The sad reality is that whilst schools all over the world are becoming increasingly aware and proactive on the issue of bullying, the programs and structures put into place to address the problem are simply not working.
An example of this is Seattle’s bold and noteworthy decision to adopt a Norwegian program that seemed to reduce incidents by up to 50%. The program included the formation of committees, parent and teacher tutorials, and regular student meetings.
Yet a rigorous scientific analysis, after three years, showed the program had no overall effect.
“When we have big problems like bullying we are desperate. We want to do something,’’ said Paula Lozano, a University of Washington professor of pediatrics and a coauthor of the Seattle study. “Doing something feels better than not doing anything.’’
Research suggests that despite good intentions and feverish competition to pinpoint a solution, antibullying programs have shown, at best, mixed results, and what has worked in one school has not always worked in another.
Among the most authoritative and wide-ranging evaluations of antibullying programs is a 2009 study by Cambridge University researchers. The pair unearthed hundreds of scientific evaluations of individual programs, a number of which they ignored because the studies had not used acceptable methods. Of the 44 they deemed reliable, just 19 showed significant reductions in bullying.
I personally feel that schools should be congratulated for finally taking the issue seriously. I however feel that fighting bullying requires more than peripheral programs, but also an inner focus on the culture of the school and its community. I have developed my own set of principles for tackling bullying in my classroom. Feel free to read my earlier post which explains what my model is and how it has worked for me.
Tags: Bullying, Education, life, News, Parenting, Psychology, Schools, Seattle
Topical Teaching 
January 1, 2011 at 1:05 am |
The solution to bullying is the same solution that is needed for any important change in the schools–restructure and redesign the whole mess. The calendar, the class schedule, the amount of quality time each student can interact with an adult, etc. Thanks for the post!
January 2, 2011 at 2:20 am |
There is a fever pitch about bullying because of the legislation that has mandated school implement a policy and program but I agree with you Michael that it takes more than that to change a culture that has enabled the bullying to exist in the first place. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
January 3, 2011 at 11:57 pm |
Thank you Samantha for your reply. It’s much appreciated.