Develop and implement a policy and/or advocacy plan

During the Advanced Social Policy (SOCW 609) class, we had a group project to reintroduce a policy that had failed legislation. Our group chose Tennessee SB0916m which addresses how bullies are handled in a school setting and using our social work skills of policy advocacy and our social work skills of research and analysis, we added an amendment for restorative justice as well. Using our social work value of social justice, we wrote our paper titled “Reintroduction of Tennessee Senate Bill 916/House Bill 1165 with a Restorative Justice Amendment”.  We used the cognitive process of understanding and the affective process of organization. We used the theoretical frameworks of trauma informed practice and restorative justice to guide our advocacy for this piece of legislation. Below is an excerpt of our advocacy plan from this paper.

The full paper can be viewed here.

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Advocacy Plan

Focus and Target Population

The focus of this policy is the Tennessee state legislature. One of the intended
beneficiaries of this policy would be students. Both victims and bullies would benefit from a safer and more supportive school environment. The victims of bullying would receive support, healing, and resolution, while bullies are given a chance to learn from their actions and reform.  Another beneficiary would be the teachers and staff at the schools because they would be given the tools to address bullying more effectively should our legislation pass and these measures be put into place. Parents and guardians would also benefit knowing that their children are attending school in an environment that is proactively addressing bullying issues. The community would also benefit from this legislation. Some ways they would benefit is that the restorative justice measures would be a proactive way to reform potential future criminals.

Advocacy Strategies

Research and successful precedents in states that have enacted legislation addressing bullying and integrating restorative justice highlight a predominant focus on education in their advocacy strategies. California, for instance, implemented restorative justice practices in schools, with districts receiving federal Safe and Supportive Schools funding being encouraged to utilize grants for this purpose (Fronius et al., 2019). The emphasis was on enhancing school climate and minimizing reliance on punitive responses to student misbehavior, encompassing issues such as bullying, vandalism, and harassment.

A strategic approach for any social policy advocacy campaign involves developing a plan to convincingly engage the target audience in the desired campaign outcomes and assess the effectiveness of the efforts. Anti-bullying advocates face the challenge of defining a framework to guide their advocacy initiatives. Given that lobbying can be resource-intensive, especially for groups with limited resources, it is essential to establish a clear path for moving forward when recognizing the need for a more effective policy approach that is likely to yield superior results.

Another effective strategy approach in garnering support for policies involves the
strategic communication and presentation of quantitative evidence highlighting their
effectiveness (Reynolds et al., 2018). As evidenced by the comprehensive study conducted by Reynolds et al., (2018), the articulation of numerical data pertaining to the efficacy of a specific policy not only imparts crucial information but also induces an elevation in participants’ perceptions regarding the policy’s efficacy in addressing the central issue. It is clear from this noticeable improvement in participants’ perceptions how important it is to use quantitative evidence as a persuasive tool when arguing for policy support. As a result, careful dissemination of empirical data can act as a powerful stimulant to encourage a more positive response to policy among various stakeholders.

According to Britton (2018), leveraging community engagement is recommended for influencing public policy. This study identifies six engagement strategies for non-profit organizations to effectively involve low-income individuals and communities. Firstly, active community involvement and the acquisition of community knowledge are crucial for seamless information exchange and relationship-building. Demonstrating commitment and capacity is equally vital to acknowledge and prioritize community engagement for public policy advocacy.

Moreover, providing decision-making roles emerges as a potent engagement strategy. Specifically in the context of SB0916/HB1165, granting decision-making roles to those with personal insights into the impact of bullying not only diversifies the policymaking process but also deepens the understanding of existing challenges. Establishing multiple points of organizational access, such as convenient locations and extended operational hours, enhances accessibility.

Participating in a community resource network is another pivotal strategy. In relation to SB0916/HB1165, active involvement in these networks facilitates information dissemination and offers nuanced insights into the distinctive challenges faced by low-income individuals in combating bullying. This collaborative approach ensures that anti-bullying policies are not only inclusive but also rooted in the collective experiences and perspectives of the communities they aim to serve (Britton, 2018).

