Staying anonymous...

Hello world...

At the bullying training I went to a few weeks back, several people brought up the reporting piece of bullying. We cannot respond to bullying if it is never reported; students do not report bullying for fear of retaliation.

While I come from the camp that addressing the entire issue of bullying should come from a pro-social systemic level (and not a reactive punitive response), I think I have an idea that could be a useful tool in any school.

Ever heard of a 'Compliments, Cares, Concerns' box? I remember we had one at an after school program I used to work at. It was a place for staff to anonymously submit appreciations, questions, or report concerns. I thought it worked pretty well. The supervisor would read them, and then they would be addressed at the weekly staff meeting.

I feel like this could be a useful tool for students and the school community as a whole. A 'CCC' box is not only anonymous, but because it serves multiple purposes a student can use the box publicly and no one would ever know what for.

For example: A student (or staff) walks up to the box and puts a note inside. It could be a note about:
a) a care/complaint (it would be helpful if basketball students could access the locker room right before lunch is over on game days, that way we could get into uniform without having to leave our last class early)
b) a compliment (I appreciate Maria for always straightening up the class desks)
c) a concern (David and Stephanie told me they were the ones that put the Facebook comments on Jamie's wall)

Just as the common school rules "Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible" cover most behaviors, the title "Compliments, Cares, Concerns" pretty much covers anything.

I am sure there are logistical pieces to work out, but I think this is a good start. At any rate, this is not to serve the sole purpose of reporting bullying-it is to exercise sharing things that ought to be shared. Most students are not comfortable voicing complaints, or compliments to others. This could be a great way to start practicing.

What are your thoughts? Any feedback on how it may/may not work at your site. 

Until next time...