Research and Results
Six Schools Show a Reduction of Bullying
Frey, K. S., Hirschstein, M. K., Snell, J. L., Edstrom, L. V., MacKenzie, E. P., & Broderick, C. J. (2005). Reducing playground bullying and supporting beliefs: An experimental trial of the STEPS TO RESPECT program. Developmental Psychology, 41(3), 479–491.
A rigorous evaluation of the STEPS TO RESPECT program was published in the May–June 2005 issue of Developmental Psychology. Research found that after 12 weeks of implementation:
- There were 25 percent fewer bullying incidents on the playground compared to a control group.
- Children who were bystanders to bullying were less encouraging of it.
- The effects of the STEPS TO RESPECT program were most pronounced among students observed to do the most bullying before program implementation.
Six schools participated in the study. Three schools implemented the STEPSTO RESPECT program, and three schools—the control group—did not. For ten weeks at the beginning of the school year, independent observers recorded the playground behaviors of students in Grades 3 through 6 in all six schools. Students also responded to a survey about their experiences and attitudes about bullying.
Following pre-testing, the three intervention schools created bullying policies, trained teachers and staff, and implemented the classroom lessons twice a week for 12 weeks. At the end of the implementation period, playground observations and the student surveys were conducted again.
In addition to showing a reduction in bullying, the evaluation demonstrated that the encouragement children give to playground bullies can be reduced by the STEPS TO RESPECT program. If schools are able to alter the norms of children's social groups, the positive effects of the program will strengthen over time, making school a better experience for all students.
