Friendly Schools and Families:
The bullying reduction program that really works
- An Evidence based Bullying Reduction Program
- Who would use this program?
- View the Friendly Schools and Families materials
- Ordering Friendly Schools and Families Program Materials
The Friendly Schools & Families Program helps school communities enhance their skills, knowledge and capacity to implement an evidence based whole-school approach to the reduction of bullying. The Program provides ‘small steps for success’ from which schools can systematically implement and tailor strategies for the whole-school, classroom, individuals and families to reduce bullying.
An Evidence based bullying reduction program
The Friendly Schools and Families program is based on 6 years of rigorous scientific bullying research by staff from the Child Health Promotion Research Centre (CHPRC). Before designing and evaluating this program, staff of the CHPRC spent one year reviewing other international research to identify and then validate with experts empirically successful elements of a whole-school approach to reducing bullying. A four-year intervention research project, Friendly Schools (FS), was then implemented in 29 randomly selected Perth metropolitan primary schools (2000-2003) to evaluate the best whole-school strategies to reducing bullying. Using the results from the FS project, a second more targeted program which included a stronger focus on capacity building and involving families was developed. This three year research project called Friendly Schools Friendly Families (FSFF), involved 20 randomly selected primary schools (2002-2004).
This research has shown a very significant reduction in bullying behaviour, greater feelings of safety and happiness at school and an increase in social skills among children who received the Program compared to those who did not receive the Program. This research has also helped to identify the Program components that resulted in the greatest reduction of bullying. These components form the basis of the new Friendly Schools & Families Program, and are supported by case studies from schools that have implemented these materials.
Who would use this program?
The Friendly Schools & Families Program is designed to help all members of the school community including teachers, school administrators and parents. The Program is best coordinated by a representative whole-school committee ideally involving the Principal, however the Program comprises materials suitable for all members of the school community – i.e. school teaching and non-teaching staff, administrators, parents and students.
Many schools have already begun to take whole-school action to address bullying. For these schools, these resources provide the opportunity to review action, identify areas that may require further attention and to engage in evidence-based activities that will maintain or enhance current school efforts in this area.
For schools that have not yet taken action, this Program provides guidance for developing and engaging in a whole-school response to bullying.
The Program guidelines and activities are designed to build on and support strategies to reduce bullying as advocated by the Australian National Safe Schools Framework.
Friendly Schools and Families Program Components
The Friendly Schools & Families Program consists of:
Each of these packs is described below:
Whole-school Pack
The whole-school pack consists of:
- Friendly Schools Team Handbook 'Making it work';
- 6 Whole-school Component Handbooks;
- CD ROM 'Bringing The Program Alive'; and
- Parent's Guide 'Friendly Families'
Friendly Schools Team Handbook – ‘Making it work’
This handbook has been designed for school-based pastoral care/behaviour management
teams, coordinators and facilitators of the Friendly Schools & Families Program,
to guide the Program’s effective implementation.
Whole School Component Handbooks
These handbooks provide strategies and actions for schools to improve social skills and to help reduce bullying through each of the six whole-school components.
- Policy Development
- Ethos
- Student Management & Support
- Classroom Practice
- Family Links
- Physical Environment
CD ROM 'Bringing the People ALive'
This
CD ROM provides your school with reproducible Program components such as planning,
review and reflection documents, newsletter items and assembly item ideas.
Parents Guide “Friendly Families”
This booklet provides tips for parents about how to help their children prevent
or deal effectively with bullying. The booklet focuses on prevention strategies
including improving parent/child communication, building social skills and
strategies for managing bullying.
Classroom Pack
Teaching and Learning Handbooks include information and a variety of interactive strategies to build children’s social skills and ultimately reduce bullying. The 5 levels designed for students aged between 4 and 13 years of age include learning activities to build resilience, enhance interpersonal skills such as positive communication, develop self-management skills and a sense of social responsibility in their students.
Friendly Schools & Families Posters
A set of eleven A3 coloured posters have been developed to complement the teaching and learning activities and to promote the common understandings developed in the Friendly Schools & Families Program.
Ordering Friendly Schools & Families Program Materials
The Friendly Schools & Families Program Materials are on sale now. Form more information about ordering these resources and an on-line order form please look at our website www.friendlyschools com.au.
