| If it is true that bullying begins in elementary school and peaks in middle school, schools are obvious laboratories of research, undeniable arenas of investigation. With a reality of physical, social, and emotional undoing, and a result of serious short and long term repercussions, this phenomenon not only affects the social environments, but the intellectual ones without question. To accurately address the issue a Delphi panel of experts was assembled to identify the problem, classify the elements, and prioritize the components of bullying prevention programs. The results revealed seven components including clearly defined definitions of bullying behavior in terms of social, emotional and physical categories, both verbal and nonverbal; immediate and consistent action taken in bullying incidents; visible teacher/staff involvement to demonstrate anti-bullying programming and prevention/intervention strategies; clearly defined consequences for bullying behavior; appropriate supervision; immediate follow-up and home contact made for each reported offense; and district and schoolwide policies. Furthermore, three evaluation models were most prevalent in implementing various bullying prevention programs including having personal interaction from students and teachers/staff to bullying definitions and anti-bullying strategies, monitoring students' behavior during "free time" settings, and reporting of bullying behavior. |
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