The Effectiveness of School-Based Anti-Bullying Programs

• Author: Claudia San Miguel,Christopher J. Ferguson,Patricia Sanchez,John C. Kilburn
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016807311712
• Published date: 01 December 2007
• Date: 01 December 2007
• Subject Matter: Articles

The Effectiveness of School-Based

Anti-Bullying Programs

A Meta-Analytic Review

Christopher J. Ferguson

Claudia San Miguel

John C. Kilburn, Jr.

Patricia Sanchez

Texas A&M International University, Laredo

Youth violence, including bullying and other serious violent behaviors, has received increased

political and scientific attention over the past several decades. Although violent behavior

among youth and in the schools has declined over the past decade, the victimization of children

by other children in school settings remains a major issue of concern. In response, a number of

prevention and intervention programs have been developed to reduce the incidence of bullying

and violence in schools. This meta-analysis attempted to examine the effect of school-based

anti-bullying programs. Results suggested a significant effect for anti-bullying programs (r=.12).

However, this result seemed to be slightly influenced by publication bias and did not meet the

adopted threshold for “practical significance.” The effect for programs targeted specifically at

at-risk youth was slightly better, but overall, anti-bullying programs produce little discernible

effect on youth participants. Reasons that anti-bullying programs may produce little effective

change are discussed.

Keywords: bullying; school-based programs; violence prevention interventions; violence;

prevention; program evaluation

Violence in the schools, which can encompass a continuum of behaviors from bullying to

more serious violence, is an issue that has attracted increased attention not only from the

public but also from educators, social scientists, and politicians over the past decade (Phillips,

2007). Children have arguably been viewed as innocent and without malice throughout most of

American culture, although research spanning several decades disputes this common assump-

tion (Phillips, 2007), and recent literature has documented that lesser forms of violence, such

as bullying, are common among children (Nansel, Overpeck, Pilla, Ruan, Simons-Morton, &

Scheidt., 2001).

Although a multitude of school anti-bullying programs have been developed and imple-

mented, it is uncertain whether these programs are successful in achieving their intended

outcomes. This uncertainty may be due to the fact that many anti-bullying programs have

not been subjected to systematic and empirical review. Of those programs that have been

subjected to review, publication bias may be to blame for inflated significant effects. This

study focuses on determining actual success (as indicated by effect size) in anti-bullying

prevention programs.

401

Criminal Justice Review

Volume 32 Number 4

December 2007 401-414

© 2007 Georgia State University

Research Foundation, Inc.

10.1177/0734016807311712

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