“Because Nice Matters”: A Study of an Antibullying Intervention in a Military-Connected School District

• In Event: Transforming School and Campus Climate for Military-Connected Students and Veterans: Research and Practice From the Field

Abstract

Objectives and Perspective
Decades of research on school bullying have provided critical insights into the pervasiveness, typology, severity, and related outcomes of bullying (Espelage, Astor, Cornell, Lester, Mayer, Meyer et al., 2013). For example, victims of bullying have been found to have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and social adjustment problems, persisting into adulthood (Carlisle & Rofes, 2007). Perpetrators, on the other hand, have been found to be at increased risk of juvenile delinquency which, in turn, is highly predictive of adult criminal behavior (Farrington & Ttofi, 2011). The emergence of online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram has given rise to cyber bullying, where aggression and harm has the potential to escalate and ‘go viral’ (Wang, Iannotti, & Nansel, 2009). Thus, schools have invested in programs addressing the individual, group, or contextual factors (Benbenishty & Astor, 2005) to alleviate bullying on school grounds.
Recognizing the critical role of school climate in mitigating school bullying, a military-connected school district in Southern California implemented ‘Because Nice Matters’ (BNM). BNM is a district-wide anti-bullying program that was inspired by workshops offered in a large-scale university-school district partnership aimed at improving military-connected public school climate for children of military service members. The initiative includes activities designed to increase awareness of anti-bullying attitudes and behaviors and the idea that 'being nice matters'. The initiative encourages and recognizes kind behavior and involves symbolic activities, such as wearing purple and black to remind everyone that bullying can cause physical and psychological damage. All 27 schools within this school district participated in the week long campaign. This study examines the effectiveness of BNM at the end of the first year of program implementation from the perspectives of parents and teachers.

Methods and Data Sources
Parent and teacher data were collected from one school within the district via an online survey that contained rating scales and open-ended questions. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative data was thematically organized.

Results
A total of 89 parents and 67 teachers completed the survey. Approximately 80% of parents and 78% of teachers agreed BNM helped students understand bullying is very bad. About 69% of parents and 65% of teachers agreed BNM helped make students more supporting and caring of each other. Another 64% of parents and 53% of teachers agreed BNM helped make the school safer. A closer look at the qualitative results suggests parents and teachers agree that the basic ideas underlying the program are well received. Both groups suggest that BNM ideas and activities should be extended beyond the week long campaign to achieve lasting change. Teachers in particular are concerned with media-related violence and would like to see continued attention to this issue.

Scholarly Significance
From the perspectives of parents and teachers, the anti-bullying program raised awareness of bullying issues and encouraged caring attitudes among students, as well as promoted school safety. However, sustaining positive change requires a normative approach, whereby both positive attitudes and behaviors are reinforced over time.

Authors

• Hazel Atuel, University of Southern California

• Rami Benbenishty, Bar-Ilan University

• Chantra Nhien, University of Southern California