Preventing and reducing bullying

To develop to their full potential, students need a safe learning environment. It is the school's responsibility to provide this. This also includes preventing and reducing bullying. The following matters can play an important role in this:

  • A positive learning environment with a strong pedagogical climate, where children are seen and heard, learn to interact pleasantly with one another, help each other, and learn to resolve conflicts constructively.
  • An information and dialogue evening for parents about how the school works on a positive climate and bullying within the school. Inform parents where they can turn if they think things are not going well with their child. Also read the page How can I involve students and parents in anti-bullying policy?
  • Adequate supervision of the school playground, with professionals always present during, for example, breaks, transitions between lessons and other free periods. These professionals support students in resolving conflicts and enforce the rules and agreements. They ensure calm, safety and order during free periods.
  • A clear and visible school-wide code of conduct against bullying, with a consistent approach throughout the school. If one teacher applies very different rules from another, it can be unclear to students which rules apply and when.
  • Good cooperation between all professionals in and around the school, with regular coordination on anti-bullying policy. For example, discuss the rules of conduct during a staff development day and reflect together on how they are applied. Does everyone use the same rules in the same way? Does the situation call for a change or tightening of the rules? In what way can students have a say in the rules of conduct?
  • A clear safety plan containing agreements on preventing and combating bullying. Make sure it does not disappear into a drawer, but that the agreements are actually followed. Consider: an anti-bullying protocol, a designated contact person within the school for reporting or discussing bullying, and a code of conduct for students, parents and professionals.
  • Regularly administer a questionnaire to teachers and students to monitor safety. The internal student support coordinator or school psychologist should play an active role in this. They can provide support when the questionnaire is administered and analyse and interpret the results. What improvements are needed to combat bullying even more effectively? Read more about the role of the internal student support coordinator and school psychologist in the interview Do more to combat bullying.

In addition to preventing or stopping bullying, it may be necessary to provide specialist support to students who have been bullied and/or who bully others.

Implementing effective interventions

To combat bullying, it can help to implement an intervention or programme. Effective interventions can be found in the Effective Youth Interventions database. The Netherlands Youth Institute distinguishes three types of interventions:

  • Universal anti-bullying programmes: for all children and in all groups.
  • Programmes focused on behaviour that may be related to bullying, such as social skills, resilience and a positive school climate.
  • Programmes focused on monitoring, setting boundaries for and punishing problem behaviour such as bullying.

In addition, individual interventions have been developed. These include targeted training for children who bully and training for children who have been bullied. It is important that attention is also paid to the group process. If the atmosphere or social norm in the group does not change, it is more difficult for a student to apply the newly learned knowledge and skills, and there is a greater chance that they will relapse into their old behaviour.

Conditions for the effectiveness of interventions

School-wide interventions are the most effective way to address and combat bullying. Intensive, longer-term interventions that have broad support throughout the school are more effective than short-term interventions. Creating a positive group takes time and requires ongoing attention.

Research shows that interventions are only effective if they are properly implemented and carried out, and that this often does not happen in practice. For example, schools sometimes implement only certain components of an intervention, even though they are effective only when used together. Incomplete implementation can even have negative consequences. The expression 'If it does no good, it will do no harm' therefore does not apply.

In the Effective Youth Interventions database, you can find more information about the precise objectives and target groups of programmes and about their effectiveness.

Difference between primary and secondary education

The Effective Youth Interventions database includes suitable interventions for primary education that, according to the initial indications, are well substantiated or effective. More research is still needed to assess the effectiveness of programmes within secondary education.

Serious consequences of bullying

A child who is bullied may feel lonely and inferior. So much so that they may think the situation will never change. This can lead to suicidal thoughts. You cannot tell from the outside whether a child is thinking about suicide. Read on this page about the signs that may indicate this, and how to talk to a young person about it. You can also take this online training on conducting conversations. Or read more about this suicide prevention gatekeeper training.

More information