Educational Psychology Case Study This is a group assignment done in my Educational Psychology class.

We, as a group, did a case study of a boy, named Pierre, who bullied the other children in class. He would act out violently and all the other students in the class were afraid of him. We made a plan to deal with his violence issue and to help him feel included in the class. Group Members: Spencer, Amy, Kaitlyn, Dani Group 2: Case 4 Group Assignment Breakdown 1. Causes Pierres home life could be a reason for his acting out in class. This child could have neglecting or authoritative parents, which would cause him to lash out in class and bully other students. Aggressive children tend to believe that violence will be rewarded, and they use aggression to get what they want. They are more likely to believe that violent retaliation is acceptable.(Ch.3- educational psychology) In addition, violence that is shown in the media and in video games might be influencing Pierres view on what behaviors are appropriate- Banduras experiment with the Bobo doll is a good example of this. Pierre might also be seeking attention because he doesnt get enough at home. If he doesnt feel safe, confident, or accepted (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs) he may act out. He might also have a false sense of empowerment or control over his situation because he scares the other children. He may be lacking skills to express himself and his needs: instead of handling situations with a cool temper, he immediately blows up. He could also have trouble judging other peoples intentions. Lastly, the teacher may not be responding calmly to the violence, so Pierre might think its okay to act out violently. Teachers should be presenting themselves in a non-violent way when dealing with escalated situations. 2. Action Plan SLO: Pierre will learn peaceful ways to interact with his classmates. 1) Have consistent consequences to Pierres behavior. Rationale: Discourage the belief that violent acts will go unpunished by creating consistent responses to Pierres behavior. Pierre needs to know exactly what is expected of him behaviorally and what the consequences will be if he doesnt. Some possible consequences will be: verbal reprimands, give choices ( go get a drink to calm down or go to the office: these can change as he gets less violent) 2) Investigate extenuating circumstances (home life) Rationale: Have an informal chat with him to see if he is willing to talk about what his life is like at home. Then, get in touch with other teachers or counselors to see if they are aware of any issues. If possible, get in touch with his parents (conferences, phone call) to see if there is anything that can be addressed at home, or if they are willing to help Pierre improve his behavior toward his classmates.

3) Help Pierre become a better judge of others intentions. Rationale: We want to help Pierre understand that not everything his classmates do is a personal attack. We can teach these skills by engaging in role play, participating in group discussions of personal experiences, interpreting social cues from photographs, playing pantomime games, making videos and writing endings to unfinished stories. (Educational Psychology, pg 75). Having the appropriate behaviors modeled in the classroom, and giving Pierre chances to try them out (and fix them if he does it wrong) when a situation arises is another important part of the learning process. This should be done in a class setting so that all students improve in this area and Pierre doesnt feel singled out. 4) Give Pierre another outlet to let out his frustration. Rationale: Brainstorm with Pierre about options that help him to calm down when he feels like he is likely to hurt someone. These might include: leaving the class to get a drink/go for a walk, reading a book away from the other students, going out to the playground for a few minutes (if possible), or using a stress ball or other fidget tools. 5) Facilitate Inclusion of Pierre in class to rebuild relationships with classmates. Rationale: Pierres bullying in the past has socially isolated him from his classmates, and we need to provide opportunities for him to repair or create relationships with others. Steps to this might be having Pierre apologize and make amends for his past actions, providing mediated opportunities for including him in class projects, in games, and at recess. Reflection: This plan, if successful, will create a more positive learning environment where students are no longer scared or fighting, and everyone respects each other. It could have been prevented in the first place by having a defined plan for reacting to violent students, which might have prevented it escalating into an everyday occurrence. The teacher could have modeled nonviolent behaviors and made behavioral expectations clear to students. Teachers might also have created a good relationship with parents from the earliest instances of the inappropriate behaviors, instead of only calling them when things get out of control. The student, his parents, any associated teachers, and the administration should all be aware of this plan because bullying is a very serious issue, not only for the bully but for the bullied as well. If everyone is informed of the process, it could be implemented with other students with bullying behaviors as well.