Bullying Prevention 101 for Schools: Dos and Don’ts

Abstract

As a part of its collaboration with the Born This Way Foundation, the Berkman Center is publishing a series of papers that synthesize existing peer-reviewed research or equivalent scholarship and provide research-grounded insight to the variety of stakeholders working on issues related to youth empowerment and action towards creating a kinder, braver world. This series, called the The Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series (Danah Boyd and John Palfrey, editors), is presented by the Born This Way Foundation & the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The first set of papers, which were intended to provide insights to the new foundation, involved topics related to Youth Meanness and Cruelty.This document provides a list of dos and don’ts for schools in developing anti-bullying practices and policies. Section I outlines overall best practices and objectives for addressing school bullying. Section II provides a deeper dive in specific areas for intervention, and practice and policy development, including: a) school climate, b) curricula, and c) school policy. The final section includes a list of steps that schools should not take in their efforts to confront bullying.The purpose of this document is to provide concrete ways in which schools 1) can assess if they’re doing the right things; 2) have tactical recommendations aimed at improving their school culture, curricula, and school policies. Findings are grounded in research findings on actions and activities that have been shown to help schools improve anti-bullying efforts.