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Bullying-Acceptance-Self Worth-Self -Advocacy

This group is for students in middle school and high school who have or are dealing with bullying. They will learn how to identify bullying and learn techniques to move them through a healing process of accepting and loving themselves for who they are, learning their self worth and learning strategies for self advocacy that won’t make them a target to further bullying.

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The following mindset behaviors for students will be met by participation in this group:

M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well being.

M2: Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment.

Reference:
American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Students Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

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Our groups will remain small, no more than 5 students per group. In order to participate in our sessions, students will need to have permission from a parent/guardian. The informed consent includes details for the group plus contact information. It is very important to have this completed as soon as the counselors provide this for you. A form will be mailed home as well.

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In order to get the B.A.S.S. Counseling group started, I will present my action plan to administrators. I will request to have a short segment at the soonest staff meeting to stress the importance of this group and how it can benefit the students if we can properly identify the kids that need the assistance. Teachers will then be provided with a google link to provide feedback on students who may be well served. Students will also be given a form to provide their own name only if they feel like this group would be beneficial to them. Once students are identified, they will be grouped into age specific/need specific groups and talked to personally. Parents will be notified with a letter for consent and a number provided to call with questions and concerns.

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B.A.S.S. Group will consist of boys and girls ranging from 6th grade to 12th grade who have all been referred to the group by staff, asked to be in the group through a confidential survey form and who all have common needs with bullying and learning to self-advocate. Groups will be very carefully built in order to provide the safest and most comfortable dynamics for each student.
Stage 1: Group members will begin the group with creating the guidelines and group rules. This is an important piece to build positive dynamics in the group and to help cultivate a culture of respect and confidentiality in the group. Students will be given the opportunity to share what is important to them and what they expect from the peers in the group. We will discuss heavily the importance of confidentiality and how that looks. We will also prepare students to know how to handle a situation in the case that confidentiality has been broken and steps that can be taken to regain trust.
Stage 2: One goal of this group is to not only learn how to create a positive self image but also to life each other up and be a rock for the other group members as some of the sessions could vary in levels of intensity and sensitivity. We will spend a great deal of time learning positive statements for ourselves as well as positive statements to give others in the group. Each session will begin with progress journaling where students have their own journals and they input information about the time between sessions. Was there a situation where they struggled that they are proud of how they handled it? Was there a situation where they struggled and they need advice on how to handle it differently in the future? Are they seeing themselves as having more positive thoughts and conversations than negative?
Stage 3: All students are welcome to come to the office and speak at anytime they are in need. However, we do understand that middle school students struggle with this due to the stigma it may place on them or the activities they may miss by coming to visit. After the initial 6 sessions are completed, each group will be followed up with on a monthly basis. This time will be shorter, 20 minutes, but the members will do a progress journal entry as well as group discussion. Upon leaving, they will complete an exit ticket that is pre-printed with scaled statements. This exit ticket will be the guiding factor on if the student needs to be pulled for more intensive sessions.

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Sections 33.003 and 33.004 of the education code requires parent/guardian consent and involvement by keeping the parents updated on content and supplies presented in the group. Before the B.A.S.S. Group begins, parents will sign a consent form which include important details. We will also have a parent meeting with the group participants to go over details and inform parents what their part in the group will be.

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Transformational leadership style will be the most beneficial for my students. Each meeting is focused on all positivity, even the moments that we are talking about a bullying situation directly. Each student will have the expectation to participate and expand the positivity.

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Our group is based on trust and relationship building and in order to successfully do this, we must utilize a common system of rules and guidelines for our sessions. Each member will have input and say in the ground rules and guidelines of this group. Page 26 will be used as a guide that the members will be shown, but ultimately, each group will create their own set of rules and guidelines specific to them. We fully believe that having the ownership of creating these positive behaviors with the peers in the group will begin a path to trust.

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In the ASCA Code of Ethics, statute A.9.a discussion group participant screening. All members of the B.A.S.S. Group will be identified by staff or they will submit their own name in a confidential survey as a possible candidate for the group. Once they are identified, participants will meet with counselors to determine their eligibility for group participation.

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Teachers will then be provided with a google link to provide feedback on students who may be well served. Students will also be given a form to provide their own name only if they feel like this group would be beneficial to them. Once students are identified, they will be grouped into age specific/need specific groups and talked to personally. Parents will be notified with a letter for consent and a number provided to call with questions and concerns.

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Throughout this group, students will experience one or multiple of Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors. Universality is one factor that they are likely to experience. As we listen to our peers and talk about our situations, students will begin to understand that there are other kids dealing with the same type of situation, even if not in the exact manner. Another factor they will experience is direct advice. One of the primary goals of B.A.S.S. Is to provide group members advice directed at their situation on how to handle and overcome where they are. Students will be encouraged to not only give input but also receive the input. As students go through the B.A.S.S. Group, they will be able to relate to other peers and form relationships with them as they learn they are not alone.

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America Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Counseling.org/ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Students Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Center for Parents Information and Resources. (n.d.). [Self advocacy and skill building]. Best Practices in Self-Advocacy Skill Building. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/priority-selfadvocacy/

Cherry, K. (2023). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks (A. Morin & A. Johnson, Eds.). Verywellmind: Personality Psychology. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Geoghegan, C. (2001). Identity_and_self_esteem [PDF]. https://www.pdst.ie/sites/default/files/Identity_and_Self_Esteem.pdf. https://www.pdst.ie/sites/default/files/Identity_and_Self_Esteem.pdf

Miller, E. (2010). Self-advocacy: An essential skill. Rehabilitation Nursing, 35(2), 46. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2048-7940.2010.tb00030.x

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Rogers, & O., J. (2005). Texas education code 2005. Rogers Pub & Consulting Inc.

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

Wang, J., Iannotti, R. J., & Nansel, T. R. (2009). School bullying among adolescents in the united states: Physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(4), 368–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.03.021