Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators

How does a school get started with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program? If you are concerned about the issue of bullying in your school or district and want to take strong steps to address it, implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) would be a good solution. Here are five key steps to take in making this decision. Step # 1: Learn as much as you can about the issue of bullying at your school. Analyze the amount and frequency of bullying at your school.  Look at your incident reports and reports from parents.  Meet with concerned parents.  Talk with your local PTA/PTO.  Talk with students and staff.  Consider administering the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire to find out the level of bullying in your school.  For a little more than $1.00/student, this 42-question survey will give you helpful information about the types of bullying, where it is happening, and how students and staff are responding. To order the survey, scroll to the order form below -- or contact OAESA at 614-794-9190. Step # 2: Learn as much as you can about the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Scroll to the documents at the bottom of this page:   Olweus Fact Sheet Olweus Frequently Asked Questions Stimulus Funding and OBPP Feel free to download the documents and share this information with your staff and interested stakeholders. Also, check out the factsheets in the Ohio Bullying Prevention Initiative Parent Tool Kit and Media Tool Kit. Step # 3: Establish a schoolwide Bullying Prevention Coordinating committee.  This committee will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of your OBPP efforts. This committee should be made up of 8-12 members, including:   A school administrator (principal or assistant principal). A teacher from each grade level. A school social worker, school counselor, school psychologist, and/or other school-based mental health professional. A representative from the non-teaching staff (such as a playground monitor, bus driver, cafeteria worker, custodian). One or two parents. A representative from the community (if possible), such as an after-school or youth program staff member or representative from the business or faith community who might have a stake in the results of the program. Other school personnel (such as a nurse, school resource officer, Title IX representative) who may bring particular expertise to the committee. Possibly one or two students (if they are in late elementary or middle school). Step # 4: Purchase the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program materials Other than the re-administration of the survey, the purchase of OBPP materials is a one-time, upfront cost. The following materials are required to implement the program.   OBPP School Guide:  It is recommended that you purchase one copy for every member of your Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee.This guide will give step-by-step instructions on how to implement OBPP schoolwide, including a CD-ROM of resources and a program overview video that can be used in staff trainings. OBPP Teacher Guide: It is recommended that you purchase one copy for every member of your Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee and, ideally, one copy for every teacher (or a minimum of one copy for every three teachers).This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to implement OBPP in the classroom, including a CD-ROM of resources and a DVD that contains video scenarios that can be used as discussion starters. Olweus Bullying Questionnaire: It is recommended that you administer the survey once before the program is launched with students, and at the same time each year after that. Ideally each student should be surveyed, but for larger schools, you could look at doing random sampling.  To order the survey, scroll to the order form at the bottom of this page. TO RECEIVE YOUR OAESA DISCOUNT, order your program materials through OAESA Bullying Prevention Initiative Bookstore , or  or by using the order form below.   Be sure to use the OAESA promotion code (i.e., OAESA) and have checks payable to Hazelden.  OAESA can provide quotes on the potential cost of the program materials for your school. Contact the OAESA office at 614-794-9190  Step #5:  Contract with a certified Olweus trainer to guide your implementation. It is highly recommended that schools contract with a certified Olweus trainer to help guide their implementation of OBPP. Because it is a schoolwide effort, it is helpful to have this outside support. A certified Olweus trainer will conduct a two-day program training for your school's Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee and then consult with your committee one hour per month during the first 12 months of implementation. Schools that use a certified Olweus trainer find greater results with the program. To save money, trainers can train up to two school committees at a time. OAESA can help identify a trainer who would be available to work with you. Contact OAESA at 614-794-9190.    Olweus_Facts.pdf   A fact sheet introducing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.  olweus_frequently_asked_questions_3.pdf   12 pages of Frequently Asked Questions (with answers) about bullying and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.       OAESA Bullying Prevention Bookstore Click on this link to Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators Bullying Prevention Initiative Bookstore to purchase evidence-based programs materials for your school -- with a OAESA discount!   Or use the OAESA Olweus Order Form at the bottom of this page -- and fax your order to OAESA at 614-794-9191. Be sure to use the OAESA promotion code (i.e., OAESA) and have checks payable to Hazelden.  Funding Resources For guidance in writing grants or seeking stimulus funding, visit the Funding Tool Kit. Videos and Testimonials Check out the short videos on You Tube providing background on the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, and  testifying to the program's merits and success.   Olweus Bullying Questionnaires Consider administering the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire to find out the level of bullying in your school.  For a little more than $1.00/student, this 42-question survey will give you helpful information about the types of bullying, where it is happening, and how students and staff are responding. The questionnaire cannot be ordered through the online bookstore. To order the survey, scroll to the order form below -- or contact OAESA at 614-794-9190   Final thoughts... It is recommended that a school focus their efforts on implementing OBPP for at least three years. It usually takes that long for any schoolwide effort to become a normal part of the everyday procedures and policies of a school. However, schools should see significant reductions in bullying within the first two years, if the program is implemented with fidelity.