We Can Prevent Bullying & Gender-Based Violence Among Early Adolescence

Despite the personal and societal costs of bullying involvement and associated correlates, the impact of bullying prevention programs have only modestly reduced bullying and other forms of aggression (Ttofi & Farrington, 2010).  However, social-emotional learning programs to prevention are showing promise in reducing aggression and promoting prosocial behavior when implemented with fidelity (Espelage et al., 2013, 2014).  Increasingly, social-emotional learning (SEL) approaches are being introduced.  These approaches draw from the scientific literature on the etiological underpinnings of problematic behaviors among children and adolescents (Merrell, 2010).  Risk (e.g., anger, impulse control, neighborhood violence) and promotive (e.g., community engagement) factors are identified from the etiological literature and targeted through different communities.  However, a more deliberate focus on implementation, dissemination, and sustainability is needed in order to fully capture the prevention science framework of school violence prevention efforts.  In this 20X20 talk, research on school-based bullying and violence prevention approaches that draw upon social-emotional learning and the risk and protective frameworks will be highlighted. Data from implementation studies will illustrate the importance of implementing programs as designed and in consultation with others.