Lower Merion Schools Proactive In Anti-Bullying Efforts

LOWER MERION, PA — In commemoration of National Bullying Prevention Month in October, the Lower Merion School District is among many other local districts that are working to end bullying in and out of school.

At LMSD, a strict anti-bullying policy is in effect and the district uses the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.

The program is the most researched and best-known bullying prevention program available today. Backed by more than 35 years of research and successful implementation in many countries, the program is a whole-school program.

Goals of the program are to:

• reduce existing bullying problems among students;
• prevent the development of new bullying problems;
• and achieve better peer relations at school.

Six large-scale evaluations of the program involving more than 40,000 students produced the following documented results:

• Average reductions of up to 50 percent in student reports of being bullied and bullying others. Peer and teacher ratings of bullying problems have yielded roughly similar results.
• Marked reductions in student reports of general antisocial behavior, such as vandalism, fighting, theft, and truancy.
• Clear improvements in the classroom social climate, as reflected in students’ reports of improved order and discipline, more positive social relationships, and more positive attitudes toward schoolwork and school.

The bullying problem goes far beyond the suburbs of Philadelphia, however.

National statistics vary, but an aggregate of 80 different studies on bullying suggests one in five American students between 12 and 18 is bullied at some point during their middle or high school years.

The studies cited by the PACER Center, which established National Bullying Prevention Month, show that 15 percent of kids surveyed report being cyberbullied, while around 35 percent of students had been bullied in more "traditional," in-person ways.

Among the marquee National Bullying Prevention Month activities is Unity Day, observed on Wednesday, Oct. 24, when everyone is encouraged to wear and show orange to send a message that no child should ever experience bullying.

"Orange provides a powerful, visually compelling expression of solidarity," Paula Goldberg, the executive director of the PACER Center, said in a statement. "Whether it's hundreds of individuals at a school wearing orange, store owners offering orange products or a community changing a landmark to orange, the vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, sending the supportive, universal message that bullying is never acceptable behavior."

THE MENACE OF BULLIES: PATCH ADVOCACY REPORTING PROJECT

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying.

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Here's more about Unity Day: