Are Our Current Bullying Programs Working in Schools?

If there is an upside to the attention that bullying has been getting recently, it is that it seems to have
galvanized educators, parents, and community leaders to take action. The
concern about bullying has led many local and state governments across the country
to require schools to implement anti-bullying policies and programs. Unfortunately,
the time, effort, and money allocated to reducing bullying is not matched by a
corresponding level of concern for ensuring that these programs are actually
effective in reducing bullying. In fact, there have been very few formal
evaluations of bully prevention programs.
Recently, two studies in both a large urban district, and the other in a small rural district (1, 2) reviewed

the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs. Vernel and colleagues synthesized
the results of 16 evaluation studies of whole-school anti-bullying programs,
examining rates of victimization and bullying reported by children. The results
indicated that only one program yielded outcomes that were consistently
positive. The remaining programs that were evaluated yielded little or no
improvement. Similarly, Vernel and Smith (2) reviewed the outcomes of 26
programs across the state (some of which were also reviewed by Smith et al.
(1)). Only three of these programs yielded consistent reductions in bullying and
victimization, ten yielded some modest positive outcomes, and sixteen yielded
no positive results at all.
These reviews underscore several important points that should be of concern to educators, parents, and
researchers alike. The first is that there has been very little research on
anti-bullying programs generally, and more evaluation studies are urgently
needed. Second, there is currently only limited evidence that anti-bullying
programs are effective in curbing this problem. Third, the positive results
obtained in several studies suggest that prevention programs have the potential
to significantly reduce bullying, but more information is still needed to
understand how they can be improved and made more effective.
I believe that educators and parents can and should take a proactive interest in evaluating their school’s
anti-bullying program. Evaluation requires some additional time and effort but
is undoubtedly a sound investment. Here are a few of the benefits of
evaluation:

Schools learn whether or not their programs are
     achieving desired outcomes and, by extension, if their resources are being
     wisely allocated.

Despite the good intentions of those involved in
     implementing prevention programs, research tells us that many are not
     implemented as intended (3). Instead, interventions are commonly adapted,
     corners are sometimes cut out of necessity, and some staff members are
     disinterested or even resistant to doing their part to ensure program
     success. Evaluation allows school personnel to account for the quality of
     the program as implemented and subsequently fine-tune the implementation
     process.

People tend to act differently when they are being
     observed (as in the context of an evaluation) and typically in a manner
     that improves their performance. Schools can take advantage of this
     so-called “Hawthorne effect” to maximize the chances of program success.

Program evaluation represents a learning opportunity
     for schools, as the people involved learn about the program and how it
     works. This knowledge often improves the quality of program
     implementation, which in turn leads to better outcomes.

Evaluation provides opportunities for critical,
     constructive reflection that are characteristic of schools with healthy
     climates. A positive climate in the school may be the key ingredient to
     making bully prevention programs successful (4).

The Basic Evaluation Techniques:
To streamline the work involved in
the process of examining an anti-bullying program, it is useful to set up a
committee to organize and run the evaluation. Ideally, the committee has
representation from the entire school community, including teachers,
administrators, parents, and students. The evaluation process is guided by
objectives, such as the two listed below:
Verify that the program is being implemented as planned: To address this objective, a
     checklist can be prepared that includes all of the activities comprising
     the anti-bullying program. Staff involved in implementing the program can
     be asked to indicate if and how often each activity is completed. This
     checklist should be filled out several times throughout the year (e.g.,
     once a month or once a semester). By aggregating this information, a good
     picture of how a program is being implemented will emerge. Schools wishing
     to investigate aspects of program implementation in more depth can also
     organize debriefing meetings with staff and students to probe the
     successes and challenges of their specific anti-bully program.

To determine if the program is achieving its intended results: To address the second
     objective, the evaluation committee must first decide what outcomes are
     expected from the program. Examples of possible results include: increases
     in anti-bullying attitudes, increases in positive student behavior,
     reductions in bullying and victimization, and improvement in school
     climate. It is important that the selected outcomes be feasible and
     realistic given scope and content of the program and the time allotted for
     implementation. The next step is to identify and find questionnaires that
     measure these outcomes. There are many such questionnaires in circulation,
     and often they can be procured easily for free (e.g., via the web) or for
     a modest fee from the publisher. The questionnaires should be administered
     on the following schedule:
a. Just before the program begins (pre-test)
b. Immediately after the program ends (post-test)

c. Six-months (and up to a year) after the post-test
(follow-up)

Finally, the anti-bullying school team reviews the evaluation data and makes recommendations for improving
program implementation and outcomes.
Educators and parents play the critical role in making anti-bullying programs more effective and ultimately
reducing bullying among children. Initiating local evaluation projects to
understand and improve programs is an effective way to reach the goal of making
schools safe havens for learning and healthy child development.