often replaces empathy in children, and by teaching empathy, we can reduce violent tendencies. They also mention that violence is coached and learned through various stages in a child's development.

What role does early intervention play in preventing violent behavior, according to the speaker?

Early intervention is crucial as it helps identify and address behavioral issues before they escalate into violence. The speaker highlights that recognizing children at risk early allows for proactive support to teach empathy and other positive behaviors.

What is the purpose of the 'doughnut and coffee' initiative mentioned by the speaker?

The 'doughnut and coffee' initiative is designed to provide a supportive space where concerned adults (teachers, janitors, etc.) can discuss a child's behavior and work together to promote empathy and address potential issues in the child's emotional development.

Why does the speaker emphasize role-playing in teaching empathy?

Role-playing is emphasized because it provides children with practical and meaningful opportunities to engage with others in ways that help them understand and develop empathy. It allows for face-to-face interaction and purposeful learning.

How does the speaker view the relationship between empathy and the criminal justice system?

The speaker highlights that teaching children empathy early on could prevent them from engaging in criminal behavior. A young person mentioned in the transcript shared that learning empathy could have kept his brother from ending up in jail.

What is the significance of Senate Bill 1667 mentioned in the transcript?

Senate Bill 1667 is significant because it represents the speaker's advocacy for implementing programs that teach empathy in schools. The bill was passed after the speaker gave a speech on the need for such programs.

What does the speaker suggest is often missing from children who engage in violent behavior?

The speaker suggests that children who engage in violent behavior often lack empathy and emotional understanding, which can be addressed through early intervention and teaching proactive behaviors.

What was the impact of the 15-year-old boy's words on the speaker?

The 15-year-old boy's words deeply impacted the speaker, as he shared that teaching children how to care and empathize could have kept his brother out of jail. This motivated the speaker to continue advocating for empathy education.