Anti-bullying Policies Research Articles

Is Fidelity of Implementation of an Anti-Bullying Policy Related to Student Bullying and Teacher Protection of Students?

Bullying is a significant school problem. Policies have been developed to reduce bullying, yet little is known about their implementation, which must occur for these policies to have an effect. This study examines associations between the overall implementation of a state anti-bullying policy and implementation of specific components outlined in the policy with two outcomes: bullying among students and teacher protection of students. Data were collected from 588 educators in K-12 schools across North Carolina a year following the enactment of an anti-bullying law in the state. Results show that overall policy implementation fidelity is inversely related to student bullying and positively related to teacher protection. In addition, the implementation of certain policy components (i.e., educator and student knowledge of bullying reporting procedures, training of educators about protected classes from bullying, student knowledge of protected classes, and educators reporting and remediating bullying based on protected classes) is significantly related to the outcomes. Thus, the implementation of certain anti-bullying policy components may be more potent in addressing bullying. Future research should identify constellations of policy strategies that need to be activated in schools to eliminate bullying.

How Parents and Agents Can Address Bullying with Youth

Recently the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a new anti-bullying policy that concluded that bullying is not just another childhood behavior that will eventually be outgrown, but rather a public health problem that can have long-term effects for both the bully and the victim. Children who don't escape the cycle of bullying are at higher risk for serious academic, social, emotional, and legal problems. This has been reinforced by a report from the AMA indicating that 7-15% of school-aged children are bullies and one in 10 school children is a victim of bullying (Peck, 2002). This document is FCS2243, one of a series of the Family, Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date: December 2005.

Developing Wellbeing Through a Randomised Controlled Trial of a Martial Arts Based Intervention: An Alternative to the Anti-Bullying Approach.

Anti-bullying policies and interventions are the main approach addressing bullying behaviours in Australian schools. However, the evidence supporting these approaches is inconsistent and its theoretical underpinning may be problematic. The current study examined the effects of a martial arts based psycho-social intervention on participants’ ratings of resilience and self-efficacy, delivered as a randomised controlled trial to 283 secondary school students. Results found a consistent pattern for strengths-based wellbeing outcomes. All measures relating to resilience and self-efficacy improved for the intervention group, whereas results declined for the control group. These findings suggest that a martial arts based psycho-social intervention may be an efficacious method of improving wellbeing outcomes including resilience and self-efficacy. The study proposes utilising alternatives to the anti-bullying approach and that interventions should be aimed towards helping individuals develop strengths and cope more effectively, which has specific relevance to bullying and more generalised importance to positive mental health.

A Comprehensive Training Initiative for Educators to Develop and Implement Effective Anti-Bullying Policies in K–12 Schools

Although most states across the United States have enacted anti-bullying legislation, state laws vary greatly in detail and direction, leaving many school districts wondering how to best address the problem of bullying and comply with their state’s legislative requirements. In response, a comprehensive, statewide training initiative was conducted for school personnel to offer guidance on developing and implementing such policies at the local level. In the present piece, the authors explicate the process by which they (a) derived theoretically grounded, empirically driven recommendations; (b) developed training materials and a project website; and (c) disseminated the material and recommendations across the state. They also present key outcomes as a result of this training initiative.

School bullying and bare life: Challenging the state of exception

Despite a vast amount of research into school bullying and the widespread implementation of anti-bullying policies and programs, large numbers of students continue to report that they are routinely subjected to bullying by their peers. In this theoretical article, I argue that part of the problem is that there has been a lack of critical discussion of the theoretical foundations upon which such studies are based. Drawing on recent theoretical contributions within the field of school bullying, the work of anthropologist James C. Scott, and the work of philosophers Michel Foucault and Giorgio Agamben, I take particular issue with the notion of power that has long been a foundational pillar of bullying definitions. Utilizing a Foucauldian understanding of power, I argue that rather than focusing on the power imbalance involved in bullying relations, focus instead needs to shift onto the role that bullying plays in power relations. Reimagining Agamben’s figure of homo sacer as a victim of school bullying, I consider the ways in which some individuals are reduced to bare life and forced into a state of exception whereby social laws are no longer deemed applicable. The article concludes with a discussion of how this state of exception might be challenged.

