Questions of the Effectiveness of the Anti-Bullying Programs

This article reviews the methods and theoretical underpinnings of research on the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs. Despite the widespread use of anti-bullying programs in many countries in Europe, Asia and America, a number of researchers conclude that many of them demonstrate poor effectiveness or are ineffective at all. The article attempts to provide a definition of anti-bullying programs, based on the definition of programs in general, as well as on the criteria for selecting programs for meta-analysis. The dependence of perceptions of program effectiveness on the theoretical framework used in meta-analyses, as well as on the specific methodologies used in evaluating the effectiveness of individual programs, is examined. Described techniques that have emerged within specific anti-bullying programs and theories, techniques for investigating bullying situations that are not tied to specific theories of bullying, and psychological techniques that allow for an indirect assessment of the impact of bullying on students. Conclusions made about what procedures and techniques for researching the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs can make assessing the effect of a program more accurate.