Supporting Anti-bullying in Church Environments- A Program Evaluation Study

Existing literature demonstrates the need for anti-bullying programs in the traditional school setting, however, only a limited number of studies have included the need or benefits to having anti-bullying programs in the church community. The theories of Kohlberg, Erikson, and Fowler served as the basis for building an understanding of the development of bullying behaviors among children. Dan Olweus, the man known as the pioneer of bullying prevention research, addressed the importance of including the total community in a successful bullying prevention program. He was referring to including everyone associated with children in the school community: teachers, parents, administration, and students. Since the 1970s, researchers have continued to explore the need of anti-bullying programs to equip children and adults with strategies to aid in the intervention and understanding of bullying but only in the school environment. In a study of three churches, participants interviewed answered questions pertaining to bullying within their church and total community. The study’s findings support the need for an anti-bullying program in the church environment as well as the total community such as including local community centers. This study takes previous research a step further by expanding the anti-bullying education to the broader community