Bullying prevention and intervention programs in Australia: A community focus
Objectives: In this paper it will be argued that community based interventions based on systems theory have a unique contribution to make to school violence/bullying prevention. A systems approach that connects with students and parents is important and necessary BUT not sufficient. Community workers, youth workers, police, amongst others play a critical role in linking school, home and community. Outcomes from a number of interventions to reduce school bullying/violence will be used to argue for the efficacy of a community focus.
Methods: Quantitative data using the Peer Relations Questionnaire and the 'Provictim Scale (Slee,2001) were used to collect data from 1479 Australian adolescent students from 5 high schools regarding their self reported experiences of bullying and attitudes towards victims. Qualitative data from focus groups run in each of the schools is also presented to provide further insight into the nature and impact of bullying.
Results: The findings indicated that 24.5% of students reported being bullied 'once a week or more often'. Analysis of variance was used to explore the link between self reported bullying and attitudes to victims.