School-based violence & bullying prevention programs
School-based violence prevention programs address disruptive and antisocial behavior by teaching self-awareness, emotional self-control, self-esteem, social skills, social problem solving, conflict resolution, or teamwork. Such programs address general violent behavior or bullying violence; programs can also address dating or interpersonal violence1. School-based bullying programs may focus on bullies, victims, peers, teachers, or the entire school. Most programs seek to reduce both bullying and victimization (being bullied)2.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Reduced violence
Reduced victimization
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
Reduced bullying
What does the research say about effectiveness?
There is strong evidence that school-based violence and bullying prevention programs reduce violence and victimization1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Such programs have also been shown to modestly reduce bullying in some circumstances2, 5, 6.
Overall, whole-school violence prevention programs reduce violence. Programs that offer information about violence, change thought patterns associated with violence, and build social skills have been shown to reduce violence. Such programs are effective for students of various ages, socio-economic status, and ethnicity1; in a few cases, program effects appear greatest among boys and older students4.
Most school-based anti-bullying programs also reduce victimization (being bullied), bullying, and aggressive behavior2, 4. Programs implemented at the classroom level appear more effective than formal school policies against bullying or approaches that focus on specific bullies3, and longer, more intense programs reduce bullying more than less intense programs2. Multi-component interventions7, including a focus on classroom management and rules, better playground supervision, and firm discipline2, as well as incentives for bullies to change their behavior, and focused attention for at-risk youth8 can also increase program effectiveness. Examples of effective anti-bullying programs include Olweus9 and KiVa2.
School-based violence and bullying prevention programs are more likely to succeed with family education components, appropriate adaptations for the social and cultural characteristics of the school population, long program durations, and high levels of parent engagement4, 7 including interventions that improve parent engagement10. Interventions that teach social and interpersonal skills as well as aim to modify attitudes and beliefs are more effective than those that focus on mitigating responses to provocation4 and have been found to reduce behavioral issues in elementary schools11.
School-based violence and bullying prevention programs may be implemented to address school safety concerns. Programs that emphasize engagement and train youth to recognize signs of harmful behaviors may promote the perception of school safety12. Comprehensive approaches have been developed to address school safety concerns;this approach may hold promise but requires engagement and commitment of key staff members and adequate time allocation for changes to occur13. Adopting the principles and practices of trauma-informed schools may enhance bullying prevention efforts and address the social emotional and mental health needs of vulnerable students14.
How could this strategy advance health equity? This strategy is rated inconclusive impact on disparities.
It is unclear what impact school-based violence and bullying programs have on school aged youth across populations. Evidence shows programs are effective for students of various ages, socio-economic status, and ethnicity1.
What is the relevant historical background?
Based on 2021-2022 data, approximately 19 percent of middle and high school students have reported being bullied in school, while 22 percent reported bullying taking place in an online space or via text message15, 19. Higher rates of bullying have been reported by female students compared to male students and is higher for students of two or more races19. Reports of bullying varied based on student and school characteristics19 and may take place in schools, on the playground or the bus, in neighborhoods, travelling to or from school, and in cyber spaces15.
Equity Considerations
- Does your school-based bullying and violence prevention program engage parents, teachers, and students?
- Does your program support those most at risk like female students, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) youth, students with disabilities, and/or socially isolated youth?
- Does the program offer information about violence, change thought patterns associated with violence, and build social skills?
Implementation Examples
There are many resources and tools available federally to help states, schools, parents, and victims of bullying15. As of January 2018, all states and Washington, D.C. have anti-bullying legislation16. Most states have model policies schools can use to reduce bullying. The federal government also offers bullying and violence prevention resources17, 18.
Implementation Resources
‡ Resources with a focus on equity.
Bringing in the Bystander program (BITB) - Soteria Solutions. (n.d.). Sexual violence prevention training for colleges: Bringing in the Bystander program (BITB). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
CDC-School violence - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About school violence.
