Sociometrics Corporation — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase II: NCIPC

Description

Abstract An effective bullying prevention program or strategy is one that incorporates evidence on protective factors at multiple levels including healthy self esteem among youth positive student teacher interactions normative beliefs that sanction rather than endorse bullying and a school climate based on fairness and trust Guerra et al Nationally of students have been bullied on school property CDC Research studies have demonstrated that bullying prevention implementation is mediated by teacher factors e g self efficacy perceived topic relevance job stress experience school factors e g leadership structure program factors e g appropriate goals and teaching pedagogy and student factors e g behaviors Kealey et al Showers et al Zhai et al Although teachers are front line providers in bullying prevention the availability of teacher training and capacity building courses is woefully inadequate Smith Teachers often do not have access to reliable resources to their anti bullying efforts and little guidance for how to implement effective strategies fit to their specific contexts and students Domitrovich et al Espelage andamp Swearer The proposed Teen created Online Tolerance and Anti bullying Library TOTAL will offer teachers an innovative multimedia resource providing information about effective bullying prevention programs and best practices as well as how to deliver prevention efforts employing active and meaningful youth engagement In Year we will complete development of a modular online resource that refocuses bullying prevention from negative deficient models to a positive youth development model inspired by Social and Emotional Learning principles TOTAL will include a comprehensive resource housing in one place evidence based bullying prevention programs with common effectiveness criteria and implementation information youth engagement core competencies for teachers to respond to bullying and engage with teens in meaningful ways youth created off the shelf activities to help foster this engagement and tools and strategies to increase teachersandapos self efficacy to implement and sustain effective bullying prevention efforts A two arm quasi experimental outcome study will be conducted in Year to test the effectiveness of the new TOTAL resource PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE STATEMENT Bullying is related to several significant morbidities e g alcohol and drug use other violence exposure suicide ideation depression cardiovascular problems that continue past adolescence and into adulthood These morbidities occur whether individuals are bystanders bullies and or victims TOTAL Teen created Tolerance and Anti bullying Library is a resource for schools that supports the implementation of effective bullying prevention programs and strategies TOTAL will increase the relevance and reach of existing effective anti bullying programs or strategies and encourage new bullying prevention activities developed by teens for teens leading to sustained behavior change at both the individual and aggregate levels TOTAL will increase teachersandapos self efficacy and knowledge and skills to face competently the challenges to bullying prevention including choices made in response to bullying