Enhancing Student Attitudes via a Brief, Universal-Level Bullying Prevention Curriculum

Bullying is a salient challenge for children and schools around the world, appearing to be especially prevalent at the middle-school level. Contemporary research reveals an exigent need for systematic programing that aims to reduce and prevent bullying via promoting awareness, attitudes, and skills that facilitate the development of positive peer relationships and positive school climates. Considering this need, the present quasi-experimental study examined the effects of a relatively new, brief, universal-level bullying prevention curriculum on middle-school students’ general attitudes toward bullying and perceptions of their school bullying supports. Results indicated statistically significant enhancement of prosocial attitudes for intervention-group students compared to control-group students, with small effect sizes. Feasibility and social validity outcomes indicated that the intervention was implemented with adequate fidelity and that its goals, procedures, and outcomes were perceived as appropriate. The interpretation, limitations, and implications of these results for practice are discussed herein.