1

Keystone: Crisis Prevention Plan

The counseling department in your school has been asked to develop a crisis
prevention plan. You also know other key school members should be included in the
writing of the plan and you can choose to work with one other person or by yourself.
      The proposed plan must include the following headings:

1. a) Data: include data that shows the need for crisis prevention plan;
2. b) Identification of students who are at-risk: the process used to help
faculty and staff to identify those students who are at risk for aggressive
or violent behavior;
3. c) Prevention plan goals: the goal(s) for the crisis prevention plan and the
ASCA National Standards for School Counseling Programs that align
with your goals
4. d) Community engagement and developmental assets: a discussion as to
how developmental assets could be used for community engagement;
5. e) Prevention and intervention strategies: Specific prevention and
intervention strategies including your bully prevention plan (note:
discuss bully prevention plan, but do not include the lessons). Other
ideas will come from class and your research.
6. f) Stakeholder involvement: strategies to involve all stakeholders in your
school to ensure buy in and participation in the crisis prevention plan;
and,
7. h) Evaluation methods: a data driven evaluation to monitor progress and
success. Your evaluation of your bullying lessons can be included in this
section, but you will need to also include how you will evaluate the
entire program.

 
Use current research (6-8 citations) to introduce the problem statement and to convince
your school colleagues why this is important. Include knowledge and skills learned from
class discussion and instruction.  Minimum of 6-8 pages double-spaced plus appendix
items in APA style. Submit to Canvas via Turnitin and the plan should be uploaded to
TaskStream. 
 
Keystone: Personal Reflection : This reflection is a way for you to convey what you
learned from the experience while developing a school wide crisis prevention program.
 

1. Content (Information): What have you learned about developing and

implementing a crisis prevention plan?
 2

2. Application (Outcome): How may you apply your learning? How may this
experience connect to your role in the schools?

 
The grade for your personal analysis will represent the degree to which you can
communicate a basic understanding of practical applications, barriers, opportunities, and
your personal insights. This part of the assignment should be 2-3 pages included at the
end of your Keystone (after evaluation section, before the references). 

Answer:
 3

Crisis Prevention Plan

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course Number: Course Name

Professor’s Name

Date
 4

Crisis Prevention Plan

Schools are meant to promote self-development, exploration, and learning. Crises,

including mass violence events, student death, or natural disaster, disrupt this purpose. Non-

profits, government organizations, and communities have introduced different measures to create

and maintain a safe school environment for students (Sokol et al., 2021). Nonetheless, crises still

occur. Hence, schools must be actively involved in prevention efforts to promote student safety.

School counselors cannot help prevent all forms of crises. For instance, they cannot prevent

natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes. However, they can help reduce suicide cases

and other forms of violence perpetrated by students. This paper focuses on bullying prevention

as a measure to improve safety within the school environment.

Bullying refers to aggressive behavior towards others with lesser power. The problem is

highly prevalent in schools and online spaces. School counselors have a moral and ethical

obligation to create a safe learning environment for all students. Therefore, they must implement

bullying prevention programs to minimize the problem, help victims and perpetrators to reduce

its prevalence and associated mental and behavioral challenges, and support laws against

bullying.

Data

At least 20% of the total student population of ages 12-18 in America has experienced

bullying (Stopbullying.gov, 2021). Most bullying cases in school occur in hallways (43.4%),

classrooms (42.1%), cafeterias (26.8%), and bathroom or locker rooms (12.1%)

(Stopbullying.gov, 2021). Some students experience physical bullying, while others experience it

in other forms, including threats, being made fun of, insulted, and called names, being excluded,

and their property being destroyed. Others have experienced bullying in cyberspaces. According
 5

to Stopbullying.gov (2021), at least 15% of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying online or

via text during the 2019/2020 school year. Unfortunately, not all victims report bullying cases.

According to a survey cited on Stopbullying.gov (2021), only about 46% of victims notified their

parents or an adult. Therefore, a bullying prevention plan is necessary to ensure that students are

not exposed to bullying, and if they are, they feel empowered to report to school counselors,

teachers, parents, and other adults or their peers.

Identification of Students Who are at Risk

A study by Merrill and Hanson (2016) revealed that being bullied in online spaces and on

school property was strongly associated with mental health problems, being overweight,

substance abuse, having asthma, and playing video games for at least three hours a day. This

shows that people with physical or behavioral challenges are more likely to experience bullying.

Other individuals at risk of bullying include English language learners (ELLs), homeless

students, and those with disabilities or cognitive challenges. On the other hand, some of the main

causes of bullying include peer pressure, problems at home, prejudices, having more power than

others, and popularity are some of the reasons why students bully others (Gordon, 2021). It is

important to help at-risk students since bullying can have various short-term and long-term

impacts on victims. For instance, persistent bullying can lead to increased feelings of isolation,

rejection, depression, exclusion, and despair and can contribute to suicidal behavior

(Stopbullying.com, 2021). Besides, it can increase the risk of school dropout and absenteeism.

