The Bullying Prevention Pack A Research Initiative to Lower Incidents of School Bullying Using Roleplay and Drama Peadar Donohoe, Doctoral Researcher, Trinity College Dublin; Supervisor: Dr. Carmel O’Sullivan Introduction : The Bullying Prevention Pack (BPP) puts the learners first hand experiences and knowledge about bullying at the forefront of the discussion and activities. The issues surrounding school based bullying behaviour are addressed through creating group knowledge about types of bullying, sharing personal experiences and feelings, discussing the participant players of The Bullying Circle, re-playing school-based bullying experiences in classroom role-plays, questioning received notions regarding bullying, encouraging learners to identify and use methods to prevent and stop bullying, making a pact to prevent bullying in the future and formally writing this in the form of a contract that all learners sign along with the teacher and school principal. This scaffolded, metacognitive method of addressing the bullying issue has the capacity to empower children, give them a sense of agency with the goal of creating a more harmonious school environment where children are happy to learn. The Bullying Circle (Olweus, 2003) is a name created by the world renowned researcher, Dan Olweus, to describe the roles students can play in bullying incidents. Bullying incidents are rarely just between a child who is engaging in bullying behaviour and one who is being victimised. Peers are often present and play a part. And the part they play may or may not contribute to bullying behaviour. These players include: The follower who takes part in the bullying. The supporter who encourages the bullying. The passive supporter who likes the bullying but doesn’t actively contribute. The onlooker who stays away and takes no sides. The possible defender who doesn’t like the bullying Even though they don’t realise it, onlookers may contribute to the bullying. For even if they do nothing or ignore the bullying as it’s happening, this choice to do nothing can be interpreted by the child or children doing the bullying as approval, which can make the bullying even worse for the victimised child (Salmivalli, 2004). However, when someone steps in to stop or report bullying, they are called defenders. When defenders take action, bullying often stops within 10 seconds (Craig & Pepler, 1997). Methodology and Preliminary Results: Using a mixed methodological approach incorporating both quantifiable and qualitative instruments, the chief aim of this research is to ascertain the efficacy of the Bullying Prevention Pact (BPP) by identifying if the BPP can be effectively utilised by primary school teachers to reduce bullying within the school environment. This was crucial to ascertain as the researcher has a Drama background and experience which may have aided the facilitation of the Drama components of the BPP. The study has a quasi-experimental longitudinal design which included the recruitment of a research and control school both with similar demographics and located in inner cityCork. The populations of the research and controls schools and are 53 and 61 students respectively. Preliminary Results to a Key Question How often have you been bullied in the past couple of months? RESEARCH SCHOOL TABLE I.A Percentage of pupils reporting being bullied before and after intervention How often: Before After Not at all Once or Twice Before the implementation of the Bullying Prevention Pact (BPP) it can be seen that 40.4 percent of students reported having been victimised, after the intervention 26.9 students reported having been victimised. This constituted a general reduction of 33.4 percent in reports of being victimised three and half months post intervention. There was also significant reduction in reports of bullying happening only once or twice in the past couple of months. Prior to the BPP intervention 23.1 percent of students reported that they had been bullied while post intervention 13.5 percent of students reported having been bullied. This Is a significant reduction of 41.5 percent three and half months post intervention. ) Sample Contract (used with permission Why Bullying Prevention? Legislative: Statutory responsibility for discipline and good behaviour in schools (e.g., Mandatory Discipline Policy). Social: Longitudinal research on school bullying suggests that it predicts later offending (Farrington, 1993) Health: Children who are bullied have higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, illness and suicidal ideation (Roland, 2002) Moral: ‘Bullying behaviour is an immoral action because it humiliates and oppresses innocent victims’ (Gini, et al, 2011) Educative: Bullying can have a corrosive effect on academic achievement and lead to school avoidance (Rigby & Slee, 1999) Safety: Olweus (2003) upholds the fundamental democratic right of all students to feel safe and secure and to be spared violence and humiliation when they are at school References: Craig, W. M. and Pepler, D.J. (1997) Observations of bullying and victimization in the schoolyard. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 2, pp.41–60. Farrington, D.P. (1993). Understanding and Preventing Bullying. In M. Tonry and N. Morris (Eds). Crime and Justice, Vol. 17. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gini, G., Pozzoli, T., and Hauser, M. (2011). Bullies have enhanced moral competence to judge relative tovictims, but lack moral compassion. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, Olweus, D. (2003). Bully/Victim problems in school: Basic facts and an effective intervention programme. In Einarsen, S. A. (ed.). Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace : international perspectives in research and practice. London: Taylor and Francis. Rigby, K., and P. Slee (1999). "Australia." In P. Smith, Y. Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, R. Catalano, and P. Slee (eds.), The Nature of School Bullying: A Cross-National Perspective. London and New York: Routledge. Roland, E. (2002). Agression, Depression and Bullying Others. Aggressive Behaviour, 28:3, Salmivalli, C. (2004). Consequences of school bullying and violence.