The CirclePoint Method: Practical and Integrated Mechanisms for Preventing and Resolving Bullying Issues in Schools

The CirclePoint Method describes a set of ten integrated mechanisms that enable educators to effectively and efficiently prevent and resolve bullying issues in schools. The mechanisms are designed to address bullying problems in ways that result in personal growth for the students involved and to account for what harmed students need in terms of healing and avoiding future bullying. The mechanisms are easy to implement, save educators significant time, and are designed to allow educators to resolve bullying issues while maintaining compliance with district-mandated policies.

The unique mechanisms of the Method include:

- Constructive Consequences: a direct replacement for punitive discipline, this mechanism is highly effective at stopping bullying with no risk of retaliation by the aggressor and saves administrators significant time by eliminating the need for lengthy investigations and parent meetings

- Chain of Custody Awareness: provides an incentive for aggressors to change their behavior and ensures targets feel safe while allowing educators to focus only on the aggression that require monitoring

- Classroom Strategies: describes ways that teachers can effect positive change and prevent bullying among their students, improving the learning environment

- Education: a comprehensive education on bullying for educators to eliminate myths and misinformation and provide a clear explanation for the drivers of bullying behaviors and the harm caused to targets

- Target Support: a five-step framework that all educators can learn for providing support to bullied students to help them heal, reverse the harm caused by the bullying, and empower them to deal more effectively with future aggression

- Removal of Barriers to Reporting: concrete steps educators can take to eliminate the reasons why students don't report bullying so administrators will know about the bullying issues in their schools

When applied with fidelity, the mechanisms allow educators to resolve bullying issues quickly and create a safe school environment. The Method results in outcomes that are satisfactory to all involved, including parents. Over time, the mechanisms should transform the school environment to make bullying less accepted by students. Additional related resources educate and empower parents and students, resulting in a whole school community working in partnership to ensure that all students have a positive educational experience.