The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) has proven to be effective in reducing bullying in elementary and middle schools. Many educators want to know whether the OBPP works well at the high school level.
An evaluation of data gathered in Pennsylvania indicates that the OBPP is effective with high school students. The report, Bullying Prevention: A Statewide Collaborative That Works, is available from the Bullying Prevention Institute.
The Highmark Foundation in Pennsylvania has been leading the nation in the implementation of the OBPP. The Highmark Foundation’s Healthy High 5 Initiative is on pace to impact 200,000 students–20 percent of all students in their service area.
Through two large initiative grants, called PA CARES (Creating an Atmosphere of Respect and Environment for Success) and HALT!, the Highmark Foundation funded a large number of schools to implement OBPP in Pennsylvania. To date, 89 schools have received PA CARES mini-grants and 30 school districts have been funded through the HALT! program.
The following high school data is the result of an evaluation of these grant programs and the implementation of OBPP with high school students. This data represents the largest evaluation study of OBPP to date in the United States.
