Publication Date

5-2014

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Ronda Talley (Director), Kelly Davis, Joelle Carter

Degree Program

Department of Psychology

Degree Type

Specialist in Education

Abstract

School bullying has become an international source of concern. The media has captured the attention of the public with coverage of incidents such as the Columbine massacre. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked through their school, shooting particular students they found. One victim asked why they were doing it. They said it was a dream come true and “payback” for being ostracized by their peers (Kalish & Kimmel, 2010). Until such devastations acted out in schools, bullying was considered a rite of passage. For the most part, parents and faculty did little to prevent it. In recent years psychological research studies have confirmed that bullying can be detrimental to the emotional, physical, and mental health of developing adolescents. This program evaluation was completed to determine whether or not the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports bully prevention intervention implemented at an elementary school in Kentucky was effective by creating a more positive school climate, increasing the amount of bystander participation during bullying incidents and decreasing the number of times students felt they had been treated disrespectfully. Analyses indicated the intervention was unsuccessful. Student ratings were very positive prior to the implementation of the intervention and were similarly positive after the intervention that been implemented. Data provided by the school indicated there was not a bullying problem within the school prior to implementing the intervention.

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Psychology | School Psychology

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