Anti-bullying programmes in the United States: What works and what doesn’t?

This chapter reviews and discusses anti-bullying programmes in the United States. It begins with the definition and prevalence of bullying in the United States. It then evaluates several notable programmes that have been widely implemented in US school districts. The social-ecological framework has been applied to the conceptualization of bullying and peer victimization, which purports that bullying and peer victimization are influenced by individual, family, peer group, school, community, and societal contexts. Many of the intervention and prevention programmes, such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and Social-Emotional Learning-based programmes such as Second Step Middle School Prevention Program, Steps to Respect, PATHS, Ruler, and Positive Action have been guided by the social-ecological framework. The chapter then includes the ‘five Ps of effective school-based research’.