Evaluation of an Anti-Bullying Evaluation of an Anti-Bullying Program: Student Reports of Program: Student Reports of Knowledge and Confidence to Knowledge and Confidence to

Manage BullyingManage Bullying

Doug C.

Catherine M.

Paul W.

Project Ploughshares Puppets for Project Ploughshares Puppets for PeacePeace

Purpose was to evaluate the Purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of the anti-bullying effectiveness of the anti-bullying programprogram

Goals included: Goals included: – student awarenessstudent awareness– strategies to manage itstrategies to manage it– how useful the program was, and if how useful the program was, and if

students reported more cases of students reported more cases of bullying after the programbullying after the program

What is bullying?What is bullying?

Defined as repetitive aggression Defined as repetitive aggression directed at a peer who is unable to directed at a peer who is unable to defend themselvesdefend themselves

Directed from one peer against another Directed from one peer against another who cannot stop the aggressionwho cannot stop the aggression

Bullying includes the aggressor, Bullying includes the aggressor, targeted peer, bystandertargeted peer, bystander

Characteristics of children who are Characteristics of children who are bullied include depression, bullied include depression, passiveness, and shynesspassiveness, and shyness

This program looks mainly on the This program looks mainly on the students responses to bullyingstudents responses to bullying

Puppet Power!Puppet Power!

The P4 Program uses puppets and a scriptThe P4 Program uses puppets and a script This helps to educated elementary school This helps to educated elementary school

students about bullying and conflict students about bullying and conflict resolutionresolution

4 Footsteps include ignoring, saying stop, 4 Footsteps include ignoring, saying stop, walking away, and getting helpwalking away, and getting help

The program was developed in hope that The program was developed in hope that students would report a higher frequency students would report a higher frequency of bullying after, since participating with of bullying after, since participating with this program, they would become more this program, they would become more aware of what bullying actually wasaware of what bullying actually was

BullyingBullying

……occurs when a victim is unable to occurs when a victim is unable to defend him or herselfdefend him or herself

~~Olweus (2001)Olweus (2001)

Note: 83% of students state bullying Note: 83% of students state bullying occurs when the student is still able to occurs when the student is still able to

“fight back”“fight back”

How effective is the P4?How effective is the P4?

Will students learn to:Will students learn to:– identify more types of bullying identify more types of bullying

behaviors and more strategies to behaviors and more strategies to manage bullying after viewing the manage bullying after viewing the puppet show puppet show in in comparisoncomparison with their with their awarenessawareness of bullying and strategies of bullying and strategies beforebefore viewing the show? viewing the show?

MethodMethod Midwestern Canadian cityMidwestern Canadian city

– Students in grade 3 and 4Students in grade 3 and 4

Two groups of studentsTwo groups of students– Before and after participating in the P4 Before and after participating in the P4

program (intervention group)program (intervention group)– Before and at the end of a class period Before and at the end of a class period

(comparison group)(comparison group)

All students re-questioned three months All students re-questioned three months afterwardsafterwards

MeasuresMeasures

Measure students’ Measure students’ knowledgeknowledge about and about and experiencesexperiences with bullying with bullying

Determine their ability to Determine their ability to accurately accurately identifyidentify various behaviors of bullying various behaviors of bullying– Direct bullying (ex. Direct bullying (ex. Doug hits kids who are Doug hits kids who are

afraidafraid))– Indirect bullying (ex. Indirect bullying (ex. Mike tells untrue stories)Mike tells untrue stories)– Non-bullying (ex. Non-bullying (ex. SeanSean is running and falls is running and falls

downdown))

Measures (Continued)Measures (Continued)

What What type of strategiestype of strategies would you would you use to stop bullying? use to stop bullying? – Ex. Ex. I would tell the kid to stopI would tell the kid to stop– Ex. Ex. I would use humorI would use humor– Ex. Ex. I would hit, kick, or push the kidI would hit, kick, or push the kid

Three month follow up Three month follow up questionnairequestionnaire

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire– Has the puppet show changed the way that Has the puppet show changed the way that

you think about or deal with bullying? Please you think about or deal with bullying? Please tell how.tell how.

ResultsResults

Before the P4 program:Before the P4 program:

– 82% of the intervention group identified 82% of the intervention group identified aggressive behaviors as forms of aggressive behaviors as forms of bullyingbullying

– 2% classified the non-bullying items as 2% classified the non-bullying items as bullyingbullying

Results (Continued)Results (Continued)

52% of students identified positive 52% of students identified positive strategies to protect themselves from strategies to protect themselves from bullyingbullying

– Asking for help from an adult and saying Asking for help from an adult and saying stopstop

– Few agreed with using aggressionFew agreed with using aggression

– Few reported doing nothing about bullyingFew reported doing nothing about bullying

Results (Continued)Results (Continued) How did students’ How did students’ understandingunderstanding of of

bullying and strategies to deal with it bullying and strategies to deal with it change after seeing the puppet show?change after seeing the puppet show?

– No significant difference No significant difference

– Roughly the same amount of behaviors Roughly the same amount of behaviors identified and strategies endorsedidentified and strategies endorsed

– Note: Interesting result—more boys (n=43) Note: Interesting result—more boys (n=43) than girls (n=24) reported that they would use than girls (n=24) reported that they would use humor to cope with bullying (n=124)humor to cope with bullying (n=124)

Results (Continued)Results (Continued)

How has the puppet show changed How has the puppet show changed the way that the way that you think aboutyou think about or or dealdeal with bullying? with bullying?

– 50%--their thoughts of behaviors 50%--their thoughts of behaviors changeschanges Yes, because it told me how to be saferYes, because it told me how to be safer

– <33%--felt the show had no impact<33%--felt the show had no impact Ex. No because I’ve never been bulliedEx. No because I’ve never been bullied

Summary of ResultsSummary of Results

These responses suggest that the P4 These responses suggest that the P4 program increased students’ concern program increased students’ concern and confidence in managing bullying.and confidence in managing bullying.

NB. Students who had not NB. Students who had not experienced bullying found the experienced bullying found the performance to be more helpful than performance to be more helpful than students who had experienced students who had experienced bullying.bullying.

DiscussionDiscussion

The findings of the program were The findings of the program were NOTNOT what we expected.what we expected.

– Lets somehow make this information Lets somehow make this information useful???useful???

Quote from the DiscussionQuote from the Discussion

““Although the P4 program did not Although the P4 program did not have a significant impact on have a significant impact on students’ awareness of bullying and students’ awareness of bullying and strategies, students indicated they strategies, students indicated they experienced an increase in their experienced an increase in their confidence to deal with bullying and confidence to deal with bullying and their feelings of empathy for children their feelings of empathy for children who are bullied” (Beran & Shapiro, who are bullied” (Beran & Shapiro, 2005, 712).2005, 712).

ConclusionConclusion

Because many home, school, and Because many home, school, and individual factors contribute to individual factors contribute to bullying, a single short-term strategy bullying, a single short-term strategy such as a puppet show can be useful such as a puppet show can be useful as only part of a comprehensive, as only part of a comprehensive, evidence-based, or school- and evidence-based, or school- and family-based effort to help students family-based effort to help students act in a socially responsible manneract in a socially responsible manner