Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support: Preliminary Evaluation of Third-, Fourth-, and Fifth-Grade Attitudes Toward Bullying

The current pilot study demonstrates the potential of adding simple and efficient bully prevention strategies to already established School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. The self-report surveys of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students from three elementary schools evaluated the relationship between the implementation of Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support and attitudes related to bullying, harassment, and school safety. Results indicated significant improvements in 12 of the 13 dependent variables after the intervention was implemented. Student perceptions of assertiveness, bystander support, and use of a “stop” signal were particularly altered. Considerable methodological limitations are described along with potential implications for practice and recommendations for future research.