Combating Bullying
A Practice-Based Learning Community for Safer Schools and Campuses
Bullying is not just about behavior—it's about belonging, power, and culture.
Purpose of This University of Practice
This University of Practice helps schools and campuses build safer communities through learning, practice, and care—addressing bullying as a systems and culture challenge, not just an individual behavior issue.
What This IS
✓ A practice-based learning environment
✓ Preventive and relational
✓ Community-driven
✓ Developmentally appropriate
✓ Trauma-informed
What This IS NOT
✗ A reporting hotline
✗ A punishment system
✗ One-time awareness campaign
✗ Primarily punitive
✗ Lecture-based or policy-only
"This University of Practice supports learning and prevention. It does not replace mandated reporting or school disciplinary processes."
The Practice Cycle
Across all levels, learning follows the same cycle:
How We Practice Voice Up
These principles guide every aspect of our anti-bullying work—they are design constraints, not slogans.
Collaboration
All are welcome
Learning happens together
Humility
We all have much to learn
Expertise grows through reflection
Precision
All the details, matter
Small choices shape outcomes
Patience
We all need forgiveness
Growth takes time
Empathy
We must understand your why
Leadership is human work
10 Evidence-Based Best Practices
Grounded in research, designed for real-world implementation
Clear Definitions
Foundation for Prevention
Bullying is defined by three elements:
Intentional harm
Repeated behavior
Power imbalance (social, physical, psychological, digital)
Why This Matters: When definitions are vague, real bullying is minimized, victims are blamed, and trust erodes.
Implementation:
Belonging & Safety
Primary Protective Factor
The most consistent protective factor against bullying is belonging.
Why This Matters: Students who feel known, valued, connected, and respected are less likely to bully and more likely to report harm.
Implementation:
What Does NOT Work Alone:
✗ Assemblies
✗ Posters
✗ One-off "anti-bullying weeks"
Social-Emotional Skills
Taught, Practiced, Reinforced
Bullying prevention is strongest when relational skills are taught, practiced, and reflected on—not assumed.
Core Skills to Teach:
For Adolescents & College Students:
• Focus on power, identity, and social dynamics
• Normalize mistakes and repair
• Teach accountability without humiliation
Bystander Empowerment
Critical Leverage Point
Most bullying is witnessed by others. The fastest way to reduce bullying is to shift bystander behavior.
Why This Matters: This reduces social rewards for bullying, increases collective responsibility, and lowers risk for targets.
Effective Strategies:
Key Point: Remove the expectation of confrontation—teach multiple safe options.
Adult Modeling
Culture Signal
Students learn more from what adults tolerate than what they say.
Key Adult Practices:
Common Failure Modes:
✗ Minimizing reports ("just ignore it")
✗ Over-punitive reactions
✗ Inconsistent enforcement
✗ Protecting popular or high-status individuals
Trauma-Informed Response
Developmentally Appropriate
Key Insight: Both targets and perpetrators of bullying often have trauma histories.
For Adolescents & College Students:
• Identity formation is ongoing
• Shame increases harm
• Repair builds long-term change
Effective Systems:
Restorative Practices
When Used Correctly
When Effective:
Not Appropriate:
✗ During active abuse
✗ When coercion is present
✗ Without accountability
Families Are Allies When:
Digital Bullying
Address Explicitly
Key Insight: Online spaces are now primary bullying environments.
Effective Approaches:
Avoid:
✗ Blaming youth for technology use
✗ Surveillance-only approaches
Family Engagement
Partners, Not Blamed
Key Insight: High-conflict, accusatory approaches increase defensiveness and reduce cooperation.
When Effective:
Families Are Allies When:
Measure Climate
Not Just Incidents
Key Insight: Incident counts alone do not reflect reality—reporting often rises when trust improves.
