“Whole school” approach works best to stop bullying
Vreeman RC, Carroll AE
The Bottom Line:
The most effective way to reduce bullying in schools is to involve the entire school – teachers, administrators, the children, and peer groups – in teaching children and adolescents how to change attitudes and behaviours. Curriculum-based programs were least likely to prevent or reduce bullying. |
What problem is being addressed?
Children who are bullied usually have poorer feelings of self worth. They feel rejected and isolated, and tend to have more depression when they grow up. While a very rare occurrence, there have been tragic incidents of children and teenagers committing suicide because they could no longer tolerate being bullied.
Experts have reported that there really are three groups involved in bullying: the person who bullies others, the bully’s victim, and bystanders who often encourage the bullying, or fail to intervene or get adult help to stop it. Children and teens need to know how to deal effectively with bullying, and these skills can be taught in school where bullying often takes place.
What intervention is being tested?
The authors conducted a systematic review of school-based interventions to prevent bullying. Studies were included in the review if they were school based and had a control group; however, they did not need to be randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
The review authors identified five different types of school-based interventions designed to reduce bullying behavior:
- Curriculum-based interventions use videos, lectures, and written material to teach and engage students in discussions. Their goal is to encourage healthier attitudes towards others, change students’ beliefs about what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, and help students learn to make decisions based on their own values.
- Whole school interventions involve teachers and administrators, individual students, and student groups working together to develop an anti-bullying school environment.
- Social skills training helps bullying or bullied children learn to change their attitudes and behavior.
- Mentoring is intended to increase self-esteem, academic performance, goal setting, and ability to develop relationships.
- Social worker support addresses the problems that can lead to bullying and aggression.
What is the real scientific evidence?
26 studies of school-based interventions were included in this systematic review: 10 were curriculum based, 10 were “whole school” interventions, 4 were social skills groups, 1 looked at mentoring of bullied children, and 1 examined the effectiveness of increased availability of social worker support in the school. The authors looked at the effects of each intervention on bullying, victimization, aggression, and how schools responded to violence. Some of the studies also looked at the impact of the intervention on academic achievement, how safe children felt, levels of self-esteem, and knowledge and attitudes about bullying.
Findings were as follows:
- Only 4 of the 10 curriculum-based interventions showed any benefit. In 3 of them, some children showed increased aggression and some children reported more victimization after the intervention.
- 7 out of 10 “whole school” programs produced less bullying.
- 3 of the 4 social skills programs showed no definite reduction in bullying.
- The 1 study of mentoring found a benefit to bullied children.
- Having greater access to school social workers decreased bullying and other delinquent behaviour.
The preceding is a summary of:
Vreeman RC, Carroll AE. A systematic review of school-based interventions to prevent bullying. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 2007, 161: 78-88.
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