Canyon Student Helpful Information

Bullying

Many students at Provo Canyon School report that at some point in their life story they have been bullied. It is a growing problem in the United States and something that Provo Canyon School takes very seriously. Students also attend Provo Canyon School because they themselves have been bullies in their life. Provo Canyon School feels that it is important to work with these students to identify why they chose to be a bully. Provo Canyon School has an anti-bullying rule at the school which students are expected to follow.

What is bullying?

Bullying can involve verbal or physical aggression. Physical bullying involves a great deal of aggression such as shoving and poking, throwing things, slapping , choking , punching and kicking , beating , stabbing , pulling hair, scratching , biting and scraping. Social aggression or indirect bullying is characterized by forcing the victim into social isolation . This isolation is achieved through a wide variety of techniques, including spreading gossip , refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim's manner of dress and other socially-significant markers (including the victim's race, religion, disability, etc). Other bullying can be more subtle and are more likely to be verbal, such as name calling, the silent treatment, arguing others into submission, manipulation, gossip / false gossip, lies, rumors/ false rumors, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, saying certain words that trigger a reaction from a past event, and mocking.

Characteristics of bullies

Research indicates that adults who bully have personalities that are authoritarian, combined with a strong need to control or dominate . It has also been suggested that a deficit in social skills and a prejudicial view of subordinates can be particular risk factors. Further studies have shown that while envy and resentment may be motives for bullying, there is little evidence to suggest that bullies suffer from any deficit in self esteem (as this would make it difficult to bully). However, there are instances where bullying takes place only for humor. It is generally used in this instance by children who were bullied earlier in their lives, on the assumption that those who bullied them derived fun from their acts and that this would teach the victims to do the same. However, many bullies have never suffered bullying themselves and only bully others because it is fun and it has nothing to do with being bullied when they were younger, to impress other people or to be socialy accepted. Bullies say these things are the reason for their actions because they won't be punished as badly.
Provo Canyon School works with issues of bullying through individual, group and family therapy in the school. Students who have been bullied often find themselves in groups with students who have had a history of bullying. This opportunity to heal can be very important for Provo Canyon School students.

Types of bullying

School bullying

In schools, bullying usually occurs in areas with minimal or no adult supervision. It can occur in nearly any part in or around the school building, though it more often occurs in PE, exploratory classes, recess, hallways, bathrooms, school buses and waiting for buses, classes that require group work and/or after school activities. Bullying in school sometimes consists of a group of students taking advantage of, or isolating one student in particular, and outnumbering him/her. Targets of bullying in school are often pupils who are considered strange or different by their peers to begin with, making the situation harder for them to deal with. Bullying can also be perpetrated by teachers, especially vain or mean teachers. Provo Canyon School teachers look for signs of bullying in the class room and are encouraged to report anything suspicious to the primary therapist of the student. Provo Canyon School prides themselves on being a safe place for students to grow and heal from their past issues.

Cyber-bullying

Cyber-bullying occurs in electronic space. According to Canadian educator Bill Belsey, it: “...involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.” Sadly, at Provo Canyon School therapists are seeing an increasing number of new students enrolling in the school who have had experiences with cyber-bullying. This has brought great distress to many of the students at Provo Canyon School. Yet again, it is important to note that there are no mobile phones, internet access or other cyberspace communication platforms at Provo Canyon School. Therefore, students who may have been the victims or instigators of cyber-bullying can safely distance themselves during their stay there. For the full article by Bill Belsey see: Cyberbullying: An Emerging Threat to the Always On Generation.

Hazing

Hazing is an often ritualistic test, which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to perform meaningless tasks; sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. The term can refer to either physical (sometimes violent) or mental (possibly degrading) practices. It is a subjective matter where to draw to line between 'normal' hazing (somewhat abusive) and a mere rite of passage (essentially bonding; proponents may argue they can coincide), and there is a gray area where exactly the other side passes over into sheer degrading, even harmful abuse that should not even be tolerated if accepted voluntarily. Hazing is absolutely not tolerated at Provo Canyon School. If hazing is suspected Provo Canyon Students are spoken to immediately and action is taken. Hazing has been reported in a variety of social contexts, including:

Sports teams

Academic fraternities and sororities (see fraternities and sororities )These practices are not limited to American schools. Swedish students undergo a similar bonding period, known as nollningen, in which all members of the entering class participate. College and universities in general. Associated groups, like fan clubs, school bands Secret societies and even certain service clubs , or rather their local sections (such as some modern US Freemasons ; not traditional masonic lodges) Similarly various other competitive sports teams or clubs, even 'soft' and non-competitive ones (such as arts) Military Police forces (often with a paramilitary tradition) Rescue services, such as lifeguards (also drilled for operations in military style) In workplaces
Hazing is considered a felony in several US states, and anti hazing legislation has been proposed in other states.

