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Who
could help prevent bullying?
A major programme
to reduce bullying in schools has been developed in Norway.
Adult involvement in this programme is seen as vital. It
is claimed that if the programme is to succeed, adults in
the school (and to some extent the home) must be aware of
the bullying situation in the school and the majority must
be committed to the anti-bullying work. The behaviour of
all involved adults is also very important. They are called
on to set clear and firm limits, in a positive, supportive
environment (school or home).
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Article details
D Olweus, S Limber
and S F Mihalic 'History and Description of the Bullying
Prevention Program' in 'Blueprints for Violence Prevention',
The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the
University of Colorado at Boulder, USA. This paper can be
downloaded
from here. Click on 'video segment' for an interesting
video clip about the project.
The information in
this paper was taken from D Olweus, S Limber and S F Mihalic
(1999) 'Blueprints for Violence Prevention. Book Nine: Bullying
Prevention Program', Boulder, CO: Center for the Study and
Prevention of Violence.
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Author details
Professor Dan Olweus
was the first person to carry out a thorough research project
on  bullying.
This large, long term study which began in Sweden in 1970,
was to provide the inspiration for many who felt that bullying
in schools should be challenged rather than accepted. Since
the 1970s, his work in this area had continued with force.
Indeed, in 1997-99, he led a group in a large project which
introduced the widely respected Olweus (anti-bullying) programme
to schools in Norway. Professor Olweus is based at the Research
Centre for Health Promotion, University of Bergen in Norway
and can be contacted by email.
Teachers play an important
part in preventing bullying. This can be through helping
to set up a school policy on bullying. It can also be through
the work they do in their own classrooms: the curriculum
and also the climate they create within the class. To discourage
bullying this climate would be one of openness, where pupils
felt secure enough to report bullying and knew that if they
did so, it would be dealt with fairly. More than this, within
the classroom positive behaviour would be encouraged and
bullying firmly discouraged.
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Article details
A Mellor (2000)
'Information for Teachers about Anti-Bullying in the Classroom',
Information Sheet Number 6, Edinburgh: The Anti-Bullying Network.
This sheet can be downloaded
here.
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Author details
 At
the time of the study, Andrew Mellor was a practising teacher
who had received funding from the Scottish Education Department
to carry out this project. He has been actively involved
in anti-bullying work in Scotland for almost 15 years, speaking
at conferences, writing for academic and non-academic audiences
and running in-service courses for teachers. He is now manager
of the Anti-Bullying Network, which is funded by the Scottish
Executive and based at The University of Edinburgh.
This paper looks at
the role of the School Board in a school's anti-bullying
work. It suggests various ways in which a School Board could
support this work including: discussing bullying at their
meetings, organising workshops for parents on the topic,
finding out about the local authority's policy on bullying,
involving outside agencies such as the police. The paper
also stresses the importance of a wide base of support in
a school's fight against bullying. This includes all members
of the school (teaching and non-teaching staff), the local
authority, family and the wider community, including police,
bus companies and community groups.
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Article details
Scottish Office Education
Department (1994) 'School Boards. Focus on Bullying', Focus
Number 4, Edinburgh: Scottish Office Education Department.
This paper can be downloaded
here.
An anti-bullying pack,
which was sent to many schools in England, looked at what
could be done to help reduce bullying in school. The various
suggestions included ways in which adult supervisors could
help prevent bullying in the playground.
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Article details
Department for Education
and Employment (Revised 2002) 'Bullying - Don't Suffer in
Silence. An Anti-Bullying Pack for Schools', London: Department
for Education and Employment. This pack can be found on
the DFES
website.
A Scottish report
looks at what schools can do and are already doing, to promote
personal safety and child protection. It provides suggestions
about how themes and resources can be used in the curriculum.
It also considers the skills, values and understanding which
a personal safety and protection programme aim to develop
in the child, for example assertiveness, self-knowledge
and self-esteem. If this programme is to work, a school
must have a positive school ethos (roughly speaking a positive
atmosphere and character). In turn, a successful programme
would contribute to this ethos. It is not surprising to
find that one of the important areas covered in a personal
safety and protection programme is bullying.
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Article details
A Mellor, K Phillips,
S Walker and P Munn (1998) 'Promoting Personal Safety and
Child Protection in the Curriculum', The University of Edinburgh,
Moray House Publications.
A limited number of
copies are available from The Anti-Bullying Network at The
University of Edinburgh.
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Author details
At
the time of the study, Andrew Mellor was a practising teacher
who had received funding from the Scottish Education Department
to carry out this project. He has been actively involved
in anti-bullying work in Scotland for almost 15 years, speaking
at conferences, writing for academic and non-academic audiences
and running in-service courses for teachers. He is now manager
of the Anti-Bullying Network, which is funded by the Scottish
Executive and based at The University of Edinburgh.
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