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.

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.

The video for the Panama City shooting is below — the board members who were shot at were all very lucky the weren’t harmed or possibly killed.  Our SAM program teaches the proper response to an active shooter situation so that in the event your luck runs out (with an inaccurate shooter) you may survive implementing the proper physical techniques.  (Note: trained police officers will miss 80% of their shots at the distance of the Panama City gunmen).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQMEqdKbyZs&feature=related]

The first thing to do when a gunman points a gun at you is to turn your body sideways. Look at the size of the target the gunman has when you’re facing him head on as opposed to the size of the target when you turn your body sideways. It’s about one-third the size. Turning your body protects your vital line: face, throat, heart, and lungs. The second thing to do is to put your hand over the ear that is facing the gunman. This will put your forearm in front of your neck and your hand will protect the ear and head.

In order to respond to this type of situation, it is critical to go through a mental conditioning exercise. Visualize someone pointing a gun at you, turn your body sideways and place your hand over the ear that is facing the gunman. Practice this exercise several times both on a physical and mental level.  This will change the neuron pathways of the brain and make you respond automatically in a situation like this.

Additionally, there were several opportunities to disarm the gunman. The SAM program teaches the principles of disarming people with guns, knives and other weapons. The techniques, based on these principles, are effective regardless of age, strength or size of the aggressor.

Go to SAM Training for more information.

We had a blog post last week which described the Wisconsin classroom hostage drama and the associated non-verbal skills that may have been overlooked by school authorities.  This post provides an overview of the principles taught at SAM to deal with the disarmament of an individual like Sam Hengel.

Sam Hengel is the 15-year-old Wisconsin student, who took his teacher and twenty-four classmates hostage at gunpoint for five hours.  He later shot and killed himself as police responded.

The hostages in that classroom were extremely fortunate that the gunman wasn’t of the mindset to kill his student hostages before taking his own life.  Besides trying to verbally support and de-escalate the situation what else could those hostages have done?  Is disarming an armed subject a viable option?  Although attempting to disarm anyone should only be used as a last resort, there were likely several opportunities for the hostages to disarm and control the distraught student.

Disarmament is based on several principles; principle of reactionary time (how long it takes the brain to react), principle of distractions (body language, objects, movement, verbalization) and principle of center (where our power is located). As complicated and as dangerous as it may sound, disarmament can be done safely and effectively by an 8 or 80-year-old. In order to successfully disarm another we must first plan on a course of action so when the window appears we act instinctively and decisively.  Therefore, our most effective and dangerous weapon we possess during conflict is our mind!

The SAM program teaches the principles associated with disarming people with guns and knives. SAM techniques are based on principles rather than physical strength and are effective regardless of age or size of the aggressor or potential victim.