Strategies to cope with bullying

Provo Canyon School offers these suggestions on dealing with Bullying:

If a person voluntarily comes to someone for help then they need to listen. Sometimes this is all that the victim wants and needs. (Note that many schools seem to think that this is all that is needed and, while their technical policy does not say so, in practice they refuse to take things beyond this level.)
After investigating the situation, it may be that intervention is necessary with the bully or bullies. The situation needs to be addressed and hopefully a resolution to the problem can be found.
Inform the parents of the victim and of the bully. Discuss possible solutions with them. Arrange a meeting with them if possible.
Follow up in communicating with the victim, the parents and the teachers about the situation.

Monitor the behavior of the bully and the safety of the victim on a school-wide basis. Strategies to reduce bullying within schools

For students:

• make adults aware of the situation and involve them
• make it clear that bullying is never acceptable
• hold a school conference day devoted to bully/victim problems
• increase adult supervision in the yard, halls and washrooms more vigilantly
• emphasize caring, respect and safety
• emphasize consequences of hurting others
• enforce consistent and immediate consequences for aggressive behaviours
• follow up on all instances of aggression
• improve communication among school administrators, teachers, parents and students have a school problem box where kids can report problems, concerns and offer suggestions
• teach cooperative learning activities
• help bullies with anger control and the development of empathy
• encourage positive peer relations
• offer a variety of extracurricular activities which appeal to a range of interests

Smoking Substance Abuse
The most popular type of substance that is smoked is tobacco . For adolescents this is often the first step to using other substances. At Provo Canyon School smoking tobacco is prohibited for both staff and students and if a student smokes while off of school grounds it is considered a violation of the no drug use agreement. Movies, magazine adds, music and other forms of popular culture often romanticize smoking cigarettes as something that increases intelligence, sexual allure or toughness.

The second most common substance that is smoked is cannabis , made from the flowers or leaves of Cannabis sativa . The substance is considered illegal in most countries in the world and in those countries that tolerate public consumption, it is usually only pseudo-legal. Despite this, a considerable percentage of the adult population in many countries have tried it with smaller minorities doing it on a regular basis. Since cannabis is illegal or only tolerated in most jurisdictions, there is no industrial mass-production of cigarettes, meaning that the most common form of smoking is with hand-rolled cigarettes (often called joints ) or with pipes. Water pipes are also fairly common, and when used for cannabis are called bongs . Provo Canyon School works with many students who have used cannabis prior to enrolling in the program. Once students who have used substances in the past are enrolled at Provo Canyon School they are enrolled into a chemical dependency program that as specifically designed and implemented for Provo Canyon School by it's Chemical Dependency therapists.

Social aspects of Smoking

Smoking, primarily of tobacco, is an activity that is practiced by some 1.1 billion people, and up to 1/3 of the adult population. The image of the smoker can vary considerably, but is very often associated, especially in fiction, with individuality and aloofness. Even so, smoking of both tobacco and cannabis can be a social activity which serves as a reinforcement of social structures and is part of the cultural rituals of many and diverse social and ethnic groups. Students at Provo Canyon School are encouraged to look at the social constructs which led them to smoke in the first place. Many smokers begin smoking in social settings and the offering and sharing of a cigarette is often an important rite of initiation or simply a good excuse to start a conversation with strangers in many settings; in bars , night clubs , at work or on the street. Lighting a cigarette is often seen as an effective way of avoiding the appearance of idleness or mere loitering.

For adolescents, it can function as a first step out of childhood or as an act of rebellion against the adult world. Other than recreational drug use, it can be used to construct identity and a development of self-image by associating it with personal experiences connected with smoking. The rise of the modern anti-smoking movement in the late 19th century did more than create awareness of the hazards of smoking; it provoked reactions of smokers against what was, and often still is, perceived as an assault on personal freedom and has created an identity among smokers as rebels, apart from non-smokers.

