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When detention monitors say there’s hardly anyone in detention anymore, the school must be doing something right.

It’s been about 10 years since Columbia Falls Junior High adopted the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, and principal Dave Wick says the program has made a world of difference.

The program is backed by over 35 years of research. It was developed in Norway in response to increasing teenage suicide rates, and focuses on making school a safe and positive place.

Shari Johnson, the junior high counselor, is the site coordinator for the Olweus program. Both Johnson and Wick have worked at the school since before the program was adopted, and they’ve noticed a significant change, especially since the elementary schools also started using the program six years ago.

“We try to build a culture in our school in which we do not tolerate bullying, and we empower students to stand up for themselves and their friends if they encounter bullying,” principal Kathi Yanamura said.

Bullying, according to the program, is unwanted, intentional behavior that is repeated over time, with a definite imbalance of power. The program’s steps for students are, “We will not bully others. We will try to help students who are bullied. We will try to include students who are left out. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.”

At the elementary schools, teachers meet with the parents of both the bully and the victim, and use a leveled behavior chart to evaluate the severity of the offense. Consequences for bullying may range from warnings to loss of recess to expulsion.

Ruder principal Brenda Krueger is particularly troubled by the effects of social media on family culture.

“Kids unfortunately are living in a world today where adults are not modeling nice behavior,” she said.

As an antidote, she noted, teachers try to provide examples of what kindness looks like.

And because the Olweus program is utilized at the elementary level, Wick, Johnson, and the rest of the junior high staff can expand their anti-bullying goals.

Every other Wednesday is set aside for Olweus lessons that are tailored to each grade level. For example, the eight-graders spend time learning about relationships, boundaries, and “pre-dating.”

The junior high also has “mix-it-up days” at lunch, when students are randomly assigned lunch tables away from their normal companions. The staff makes efforts to reward “upstanders,” those who stand up for others against any form of bullying.

Still, some family members periodically express concern about their kids. Local grandmother Alice Crawford started a Facebook discussion about bullying in early May to seek help and advice for her grandson, who was allegedly being severely bullied and physically abused at the junior high. She received an array of suggestions, and input from those who had and those who hadn’t experienced bullying at the schools.

Bullying is a part of human nature, Wick noted, and he tries to see both sides of every case.

“I tell every parent at open house time that we cannot eradicate bullying,” he said.

Staff can’t address cyberbullying or anything else that occurs outside the school setting.

But they do their best to deal with incidents when they do happen.

“Our role in this kind of thing is life coaching stuff,” Wick said.

Johnson agreed.

“We spend a lot of time giving hugs and reassuring kids that they’re normal and we like them,” she added.

Because the staff helps students recover from the pain of bullying, Wick has seen a positive upswing in junior high academics since the Olweus program was implemented. If students have hurt feelings, it’s harder for them to focus on classwork, he explained.

Luckily, the elementary and junior high schools’ anti-bullying efforts still resonate with high school students.

With the Olweus program used throughout the younger grades, Columbia Falls High School principal Scott Gaiser finds that his students are generally more aware of and sensitive to bullying.

But with hundreds of students in one building, bullying is going to happen, Gaiser noted.

According to Gaiser, the biggest problem at the high school is that the administration usually doesn’t know when bullying is happening. Students may be afraid to tell staff because they’re concerned about retaliation from the bully.

“That’s what we battle sometimes is that perception,” he said. “That’s why it’s important to address it and keep lines of communication open.”

Kindness, compassion, and tolerance are paramount, Gaiser said, echoing the principles emphasized in the junior high and elementaries.

“We encourage kids to empower themselves. They’re speaking for themselves and they’re speaking for others as well,” he explained.

Even the chief of police Clint Peters is impressed with the bullying policies in the district. He noted that concerned parents or students can speak with police about bullying if they wish, but the police will work hand in hand with the schools.

“I’m proud of the programs our schools have in place,” he said. “I get to see that firsthand as a parent.”

And the district superintendent Steve Bradshaw agrees.

“To me, it’s one of the better programs in the country,” he noted. “Our principals do a heck of a job trying to get to the bottom of a situation.”

Bradshaw sees the Olweus program as representative of a cultural evolution in anti-bullying policy.

“From when I started to today, there’s been a world of change in what schools do to negate bullying,” he explained.

Rather than point fingers and place blame, the superintendent and principals try to work as a team with the students and parents.

“It’s more about trying to get the message to all students that we care about each other,” Bradshaw said. “Kids are good and if we give them enough love, we’ll get them through.”