Adverse Childhood Experiences and Bullying, Building a Climate of Care
Format
Poster Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
West Central Public Health
Second Presenter's Institution
N/A
Third Presenter's Institution
N/A
Fourth Presenter's Institution
N/A
Fifth Presenter's Institution
N/a
Location
Meet & Greet Poster Reception (Harborside)
Strand #1
Safety & Violence Prevention
Relevance
This poster will focus on of bullying prevention, with a special focus on creating safe spaces through a climate of care.
Brief Program Description
This poster will show the connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and bullying, while introducing prevention opportunities. In an effort to mask the ACE, bullying and violence evolves. Schools are plagued with dealing with bullying issues, which interrupts instructional time and increases the risk of school violence. School officials, parents, and youth service providers will be the target audience.
Summary
Bullying can occur in any type of school climate, which is the reason why there should be a focus on a climate of care. That climate provides a safe space for all students to learn where everyone feels safe, valued, respected, and empowered. The ACEs study provides a background on the impact childhood traumatic experiences have on adolescent development. Individuals with a high ACEs score are more likely to engage in violent behaviors and or become a victim of future violence. When students enter school, they are often plagued with negative thoughts that could possibly lead to violence acts (fighting, bullying, suicide and other forms of self-harm). In creating a climate of care, students are allowed to have an outlet to express the private thoughts in a non-threatening and non-judgmental way. A holistic approach to creating that climate involves fostering one-on-one relationships with all students on a continuous basis. That means all individuals within the school or youth development program become “safe havens.” Not only do we include teachers, principals, and counselors, but also the cafeteria staff, the maintenance team, custodial workers, and coaches. Students need to see that there is a concerted effort to become “Askable Adults.” Once the students feel comfortable sharing thoughts, they can also take the opportunity to report potential bullying acts that are witnessed. This approach is the Step Up-Step In approach to bystander intervention. With this intervention, students then become peer helpers by serving as resources to help support their peers who may be suffering in silence. Climate of care can be established when schools and youth development programs become safe havens for those students who may have witnessed violence as children and or been victims of abuse or violence during adolescence.
Evidence
The ACEs study provides research on the impact those events have on future growth. The risks of bullying and violence increases as the ACEs score increases. The ACEs pyramid provides a graphical account of the behaviors that contribute to bullying and other violence acts. Students complete the Youth Risk Behaviors Surveys (YRBS) each year. That data provides schools and government officials an opportunity to hear from youth about current behaviors and challenges while describing school climate. This proposal is aligned with the ACEs study in the approach to preventing youth violence and bullying.
Biographical Sketch
I am Katrisha Williams, the Youth Development Coordinator with West Central Public Health. I have been working in the role since 1999, providing risk reduction education to youth through the 16 county district. Along with risk reduction education, I have partnered with many schools within the district to implement the Step UP-Step IN Sexual Bullying Awareness Campaign. That campaign works with schools to introduce students, faculty, and staff to sexual bullying and cyber bullying by helping to create safe spaces for student learning. I am a member of the Georgia Public Health Association, along with numerous other professional organizations. I have experience conducting works at regional and national conferences. I have served as a co-facilitator at the National Youth Risk Conference in Savannah on how to implement a Teen Maze.
Keyword Descriptors
ACEs, Sexual Bullying, Violence, Climate of Care
Presentation Year
March 2020
Start Date
3-9-2020 4:45 PM
End Date
3-9-2020 6:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Williams, Katrisha F., "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Bullying, Building a Climate of Care" (2020). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 55.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2020/2020/55
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Bullying, Building a Climate of Care
Meet & Greet Poster Reception (Harborside)
This poster will show the connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and bullying, while introducing prevention opportunities. In an effort to mask the ACE, bullying and violence evolves. Schools are plagued with dealing with bullying issues, which interrupts instructional time and increases the risk of school violence. School officials, parents, and youth service providers will be the target audience.
