Olweus Anti-Bullying Program
« Back to list| Category | Type | Target Age Group | Setting | Outcomes | Source of Rating |
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| Proven Programs | Antisocial Behavior |
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Reduction in reports of bullying and victimization;
Reduction in general antisocial behavior such as vandalism, fighting, theft and truancy |
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Description:
Schools and institutions around the world have successfully implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. These bullying case studies and bullying prevention testimonials illustrate how the program can:
- reduce existing bullying programs among students
- prevent the development of new bullying problems
- achieve better peer relations at school
- create safer, more effective learning environments
Even with a school's best efforts, bullying can affect the safety and wellbeing of the entire student population. In order to stop bullying, it needs to be addressed at every level of a student's experience. That's why the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a whole-school program aimed at preventing or reducing bullying throughout a school setting.
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Goals
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is designed to improve peer relations and make schools safer, more positive places for students to learn and develop. Goals of the program include:
- Reducing existing bullying problems among students
- Preventing new bullying problems
- Achieving better peer relations at school
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:
- School
- Individual
- Classroom
- Community
Target Population
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.
Because the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is not a curriculum, its core principles, rules, and supportive materials can be adapted for use by any program that children and youth attend on a regular basis, such as after-school programs, camps, or community youth programs.
The core principles and rules of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program can be integrated into existing children and youth programs' policies and routines. Although research has not measured the program's effectiveness in these settings, with appropriate staff training, nonschool programs may help prevent bullying and help students understand that bullying is not just a school issue, but one that impacts all areas of their lives and their communities as well.
Some initial work has also been done to integrate the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program into state juvenile justice programming. For example, the state of Ohio has received a grant to implement the program in a state penitentiary for youth, which includes both school and residential components.
For more Information or to find Technical Assistance, visit:
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
www.olweus.org
http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/
Marlene Snyder, PhD
Research Associate
Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life
Clemson University
Phone: 864-710-4562
Fax: 406-862-8971
E-mail: nobully@clemson.edu
If you would like help in determining costs of materials for your program, please call Hazelden Publishing at 1-800-328-9000.
More Resources
References and/or Published Evaluations
Bauer, N., Lozano, P., & Rivara, F. P. (2007). The effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in Public Middle Schools: A controlled trial. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 266-274.
Black, S. (2003). An ongoing evaluation of the bullying prevention program in Philadelphia schools: Student survey and student observation data. Paper presented at Centers for Disease Control's Safety in Numbers Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Black, S. A., & Jackson, E. (2007). Using bullying incident density to evaluate the Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme. School Psychology International, 28, 623-638.
Black, S. & Washington, E. (2007). Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: How the program can work for inner city youth. Proceedings of Persistently Safe Schools: The 2007 National Conference on Safe Schools, October 29-31, 2007, Washington, DC.
Melton, G. B., Limber, S. P., Cunningham, P., Osgood, D. W., Chambers, J, Flerx, V., Henggeler, S., & Nation, M. (1998). Violence among rural youth. Final report to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Olweus, D. (1991). Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: Basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. In D. J. Pepler & K. H. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Olweus, D. (1997). Bully/victim problems in school: Facts and intervention. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 12, 495-510.
Olweus, D. (2005). A useful evaluation design, and effects of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Psychology, Crime & Law, 11, 389-402.
Olweus, D. (2005b). New positive results with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in 37 Oslo schools. Report. Bergen, Norway: Research Center for Health Promotion, University of Bergen.
Ttofi, M. M., Farrington, D. P. & Baldry, A. C. (2008). Effectiveness of programmes to reduce school bullying. Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
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Additional Information
Provided by www.olweus.org, September 2010
- Has this program been replicated at other sites? If so, how many and where are they?
At this time, thousands of schools throughout the United States have been trained to use the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
School personnel that have used the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program are usually very happy to talk with others who are considering the program and are pleased to share their experiences. Because we want to protect the privacy (and the time) of school personnel, we do not share contact information for personnel from OBPP schools without their prior approval. If you are interested in talking with personnel who have implemented the program, please contact Dr. Marlene Snyder at nobully@clemson.edu.
Halley Elementary School, Fairfax Station, Virginia
Teachers at Halley Elementary first became aware of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program when they saw an invitation for a grant for the program in 2005. They began training school officials that same year and implemented the program in 2006.