The complexity of teacher-targeted workplace bullying: An analysis for policy

Teachers are often the targets of bullies. Studies have indicated that South African teachers are three times more likely to experience workplace bullying than their peers in other parts of the world. In an earlier study by the authors, 90.8 per cent of educators who took part in a survey indicated that they experience some form of bullying while at work. Compared to this, similar studies found the levels to be much lower: 25.6 per cent in Lithuania and 22.4 per cent in Croatia. Workplace bullying of teachers includes being bullied by other teachers, school managers, learners and the administrative staff at the school. While the vast majority of schools have adopted an anti-bullying policy for the learners, even if only on paper, no clear guidelines exist on teacher-targeted workplace bullying. Teachers are central to any education system. Research shows that workplace bullying negatively affects the teachers and the school. Thus, policies should be put in place to protect employees and effectively deal with incidences. Policies with clear guidelines and procedures for role players should be in line with the legislative framework. We start by giving a synopsis of the current literature on teacher-targeted workplace bullying. We then discuss the South African legal framework that informs the suggested policy development. Thirdly, we draw from the literature on bullying prevention. This will serve as an information base from which national, provincial and school policies can be developed.

Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of motivational interviewing for bullying perpetration in school settings.

Bullying is a perplexing and persistent problem with negative consequences for all involved. Schools are assigned considerable responsibility for the management of bullying because of its prevalence amongst youth. Despite considerable efforts over decades to curtail bullying through the use of anti-bullying policies and other school-based interventions, the rates of young people who frequently bully has not decreased significantly. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a relational and affirming conversational method that strengthens an individual's motivation and commitment to change, overcoming ambivalence toward the problem. The aim of the current study was to provide preliminary insight into the feasibility of incorporating MI into student service repertoires for addressing bullying. Ten staff participants from six secondary schools, who had roles in bullying intervention within their respective schools, were offered training in MI and invited to use and monitor this method in their practice as an intervention for students who perpetrate bullying. Results indicated a number factors which influenced the uptake of MI in schools. Facilitators enabling the use of MI included practitioner's professional background, administrative support, training and implementation of MI. Barriers to the use of MI included time pressure and administrative expectations, school roles and system limitations, and preconceptions and the stigma of bullying.

Top UK genomics institute investigates bullying allegations

The Wellcome Sanger Institute is owned by the Wellcome Trust, which this year launched a pioneering anti-bullying policy. The Wellcome Sanger Institute is owned by the Wellcome Trust, which this year launched a pioneering anti-bullying policy.

Guidance on school anti-bullying policies

New recommendations on tackling prejudice-based and other forms of bullying have been published to help schools meet their duties

Workplace Bullying: The Role of HR Policies and Training in Promoting a Healthy Environment

In spite of the growing awareness about workplace bullying among academic researchers as well as practitioners, more research is needed to shed light on different aspects of bullying in the workplace as well as practical solutions to stop this destructive behavior. In spite of the critical role of human resource managers, only recently have researchers looked at their contribution in preventing workplace bullying. Very few organizations have policies regarding bullying, and even fewer organizations have any sort of training to raise awareness about this deviant behavior in the workplace and how to deal with it. We contribute to the bullying literature by suggesting that the establishment of anti-bullying policies and anti- bullying training in the organization can vastly prevent bullying behavior and eventually raise employee engagement in positive behaviors such as interpersonal facilitation and job dedication. Moreover, we argue that developing a strong and positive identity builds self-esteem and reduces the chance of becoming an easy target for bullying.

Protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying: A systematic review of meta-analyses

Abstract Bullying and cyberbullying are damaging aggressive behaviors in which some children and adolescents intentionally inflict frequent and long term harm on peers who become victimized. The number of studies on bullying is high and a lot of knowledge has already been gathered. Nevertheless, there are still many gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. Research on protective factors and effective interventions is still in its relatively early stages. This systematic review of meta-analyses on protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying was conducted to synthesize knowledge and discover the most important community, school, family, peer and individual protective factors. After systematic searches and the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 meta-analyses with 128 effect sizes were included and analyzed. Forest plots were constructed and median effect sizes were calculated for each group of protective factors. Self-oriented personal competencies were the strongest protector against victimization. Low frequency of technology use protected from involvement in cyberbullying. Good academic performance and other-oriented social competencies were the strongest protective factors against perpetration. Positive peer interaction was the strongest protective factor against being a bully/victim. These findings can be useful to improve anti-bullying programs, policy and practice.

