1. Dr. Scott Poland Nova Southeastern University spoland@nova.edu
Safeguarding Our Youth and Building Success and Resiliency: Lessons from the front lines of school crises
Dr. Scott Poland Nova Southeastern University

2. Would this student be bullied in a middle school?
Has an extensive psychological history
Walks funny and speaks with a lisp
Has a bad skin condition on his face
Described as pale and frail
Identifies as gay
Identifies as Buddhist

3. Reality of Bullying Bullying peaks in middle childhood
Bullying Facts from U.S. Department of Education Website:
Bullying peaks in middle childhood
Studies show 15 to 25% of students are being bullied with some frequency
Most common forms are being made fun of, being the subject of rumors, being pushed, shoved, kicked, tripped or spit on
Only 1/3 of the victims told an adult

4. Cyberbullying
Messages can be posted anonymously 24 hours a day and can reach students even when alone
Messages can be very difficult to trace and to delete
Messages and posts may be especially nasty and may be viewed and commented on by many others
Schools need internet citizenship presentations and prompt investigation of cyberbullying as it effects learning
In the Screen Age parents need to take charge of technology and increase supervision
Technology is a privilege not a right!

5. What are the leading causes of death for children
What are the leading causes of death for children? Where are our prevention programs?
#1 Accidents
#2 Suicide for teens
#3 Homicide

6. Caplan’s Model of Crisis Intervention
Primary prevention to stop the crisis from happening
Secondary intervention steps taken in the immediate aftermath to reduce the traumatic affect
Tertiary intervention which is long term follow up assistance for those who need it
Circles of vulnerability
rule

7. 2015 National YRBS Results
Surveyed 15,000 H.S students and in the last year
17.7% considered suicide (increase from 2013)
14.7% made a suicide plan (increase)
8.6% made an attempt (increase)
Data released in 2016 by the CDC shows suicides at highest number in last 30 years with increases in adolescent suicide rates especially for girls
Many concerns about Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why

8. SPRC Brief: Suicide and Bullying www.sprc.org
Both victims and perpetrators are at higher risk than peers and a strong association exists between bullying and suicide
Personal characteristics such as internalizing problems; low self-esteem; and low assertiveness increase the risk of being bullied and these factors are also associated with risk for suicide
It is difficult to control all the risk factors to determine if being bullied was a proximal cause to a youth suicide

9. Primary Resiliency Factors:
Caring and support of others
Positive view of self
Skills in communication, planning, and problem solving
Capacity to manage strong emotions

10. Ways to Build Resiliency:
Make connections
Take care of yourself and think positively
Accept change
Set realistic goals and take action
Look for self-discovery opportunities
Stay flexible and accept help

11. Resiliency and Schools
The 4th R is relationships
NIMH finding on adolescents and success
Academic pressures (Palo Alto Gunn H.S. zero hour example) Save the 2008!
Parental expectations and pressures on adolescents
Upstream and mental health focus needed
Support for LGBT students lacking in many schools

12. State School Plans by Scott and Donna Poland
Texas Suicide Safer School Plan (2015) available at:
Montana CAST-S Crisis Action School Toolkit-Suicide (2017) available at: and

13. Student Involvement Is Key
Student survey input is needed especially about bullying and cyberbullying to determine extent of the problem.
Teach all students digital citizenship and begin in early grades.
Common sense media has digital citizenship for all grade levels
Gain a commitment through anti-bullying pledges
Establish a means for anonymous reporting.

14. Presentations for Parents
Raising children in challenging times
Importance of their involvement
Taking charge of the 4 cabinets in their home
Separating typical teenage moodiness from depression
Collaborating with schools and follow through on needed treatment for their child

15. Tips For Parents Suggest no screens in cars or bedrooms.
Don’t be in a hurry for your child to have a smartphone or to drive.
Model balancing screen time.
Take charge of technology as it is a privilege not a right!
Create technology free times and develop a technology contract with input from your child.

16. N.S.S.I. Incidence of non suicidal self-injury
Motivation/Coping strategy
Relationship to Suicide
Coulter v. Washington Township NJ
Protocols/procedures needed
Treatment
Video on NSSI I made for state of FL available at

17. School Violence
school year there were 14 shootings at school resulting in death or injury
Total number of K-12 schools in U.S is 129,189
Thoughts on the ALICE school safety program
My recommendation for conducting school violence drills
Every school needs a threat assessment team
Student need a way to report threats anonymously
9/15/2018

18. School Safety Examples
Create safety task force and include students
Survey staff and students
Teach students to deescalate fights
Use student safety and anti-bullying pledges
Floor plan exercise
Sidney, NY example
CFISD The Force

19. World Health Organization
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
World Health Organization
Family cohesion and stability
Coping and problem solving skills
Positive self worth and impulse control
Positive connections to school and extracurricular participation
Successful academically

20. PROTECTIVE FACTORS Good relationships with other youth
Seeks adult help when needed
Lack of access to suicidal means
Access to mental health care
Religiosity
School environment that encourages help seeking and promotes health

21. Carnegie Foundation Recommendations
Three or more significant adults needed in every child's life besides their parents
A sense of safety, security and belonging needed in their home, school and community
Participation in organized activities needed
Volunteer work needed for adolescents

22. Best Practices: Final Thoughts
Provide training on best practices for school safety, bullying and suicide prevention
Increase staff supervision in areas where bullying occurs the most and take immediate action to stop bullying
Survey students to find out the extent of the problems
Do not hesitate to ask students involved in bullying about suicide
Help parents take charge of the 4 cabinets in their home and to understand the difference between teenage moodiness and depression

23. Best Practices: Final Thoughts
Increase all students’ connections to their school
Develop policies and procedures for bullying and suicide prevention and recognize the association
Develop plans for N.S.S.I. and excellent guidelines for schools are at the Cornell Self-Injury Center
Know the real statistics on school violence
Recognize school safety is an inside job and include students in safety planning
Collaborate an plan with local police and conduct safety audits

24. Prevention Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Suicide in schools (2015) Erbacher, Singer & Poland: Routledge 24