Research and Results

"Walking the Talk" Makes a Difference in Bullying Prevention

Hirschstein, M. K., Edstrom, L. V. S., Frey, K. S., Snell, J. L., & MacKenzie, E. P. (2007). Walking the talk in bullying prevention: Teacher implementation variables related to initial impact of the STEPS TO RESPECT program." School Psychology Review, 36(1), 3–21.

Teachers who "walk the talk" of bullying prevention weave support for positive behaviors into daily interactions with students and coach those involved in bullying. The payoff is less aggression, victimization, and encouragement of bullying, according to a study published in the March 2007 issue of School Psychology Review.

In "Walking the Talk in Bullying Prevention: Teacher Implementation Variables Related to Initial Impact of the STEPS TO RESPECT Program," researchers examined relationships between implementation of the program and the behaviors and beliefs of children in Grades 3 through 6. After one year of using the program, high levels of "walking the talk" were linked to:

Less observed aggression and victimization among fifth- and sixth-grade students.
Less observed victimization of all children who had previously been victimized.
Less destructive bystander behavior among all children who had previously been observed contributing to bullying as bystanders.

The study also showed that teaching concepts and practicing skills in STEPS TO RESPECT lessons corresponded to higher teacher ratings of children's behaviors. "These findings suggest that teachers' prevention efforts pay off in reduced aggression and victimization on playgrounds, particularly among older elementary students and those who may stand to benefit most from skilled intervention," according to the study's co-author Miriam Hirschstein, a researcher with Committee for Children.

Read the full paper online here.

Return to Research Findings