Halley Elementary has had great success with the program. The school has seen an improvement in eliminating bullying behavior. Data suggests that the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has helped reduce the number of students who are bullied. In the beginning of the program, 42.3 percent of students reported being bullied. After one year of implementation of the program, 33.9 percent of students reported being bullied, a marked improvement.
The program has made such a positive impression that two families transferred their children to Halley Elementary School because they felt it was a safer environment than other schools.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
An evaluation of the Olweus program in 12 elementary schools in the Philadelphia area revealed that among those schools that had implemented the program with at least moderate fidelity:
- There were significant reductions in self-reported bullying and victimization1
- There were significant decreases in adults' observations of bullying (in the cafeteria and on the playground)
Chula Vista, California
After implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, surveys of students, staff and parents from three elementary schools showed the following:
- 21% decrease in reports of being bullied after 1 year and a 14% decrease after 2 years
- 8% decrease in reports of bullying others after 1 year and 17% after 2 years
- After 1 year, students were more likely to perceive that adults at school tried to stop bullying.
- After 1 year, parents felt that administrators had done more to stop bullying.
Arizona's Bullying Prevention Partnership
The Arizona Bullying Prevention Partnership is sponsoring implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in several school districts around the state. Early results have shown a decrease in the number of children engaging in bullying behavior: 26 percent in all schools; 44 percent in schools implementing the program true to its original design.
- Is there a formal curriculum or program guidelines in place? What is the approximate cost for these materials?
Depending upon the size of your school, purchasing the program materials (the Schoolwide Guide and Teacher Guide) can range from $1,500 to $3,200. The Olweus Bullying Questionnaire will be a separate cost that ranges from $250 for a single school using the manual entry CD-ROM format and somewhat higher for schools using the scannable questionnaire.
Materials supporting your implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program are available exclusively from Hazelden Publishing. For excellent program results, it is very important that the program be implemented as written (with fidelity to program components and principles). Implementation should include the guidance and expertise of a certified Olweus trainer.
Other costs to consider include the following:
- A 2-day training of the BPCC members by a certified Olweus trainer
- Substitute teachers so teachers can attend an all-staff, full-day training. (You may need to work with teacher unions to determine the rate of pay)
- Supplies for your school kick-off event
- Optional program promotional materials such as posters. (Reproducible templates are available on the Schoolwide Guide CD-ROM, on the Olweus web site.)
- Supplies such as paper to reproduce handouts and transparencies.
- Ongoing program evaluation costs (processing and reporting questionnaire results on an annual basis)
- A “booster” training for staff
- Materials for students (including bullying-related literature or videos)
If your school implements the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program as part of a large-scale districtwide or statewide effort, you may wish to have a member of the BPCC become a certified Olweus trainer who can then head up all training of existing and new staff.
Large schools or school districts may also choose to hire a designated coordinator who also would become a certified Olweus trainer.
- What kind of training and technical assistance is available for this program?
Training in bullying prevention forms the foundation for successful program implementation and sustaining the program year after year. Training for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program includes school administrators as well as every adult involved in overseeing, planning, and implementing the program, including:
- Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee members
- Teachers
- Substitute teachers
- Counselors
- After-school program providers
- School resource officers
- Support staff
- Playground supervisors and aides
- Bus drivers
- Cafeteria workers
- Custodial staff
- Parents
Training for the Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee
Members of your school's Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee attend a two-day committee training conducted by a certified Olweus trainer. Committee members will be introduced to the research about bullying behaviors and the impact of bullying on students, the importance of bullying behavior prevention and intervention, and learn key strategies to address bullying, making them your resident bullying prevention experts. Because new staff members need to be trained year after year, the Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee makes it possible for your school to sustain the program long-term.
The research-based bullying prevention training will prepare committee members to teach your educators and staff:
- What bullying is and how it differs from other acts of aggression among children and youth
- The reasons why educators should be concerned about bullying behaviors
- Facts and myths about the nature and prevalence of bullying behaviors
- Characteristics of students involved in bullying problems
- Risk factors for bullying behavior
- How to intervene effectively with students who have been bullied, students who bully others, and students who watch bullying happen
- How to work effectively with parents of children involved in bullying situations
- The key components of the program and how all adults can become involved in bullying prevention and intervention for successful program implementation
- How to plan and coordinate the on-going implementation of your anti-bullying program efforts for a long-term reduction of bullying problems in your school
Following the initial two-day bullying prevention training, your certified Olweus trainer will continue to provide telephone consultations to your school's program coordinator (a member of your coordinating committee) for up to one year.
