Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a whole-school intervention that prevents or reduces bullying behaviors throughout a school setting for students ages 5-15. All students participate in most aspects of the program, while students who are identified as bullying others or the targets of bullying receive additional, individualized evidence-based interventions. It has components at the community, school, classroom, and individual levels.

The goals of Olweus include:

• Reduce existing bullying

• Prevent the development of new bullying problems

• Achieve better peer relations at school

Program Principles:

• Warmth, positive interest, and involvement are needed on the part of adults in school

• Set firm limits to unacceptable behavior

• Consistently use non-physical, non-hostile, negative consequences when rules are broken

• Adults in the school should act as authorities and positive role models

Core components of Olweus:

• At the school level...

  • Establish bullying prevention coordinating committee

  • Conduct committee and staff trainings

  • Administer Olweus Bullying Questionnaire school-wide

  • Hold staff discussion group meetings

  • Introduce school rules against bullying

  • Review and refine school's supervisory system

  • Hold a school kick-off event to launch program

• At the classroom level...

  • Post and enforce school-wide rules against bullying

  • Hold regular class meetings

  • Hold meetings with parents

• At the individual level...

  • Supervise students' activities

  • Ensure all staff intervene immediately when bullying occurs

  • Hold meetings with students involved in bullying

  • Develop individual intervention plans for involved students

• At the community level...

  • Involve community members on the Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee

  • Develop partnerships with community members

  • Help to spread anti-bullying messages to community