Everyone knows bullying is a huge problem， and we all need to work to stop it. But how？ The science is unclear. While school districts across the country spend millions of dollars each year to combat bullying， not all anti-bullying programs work equally—and some of the most common approaches， it turns out， don’t work very well at all.

Common bullying solutions that DON’T work

　　Many schools simply tackle bullying by hosting an anti-bullying assembly. While that might be a good start， experts agree that an annual address does little. “We can’t teach math overnight，” said Catherine Bradshaw， senior associate dean for research and faculty development in the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. “It is not a skill you can learn in an hour. That is the whole issue with social emotional learning.”
　　When schools only host an assembly it sends the message to students that bullying isn’t important. That might mean students don’t seek help when they are being bullied or see a classmate being bullied.
　　“It could inadvertently signal that we are checking off a box that we are doing something about bullying without showing an ongoing commitment，”1 said Susan P. Limber， Dan Olweus Professor of Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life at Clemson University. “Bullying is a complex phenomenon. There are many reasons why children bully， why kids may be targeted. An approach needs to be comprehensive and touch all the risk factors and really can’t be seen as a short-term fix2.”

　　Another common tactic is to encourage the bully and victim to talk through the problem and vow to be nice to one other. While it sounds lovely， in theory， it normally backfires3.

Bullying programs that are backed by research

　　Over the past year， Clifton Middle School in Monrovia， California has tried a different approach to bullying. The school implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program，4 a research-based program that first started in Norway. Olweus encourages schools to have antibullying classes as part of the curriculum and provides a framework for addressing bullies and victims. There’s no data on the program’s success yet， but already， principal Jennifer Jackson has noticed a change.
　　“I have seen students going from being bullies to being very empathetic5 human beings because we pulled something out of them they never knew they had，” she said. “It is very powerful.” 　　“In the world of bullying， which has always existed， everything discipline-wise was getting lumped together. Olweus allows us to separate bullying incidences and discipline. You are not just addressing the bullying and the victim but also the bystanders，”Jackson explained.6
　　Jackson says Olweus focuses on understanding the root causes of bullying， while teaching social and emotional intelligence. One way the program does this is with mindfulness7 classes and schoolwide classes focused directly on bullying and its effects. Staff guide students to stop， think and process before acting， reducing impulsive8 behaviors. The school even uses therapy dogs to help students struggling with complex and confusing emotions.

What works to prevent bullying

　　Experts agree that certain things make anti-bullying programs more successful， although research hasn’t conclusively identified every element that works.9 One key to success： setting goals that are properly communicated to the staff， students， parents and the community. Schools need to have very clear policies and procedures around bullying recognition and response.
　　A bullying prevention that’s integrated throughout the curriculum also makes a difference. Heather Wellman， a seventh grade English language arts teacher， in Pueblo， Colorado， has used novels to explore social and emotional learning concepts around bullying. When her seventh grade students read Animal Farm they looked at whether Squealer was a good friend，10 which ties into the anti-bullying and mental health program Sources of Strength that her school uses. Using fictional characters helps students better identify positive and negative characteristics that might lead to bullying or poor mental health， while better understanding the books.
　　Sources of Strength encourages students to leverage11 positive things in their lives， such as helpful adult mentors or healthy activities， to address bullying. For example， the program helps children identify those strong people in their lives so they know where to turn if they do face problems.
　　Wellman thinks the program’s focus on peer mentors is a real asset.12 It encourages adults to tap13 10 percent of its student body to be what she thinks of as “influencers.” These students undergo a day of training with monthly refresher courses14 on anti-bullying concepts， and they are supposed to lead by example. Wellman recalls a group of peer leaders who noticed one girl accusing another of being “fake.” They worried she’d be shunned15 because of it. The peer mentors approached Wellman about the situation， and she guided them to problem solving using concepts from their anti-bullying program. The girls invited the so-called fake student to join them for lunch. 　　“I didn’t tell those girls to be nice，” she explained. “They ran with it. It helped alleviate that tension.”16
　　Another tactic proven to reduce bullying： teaching socialemotional learning. This helps students better learn how to grapple with their feelings in a positive way instead of taking it out on others.17 “They know what to do when they are bullied and develop skills with social and emotional learning so they can regulate their own emotions，” Bradshaw said.
　　Experts agree that any anti-bullying program is only as strong as a school’s commitment to it.18 To get results， you have to put in the time. “These efforts have to be woven in the fabric of19 their school，” Limber said. “It needs to be part of who they are.”

　　1. inadvertently： 非故意地，無意地；check off a box： 在方框中打钩，这里指例行公事，没有认真对待；ongoing：持续存在的，进行中的；commitment： 投入。
　　2. fix： 临时解决方案。
　　3. backfire：（计划）产生适得其反的结果。
　　4. implement： 实施，贯彻；Olweus Bullying Prevention Program： 奥尔韦乌斯欺凌预防项目。
　　5. empathetic： 有同情心的，能共情的。
　　6. 杰克逊解释道：“校园欺凌这一问题长期存在，并且一直都按纪律问题对待。奥尔韦乌斯欺凌预防项目则把欺凌行为和纪律分离开，不仅处理欺凌者与被欺凌者的问题，也处理旁观者的问题。”-wise： 在某方面；lump：（有时错误地）归并在一起；incidence：（尤指罪行、疾病等的）发生率。
　　7. mindfulness： 正念认知，一种在当下体会人的身体和心灵的方法，可以使人保持平静。
　　8. impulsive： 冲动的。
　　9. 专家承认，确实有一些方法在反欺凌方面收到了不错的效果，但起作用的因素究竟都有哪些，他们还没完全弄明白。
　　10. Animal Farm：《动物庄园》（1945），英国作家乔治·奥威尔创作的中篇小说，讲述了一个农场的动物们在猪的带领下成功“革命”，赶走了压榨他们的人类东家，建立起了一个平等的动物社会。然而，两只处于领导地位的猪却为了权力而互相倾轧，最终获得领导权的一只名为“拿破仑”的猪成为比人类东家更加独裁的统治者；Squealer：《动物庄园》中一只名为“声响器”的猪，善于言辞，是独裁猪“拿破仑”的忠实支持者。
　　11. leverage： 充分利用（资源、观点等）。
　　12. peer mentor： 朋辈导师，同龄人导师；real asset： 实际资产，这里指有实际价值的东西。
　　13. tap： 委任，选择（某人做某事，尤指担当重要工作）。
　　14. refresher course：（短期职业）进修课程。
　　15. shun： 有意回避。
　　16. 她解释道：“我没有专门说要她们和气一点，她们自己就有这个意识了。这很好地缓解了紧张和不安。”run with it：（为使计划、问题等成功而）控制并加入自己的想法；alleviate： 减轻，缓和。
　　17. grapple with： 尽力解决，设法克服；take out： 发泄。
　　18. 专家认为，学校的决心越强，反欺凌的效果越好。
　　19. be woven in the fabric of： 纳入到……的机制中去。