The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP):

The overarching goal of the OBPP is to restructure the school environment in such a way as to markedly reduce both opportunities and rewards for bullying behavior.

To help school systems reach these goals the Olweus Bully Prevention Program (OBPP) is based on a core set of guiding principles. These principles are derived from research on the development and modification of the problem behaviors implied in bullying, notably aggressive and anti-social behavior toward peers in the school environment.

Core Principles of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program:

It is important to develop a safe and welcoming school environment characterized by the following core principles. Understanding and abiding by these core principles will help us implement OBPP with integrity and success.

Principle 1

Principle 2

Warmth, positive interest, and involvement are needed on the part of adults.

The focus is on developing a sense of community connection and caring, and praising the positive, supportive behavior of students, while addressing bullying situations in respectful ways that address the needs of all students involved.

Set firm limits to unacceptable behavior. Just presenting the rules isn’t enough.

Positive behavioral expectations need to be clarified and thoroughly discussed with all adults and students.

Principle 3

Principle 4

Consistently use non-physical, non-hostile negative consequences when rules are broken.

Students need to experience adults in the school will address bullying in roughly the same way; using the same rules and similar guidelines for use of positive and negative consequences.

This creates a school climate where bullying behaviors are unacceptable and assures students who are bullied that adults will take action to stop bullying. Positive consequences alone will not get aggressive students to change their behavior.

Adults in the school should function as authorities and positive role models. OBPP is based on an adult-student relationship model in which the adults are encouraged to be clear and visible authorities with responsibility for making sure a student’s school experience is safe and positive.

Adults are important role models who need to demonstrate positive behavior toward each other and the students. When students see adults taking action against bullying behavior, it empowers them to do the same.

The Olweus Program's Anti-Bullying Rules:

The overarching goal of the OBPP is to restructure the school environment in such a way as to markedly reduce both opportunities and rewards for bullying behavior.

Rule 1:	We will not bully others.
Rule 2:	We will try to help students who are bullied.
Rule 3:	We will try to include students who are left out.
Rule 4:	If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

For general information about the OBPP, see www.olweus.org. To reach the Program Developers of the
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, please contact: Marlene Snyder, nobully@clemson.edu or call 864-710-4562.
For information about program materials, call 1-800-328-9000.

To support this effort contact Tom Wild at cogentfinancial@yahoo.com.