Linking School Policies to Bullying: Implications for Improving the Collaboration Between Researchers and Educational Stakeholders

• In Event: Policy, Programmatic, and Practical Alternatives to Exclusionary School Discipline

Abstract

Although anti-bullying policies play a crucial role in bullying prevention and intervention, relatively little is known about their effectiveness. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of anti-bullying policies by exploring their relationship with the prevalence of bullying. A content analysis of anti-bullying policies from 74 school districts across the state of Louisiana was conducted. The codings were then correlated with the number of bullying referrals of those districts, revealing significant negative correlations with mental health referrals for victims, evidence of age appropriate bullying prevention programs for students, and evidence-based practices in policy in the 2016/17 school year. Implications for future research and collaborations with educational stakeholders are discussed.

Authors

• Claudia C Sutter, University of Virginia

• Jaimie Stickl Haugen, St. Bonaventure University

• Laurie O. Campbell, University of Central Florida

• Jessica L Tinstman Jones