Costs of training and consultation may vary by trainer, region of the country, and the number of sites being trained. A number of states have trained a group of trainers that may offer the training at no or very low cost to your schools. In general, a single certified Olweus trainer may charge less than the listed prices, but no more than:
- $3,000 for a two-day training involving one or two school building's Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committees.
- Travel costs for the certified Olweus trainer, including airfare (if necessary), lodging, meals, and local transportation.
- $125 per hour for telephone consultation to each school site for up to one year. This price includes the cost of the phone call. (Check out consultation fees with each certified Olweus trainer; amounts charged for consultation vary.)
For districtwide implementation across several school sites, it may be more economically feasible to sponsor one of your own educators to become a certified Olweus trainer for your schools.
Training Teachers and Staff
Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee members will reinforce their role as resident bullying experts - by conducting bullying prevention training for all teachers and other school staff. This full-day training (or two half-day blocks) will give every adult who interacts with students a basic understanding of bullying, the motivation to become involved in bullying prevention and the skills to intervene appropriately in bullying behaviors.
During the training, Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee members will use results from the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire administered at the school to point out site-specific issues regarding bullying problems in their building. Educators will learn about school policies and procedures for dealing with bullying behavior, how to implement classroom and parental components of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program as well as how to effectively intervene with individuals involved in bullying situations.
All other adults working in the school (bus drivers, janitorial staff, cafeteria workers, playground supervisors and aides, parent volunteers, and support staff) will get the knowledge and empowerment they need to intervene effectively when individual bullying situations are observed.
Schools should hold periodic staff discussion groups. These mini-workshops give teachers and staff a chance to talk about the successes and work through the challenges of implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in their school system.
The Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee may also conduct "booster" training for teachers and staff. This is sometimes done in conjunction with the school's certified Olweus trainer.
Certified Olweus Trainers
More than 600 educators have been trained and certified in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Trainers offer a two-day Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee training. This formal training is highly recommended for schools implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program to assure fidelity to the program for increased positive results. Trainers also offer ongoing phone support for up to one year. If you are planning district-wide implementation or you will have several buildings with their own Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committees, you may want to select a highly qualified individual to become a certified Olweus trainer. Training of Trainers can be requested in your state, or an individual may attend scheduled Training of Trainers events.
Visit Clemson University, the U.S. home for research and training to support the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, for other questions about training and training costs.
- Once the program has been implemented, can an organization obtain assistance with fidelity monitoring or quality assurance?
A certified Olweus trainer will provide consultation to an on-site program coordinator at each school for up to one year. (An on-site program coordinator is a “point person” at a school and may or may not be the chairperson of the Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee.) This consultation is conducted by telephone or (whenever possible) in person and occurs once a month for approximately one hour.
Training is not offered without a commitment to engage in ongoing consultation with a certified Olweus trainer. We have found the consultation to be important to the success and sustainability of the program.
- Can an organization obtain assistance with data collection or measurement of outcomes?
Yes. The certified Olweus trainer can provide assistance with data collection and measurement of outcomes.
- Which local stakeholders should participate in order for this program to be successful?
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a school-wide program designed to prevent or reduce bullying throughout the school setting. The multi-component approach involves individuals, classrooms, entire schools, as well as parents and communities, to successfully address bullying in schools.
It is also a good idea to engage your larger community in your bullying prevention efforts. Even though the majority of bullying incidents take place on school grounds during school hours, bullying doesn't cease at the doors to the school.
It exists at school bus stops, community parks, summer camps, neighborhoods, shopping malls, churches, and anywhere that young people gather. Community members can help spread anti-bullying messages and efforts outside your school as well as provide support and resources to enhance the program within your building.
Ideally, students should receive consistent anti-bullying messages in all areas of their lives. Seeing billboards, posters, or signs of community sponsorship or support for your school's bullying prevention program tells students that bullying is not just a school issue that is important to teachers, but an issue that is important to the whole community. Community groups can provide your bullying prevention program with different types of support, including financial, material, human, and public relations support.
Groups to consider for help include your local police or fire departments, local service groups such as Rotary, Lions, or Kiwanis clubs, Jaycees, faith-based organizations, or local businesses.
For example, the Chula Vista Police Department in Chula Vista, California has taken an active role in the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in their area schools. Police officers are an integral part of the program.
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