Preventing and reducing bullying

To develop to their full potential, students need a safe learning environment. The school is responsible for providing 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 in the school playground, with professionals always present during breaks, transitions between lessons and other free periods, for example. 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 training day and reflect together on how they are applied. Does everyone apply the same rules in the same way? Does the situation call for a change or tightening of the rules? How can students have a say in the rules of conduct?
  • A clear safety plan containing agreements on preventing and combating bullying. Make sure that this does not disappear into a drawer, but that the agreements are actually followed. Consider: an anti-bullying protocol, a 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 school coordinator or school psychologist should play an active role in this. They can support the administration of the questionnaire and analyse and interpret the results. What refinements are needed to combat bullying even more effectively? Read more about the role of the internal school coordinator and school psychologist in the interview Do more to combat bullying.

In addition to preventing or stopping the bullying, it may be necessary to provide specialised help 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. We distinguish three types of interventions:

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

Individual interventions have also been developed. For example, targeted training for children who bully and training for children who have been bullied. It is also important to pay attention 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 they are more likely to revert to their old behaviour.

Conditions for the effectiveness of interventions

School-wide interventions are the most effective approach to tackling and combating 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 not help, it cannot hurt' therefore does not apply.

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

Difference between primary and secondary education

The Effective Youth Interventions database contains 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 in secondary education.