Discovering the
Roots and Assessing Strategies
Designed and Implemented to Reduce Bullying
Robert Worden & Ed Calle
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The research problem.
This section should include the narrative hook and the
research problem. |
Bullying
appears to have long-term effects on children including lowered self-esteem,
increased absenteeism, depression, and suicide (Harris, Petrie, & Willoughby,
2002). Across the nation,
it was discovered that 72% of girls and 81% of boys reported being bullied
during their school years (Hazler, 1996). |
Studies
that have addressed the problem.
Deficiencies
in the study.
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Studies
such as Seals & Young
(2003) and Mouttapa, Valente and Gallagher (2004) have discussed the
problems associated with school bullying. Other studies, including
Orpinas, Horne, Staniszewski (2003) and have Migliore (2003) have examined
bully prevention strategies. However,
relatively few studies have examined the root causes of bullying and
suggested prevention strategies. |
| The
importance of the study for an audience.
This section of the introduction should identify the type and format of
the mixed methods study being implemented. |
Bullying,
when not proactively addressed by parents, students, teachers, administrators
and community leaders, negatively impacts students by increasing dropout
rates, violence and illness and eroding self-esteem, a sense of community
and student performance (Harris et al., 2002). This
sequential mixed methods study strives to describe the frequency and
types of bullying behaviors within the Tri-Valley Secondary School
District at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year in order to
discover the root causes of this behavior and develop a bully prevention
strategy. Subsequently, the quantitative component of this study assesses
the effectiveness of bully prevention program implemented at the end
of the 2005-2006 school year. |
| The purpose statement. |
The
purpose of this two-phase, sequential mixed methods study will be to
explore participant views with the intent of using this information to
develop and test an instrument with a sample from a population. The first
phase will be a qualitative exploration of the root causes of bullying
by collecting open-ended interview responses from students in the Tri-Valley
Secondary School District. Themes from this qualitative data will then
be developed into an instrument so that a bully prevention program can
be tested that compares the impact of the prevention program on student's
perceptions regarding the changes in bullying behavior for 500 Tri-Valley
Secondary School students.
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