Bullying is an ongoing issue that many K-12 schools deal with today. According to stopbullying.gov, bullying can affect everyone involved in the environment that it is occurring. Some of the negative effects from bullying behavior among children can impact mental heath, substance use, violence, and even suicide (stopbullying.gov, n.d.). Since the 1980’s much research has been conducted on bullying and the outcomes it can produce in schools. “The first nationally representative study on the subject, a 1998 survey of nearly 16,000 students, suggests that 30 percent of students in grades 6–10 admit to either bullying others, being a target of bullies, or both” (Viadero, 2003, para. 17). Due to the findings of these sources and recent possible bully related issues at RUSM Preparatory School we must ask ourselves what is the next step in addressing this concern. Research data collected by the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School-Aged Children, reports that school bully prevention programs could reduce bullying problems by 25% to 50% (Cosma & Hancock, 2010). The idea of a bully prevention program could be a potential need for RUSM …show more content…
An evaluation team will be formed consisting of members from the focus group. This team will be charged with using the data to measure and assess if a bully prevention program is needed at of RUSM Preparatory School. Data from the surveys taken by stakeholders will provide many measurable variables to weigh into determining if a bully prevention program is needed. This data will be displayed in graph form for easy analysis. If the team concludes that there is a need for a program, they will report this finding to school administrators using the supporting data. As a result, administrators will begin the process in researching bully prevention programs that will best meet the needs of the