Remember the Alamo: implementing a campus-wide anti-bullying policy

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe how to implement anti-bullying policies in higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe paper informs organizations on the personnel needed for successful implementation.FindingsExecutive leadership is needed for policy development, policy introduction, and continued implementation.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper informs organizations on the personnel needed for successful implementation.Practical implicationsIt demonstrates the importance of campus-wide leadership to educate the campus.Social implicationsThe study highlights how to achieve policy acceptance and how to coach campus community to trust the policy.Originality/valueThe paper informs about the importance of campus-wide support and extensive leadership presence in implementing a controversial campus policy.

Reframing Schooling to Liberate Gender Identity

Gender and gender identity are policed by the social environment in myriad ways. For those who challenge normative binaries, they can be positioned to experience different forms of violence. Though mindsets, social movements, and changes in policies have spurred material, social, and economic gains for those who challenge expectations of gender identity binaries, schools continue to inherit dichotomous messages about gender identity. On one hand, schools are expanding anti-bullying policies by enumerating gender identities, shifting names of Gay-Straight to Queer and Sexuality Alliances to attend to intersectional identities, addressing gender identity concerns in professional development trainings, but the field of teacher education has yet to systemically and longitudinally address gender identity for students from pre-K to university levels. As a result, educators are left ill-prepared about how to affirm and recognize gender identity in coursework, curriculum, and pedagogy. As we come to understand how and in what ways schools foreclose possibilities for students to experience gender identity self-determination, shifts in awareness can open up possibilities for schools to honor and liberate gender identities.

Exploring the Factors Influencing Gifted Adolescents’ Resistance to Report Experiences of Cyberbullying Behavior: Toward an Improved Understanding

Academically gifted adolescents frequently experience cyberbullying behavior. Successful intervention and prevention of such bullying is, to a large degree, dependent on such incidents being reported to an adult caregiver. However, research shows that adolescents who have experienced cyberbullying tend not to inform parents or teachers. Despite this fact, little attention has been paid to understanding the factors underlying such reporting resistance and consequently the reasons for nonreporting remain undetermined. This study explored Irish gifted adolescents’ resistance to reporting their experiences of cyberbullying behavior. Key reasons for nonreporting included the framing of decisions based on the concepts of self-efficacy, control, perceived risks, the influence of prior reporting experiences, and influence of gender and age on reporting response. The results provide insights that will assist parents, teachers, and all those involved in the formulation of anti-bullying school policies in their attempts to increase adolescent reporting and thereby counter cyberbullying behavior.

Anti-bullying procedures for schools in Ireland: principals’ responses and perceptions

The role of the principal is imperative in creating a school climate that nurtures differences and equality at the same time. Policy and legislation in Ireland dictates the responsibility of school principals in preventing and intervening in issues relating to bullying. The current research investigates the extent to which principals consider the impact of bullying on their students and the strategies they take to combat it in their schools. We consider how principals respond to bullying and what supports they feel are missing for them to adhere to relevant policy. A sample of 918 principals from a range of schools across Ireland completed an online survey. The results demonstrated some positive actions by principals such as the provision of anti-bullying policies. However, they also document areas that need more action such as increased access to counsellors and appointing a specific staff member to deal with and tackle bullying in each school. Guidance from the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland on the development and provision of an anti-bullying programme is called for. Results are discussed in light of the current Anti-Bullying Procedures established by the Department of Education and Skills and the Action Plan for Bullying 2013.

Bullying in the Library Workplace

The primary purposes of the study were to investigate how often bullying occurs in libraries and whether bullying policies exist in libraries. The first survey questionnaire was sent to library personnel in the six New England states through statewide email distribution lists. Altogether 571 library staff members completed the survey. The second survey questionnaire was sent to large public and academic libraries in New England to see if they have anti-bullying policies in the workplace. The results of the study clearly showed there were significant reports of workplace bullying in all kinds of libraries. Nonetheless, not many libraries have policies that deal with this workplace challenge.

