Schoolwide Efforts to Prevent Bullying

Without question, the most effective means of addressing bullying is through comprehensive, schoolwide programs (Atlas & Pepler, 1998; Garrity et al., 1997; Skiba & Fontanini, 2000). Although teachers, counselors, and parents may be able to deal with individual cases of bullying as they come up, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the incidence of bullying in the school (Banks, 2000).

For one thing, bullying often goes undetected by both teachers and parents (Skiba & Fontanini, 2000). As noted earlier, adults typically identify less than 10 percent of bullying incidents. In addition, many teachers and administrators fail to understand the dynamics of bullying. Without adequate training, some educators may actually endorse bullying behavior, either by sending students the message that bullying is “part of growing up,” or by simply ignoring the behavior (USDOE, 1998).

Perhaps the most important reason for developing a schoolwide anti-bullying program, however, is to engage and empower “the silent majority”: the large percentage of students who regularly witness bullying at school but don’t know what they can do to help (Atlas & Pepler, 1998). Programs that teach students to recognize and intervene in bullying have been found to have the greatest impact on curbing incidents of bullying and harassment at school (Rigby, 1995).

Schoolwide anti-bullying programs can take many shapes, as the programs profiled in the Northwest Sampler section of this booklet indicate. Whether your school plans to implement a bullying prevention curriculum, develop an anti-bullying task force, or integrate anti-bullying efforts into established violence prevention programs, there are seven important steps to take:

1. Assess your school’s needs and goals.
During the initial phases of program development, survey students, teachers, and parents about the occurrence of bullying in the school (USDOE, 1998). This will not only provide information about where, when, and between whom bullying occurs at your school, but will also allow you to examine any disparities between student, teacher, and parent perceptions (Saufler, n.d.). You will then need to spend time discussing which of the issues identified in the survey are most urgent and how best to address them, given available staff, funding, resources, and time (American Federation of Teachers, 2000).

2. Develop an anti-bullying policy.
Using the findings of the needs assessment to guide discussion, work with parents, students, administrators, teachers, and other school staff to develop a comprehensive, schoolwide policy on bullying (Hoover & Oliver, 1996). The policy should include a clear definition of bullying and a description of how the school will respond to bullying incidents (Rigby, 1995), as well as a discussion of program philosophy and goals.

3. Provide training for teachers, administrators, and other school staff.
Set aside time during the school year to share and discuss information about bullying with all school employees (USDOE, 1998). If possible, make an effort to include staff members who are likely to be present in places bullying tends to occur: playground monitors, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodial staff, and so forth. Training should include definitions of bullying, indicators of bullying behavior, characteristics of bullies and victims, ways to integrate anti-bullying material into curriculum, and strategies for addressing bullying behavior. Quality training and opportunities for discussion are essential if all staff are to buy in to anti-bullying policies and programs.

4. Involve parents.
If possible, get parents involved in both program planning and implementation (USDOE, 1998). Invite them to provide information for program assessments, share survey results with them, offer them training and information, and keep them abreast of program developments. Encourage parents to contact teachers or administrators if they suspect that a child is bullying or being bullied (Fried & Fried, 1996).

5. Identify resources for bullies, victims, and families.
Efforts to address bullying behavior are not over when the bully is caught and disciplined. Students who bully repeatedly may benefit from anger management classes or individual counseling, while students who have been victimized may require support in dealing with anxiety and depression (Fried & Fried, 1996). Because many children who bully or are victimized experience bullying at home, it may be necessary to develop intervention strategies involving the whole family (Fried & Fried, 1996; Hoover & Oliver, 1996). Anti-bullying programs should clearly identify resources for students and families that are available both at school and in the community.

6. Provide increased supervision in areas where bullying tends to occur.
Identify places on school grounds where bullying is more likely to occur, and work with the school staff to ensure there is adequate adult supervision in those areas. Playgrounds, bus stops, hallways, and school bathrooms often provide easy opportunities for bullies to isolate and intimidate their victims (NRCSS, 1999; USDOE, 1998).

7. Integrate anti-bullying themes and activities into curriculum.
Classroom teachers play a central role in the way that bullying policies and programs are presented and delivered to students. Curricula should include definitions of bullying, discussions of how bullying affects everyone, ways students can help others, and assertiveness training (Fried & Fried, 1996; Kreidler, 1996). Depending on the age of the students, you may want provide students opportunities to role-play, and/or involve students in strategizing specific ways bullying can be addressed in their school (Pirozzi, 2001). Most important, though, bullying curriculum should emphasize to students the difference between tattling and telling on someone, and encourage them to report to adults any situation in which a peer is being bullied or abused.

Two good resources for developing anti-bullying curriculum are Nan Stein and Lisa Sjostrom’s (1996) Bullyproof: A Teacher’s Guide on Teasing and Bullying for Use with Fourth- and Fifth- Grade Students and Allan L. Beane’s (1999) Bully Free Classroom: Over 100 Tips and Strategies for Teachers K-8. Both texts provide specific, detailed descriptions of activities and assignments dealing with bullying that can be copied directly from the text or modified for different age groups.

For descriptions of anti-bullying programs that have been implemented by individual schools and districts, see the Northwest Sampler section at the end of this booklet.