School's Choice of Resilience Coach Attracts Public Criticism

As reported by The Guardian, a non-government boys' school in Melbourne recently attracted media scrutiny in response to school bullying comments made by a resilience coach engaged to present a seminar by the school.

Melanie Anderson, director of the Shine Academy for Girls and Longford & Fraser Leadership Academy for Boys, reportedly:

• stated that bullying victims should “stop playing the victim”; and
• asked parents to consider whether or not their children are “part of the problem”, perhaps because they are: “a whinger, a complainer, self-absorbed, an exaggerator, loose with the truth, a passive doormat, displaying negative body language, an approval addict, a try hard, critical or a bad sport”.

Ms Anderson's views received media attention after being posted on the school's website in advance of her presentation at the school.

Student empowerment strategies are legally required

Under the new Victorian Child Safe Standards (see our earlier article) schools are required to ensure that specific strategies are implemented to promote child empowerment and participation,  including providing age-appropriate education about 'resilience'.

Other States and Territories require similar student 'empowerment' strategies as part of school registration or child protection requirements. For example, under the Child Safe Environments Principles of Good Practice issued by the SA Department for Education and Child Development and under the National Safe Schools Framework, referenced in the ACT Registration of Non-Government Schools Manual.

On the face of the facts available, it could be interpreted that the school was trying to do the  'right thing' and comply with its obligations under the Victorian Child Safe Standards by offering a class to students from a resilience coach.

However, the content of the Ms Anderson's message appears to be at odds with other resources available on the school's website.

The school’s website contains other blogs which advocate mindfulness, speaking up on gender myths, managing feelings of anger,motivation and other articles on social and academic empowerment. The message put forward in Ms Anderson’s blog seems to be at odds with the school’s ethos and it may be argued that the school tried to continue the discussion on student empowerment but presented a message that alternatively confronted the public and denigrated bullying victims.

The reaction

Ms Anderson’s message is that bullying victims should own up to their part of the bullying problem. They should stand up for themselves, develop grit, self-belief, self-esteem, learn to choose their friends wisely, remind themselves that bullies deal with their own demons “and that the problem lies principally with them and not him”.

Responders on social medial labelled this message as “awful”, “disgusting”, “self-absorbed and dangerous”. While University of Melbourne child psychologist Dr Peggy Kim told Mamamia that the message was probably aimed to empower bullied youths, this was unfortunately lost in the poorly chosen language. She warned that there was a fine line between motivation and victim blaming and "the way this was worded was much more 'suck it up, it's their fault', very condemning, and could be damaging”.

Ms Anderson’s message was posted on the school webpage in anticipation for the ‘resilience’ coach’s free seminar for parents at the school on a weeknight. In defence of her comments, Ms Anderson stated that “no one is lily-white and blameless” and that “as a resilience coach I am adamant that, in any bullying situation, you must own your part of the problem, no matter how small, no matter how unfair it may seem,” as reported by The Age.

Anti-bullying campaigners have also rallied against Ms Anderson’s approach. Bully Zero Australia Foundation chief executive Oscar Yildiz states “the victim is not the problem” and it is important to focus on changing the behaviour of perpetrators, who are often unaware that they are bullies.

The school offered an apology on its Facebook page, stating "we deeply regret any upset or distress caused to our readers," but "we believe that Melissa’s article contains an important message of empowerment”.

The school also stated "we hear the comments of some followers calling for articles with more practical tips for those experiencing bullying, and we are looking to publish content on this issue that does just that." A spokesperson from the school told The Age that the article had been misinterpreted by some parents and that the blog was supposed state that “when a child is feeling lost, it's worth exploring if there is anything they can do to make a difference.”

Unfortunately this message was not communicated in Ms Anderson’s blog. Clinical psychologist Dani Kelin is quoted as stating that victim blaming is a slippery slope, particularly as students caught in anti-social or manipulative relationships need to be treated with compassion without having their trauma diminished.

What is the impact of bullying?

Schools are advised to emphasise to all students the seriousness of bullying and its impact of other students.

It has been reported that:

• One in four students in Australian schools are affected by bullying, according to a research paper commissioned by the Federal Government;
• Students who are bullied are three times more likely to display depressive symptoms, according to the Centre for Adolescent Health;
• Bully victims are between two-nine times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, states a Yale University study; and
• Young people who bully have a one in four chance of having a criminal record by the age of thirty, according to educator and author Sharlene Chadwick.

As a result, bullying prevention strategies need to target both the student being bullied and the bully themselves. This can only be achieved with collaborative effort from all school members, including parents and other students who may have a deeper understanding of the bullies themselves and their underlying motivations.

What can schools implement?

As stated above, around one in four Australian children regularly experience bullying. This abuse may be verbal, physical or psychological and can occur either face-to-face or online. Schools can implement many programs in order to ensure victims of bullying are well equipped with the coping mechanisms required to withstand in-school and online abuse. Schools must also ensure that bullies are aware of the impact they have on their peers, and that underlying issues are targeted in order to counteract future anti-social behaviour.

Schools can counteract the toxic bullying culture by:

1. Developing a Bullying Prevention Policy which is to be communicated to all staff, students, parents/care givers and the wider school community.  In Victoria, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority requires that schools have policies in place to ensure students are provided with an environment where they feel physically and emotionally secure. The Victorian Department of Education and Training provides this guide. School Governance has also previously emphasised the importance of bullying policies.
2. Implementing prevention and intervention strategies that minimise anti-social behaviours and assist students undergoing abuse. This may involve engaging parents and youth in a School Safety Committee which can communicate bullying prevention, help develop rules and procedures and run interactive initiatives to involve students prone to bullying with identified bullies. Schools can also provide students with Anti-Bullying Pocket Cards in order to assist students in situations of abuse.
3. Facilitating classroom meetings where students can convene with staff to discuss school-related issues beyond academics. This ensures that teachers and staff are informed about what is going on at the school and students are able to communicate their concerns in a safe and inclusive environment. Classroom meetings have been advocated by StopBullying.gov. Bullying No Way has also developed classroom discussion starters for all year levels, which will assist teachers facilitate classroom conversations.
4. Run information sessions for parents and school staff to assist in the identification of bullying behaviour. Promote discussions around topics like reporting bullying, stopping bullying in the playground and classroom and correcting bullying behaviours by ensuring bullies understand the weight of their actions. This is an example program structure from Kids Matter.