Workplace bullying and redress procedures: experiences of teachers in Ireland

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the experiences of redress seeking and organisational responses for targets of bullying.Design/methodology/approachA phenomenological research design was adopted. In total, 22 primary teachers (seven males, 15 females) in Ireland were self-selected for interview, following an advertisement detailing the study in a national teacher union magazine. Data were analysed utilising an interpretative phenomenological analysis framework.FindingsAll those interviewed had made official complaints as per available procedures for addressing workplace bullying in their schools. All participants had engaged in Stages 1 and 2 of the official complaints procedures including uptake of recommended counselling. Three participants ceased engagement at Stage 2. In total, 18 participants had engaged in Stage 3 with 12 ceasing engagement at this stage. Seven participants had proceeded to Stage 4. It is noteworthy that no participant articulated satisfaction with the outcome, but conversely all had articulated further upset and acceptance of the reality that redress would not be forthcoming. These participants who had exercised agency in attempting to seek redress were met with power abuses and cultures of collusion.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a small-scale study with self-selecting teachers. The data point to some problematic assumptions underpinning anti-bullying policies in small organisations.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to discourses of power/agency in workplace bullying. It challenges researchers and policy makers to elucidate more carefully the issues surrounding seeking redress for bullying.

10. What Are the Critical Elements in Safe School Legislation to Prevent Bullying?

Research shows that effective school policies mean less bullying and a better school climate, but there is a limited understanding of the connection between evidence-based policy and the prevalence of bullying and victimization. The goal of this research is to determine if regional differences in policy and legislation are associated with the prevalence of bullying in Canada and the United States. Does policy predict differences at the regional level, as well as between countries? What are the critical elements within these policies and legislations that predict bullying and victimization?
 This study used archival data from the Canadian sample of the 2013/2014 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. 30,153 students from across Canada participated. Each legislation was coded based on a checklist reflecting best practices in the literature. High scores reflected a large quantity of evidence based policy items. Mplus 7.3 was used for multilevel modeling, with MLR estimator to account for the non-normality of the bullying variables.
 This study found there were national and regional differences in the evidence-base of bullying policies. There was a negative association between the comprehensiveness of a region’s anti-bullying policy and the prevalence of bullying behaviour in that region. There is a negative relationship between the number of evidence based policy items in Canadian legislation and the prevalence of bullying and victimization. Further research is needed to explore the relationship between evidence-based policies and the prevalence of bullying and victimization over time.

The Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools in Ireland: What Has Been Achieved and What Needs to be Done?

The role of the principal is imperative in creating a school climate that nurtures differences and equality at the same time. Policy and legislation in Ireland dictates the responsibility of school principals in preventing and intervening in issues relating to bullying. The current research investigates the extent to which principals consider the impact of bullying on their students and the strategies they take to combat it in their schools. We consider how principals respond to bullying and what supports they feel are missing for them to adhere to relevant policy. A sample of 918 principals from a range of schools across Ireland completed an online survey. The results demonstrated some positive actions by principals such as the provision of anti-bullying policies. However, they also document areas that need more action such as increased access to counsellors and appointing a specific staff member to deal with and tackle bullying in each school. Guidance from the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland on the development and provision of an anti-bullying programme is called for. Results are discussed in light of the current Anti-Bullying Procedures established by the Department of Education and Skills and the Action Plan for Bullying 2013.

Family fun: a vital ingredient of early adolescents having a good life

ABSTRACT Comprehension of the factors which promote young people’s well-being is important, particularly during adolescence. This article investigates how family and school factors affect life satisfaction as an indicator of well-being. It examines a representative sample of 5440 Australian students in Years 4, 6, and 8, who completed a child-centred survey as part of the Australian Child Wellbeing Project. Classification tree analyses are used to show that high life satisfaction is associated with family cohesion (families have fun together), and with schools, if they are places that are free from bullying, where students like to go, and where teachers believe in their success. These findings will interest policy makers and practitioners aimed at improving the well-being of adolescents by promoting the importance of family cohesion, and by supporting schools to implement anti-bullying policies which use a variety of instructional methods based on high expectations.