I came across this story last week in the local paper The Day. Unfortunately, it is another tragic story about a young kid taking his life — the speculation is that the young man was bullied in school. His father and grandparents are very upset by his death and are suing the town and school district for negligence relating to the bullying incident. Here are the facts as reported by The Day.

The father of a high school student who committed suicide this year has filed a notice that he intends to sue the town and the school district for negligence in a bullying incident that he alleges led his son to take his life.

Jose Mendes, the father of Joseph Mendes, alleges his son’s suicide was caused by “negligence and carelessness” of the town, the Board of Education and employees of Montville public schools.

An event on bullying awareness is scheduled for Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Mohegan Fire Company in Uncasville. The event will also serve as a benefit to raise money for a headstone for Joseph Mendes, Betty Allard said.

We implore you and your administration to take the proper steps to eliminate this behavior. Bullying is a disease in our schools that needs to be addressed with professional intervention. We have developed a training program at SAM which addresses bullying in our schools and trains teachers and administration on all aspects of bullying. I know there is plenty of economic stress in the school system, but can you really afford to wait?

Most States are taking legislative action to address bullying in schools. Our society has finally reached the bullying “crossroads” and has decided to address bullying with legislation. The legislation requires schools to take certain steps to mitigate bullying in schools. The legislation usually includes the following points: 1) Definition of bullying, 2) A point person or coordinator, 3) Reporting and the appropriate metrics, 4) Who at the school needs to be trained to recognize and deal with bullying, and 5) Training.

Such training may include, but not be limited to, (1) developmentally appropriate strategies to prevent bullying among students in school and outside of the school setting, (2) developmentally appropriate strategies for immediate and effective interventions to stop bullying, (3) information regarding the interaction and relationship between students committing acts of bullying, students against whom such acts of bullying are directed and witnesses of such acts of bullying, and (4) research findings on bullying, such as information about the types of students who have been shown to be at-risk for bullying in the school setting.

SAM is designed to address the TRAINING portion of the legislation (developed and passed) to take on the BULLYING disease. Here is a brief description of SAM and how the curriculum speaks to the points above.

(1) Developmentally appropriate strategies to prevent bullying among students in school and outside of the school setting.

SAM teaches students, teachers and administrators how to: (A) be proactive about personal safety and to minimize the risk of being a victim, (B) practice and master skills to use when threatened, (C) manage fear and anxiety during stressful situations, and (D) evaluate threats and possible options.

(2) Developmentally appropriate strategies for immediate and effective interventions to stop bullying.

SAM teaches students, teaches and administrators how to: (A) use non-verbal and verbal communication and paralanguage, (B) not show fear during the confrontation, (C) set appropriate limits and consequences that are applicable to school policies and procedures.

(3) Information regarding the interaction and relationship between students committing acts of bullying, students against whom such acts of bullying are directed and witnesses of such acts of bullying.

SAM teaches students, teachers and administrators how to: (A) step in and assist the student who is being bullied.

(4) Research findings on bullying, such as information about the types of students who have been shown to be at-risk for bullying in the school setting.

SAM teaches students, teachers and administrators on: (A) the difference between male and female bullies, (B) the difference between male and female victims, (C) the effects of being bullied, (D) how to manage physical bullying such as holds, physical assaults with personal weapons including knives and guns, and (E) what to do if there is an active shooter on campus or in a classroom.

SAM is a Training Program that addresses bullying in our schools. Please let us know if you think this type of Training Program would be beneficial in mitigating bullying in your educational environment.

Bullying –physical, verbal and emotional — is present in schools, colleges, workplaces, healthcare facilities, law enforcement agencies, correctional agencies, state and federal agencies. All workplaces experience some form of bullying. Bullying is aggressive behavior.

MOAB — Management of Aggressive Behavior — founded by Roland W. Ouellette in 1983 to address and reduce violence in the workplace, has been used worldwide and proven effective in many diverse settings. Since its inception, more than 5,000 agencies have benefited from MOAB’s highly researched, state-of-the-art programs. SAM is rooted in the same sound principles of the highly acclaimed Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB®) program.

In 2006, the resulting tragedy of the Amish school shootings in Pennsylvania prompted Roland to turn his expertise specifically to the education community. Together with his daughter Ellen van Olden, former Vice President of MOAB® Training International and current President of SAM Training, LLC, created SAM Training, LLC to address the rising threat of violence, bulling, and active shooter risk directed at educators in classrooms and on campuses nationwide.

Violence in our schools is a modern reality that requires serious attention. SAM’s comprehensive curriculum stresses preparedness and prevention, empowering individuals with excellent verbal, nonverbal and physical skills to effectively respond to threatening and potentially violent encounters.