Lastly, providing policy education and community advocacy opportunities is identified as a critical engagement strategy. Comprehensive community understanding of the advocated policy, as emphasized by Britton (2018), is crucial. Involving those directly affected by bullying in the advocacy process allows for nuanced and empathetic policy changes. The incorporation of storytelling as part of this advocacy strategy enables a powerful reframing of the issue, humanizing the policy discourse and making it more relatable and compelling.

In essence, following these strategies ensures that anti-bullying policies are not only well-informed but also deeply rooted in the authentic voices of those they aim to protect. This approach establishes a more inclusive and impactful framework for combating bullying within our communities. The campaign should adhere to these strategies to formulate plans for ongoing dialogue and education, particularly for individuals unfamiliar with SB0916/HB1165.

Beneficiaries Involvement Plan

By organizing an in person and virtual workshop, to inform and train beneficiaries; students, families, and school staff of the policy issue and how they can help. The first way parents and school staff can help is by helping strategize,organize efforts to broaden our partnerships with policy makers and stakeholders, while also helping contact legislators. They could also assist by reposting and sharing our links and social media pages. The students can help by calling and writing legislators sharing their stories at their discretion. Students could be helpful in creating posts for the social media page, while also being pivotal in sharing the links encouraging their peers to get the word out as well. Finally, include all the beneficiaries on an email chain informing them of opportunities where they can attend meetings, visit the local senate, or attend senate meeting live stream watch parties.

Positive and Negative Ramifications

Positive and negative ramifications are important to be aware of, for the success of this campaign. The first positive ramification for involving beneficiaries would be building a community and a network for students, their families, and school staff. Involving students, families, and school staff helps our advocacy campaign more credible to legislators since these are those that are directly affected by the bill. The next positive ramification is diversity among the beneficiaries. This fosters a broader perspective from individual experience. Thus when beneficiaries interact with legislators, policymakers, and stakeholders there is more to offer than just one voice, one perspective. Another positive is beneficiary involvement and that it can help
empower the community to take responsibility in advocating for more change in the future. The final positive would be the strengthening and broadening of our partnerships with policy makers, and stakeholders. There could be parents or school staff that have relationships or connections to those that would offer support to the campaign that are not yet.

The first negative ramification could be scheduling between various time commitments and obligations of the beneficiaries. The next negative ramification could be beneficiaries that are families of a bully or a victim may be prone to differ and conflict on aspects of the proposed change. Another negative is that some of the victims and offenders may have difficulty with the subject matter discussed. Meaning that talking about past history of being bullied or being a bully may be triggering for the individual. The final negative ramification is connected to the fact that the advocacy process can be long and at times discouraging. This could lead to certain beneficiaries separating themselves from the campaign due to burnout.

Potential Opposition

As demonstrated by both positional maps, an opposition would be the legislators who voted for no for the passing of this legislation. One of the groups that were against the use of restorative justice interventions is a group called Professional Educators of Tennessee located in Nashville, Tennessee. The Professional Educators of Tennessee believed that this form of intervention is not concerned with rehabilitating the offender but is avoiding the nature of consequences such as harsher punishment. I feel that I would use the approach of having this group look at other legislators on why they are leaning towards supporting utilizing restorative justice interventions. Not only for the victim but for the offender as well. Other legislators are for a more holistic approach for both parties involved.

