Theatre-in-Action: Participatory Drama for Bullying Prevention

As school bullying, harassment, relational aggression, and cyberbullying gain recognition for their far-reaching, negative effects on youth development, Vermont school administrators have begun to take pro-active steps toward statewide anti-bullying education. Although guidance and behavioral supports link naturally with drama, Vermont\u27s most commonly utilized bullying prevention programs do not include practical intervention tools with which students can practice being actors, participants, and critical observers. This thesis identifies and articulates the need for practical applications of participatory theatre within anti-bullying curricula in order to strengthen prevention plans already in place in Vermont schools. The author\u27s research has led to the creation of Theater-in-Action, a drama-integrated bullying prevention program that involves all members of the educational community in strategies for physical, emotional, and social learning about conflict and oppression devised from multiple perspectives of individual and collective experiences