All students participate in St. Joseph’s Bullying Prevention Program!

Bullying is defined as someone repeatedly and intentionally saying or doing mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself.

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is the most researched and best-known bullying prevention program available today. The program is designed to improve peer relations and make schools safer, more positive places for students to learn and develop.

Here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, we integrate the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program into our school curriculum. Students follow four main rules:

St. Joseph’s students are prepared to combat bullying.

• we will not bully others
• we will try to help students who are bullied
• we will try to include students who are left out
• if we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

Jean, one of the Olweus coordinators, explains “students can more easily recognize bullying when they see it happening, which helps change the climate of the school to one where bullying is not acceptable.” St. Joseph’s students are now aware of exactly what they can do to stop bullying.

One of the most important components of the Olweus program is that it is used by everyone — not just in a home or the school. When St. Joseph’s trains staff, they train everyone who works with the kids: Family Service Counselors, teachers, secretaries, janitors, bus drivers, houseparents, coaches, rec center staff, nurses and even administration. This all-encompassing training ensures that the school has a consistent approach in dealing with bullying.

When staff witness a bullying violation, they are trained to:

1. Stop it
2. Support the student who has been bullied
3. Name the behavior to the bullying student, make it clear exactly what happened that wasn't acceptable and say which of the four anti-bullying rules they violated,
4. Empower bystanders who tried to help, or give information on what else they could have done
5. Impose immediate consequences for the student who bullied
6. Take steps to make sure the bullied student will be protected from future bullying.

St. Joseph’s is committed to supporting the Lakota students we serve! Combating bullying is one more way we can help our students feel safe.