This report presents the methodology and findings of an evaluation of "Bully-Proofing Your School" (BPYS), a school-based program designed to reduce bullying and school violence in elementary and middle schools through a specially designed curriculum taught by teachers in the classroom.
Evaluation findings show considerable variation in the degree to which the program was faithfully implemented in the elementary schools, and it was not implemented well in the middle schools. Evaluation results for BPYS in middle schools were inconclusive; however, they suggest that the program does no harm and may do some good. Evaluation findings for elementary schools were more promising, as they indicate the program had the intended beneficial effects in reducing bullying and school violence in general; it also changed student attitudes toward bullying and school violence. In elementary schools where the program was implemented as intended, favorable results were achieved more quickly and were more pervasive and long-lasting. Further research is needed in order to determine whether BPYS is effective for middle-school students. BPYS has three major components: a questionnaire that assesses the extent of bullying in the school and creates classroom expectations and rules regarding no tolerance for bullying; instruction in protective skills for dealing with bullying and assistance to potential bullying victims; and creation of a positive school climate through the promotion of a "caring majority" in the school that works to change bystander behavior during bullying incidents. The evaluation involved two BPYS middle schools and one comparison middle school without the program, as well as three BPYS elementary schools and three comparison elementary schools without BPYS. Questionnaires completed by students and teachers before and after program participation over the course of 5 years of the program provided data on program implementation and outcomes. 18 tables, 6 figures, and 100 references