What to Track:
Programs by Developmental Level
Each level has its own dedicated focus, activities, and safeguards
Elementary School
Focus Areas:
What Students Practice:
Understanding the difference between kindness, conflict, and bullying
Asking for help safely
Including others
Naming emotions
Repairing small harms
How Learning Happens:
Story-based scenarios
Guided conversations
Role-play and modeling
Classroom reflection circles
Safety Emphasis:
• Teachers and caregivers guide all activities
• No independent student accounts
• No written disclosures collected online
• No naming of peers
• Immediate adult involvement
Middle School
Focus Areas:
What Students Practice:
Recognizing bullying vs. conflict
Safe bystander actions
Empathy and perspective-taking
Online responsibility
Repair and accountability
How Learning Happens:
Small group cohorts
Scenario-based practice
Reflection prompts
Facilitated dialogue
Key Outcomes:
✓ Increased reporting trust
✓ Reduced social isolation
✓ Stronger peer norms
High School
Focus Areas:
What Students Practice:
Intervening safely
Supporting peers
Navigating power and status
Repairing harm
Leading inclusion efforts
Applied Options:
Capstone projects
Peer advocacy initiatives
Policy review and recommendations
Community education campaigns
Documentation:
Reflection journals
Practice logs
Portfolios (private by default)
College & University
Focus Areas:
What Participants Practice:
Ethical leadership
Bystander intervention
Policy literacy
Cultural repair
Peer and organizational accountability
Who Participates:
Use Cases:
• Orientation programs
• Leadership training
• Residence life
• Student organization development
Summary: What Actually Works
Most Effective Systems Are:
They Are NOT Primarily:
"Leadership that prioritizes culture, relationships, and ethical consistency."
Schools that successfully reduce bullying treat it as a systemic issue, invest in prevention, empower students and adults, and measure success through trust and belonging.
Activity Examples by Level
Age-appropriate activities that teach, practice, and reinforce safe behaviors
Activity 1: "What Is Kind? What Is Not?"
Duration: 15-20 minutes
What Students Do:
• Listen to short stories or scenarios
• Sort behaviors into: Kind, Not Kind, Needs Adult Help
• Practice naming feelings safely
Skills Practiced:
✓ Emotional awareness
✓ Help-seeking
✓ Empathy
Activity 2: "Fixing Small Hurts"
Duration: 10-15 minutes
What Students Do:
• Learn simple repair steps: Notice → Say sorry → Fix what you can
• Practice through role-play
Skills Practiced:
✓ Accountability
✓ Patience
✓ Empathy
Activity 1: "Bullying or Conflict?"
Duration: 30 minutes
What Students Do:
• Review anonymized scenarios
• Identify: repetition, intent, power imbalance
• Discuss why definitions matter
Skills Practiced:
✓ Critical thinking
✓ Perspective-taking
✓ Precision
Activity 2: "Bystander Moves"
Duration: 30-45 minutes
What Students Do:
• Learn 4 bystander options: Distract, Support, Get help, Group response
• Practice in small groups
Skills Practiced:
✓ Courage without confrontation
✓ Collaboration
✓ Empathy
Activity 1: "Power and Impact"
Duration: 45-60 minutes
What Students Do:
• Analyze how status, popularity, and digital platforms affect harm
• Reflect privately on power they hold
• Discuss ethical responsibility
Skills Practiced:
✓ Ethical reasoning
✓ Humility
✓ Self-awareness
Activity 2: "Repair, Not Revenge"
Duration: 45 minutes
What Students Do:
• Explore repair vs punishment
• Study real-world anonymized cases
• Propose repair steps that protect safety
Skills Practiced:
✓ Patience
✓ Precision
✓ Leadership
Optional Capstone Projects:
Activity 1: "Culture Mapping"
Duration: 60-90 minutes
What Participants Do:
• Map formal vs informal power
• Identify hazing, exclusion, harassment risks
• Reflect on accountability gaps
Skills Practiced:
✓ Systems thinking
✓ Ethical leadership
✓ Collaboration
Activity 2: "Bystander to Leader"
Duration: 60 minutes
What Participants Do:
• Practice advanced intervention strategies
• Learn consent-based intervention
• Develop peer norms statements
Shift norms at scale
Focus on creating campus-wide cultural change through peer leadership
Your Role as Facilitator
You ARE:
✓ A guide
✓ A protector of safety
✓ A culture modeler
You are NOT:
✗ An investigator
✗ A disciplinarian
✗ A therapist
During Activities
DO:
✓ Listen calmly
✓ Validate feelings without validating harm
✓ Redirect naming of peers
✓ Pause when emotions escalate
AVOID:
✗ Forcing disclosure
✗ Public processing of harm
✗ Minimizing experiences
✗ Over-correcting language
Handling Disclosures Safely
If a student discloses harm:
1. Thank them for sharing
2. Do not promise confidentiality
3. Follow reporting protocols
4. Connect them with support
5. Do not investigate on the spot