Training Objectives: The SAM program will teach individuals the techniques to resolve bulling conflicts decisively and diplomatically regardless of age, size or strength, providing valuable skills and strategies to prevent and diffuse aggressive behavior.
Participants in SAM’s program will:

Learn how to identify a potential problem by recognizing the warning signs and know when an attack is imminent;

Prepare mentally to allow for appropriate and automatic responses during various situations;

Learn how to manage the stages of conflict, anxiety as well as verbal and physical aggression.

Aggressive behavior can be effectively dealt with using the principles subscribed to by SAM. To find out more information on how SAM and the SAM Programs can help your school, please visit our website.

We had a very informative meeting yesterday and are pleased to hear that more and more resources are being dedicated to the issue of BULLYING. From the legislators to the teachers/students, bullying has moved from a “rite of passage” to ASSAULT. Fortunately, we live in a society that doesn’t permit assault and it is against the law to commit assault on another human being. All that said, it is important that we all are defining bullying properly. Here is a definition of bullying that is becoming commonplace:

Bullying means the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic communication (cyberbullying) or a physical act or gesture directed at another student attending school in the same school district that:

1. Causes physical or emotional harm to such student or damage to such student’s property;
2. Places such student in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself or of damage to his or her property;
3. Creates a hostile environment at school for such student;
4. Infringes on the rights of such student at school;
5. Susbstantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.

Bullying is based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristics, such as:

1. Religion
2. Race and color
3. Ancestry or national orgin
4. Gender, sexual orientation, gender indentity and expression
5. Socioeconomic or academic status
6. Physical appearance
7. Physical development or sensory disability.

Bullying is significant chronic disease in our society. It can lead to a significant loss of self esteem or possibly one’s life. We believe the SAM can make a difference around this very disturbing trend. SAM is specifically designed to address bullying: recognizing, descalation and physical restraint, if needed. Please take a look at the SAM website and give us a call if you believe it can help you with bullying in your school community.

Bullies should be aware and understand that all people have a breaking point. Their is a good chance, after a period of assults, that the child or adult that is bullied will snap and turn on the bully. The video below captures this moment where the bullied turns on the bully. It is also important to recognize that when the bullied snaps they often go into a fit of rage and have total disregard for the bully. The situation can become very combative, with the bullied losing touch with reality as they extract their “pound of flesh.”

Eleven years later there is still a debate about how much bullying played into what happened in Columbine. Many of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s writings indicated that they were ostracized and bullied at school. Unfortunately, their breaking point led to the deaths of thirteen people.

On September 8, 2010, New York State Govenor David Paterson signed the “Dignity for All Students Act”, which specifically bans harassment and discrimination against student based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, color, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion or disability, and requires New York State school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies. During the signing, the Govener recalled how he hit a classmate in the face with a metal lunch box after he repeatedly bullied him. He was suspended from recess for a month. Bullies beware — everyone has a breaking point.

At SAM Training, we are focused on the verbal and non-verbal cues associated with aggressive behavior. It is important for teachers and staff to understand body language and behavioral cues that suggest the beginning of aggressive behavior. SAM Training will help you to better recognize cues and provide solutions to address and ultimately diffuse aggressive behavior.

VIDEO: Chubby Kid Bodyslams Bully

Teachers and police will confront and deal with violent students regardless of age. This is important to know given that teachers are the victims of over 400,000 violent crimes each year (according to SERAPH, a specialized consulting and training firm). One of the biggest reasons for so many violent crimes in our schools is because of the culture in the United States. As a result of our culture and the way we are wired, approximately 20% of the population uses aggression as their primary form of communication. This aggressive behavior provides an outlet for them to express their desires, needs, wants, and frustrations. It is not the last but the first tool they turn to. (Dr. Turner, Violence in Medical Settings).

Assault is assault, regardless of age. The youngest person to kill a police officer was seven years old while the oldest was ninety-seven. In the video below, an eight year old boy in Lakeland, Florida was pepper sprayed by the police to prevent serious physical injury to teachers. Serious physical injury is classified as “Deadly Physical Force.” The police used reasonable physical force, which is the least amount of force they could use to rectify the situation. Frankly, they would have been justified in using a baton or taser in this case.

Video: Eight year old was pepper sprayed to diffuse his aggressive behavior in school

Teachers need to be able to manage aggressive behavior before the police arrive. SAM’s comprehensive training program provides educators, administrators, security personnel and students with the proper tools and knowledge to effectively address aggressive behavior, like bullying, and/or violent situations. It may be more important to understand non-verbal cues versus listening to verbal dialogue. SAM can help you better understand non-verbal communication.

Bullying has to be stopped in our schools and extra curricular activities. It is part of our culture (until recently) that has been treated as a “right of passage” as opposed to a “personal assult.” Now that it has been properly characterized it is time to address the disease with a cure.