Elected Officials to Approach

We plan on approaching campaign constituents in support of SB 916/HB 1165, such as sponsors Sen Adam Lowe and Rep. Lowell Russell as well as their staff, and other proponents listed on our positional map. We plan to equip them with the fact sheet, policy letter, and real-life stories of families, students, and teachers who have been affected by bullying so that they are prepared to respond with statistics and gain empathy with the stories of those who have been affected by bullying and restorative justice. The campaign will contact Sen. Adam Lowe’s assistant, Raelyn Stuart, via phone call to set up a meeting with Sen. Adam Lowe. As well as Rep. Lowell Russell, at their respective offices in Nashville, TN. They were both the prime sponsors for SB 916/HB 1165 and have direct knowledge of SB 916/HB 1165, which is crucial to bringing significance to the campaign. We would contact them also to ask them to sponsor the
reintroduction of the bill with the additional restorative justice aspect added. Additionally, Sen. Kerry Roberts, an advocate for supporting the bill, will be contacted via email or through his executive secretary, Janet Batchelor, to schedule a meeting to discuss their support. In contacting these representatives, we would ask them for their support and advocacy in the reintroduction of this important piece of legislation.

Furthermore, phone calls will be made, and letters will be written and mailed to all state lawmakers likely to support the advocacy campaign’s primary purpose, including the supporting legislators who voted yes to the passing of SB 916/HB1165 including Sen. Adam Lowe, Sen. Kerry Roberts, Sen. Brent Taylor, Sen. Dawn White, and Rep. Lowell Russell, as well as other legislators that are likely to support our campaign due to their invested interest in education, such as Sen. Todd Gardenhire, Se. Jon Lundberg, Sen. Bill Powers, and Sen. Raumesh Akbari. We will also identify and approach relevant staff members that work with these officials, sharing the
advantages of our bill, emphasizing our coalition’s strength, and spotlighting the community support of our legislation.

In our engagement strategy, we intend to involve individuals statewide via our social media initiative to connect with their local senators, regardless of party affiliations, to advocate for Senate Bill 0916/House Bill 1165. We will provide individual advocates with information on their senators’ names and contact details in specific voting districts through our social media outlets and on our website. Additionally, we’ll encourage coalition supporters to participate in a petition, showcasing widespread backing for the campaign. This petition, by amassing a higher number of signatures, becomes harder to overlook, capturing the attention of both the public and our targeted decision-makers.

In a strategic move, a scheduled meeting with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will be arranged at the governor’s office in Nashville. This meeting will center around the advocacy for the passage of Senate Bill 0916/House Bill 1165 and the implementation of restorative justice in schools. The aim is to clarify how such measures could bring about positive outcomes for students, their families, school resource officers, and the school staff, mirroring the successes observed in other states and countries.

Key Talking Points

If given the opportunity to discuss the main points of this social issue with a legislature,
the topics would entail:

1. The Tennessee Department of Education confirmed that in the 2021-2022 school year, there were over 10,112 cases of reported bullying (The Tennessee Department of
Education, 2023).

2. The fact sheet provides some negative consequences that come out of those who are being bullied, and some without include sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, risks of substance use, and lower academic performance.

3. We are proposing that the SB0916/HB1165 be reintroduced with an amendment
utilizing a restorative justice intervention approach.

4. This approach would allow for damages to be repaired that were made towards
the victim and to create a holistic rather than a school to pipe-line approach towards the offender. It would also allow for the offender to be reintroduced into the school after a
case of bullying has been reported and addressed.

5. Our group believes that this approach will help bring out a more positive, safer,
and brighter outlook for our students and anyone who was impacted as they move
forward in this process.

Progress Monitoring Plan

We would monitor the progress by checking in often with our potential sponsor to see if they agreed to sponsor the bill, as well as once it is drafted if it ends up on the docket. Once the bill is on the docket, we can monitor it by using the LegiScan website and sharing that progress in real time on our website and social media pages. We will also stay updated on the legislative calendar, committee hearings, and floor debates related to the reintroduction of Tennessee SB 0916/HB 1165. Once voted on and passed, we would compare yearly statistics from assessments to baseline assessments taken prior to the bill being passed, to mark the progress that has been accomplished with the reintroduction of this piece of legislation. We would also adapt and adjust as necessary per the updated data that we receive. We would follow up on the Department of Education regarding their working guidelines for implementing the policy, and
check in to see what the different school districts are doing.