BULLY PREVENTION IN POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT

• Published in: Journal of applied behavior analysis Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 747 - 759
• Main Authors: Ross, Scott W, Horner, Robert H, Higbee, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2009; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior; The Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• Subjects: Aggression - psychology; Antisocial Behavior; At risk students; Behavior; Behavior Modification; Behavior Patterns; Behavior Therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bullying; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - prevention & control; Crime Victims; Educational Environment; Educational psychology; Elementary School Students; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Intervention; Male; Oregon; positive behavior support; Positive Behavior Supports; Positive Reinforcement; Power; Prevention; Prevention programs; Program Effectiveness; Program Implementation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Reproducibility of Results; Rewards; School safety; Schools; secondary intervention; Social Development; Social Influences; Student behavior; Students; Students - psychology; Treatment Outcome; Victims of Crime; Violence; Oregon; Human; Bullying; Prevention; School age; secondary intervention; Social reinforcement; Primary school; positive behavior support; Child; Psychological harassment; School environment; Public health; bullying; prevention
• ISSN: 0021-8855; 1938-3703; 1938-3703
• DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-747

Bullying behaviors are a growing concern in U.S. schools. We present here a behavioral approach to bully prevention utilizing a schoolwide intervention. Bully prevention in positive behavior support (BP‐PBS) teaches students to withhold the social rewards hypothesized to maintain bullying. A single‐subject multiple baseline design across 6 students and three elementary schools was implemented in an empirical evaluation of the intervention's effectiveness. Results indicated that implementation was functionally related to decreased incidents of bullying for all 6 students observed. In addition, we observed a decrease in the social responses from victims and bystanders. Finally, school staff implemented the program with a high degree of fidelity and rated the program as effective and efficient. Limitations and implications of these results are discussed.