Bullying Prevention in an Elementary School: An Exploration of Educator and Staff Perspectives

Abstract

The implementation of school-wide anti-bullying programs has received mixed, though predominantly positive, results in the United States. The present study sought to investigate attributes of a successful anti-bullying campaign with specific interest in areas for continued improvement. The instructional faculty, content area specialists, staff employees, and administrators of a rural mid-Atlantic elementary school were solicited to participate in audio recorded interviews regarding their perceptions of the program at their school. All participants indicated the program was largely successful at their school and the recommendations for further improvements included expanding the bullying reduction training to non-teaching staff, continued emphasis on emotional skills, inclusion of information on varying perspectives regarding gender and culture, and expanding the training to emphasize employee interactions as an important component of the anti-bullying climate.