Article on Teen Smoking from Teen Drug Abuse US website:

Teens seem to be more abrasive when smoking or they feel like they are older and wiser when they smoke. Why do they smoke when we have seen billions of dollars spent on antismoking campaigns? The American Lung Association estimates that every minute four thousand eight hundred teens will take their first drag off a cigarette. Of those four thousand eight hundred, about two thousand will go on to be chain smokers. The fact that teen smoking rates are steadily increasing is disturbing. We are finding out that about 80% of adult smokers started smoking as teenagers.

We now see a lot of smokers giving each other rewards in social aspects such as conversations, companionships, and other common social contacts. Research has proven the fact that nicotine has the ability to suppress feelings, suppress appetite for food, is used as stimulation after sex, and is a good way to relax from troubles and feelings of insecurities. People that smoke go to designated areas and congregate around the one that has the light, even when the weather is sub-zero. There they are huddled up against each other in an area, taking in the last drag before the break is over, or they find some kind of shelter to smoke their cigarettes.

Teens like to act as if they are someone special or dangerous. By smoking they can act on those feelings. Because it is so forbidden it becomes more alluring to teens. The problem is that when they take that first puff, they can become addicted. The idea that they are breaking the law or going against their parents and schools is an addiction within itself. Kids like to get attention; it does not matter if it's good attention or bad attention. They crave attention and by smoking they get big attention. The other teens look at them in all kinds of ways and the adults get upset and don't know what to do.

Nicotine is considered the number one entrance drug into other substance abuse problems. Research shows that teens between 13 and 17 years of age who smoke daily are more likely to use other drug substances. The use of other drugs is part of the peer pressure that our children have to face. The earlier that our youth begin using tobacco, the more likely they will continue using into adulthood.

Why is tobacco so addicting? It is because nicotine acts as a stimulant, which is stimulating the mind, body, and spirit. When the body tolerance levels high then one ends up needing to use larger doses of nicotine to maintain a certain level of the physiological effect. When the body becomes accustomed to the presence of nicotine, it then requires the use of the chemical to help the body to function normally. This level of dependence is referred to as an addiction. 

Here are some common experiences from teens who smoke.

• They tried their first cigarette in sixth or seventh grade
• They often do not perform well in school
• They feel like they are not a part of the school
• They become isolated from other students
• They can't perform as well at sports events
• They feel like they have little hope of going to college
• They feel like they need a job to support their smoking habit
• They are reported to school officials for skipping classes
• They start using other illegal substances
• They begin experimenting with alcohol and other drugs
• They experience pressure from home and school and use tobacco as a form of relief
• Teen smokers enjoy trying to hide their smoking

This has made school more fun for some tobacco users. These types of behaviors get attention because the initiation of smoking is influenced by having a friend, particularly a best friend, who smokes. The risk factors do not apply because those who are young think that they are indispensable. The peers who use or have favorable attitudes toward tobacco use are more likely to use other illegal substances. On the other hand, if the teen becomes a member of a pro-social group, such as those participating in sports, cheerleading, or any club that promotes healthy living, the likelihood that the teen will attempt to stop smoking improves. The amount of teens smoking cigarettes dropped about 28% in 2001.

The following are some reasons why:

a) The increase of cost in the retail price of cigarettes has gone up 70%
b) The schools have implemented efforts to fight the use of tobacco (teen smoking).
c) There is an increase in youth exposure to both state and national mass media campaigns.
d) The truth on the effects of nicotine that are in tobacco products.

When tobacco companies lost the lawsuit that made them pay for anti-smoking ads, they raised the cost of cigarettes. Young people are having a harder time finding ways to smoke because smokers are paying top dollar for their cigarettes. We are also seeing teens speak out in the media and in person and they have been capturing the attention of their peers and changing attitudes about how un-cool and unhealthy teen smoking is.
The times are changing; what the public and science did not know twenty years ago is now coming to the surface. The fact is that smoking cigarettes can cause many health problems including emphysema, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer. We are seeing people live longer and healthier lives and the old idea that smoking makes you cool and attractive is gone. This is the truth about cigarettes; they are loaded with harmful chemicals and the end result is that they are a dangerous drug that can seriously harm people.

References

Christen, Arden G. & Joan A. Christen, (1994), "Why is Cigarette Smoking So Addicting?" Health Values,
Vol. 18, No.1, January/February.

Fibkins, William L., (1993), "Combating Student Tobacco Addiction in Secondary Schools,"
NASSP Bulletin, December.