NCJ Number
160339
Date Published
1995
Length
84 pages
Annotation
This paper profiles effective practices for preventing school bullying based on prevention programs in four schools in two deprived inner-city areas of Liverpool and London (England).
Abstract
The incidence of violent and antisocial behavior were high both in the schools and their surrounding areas, and students in the schools usually lacked the confidence to report bullying incidents. The staff, the students, and researchers/initiative workers worked together to develop prevention measures relevant to each school. In 2 years, the levels of bullying had significantly decreased in three of the schools, and they remained about the same in the London secondary school. The first section of this report outlines the strategy adopted by the researchers as the framework for taking preventive action to reduce bullying. The second section outlines the organizational development upon which the prevention strategies were based. The approach is based on the assumption that policy changes are most likely to be successful if they have the support and articulate the interests of those at all levels within an organization or school. In accordance with this approach, the researchers aimed to produce an anti-bullying code of practice and implementation strategy through a consultation process with staff and students to facilitate communication between school members to assist in putting the preventive program into practice. In the third section, the high levels of bullying found in the schools, especially the primary schools, are presented. Some important factors in reducing bullying were an increase in pupils' willingness to report to teachers, an apparent relationship between the pupils' perception of the extent to which staff intervened to prevent bullying and a decrease in bullying activity, and a suggested association between increased pupil confidence and satisfaction with the school and a decline in bullying. 22 tables, 2 figures, and appended supplementary material