Jon Carmichael committed suicide, in the barn, at his home in Cleburne, Texas. The acts of bullying were typical enough — Jon being thrown into a trash can on a weekly basis and head flushed in a toilet several times. The same sort of bullying that has been going on since the start of time, although manifesting itself differently given the environment and time period.

Once again the school district, The Joshua Independent School District, is raising its hands and saying we are aware of bullying in our school and we are addressing it. Well, the lawsuit filed by the Charmichael family will make sure that the administration and teachers hear it loud and clear — bullying is a disease and it needs to be addressed and treated with “real” training and solutions. The family’s attorney said that the family’s goal in issuing the lawsuit is to educate. “On the human level, the family wants what every family wants when they come to me in these kind of cases. They want to make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else.”

The tipping point for Jon was a heinous act of bullying, whereby he was stripped nude, tied up and again placed into a trashcan. The act of bullying was taped and uploaded to YouTube. Really . . . and the staff, teachers and fellow students have been trained to recognize bullying and properly address it?

SAM was created to help address Jon and all the other future victims of aggressive behavior in our school systems. It is time to make our school systems safer and a more secure, comfortable place for education and learning.

Since our email went out a week ago there has been another shooting involving a 22 year old student and his instructor. The student was upset and left the classroom and came back to the classroom with a semi-automatic gun and shot and killed his instructor. Would you have accurately assessed his non-verbal communication? Do you know what to do if you are confronted by an active shooter?

SAM Programs were developed to address this disheartening trend. SAM’s comprehensive curriculum addresses preparedness and prevention, empowering individuals with practical safety skills. These skills will allow an individual to deal with aggressive behavior, bullying, violence and an active shooter.

On March 17, 2011, SAM is holding a one-day Instructor course. The course is being held at the University of Hartford and will be taught by Roland Ouellette (Director of Training, SAM) and Mike Kaselouskas (University of Hartford). The course will provide the necessary skills and training to allow an Instructor to go back to their community and provide training to all those that may confront aggressive behavior.

Unfortunately, aggressive behavior in our schools is only going to get worse. Be prepared to address this trend — sign up today for SAM.

SAM Programs

The escalation of aggressive behavior and outright violence in our schools is alarming. Everyone is subject to a certain amount of risk: students, teachers, security and administration. Nationally, teachers are subject to over 400,000 violent crimes a year and students, ages 12 through 18, are subject to over 250,000 crimes a year.

SAM Training was developed to address this disheartening trend. SAM’s comprehensive curriculum addresses preparedness and prevention, empowering individuals with practical safety skills. These skills will allow an individual to deal with aggressive behavior, bullying, violence and an active shooter.

On March 17, 2011, SAM is holding a one-day Instructor course. The course is being held at University of Hartford and will be taught by Roland Ouellette (Director of Training, SAM) and Mike Kaselouskas (University of Hartford). The course will provide the necessary skills and training to allow an Instructor to go back to their community and provide training to all those that may confront aggressive behavior. For more information and details see below.

“He/she didn’t fit the profile.” Don’t let this be your excuse — let SAM (www.samprograms.com) teach you how to be proactive against this alarming trend.

Thank you.

Roland Ouellette
Director of Training
SAM Training, LLC
P.O. Box 970067
Coconut Creek, FL 33097
954-255-6300
www.samprograms.com

Students in middle school, high school and college should learn certain skills to deal with violent situations that they may encounter in their educational community. Over 80% of students will become victims of attempted or completed violent crimes (i.e., murder, robbery, rape, and/or aggravated assault) during their lifetime.

The “Bull’s-eye image” highlights what: 1) students must know (red); 2) students should know (yellow); 3) students may want to know (green).

MUST KNOW (Red):

1. How to mentally prepare themselves so they will respond automatically when confronted with various violent situations.

2. How to manage a situation whereby someone has put a gun or knife to his/her face.

3. What to do when they are in a classroom with an active shooter and there is no ability to escape.

4. How to mange a knife threat when they are cornered and can’t escape.

5. How to escape from a front choke hold.

6. How to escape from a wrist grab when the assailant is trying to pull them into a vehicle or off a jogging trail.

7. How to escape from a rear choke hold.

8. How to escape from a rear bear hug.

9. Understanding the nonverbal signals of assault that is imminent.

10. How to manage bullying.

SHOULD KNOW (Yellow):

1. How to read the non-verbal signals of a person who has decided to assault them.

2. How to read eye communications.

3. How to divert the focus of someone with a gun or knife.

4. How to manage an individual who is yelling or screaming at you.

NICE TO KNOW (Green):

1. Safety rules like: Not walking alone on campus at night.

2. Letting people know where you are going and how your going to get there.

3. Staying out of dark places.

4. Asking security to walk you to your car in a dark parking lot.

5. Keeping your dorm room locked.

6. Looking under and in the back seat of a car before entering.

Let the trainers at SAM teach you these skills so that you are prepared to address the potential risks associated with the BULL’S-EYE.