An Evaluation of the Early Implementation of School-Based Bullying Prevention Programs in Massachusetts

Autor/in	Sautter Errichetti, Karen
Titel	An Evaluation of the Early Implementation of School-Based Bullying Prevention Programs in Massachusetts
Quelle	(2014), (467 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit D.P.H. Dissertation, Boston University
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-3210-8321-7
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Bullying; Program Effectiveness; Peer Relationship; Comparative Analysis; State Legislation; Public Schools; School Districts; School Personnel; Police; Superintendents; Attitude Measures; Parents; Interviews; Stakeholders; Case Studies; Qualitative Research; Compliance (Legal); Board of Education Policy; Prevention; Massachusetts + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Mobbing; Peer-Beziehungen; Landesrecht; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; School district; Schulbezirk; Schulpersonal; Schulrat; Eltern; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Qualitative Forschung; Prävention; Vorbeugung; Master-Studiengang
Abstract	Background: A quarter of U.S. children are bullied annually. State legislatures have responded to high profile media exposure of bullying and increased public concern by passing legislation aimed at preventing bullying among school children. Methods: The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework was used to evaluate public school district responses to a Massachusetts 2010 anti-bullying law (MGL Ch. 71, Section 370). Massachusetts parents, school committee members, law enforcement leaders, and superintendents were surveyed about their perceptions of the law and its implementation. Comparative analyses were conducted using chi-square tests for categorical data. School district stakeholders in four diverse Massachusetts communities also were interviewed in depth to identify factors affecting adoption, implementation, and maintenance of school bullying prevention. Findings from these case studies were analyzed using standard qualitative analysis techniques and software. Results: The law had broad reach across Massachusetts public schools, with high levels of awareness of the law's existence (93.4%) and support for the mandate (81.3%) from an array of school constituencies. Across all stakeholders, there was a low degree of belief that bullying rates had decreased after the law's implementation. Superintendents were more likely than school committee members or parents to believe school bullying interventions were effective. There was no evidence to suggest that school districts modified or realigned their anti-bullying strategies in response to the legislation. School districts have complied with the letter of the law, but adoption of the law has been challenged by competing priorities, absence of community consensus about the importance of the problem, concern about the evidence base for anti-bullying curricula, and the appropriateness of delegating responsibility for bullying prevention to schools. Conclusion: The anti-bullying mandate catalyzed school districts to standardize their response to bullying, but there is no evidence to suggest an impact on bullying rates. The nan-ow focus of a bullying law could redirect resources away from equally important priorities and programs related to socio-mental health and root causes of bullying. Findings suggest that re-direction of narrow regulatory efforts mandated by the law into collaborative development of broader health promotion programming with local flexibility may address bullying more effectively. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01