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New
Jersey
Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention supports
adherence to well-founded prevention principles and practices
to ensure effective program outcomes.
This "critical criteria" checklist was developed by
the Training Project Committee of the NJ Coalition as a tool
for school administrators and agency directors to use in
selecting anti-bullying programs.
The key
principle to use in selecting programs is to look for
comprehensive and ongoing approaches, as opposed to 'one-shot'
events or short-term projects, which are unlikely to have
lasting impact or to create cultural change. Specifically, consider whether the program has the following
characteristics:
1.
A framework based on empirical research and a clear and sensible theory.
2.
Involves
the entire school community.
3.
Addresses
the role of adults in childhood bullying (e.g., modeling of
bullying behavior, implicit acceptance or explicit endorsement
of childhood bullying and inaction or inadequate response to
bullying).
4.
Integrated
elements (program components work well together, fit an
overall framework).
5.
Long-term
and adequate intensity (e.g., years not months; school-wide
effort and impact).
6.
Includes
baseline measurements of the nature and extent of bullying in
the setting (e.g., anonymous self-report surveys and/or
student focus groups) and follow-up assessments to determine
the effectiveness of the interventions.
7.
Developmentally
appropriate (e.g., language and materials used varies for
children of different ages, addresses how bullying changes
from pre-school through high school years).
8.
Culturally
responsive (e.g., accounts for program-relevant differences in
communities and populations; affirming and strengthening
cultural, racial and linguistic identities).
9.
Community-based
(extends beyond the school/agency, partners with other
community organizations).
10.
Parent/caregiver/family-oriented
(e.g., helps parents/caregivers address bullying in home and
community environments; cultivates partnerships between
schools and families).
11.
Actively
supports at-risk or targeted students (e.g., by inclusion, by
identifying and supporting individual strengths and
interests).
Ask:
1.
Does
the program foster a whole-school approach, with collaboration
between administration, counseling staff, teaching staff
(including coaches) and support staff (clerical, cafeteria,
custodial, security, etc.), parents, community members and
students?
2.
Does
the program foster a comprehensive approach, with
interventions at the level of the whole school, the classroom
(including teams and clubs) and the individuals who bully and
are bullied?
3.
Does
the program emphasize training for all staff on identifying,
reporting, confronting and imposing consequences for bullying
behaviors?
4.
Does
the program empower student bystanders to withhold support
from or actively dissuade bullying behavior?
5.
Does
the program include measures (such as character education,
responsive school/classroom and collaborative learning) to
improve school climate, particularly the ways in which
students, teachers, administrators and other school staff
communicate with one another?
6.
Does
the program address different forms of bullying (e.g.,
physical, verbal, relational, cyber-bullying)?
7.
Does
the program cover sexual harassment, bullying based on race,
culture, gender-identity, disability and other forms of
bias-based bullying?
8.
Does
the program emphasize measuring bullying in the school or
setting, and recommend specific measurement approaches (such
as surveys or focus groups)?
9.
Does
the program emphasize and offer specific suggestions for rules
and consequences for bullying (such as a set of graduated
negative sanctions as well as positive sanctions for engaging
in kind and considerate behavior) and ensure that rules and
sanctions are fairly and consistently enforced?
10.
Is
the program proactive, not only responding to bullying
incidents when they may become known but creating a telling
school in which students and staff are actively encouraged to
report incidents of bullying?
11.
Is
the program preventive, addressing conditions which lead to
bullying (e.g., inadequate support for potential targets of
bullying; clique and gang activity; negative adult role
models)?
12.
Does
the program emphasize the importance of
administrative approval, of identifying clear
leadership for the anti-bullying work and assuring that the
leadership group receives ongoing support?
13.
Does
the program include training and materials specifically for
parents, caregivers and families?
14.
Is
the presenter familiar with New Jersey's laws regarding
bullying, hazing, harassment and discrimination and does the
program support the mandates for compliance with the law and
identify violations?
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