Bullying Prevention

The Community Bullying Prevention Coalition was established to address the issue of bullying from a global perspective as bullying is a "community" issue. By engaging multiple stakeholders, the Coalition can address the issue from a community perspective. Our Coalition represents parents, school staff, clergy, childcare, business leaders, and coaches. Our goal is to improve the quality of life in general, for all, while equipping children and adults with pro-social skills and resources to address the issue of bullying.

Olweus is an anti-bullying program developed through the research of Dan Olweus.  The program focuses on restructuring the existing school environment to reduce opportunities and rewards for bullying behaviors.  The emphasis of the program is on improving peer relationships and making the school a positive place for students to learn and grow.

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has received recognition from a number of organizations committed to preventing school violence. The program has been named:

• Blueprints Model Program, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Colorado at Boulder
• Effective Program, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice
• Level 2 Program, U.S. Department of Education ("Level 2" programs have been scientifically demonstrated to prevent delinquency or reduce risk and enhance protection for delinquency and other child and youth problems using either an experimental or quasi-experimental research design with a comparison group.

There are school-wide elements to this program.  At Schuylkill Valley Elementary School our school-wide rules are: 

1. We will not bully others.
2. We will try to help students who are bullied.
3. We will include students who are easily left out.
4. When we know someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Scope:

Backed by thirty-five years of research and successful, worldwide implementation, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a long-term, system-wide program for change involving program components at four levels:

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is designed and researched for students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools. Many schools have included Kindergarten-Grade 2 in their Olweus programs. Some high schools have also used the program to address bullying behavior. The program offers a wide range of benefits for schools as well as benefits for other institutions.
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Suggested Books on Bullying
Bullying Prevention Institute
Stop Bullying Now
Olweus.org
Stop Bullying