6 Essential R’s to Reduce School-Wide Bullying

The best way to reduce bullying is not with a one-time assembly or a poster campaign, but with homegrown, data-driven, sustained efforts by a caring, committed staff -- a model I call the six R's, a blueprint for effective bullying prevention. I've shared this model with hundreds of educators worldwide, and on U.S. Army bases. Each "R" is crucial in creating what our students deserve -- a safe, caring learning environment that breeds acceptance and respect.

1st R - RULES: Establish an Anti-Bullying Policy

Develop an anti-bullying policy that fits your school values, focuses on prevention, features strong parental involvement, builds a respectful climate, and gets everyone on board.

2nd R - RECOGNIZE: Teach How to Identify Bullying

All stakeholders must understand what bullying is, recognize indicators and receive ongoing training so that they can intervene appropriately and consistently.

3rd R - REPORT: Create Procedures to Report Bullying

Reports from stakeholders create evidence of bullying frequency and locations, include names of bullies and victims, and boost student security.

4th R - RESPOND: Teach How to Respond to Bullying

Develop a climate where staff, students and parents take responsibility for reducing bullying. Flip your norms so that it's cool to be kind.

5th R - REFUSE: Teach Strategies to Reduce Victimization

Ongoing training is essential to help everyone identify and support potential victims.

6th R - REPLACE: Replace Aggression with Pro-Social Habits

Bullying is learned and can be unlearned. Help students using bullying behaviors to adopt pro-social habits and to believe that aggression is not appropriate.

No single practice stops cruelty, but a combination of proven strategies used by committed staff trained in anti-bullying will maximize impact. Sustained effort among stakeholders is the fastest ways to defeat the culture of bullying and replace it with the power of character.

What practices help your school community reduce bullying?