Focusing on helping victims can help minimize the risk of these problems. On the other hand,

helping bullies change their behavior can minimize bullying, thereby creating a safe school

environment for all students.

 6

Prevention Plan Goals

This prevention plan aims to create awareness about bullying, reduce bullying cases, and

encourage victims to report to adults. Several strategies will be used to achieve this goal. One is

examining the school climate and culture to identify any factors that promote bullying. The other

is creating an inclusive school community by providing special attention and support to at-risk

groups. Also, there will be increased access to counseling services for victims and perpetrators to

help them overcome the harmful impacts of bullying and prevent its prevalence. Finally, multiple

stakeholders, including parents, teachers, school counselors, other school staff, and students, will

be involved in collaborative efforts to identify at-risk students, increase reporting, and implement

solutions to reduce bullying. Bystanders and those who witness bullying can make a difference if

they choose to report or intervene. Additionally, adult involvement can significantly reduce

bullying cases, especially by talking to children about bullying (Stopbullying.gov, 2021). Hence,

the involvement of multiple stakeholders is necessary for the success of the bullying prevention

plan.

ASCA Standards and Position on School Suicide and Violence Prevention

ASCA’s position on bullying and harassment prevention is that school counselors must

recognize the impact of a safe, caring, and orderly environment on student achievement and

social-emotional well-being (ASCA, 2016). As a result, they must promote that kind of

environment by promoting anti-bullying and other efforts to prevent violence within the school,

including positive behavior interventions and effective conflict resolution (ASCA, 2016).

Therefore, this bullying prevention plan aligns with ASCA's position and rationale.

Besides, the plan aligns with mindsets M4 and M5 of the ASCA School Counselor

Professional Standards & Competencies. M4 states, “Every student should have access to a
 7

school counseling program,” while M5 states, “Effective school counseling is a collaborative

process involving school counselors, students, families, teachers, administrators, other school

staff, and education stakeholders” (American School Counselor Association, 2019).

Community Engagement and Developmental Assets

Developmental assets such as family support, positive family communication, a caring

school climate, and parental involvement in schooling can help improve community engagement

in bullying prevention. For example, in a safe school climate, relationships between students,

teachers, and other parties in the school are not tense. Similarly, parental involvement in school

can help increase their participation in the bullying prevention program. For instance, involved

parents attend parent-teacher conferences, learn about their children’s well-being at school, and

maintain open communication with teachers and school counselors. Therefore, they can easily

report if their children experience bullying in school. Additionally, they can take part in

educating their children on the dangers of bullying their peers.

Empowerment development assets such as safety can also minimize bullying and

victimization. A community that values safety will engage in activities to prevent anything that

may cause harm to children and adolescents. Therefore, they are more likely to engage in

bullying prevention efforts. Additionally, the community will promote assets such as caring,

honesty, responsibility, and restraints, which can be instrumental in creating a safe school

environment for students. Hence, developmental assets are crucial for promoting community

engagement. A school counselor can capitalize on them by identifying the positive values

promoted in the community and incorporating them into crisis prevention.

 8

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

The main bullying prevention strategies included in the plan are identifying the specific

factors that the persistence of bullying within or outside the school and how they are interlinked

with the school culture, creating awareness about bullying and its impacts, increasing reporting,

and providing counseling for victims and perpetrators. Some behaviors may be normalized

among students. Additionally, some may have biases against others. For instance, some students

may discriminate against others based on their physical or cognitive ability or English

competence. An extensive of the school culture can help identify how school counselors and

teachers dealt with such problems in the past and whether there are existing invisible structures

that support their existence. On the other hand, creating awareness can help students understand

bullying, why it is unacceptable, and how they can seek help if they experience the problem

(Stopbullying.gov, 2019). Additionally, teaching them to respect others, pursue their hobbies to

boost their confidence, and maintain safety within the school can help prevent bullying

(Stopbullying.gov, 2019). Hence, the two strategies can help identify problems associated with

the persistence of bullying and minimize its prevalence.

As mentioned earlier, offering counseling services to victims of bullying and perpetrators

is necessary to help the former overcome the negative impacts of bullying and reduce the

prevalence of bullying. Perpetrators may not stop bullying others if they do not understand its

consequences on others and their image and why they should not bully others. Therefore, it is

necessary for them to receive guidance through counseling programs. On the victim’s side, the

effects of bullying may continue into adulthood (Stopbullying.gov, 2021). Additionally, they can

affect their academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. Therefore, they need school

counselors’ help. Finally, increased reporting can ensure that school counselors and teachers can
 9

identify at-risk students and bullies so they can intervene appropriately. The inclusion of

teachers, parents, students, and school staff is necessary since they can help identify victims and

perpetrators and report them.

