Today@Dal

Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax have analyzed bullying prevention programs, and found only one is proven to work.

It’s called WITS, short for Walk Away, Ignore, Talk it out, and Seek help.

“It’s nice because it’s not costly,” John LeBlanc, professor at Dalhousie Medical School and pediatrician at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, said Thursday.

“It doesn’t place a big burden on schools.”

That means it could save money.

“The programs that don’t work can often cost thousands of dollars, because they involve bringing in a trainer that trains teachers, and works with students,” LeBlanc added.

LeBlanc’s team found that seven programs had no effect on reducing bullying, but WITS did.

With WITS, teachers take a short course for training.

“It’s more important to focus on the basics,” creating better environments at school, he said.

“To focus on positive things like a healthy respect for school climates, where everyone is respected as a human being,” LeBlanc said.

“What doesn’t work are programs that only focus on the bad behaviour, the bullying.”

Doug Hadley, spokesman for Halifax Regional School Board, said Thursday some local elementary schools are using WITS, and “not actively using any of the programs that the researchers recommended as not suitable for use.”

LeBlanc said improving school environment is the key for making it “harder for bullying to thrive.”

“People who bully are not just acting out. They are making a conscious decision to bully,” LeBlanc said.

“People who bully – and this goes for adults, too – have the intent to use their power to dominate someone else.”

LeBlanc said a healthy school environment, combined with WITS, is the ideal solution.

“You have to get a lot deeper than just detecting bullying, and messages that bullying is bad.”

Read Story (http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2016/05/12/dalhousie-researchers-dissect-bullying-prevention-programs.html)