ANTIBULLYING PROGRAMS: A SURVEY OF EVALUATION ACTIVITIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The problem of bullying has gained attention in recent years. Schools are investing significant resources into antibullying programs, despite scant evidence of program effectiveness. Three hundred ninety-five schools responded to a province-wide survey, whose purpose was (a) to describe the evaluation activities of schools relative to their antibullying programs and (b) to identify features differentiating schools that engage in evaluation from those that do not. Results showed that few schools evaluated their antibullying programs and that the rigour of these evaluations was generally low. Schools that evaluated their programs received more external funding for programs and provided more antibullying program activities on average than those that did not evaluate their programs. The results are discussed in terms of implications for school evaluation practice as a mode of deepening understanding about antibullying interventions.