Stakeholder Involvement

The key stakeholders involved in the bullying prevention plan are students, teachers,

school counselors, parents, and, sometimes, school resource officers. School administrators,

including the board of directors and the principal, will also be included. Collaboration among the

above stakeholders is necessary to achieve significant success. School counselors will investigate

the causes of bullying and recommend reliable interventions. They will also offer the required

leadership and communication for the program's success. Additionally, they will collaborate with

the administrator to design policies, a Code of Conduct, and other measures to minimize

bullying. Similarly, their collaboration with students, teachers, and parents can help increase

awareness and the reporting of bullying in and outside the school. For instance, teachers will be

encouraged to integrate information about bullying and the value of its prevention in their

bullying practice.

Each of the above stakeholders has a unique role. However, the contributions of each one

of them can lead to the overall success of the bullying prevention plan. Therefore, the school

counselor in charge of the program will put effort into obtaining significant support.

Evaluation Methods

The success of the bullying prevention program will be assessed by evaluating the

reduction in school-based and online bullying perpetration and changes in the rates cases are

reported to parents, school counselors, and teachers. The implementation of policies to prevent

bullying and their impacts will also be considered. The data collection methods to be used will
 10

include online surveys and questionnaires sent to various stakeholders. Feedback will also be

collected from students, parents, teachers, and other school counselors to help improve the

bullying prevention program.

 11

Personal Reflection

All students deserve to have a safe learning environment. Unfortunately, factors such as

bullying, school violence, discrimination, tension between students and teachers, suicide,

cyberbullying, gang violence, fights, and sexual violence can affect the school climate, affecting

students’ academic goals. Therefore, school counselors need to be able to identify the risk factors

for such crises and implement interventions that can help minimize their prevalence. I researched

different crises, including bullying, mass violence, and suicide, and realized that they require

solid intervention strategies. Working on this prevention plan gave me the know-how to develop

others to create a safe school climate for my students.

Content

While developing my plan, I realized that not all bullying prevention strategies work. For

instance, most schools implement zero-tolerance policies, but they are not always effective.

Hence, it is important to review existing policies and identify their weaknesses to improve them.

Another important lesson I learned when developing the bullying prevention plan is that

whenever there is a problem, it is important to investigate its roots; this can lead to better

solutions. Additionally, I realized that the effectiveness of a program heavily relies on the

availability of data and stakeholder collaboration. Therefore, it is important to encourage the

participation of students, teachers, parents, the school administration, and other stakeholders in

preventive measures. Besides, they are all sources of information that can be used to ensure the

program's success and improve its effectiveness.

Application

When developing future crisis prevention and management interventions, I will first aim

to improve the existing measures and replace those that are ineffective. Additionally, I will use a
 12

bottom-up approach. I will investigate the factors linked to the problem and develop solutions

that address them in order to create an environment that does not favor its existence. For

instance, if there are certain traditions within a school that lead to bullying, I will work with

other stakeholders to eliminate them to end bullying instead of directly countering bullying first.

Secondly, I will conduct extensive research on the problem through internet sources and by

gathering information from different parties within the school. For instance, when creating an

intervention on suicide prevention, I will use suicide prevention data available on the internet

and consult other school counselors, teachers, and parents to ensure that the program is relevant

to the school population. Another approach I will use is the involvement of multiple stakeholders

in the program design, implementation, evaluation, and improvement stages. Information

gathered from each stakeholder through various data collection methods can be helpful in

ensuring that a program achieves its goals. Furthermore, I will ensure I continually analyze

collected data to reveal patterns that may suggest the need for new interventions. As a result, the

crisis prevention management plan implemented will always be up-to-date with the current

environment.

Conclusively, learning to develop a crisis will be instrumental in helping me create a safe

school environment for my students. I learned the importance of acquiring enough data from

various sources, investigating the cause of a problem before designing its solution, and involving

multiple stakeholders in designing interventions, implementing them, and continually improving

them. I will employ these strategies when designing crisis prevention plans in the future.

Additionally, I will continually evaluate implemented interventions to investigate the need for

newer approaches to ensure they work as intended.

 13

References

American School Counselor Association (2019). ASCA School Counselor Professional

Standards & Competencies. Alexandria, VA: Author.

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a8d59c2c-51de-4ec3-a565-a3235f3b93c3/SC-

Competencies.pdf

ASCA. (2016). The school counselor and the promotion of safe schools through conflict

resolution and anti-bullying/harassment prevention. American School Counselor

Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/

ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-the-Promotion-of-Safe-Sch

Gordon, S. (2021, February 4). 8 reasons why bullies engage in hurtful behavior. Verywell

Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/reasons-why-teens-bully-others-460532

Merrill, R. M., & Hanson, C. L. (2016). Risk and protective factors associated with being bullied

on school property compared with cyberbullied. BMC Public

Health, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-2833-3

Sokol, R. L., Heinze, J., Doan, J., Normand, M., Grodzinski, A., Pomerantz, N., Scott, B. A.,

Gaswirth, M., & Zimmerman, M. (2021). Crisis interventions in schools: A systematic

review. Journal of School Violence, 20(2), 241-

260. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2021.1879098

StopBullying.gov. (2019, December 5). How to prevent

bullying. https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/how-to-prevent-bullying

Stopbullying.gov. (2021). Facts about bullying. https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts