Lesley Cunningham

The Effects of Primary Division, Student‐mediated Conflict Resolution Programs on Playground Aggression

This study examined the effects of a student-mediated conflict resolution program on primary school (junior kindergarten to grade 5) playground aggression. Mediation teams of grade 5 students (approximately age 10) participated in 15 hours of training according to the model developed by Cunningham, Cunningham, and Martorelli (1997). Following baseline observations, mediation was introduced onto the playgrounds of three schools according to a multiple baseline design. Mediators successfully resolved approximately 90% of the playground conflicts in which they intervened. Direct observations suggest that the student mediation program reduced physically aggressive playground behavior by 51% to 65%. These effects were sustained at 1-year follow-up observations. Teacher and mediator satisfaction questionnaires provided strong support for impact, feasibility, and acceptability of this program.

Optimizing Population Screening of Bullying in School-Aged Children

A two-part screening procedure was used to assess school-age childrens experience with bullying. In the first part 16,799 students (8,195 girls, 8,604 boys) in grades 4 to 12 were provided with a definition of bullying and then asked about their experiences using two general questions from the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (1996). In the second part, students were asked about their experiences with specific types of bullying: physical, verbal, social, and cyber. For each form of bullying, students were provided with several examples of what constituted such behavior. Results indicated that the general screener has good specificity but poor sensitivity, suggesting that the general screening questions were good at classifying noninvolved students but performed less well when identifying true cases of bullying. Accordingly, reports from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the United Nations may underestimate the prevalence of bullying among school-aged children world-wide.

Places to Avoid: Population-Based Study of Student Reports of Unsafe and High Bullying Areas at School

Students’ perceptions of school safety and experiences with bullying were examined in a large Canadian cohort of 5,493 girls and 5,659 boys in Grades 4 to 12. Results indicate notable differences in when and where students felt safe based on their own perceptions of safety and their own experiences with bullying, particularly across elementary and secondary schools. For elementary students, especially those involved in bullying, the playground/school yard and outside recess/break time were particularly hazardous, whereas for secondary students involved in bullying, the hallways, school lunchroom/cafeteria, and outside recess/break were considered especially dangerous. The commonality across student-identified unsafe areas is that they tend to not be well supervised by school personnel. Accordingly, the present results underscore the need to increase adult supervision in areas in which an overwhelming majority of students report feeling unsafe. Une analyse de la perception des élèves vis-à-vis de la sécurité à l’école et des expériences en rapport avec l’intimidation a été effectuée dans une cohorte d’étudiants canadiens de la 4e à la 12e année, qui comporte 5493 filles et 5659 garçons. Les résultats ont montré des différences remarquables en ce qui a trait aux lieux et aux moments où les étudiants se sentent en sécurité. Ces derniers se basent sur leurs propres perceptions de la sécurité ainsi que sur leurs expériences en rapport avec l’intimidation, principalement à travers les écoles élémentaires et secondaires. Selon les élèves qui fréquentent les niveaux élémentaires (en particulier ceux qui sont impliqués dans l’intimidation), la cour de récréation et les périodes de pause à l’extérieur du bâtiment scolaire sont particulièrement risquées. Les élèves impliqués dans l’intimidation et qui fréquentent les niveaux secondaires, quant à eux, considèrent que les couloirs, la salle de déjeuner/cafétéria à l’école et les périodes de pause à l’extérieur du bâtiment scolaire, sont dangereux. Le point commun entre tous les secteurs décrits par les élèves comme peu sécuritaires, est le manque de supervision par le personnel de l’école. En conséquence, les résultats actuels soulignent la nécessité d’augmenter la surveillance adulte dans les secteurs où une la grande majorité des élèves éprouvent le sentiment d’insécurité.

Modeling the Bullying Prevention Program Preferences of Educators: A Discrete Choice Conjoint Experiment

We used discrete choice conjoint analysis to model the bullying prevention program preferences of educators. Using themes from computerized decision support lab focus groups (n = 45 educators), we composed 20 three-level bullying prevention program design attributes. Each of 1,176 educators completed 25 choice tasks presenting experimentally varied combinations of the study’s attribute levels. Latent class analysis yielded three segments with different preferences. Decision Sensitive educators (31%) preferred that individual schools select bullying prevention programs. In contrast, Support Sensitive educators (51%) preferred that local school boards chose bullying prevention programs. This segment preferred more logistical and social support at every stage of the adoption, training, implementation, and long term maintenance processes. Cost Sensitive educators (16%) showed a stronger preference for programs minimizing costs, training, and implementation time demands. They felt prevention programs were less effective and that the time and space in the curriculum for bullying prevention was less adequate. They were less likely to believe that bullying prevention was their responsibility and more likely to agree that prevention was the responsibility of parents. All segments preferred programs supported by the anecdotal reports of colleagues from other schools rather than those based on scientific evidence. To ensure that the bullying prevention options available reflect the complex combination of attributes influencing real world adoption decisions, program developers need to accommodate the differing views of the Decision, Support, and Cost Sensitive segments while maximizing the support of parents and students.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Recommendations of Students in Grades 5 to 8

Focus groups explored the bullying prevention suggestions of 62 Grade 5 to 8 students. Discussions were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Students advocated a comprehensive approach including uniforms, increased supervision, playground activities, group restructuring to prevent social isolation, influential presenters, prevention skills training, solution-focused posters, and meaningful consequences. In addition, students suggested that parents should improve relationships with their children, respond to aggression, limit exposure to media violence, and support school-based discipline. The failure to respond effectively to students who bully in defiance of antibullying presentations, and who retalitate when reported or disciplined, undermines prevention programs by reducing the willingness of bystanders to intervene or report bullying, and influencing the attitudes of younger pupils. The approach advocated by students is supported by meta-analyses of the effective components of bullying prevention trials.

Modeling the bullying prevention program design recommendations of students from grades five to eight: a discrete choice conjoint experiment

We used a discrete choice conjoint experiment to model the bullying prevention recommendations of 845 students from grades 5 to 8 (aged 9-14). Students made choices between experimentally varied combinations of 14 four-level prevention program attributes. Latent class analysis yielded three segments. The high impact segment (27.1%) recommended uniforms, mandatory recess activities, four playground supervisors, surveillance cameras, and 4-day suspensions when students bully. The moderate impact segment (49.5%) recommended discretionary uniforms and recess activities, four playground supervisors, and 3-day suspensions. Involvement as a bully or bully-victim was associated with membership in a low impact segment (23.4%) that rejected uniforms and surveillance cameras. They recommended fewer anti-bullying activities, discretionary recess activities, fewer playground supervisors, and the 2-day suspensions. Simulations predicted most students would recommend a program maximizing student involvement combining prevention with moderate consequences. The simulated introduction of mandatory uniforms, surveillance cameras, and long suspensions reduced overall support for a comprehensive program, particularly among students involved as bullies or bully-victims.

Modeling the anti-cyberbullying preferences of university students: Adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis

Adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis was used to study the anti-cyberbullying program preferences of 1,004 university students. More than 60% reported involvement in cyberbullying as witnesses (45.7%), victims (5.7%), perpetrator-victims (4.9%), or perpetrators (4.5%). Men were more likely to report involvement as perpetrators and perpetrator-victims than were women. Students recommended advertisements featuring famous people who emphasized the impact of cyberbullying on victims. They preferred a comprehensive approach teaching skills to prevent cyberbullying, encouraging students to report incidents, enabling anonymous online reporting, and terminating the internet privileges of students involved as perpetrators. Those who cyberbully were least likely, and victims of cyberbullying were most likely, to support an approach combining prevention and consequences. Simulations introducing mandatory reporting, suspensions, or police charges predicted a substantial reduction in the support of uninvolved students, witnesses, victims, and perpetrators.

What Limits the Effectiveness of Antibullying Programs? A Thematic Analysis of the Perspective of Teachers

Prevention programs yield modest reductions in bullying in North American schools. This study explored the perspective of educators regarding factors limiting the impact of these initiatives. Transcripts from nineteen 90-min focus groups with 103 educators were coded thematically. Educators felt that off-site incidents, cyberbullying, and the growing involvement of boys in psychologically aggressive incidents have increased the complexity of bullying. Curriculum demands limit time for training, implementation, and prompt responses to bullying. Principals failing to back teachers up, ambivalent colleagues, uncooperative parents, and a lack of evidence reduce their commitment to implementation. Promising programs are discontinued in favor of new initiatives. Some educators modified programs; others, feeling frustrated and discouraged, struggled to mobilize the enthusiasm needed to ensure successful implementation. Dealing with bullying in the face of limited time, training, and support may increase emotional exhaustion and compromise program effectiveness.