Publication year
2011
Citation Title
Using social norms to reduce bullying: A research intervention among adolescents in five middle schools
Journal Name
Group Processes & Intergroup Relations
Journal Volume
14
Issue Number
5
Page Numbers
703-722
DOI
10.1177/1368430210398004
Summary
Bullying is a serious problem among youth, particularly in schools, and increases risk for a number of negative outcomes. Behaviors and attitudes regarding bullying were compared before and after anti-bullying campaigns, which aimed to dispel misperceptions about high bullying prevalence and acceptance among middle school youth. Overall, anti-bullying campaigns may be effective in changing perceptions of peer norms, which strongly impact youth’s own behaviors and attitudes about bullying.
Key Findings
At baseline, students perceived bullying perpetration prevalence among peers to be three to four times more common than actual reported bullying perpetration.
Self-reported bullying perpetration behaviors were greater among youth who perceived bullying perpetration as more prevalent and more accepted among peers.
Among most schools, perceptions and self-reported rates of bullying, victimization, and pro-bullying attitudes significantly decreased following the intervention.
The more exposure youth had to anti-bullying messages dispelling misperceptions about bullying acceptance and prevalence, the more their own behaviors and attitudes improved.
Implications for Military Professionals
Help develop anti-bullying materials (e.g., posters, flyers, presentations) for military schools
Facilitate support groups for military youth experiencing bullying victimization
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer workshops for military youth that provide information about bullying and victimization, ways to stop bullying among peers, and discussions about peers’ bullying norms
Provide anti-bullying informational handouts to all youth in existing military programs
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage collaboration between Department of Defense programs and community schools to organize frequent anti-bullying campaigns across both community and military schools
Recommend professional development for community educators about the unique concerns and needs of military youth who are experiencing bullying victimization
Methods
Middle school students were recruited from five New Jersey schools which implemented an anti-bullying campaign; the response rate across schools was 59%.
Students completed pre- and post-intervention surveys regarding their own and perceptions of others’ bullying perpetration, victimization, and pro-bullying attitudes.
Bullying behaviors and attitudes were compared before and after the anti-bullying intervention.
Participants
Participants included 2,589 students (M = 12.7 years, 54% female) surveyed pre-intervention and 3,024 students (M = 12.4 years, 53% female) surveyed post-intervention.
All students were in grades six through eight.
The majority of students identified as White in the pre-intervention (64%) and post-intervention (61%) samples.
Limitations
Participants may have differed from non-participants, and those who participated pre- and post-intervention may have differed as well, particularly on bullying behaviors and attitudes.
Students may have responded in the most socially desirable way possible, biasing results.
Without a control group, it cannot be concluded that the anti-bullying campaigns caused the changes in bullying attitudes and behaviors among students.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore the relationship between media disproportionately focusing on problem behaviors among youth and youth misperceptions about peer norms regarding problem behaviors
Compare whether messages emphasizing positive behaviors (e.g., helping others) or stopping negative behaviors (e.g., not bullying) are more effective in changing youth behavior
Investigate differences in bullying behaviors and norms between different demographic groups (e.g., gender, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status)
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Bullying attitudes and behaviors and perceptions of peers were assessed in a case study experiment
employing a social norms intervention in five diverse public middle schools in the State of New
Jersey (Grades 6 to 8). Data were collected using an anonymous online survey (baseline n = 2,589;
postintervention n = 3,024). In the baseline survey, students substantially misperceived peer norms
regarding bullying perpetration and support for probullying attitudes. As predicted by social norms
theory, they thought bullying perpetration, victimization, and probullying attitudes were far more
frequent than was the case. Also as predicted, variation in perceptions of the peer norm for bullying
was significantly associated with personal bullying perpetration and attitudes. Using print media posters as the primary communication strategy, an intervention displaying accurate norms from survey results was conducted at each of the five school sites. A pre-/postintervention comparison of results revealed significant reductions overall in perceptions of peer bullying and probullying attitudes while personal bullying of others and victimization were also reduced and support for reporting bullying to adults at school and in one’s family increased. The extent of reductions across school sites was associated with the prevalence and extent of recall of seeing poster messages reporting actual peer norms drawn from the initial survey data. Rates of change in bullying measures were highest (from around 17% to 35%) for the school with the highest message recall by students after a one-and-a-half-year intervention. Results suggest that a social norms intervention may be a promising strategy to help reduce bullying in secondary school populations.
employing a social norms intervention in five diverse public middle schools in the State of New
Jersey (Grades 6 to 8). Data were collected using an anonymous online survey (baseline n = 2,589;
postintervention n = 3,024). In the baseline survey, students substantially misperceived peer norms
regarding bullying perpetration and support for probullying attitudes. As predicted by social norms
theory, they thought bullying perpetration, victimization, and probullying attitudes were far more
frequent than was the case. Also as predicted, variation in perceptions of the peer norm for bullying
was significantly associated with personal bullying perpetration and attitudes. Using print media posters as the primary communication strategy, an intervention displaying accurate norms from survey results was conducted at each of the five school sites. A pre-/postintervention comparison of results revealed significant reductions overall in perceptions of peer bullying and probullying attitudes while personal bullying of others and victimization were also reduced and support for reporting bullying to adults at school and in one’s family increased. The extent of reductions across school sites was associated with the prevalence and extent of recall of seeing poster messages reporting actual peer norms drawn from the initial survey data. Rates of change in bullying measures were highest (from around 17% to 35%) for the school with the highest message recall by students after a one-and-a-half-year intervention. Results suggest that a social norms intervention may be a promising strategy to help reduce bullying in secondary school populations.
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