Presenter: Dr. Eric Landers – Georgia Southern University

Research has consistently demonstrated that bullying in schools is a global problem. It threatens students’ well-being everywhere. The issue, however, is identifying how many of these incidents constitute bullying, versus simply conflict or poor social skills. Many times, students are left without the social skills to solve the simple conflict which eventually leads to bullying. To address this issue, students need to be equipped with the skills to advocate for their own well-being. This session focuses on teaching students to identify what is bullying and what is natural conflict. Participants will learn how to teach students to advocate for themselves, find solutions, or seek help without being labeled snitch. Participants will engage in discussion about methods to identify bullies and victims of bullying, how to lead students in instruction to prevent bullying, and how to empower all students to act as defenders rather than victims. At the end of this session, participants will develop a school-wide plan for teaching students to identify conflict, identify instances of bullying, and identify higher-order social-emotional skills to prevent “conflict” from becoming bullying. Emphasis is placed on the prediction and prevention of conflict rather than the traditional reactive approach to bullying.