Urban Tech's Dignity for All (DFA) program, launched in 2017, assists teachers and parents to reduce bullying and discrimination. It embodies eight principles frequently associated with trauma-informed care: emotional and physical safety, trustworthiness and transparency, empowerment, peer support, collaboration, and cultural, historical, and gender issues.
DFA is based on research and findings in neuroscience and attachment theory to help students develop social and emotional skills to respond to social isolation, anxiety, and depression, leading to school avoidance and lower academic achievement.
The DFA program includes:
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Lessons from experts on how to detect patterns of bullying and how to prevent bullying behavior
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Animated scenarios which highlight bullying behavior and educate students on what bullying might look like in their school
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Opportunities for students to reflect on their encounters with bullying and to understand their experiences
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Games and video clips that entertain and engage students throughout the learning process
Urban Tech leads professional development sessions to guide teachers in the DFA curriculum and support their efforts to intervene and defuse potential bullying episodes. Parents have an opportunity to participate as a co-equal branch of learning at home. DFA connects schools with homes and law enforcement agencies using mobile digital tools that are operational 24/7 and provides all program partners the ability to share information and work together to address learning loss and safety issues.
Schools implementing DFA are seeing improved skills in empathic listening and restorative inquiry as well as a decrease in incidents of bullying as quickly as in six weeks.
Victimization rates declined - falling from 23. 0 percent to 17.9 percent, which is lower than the national rates for students in grades six and seven.
These schools are creating a culture of diversity, inclusion and racial justice in their classrooms and students are becoming active participants in fostering respect and understanding among their peers and
school staff.
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