US DHHS-Stop bullying - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. DHHS). Stop bullying.
YG-SVP - Youth.gov (YG), Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP). Safe youth, safe schools: School violence prevention (SPV).
AIR-SSL SCI Resources - American Institutes for Research (AIR). Safe supportive learning (SSL): School climate improvement (SCI) resource package.
AIR-Bullying - American Institutes for Research (AIR). Bullying and violence prevention resources.
AIR-School climate - American Institutes for Research (AIR). School climate and safety.
Olweus - Olweus bullying prevention program. Why the Olweus bullying program works?
KiVa - KiVa Koulu. There is no bullying in KiVa school!
Footnotes
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1 CG-Violence - The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). Violence.
2 Campbell-Farrington 2009 - Farrington DP, Ttofi MM. School-based programs to reduce bullying and victimization. Campbell Systematic Reviews. 2009;5(1):i-148.
3 RAND-Wong 2009 - Wong JS. No bullies allowed: Understanding peer victimization, the impacts on delinquency, and the effectiveness of prevention programs. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation; 2009: Dissertation 240.
4 Jimenez Barbero 2012 - Jiménez Barbero JA, Ruiz Hernández JA, Llor Esteban B, Pérez García M. Effectiveness of antibullying school programmes: A systematic review by evidence levels. Children and Youth Services Review. 2012;34(9):1646–1658.
5 Matjasko 2012 - Matjasko JL, Vivolo-Kantor AM, Massetti GM, et al. A systematic meta-review of evaluations of youth violence prevention programs: Common and divergent findings from 25 years of meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2012;17(6):540–552.
6 Gaffney 2021 - Gaffney, H., Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2021). Effectiveness of school‐based programs to reduce bullying perpetration and victimization: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 17(2), e1143.
7 Bradshaw 2015 - Bradshaw CP. Translating research to practice in bullying prevention. American Psychologist. 2015;70(4):322–332.
8 Ferguson 2007 - Ferguson CJ, San Miguel C, Kilburn JC, Sanchez P. The effectiveness of school-based anti-bullying programs: A meta-analytic review. Criminal Justice Review. 2007;32(4):401–414.
9 Blueprints - Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV). Blueprints for healthy youth development.
10 van Niejenhuis 2020 - van Niejenhuis, C., Huitsing, G., & Veenstra, R. (2020). Working with parents to counteract bullying: A randomized controlled trial of an intervention to improve parent‐school cooperation. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 61(1), 117–131.
11 Freeman 2024 - Freeman, I. M., Tellez, J., & Jones, A. (2024). Effectiveness of school violence prevention programs in elementary schools in the United States: A systematic review. Social Sciences, 13(4), 222.
12 Hsieh 2022 - Hsieh, M.-L., Chen, K.-J., Choi, P.-S., & Hamilton, Z. K. (2022). Treatment combinations: The joint effects of multiple evidence-based interventions on recidivism reduction. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 49(6), 911–929.
13 Dymnicki 2021 - Dymnicki, A. B., Arredondo Mattson, S., Spier, E., Argamaso, S., & Kingston, B. (2021). Assessing implementation and effects associated with a comprehensive framework designed to reduce school violence: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of School Violence, 20(4), 458–470.
14 Blitz 2015 - Blitz LV, Lee Y. Trauma-informed methods to enhance school-based bullying prevention initiatives: An emerging model. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. 2015;24(1):20-40.
15 Stopbullying.gov - Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2023, May 18). Laws, policies, & regulations. StopBullying.gov. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
16 LawAtlas-Anti bullying - LawAtlas. Anti-bullying laws map.
17 US DHHS-Stop bullying - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. DHHS). Stop bullying.
18 CDC-School violence - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About school violence.
19 NCES-Bullying - Soteria Solutions. (n.d.). Sexual violence prevention training for colleges: Bringing in the Bystander program (BITB). Retrieved January 20, 2025.
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