About us

Bully-Free Virginia was established to increase the capacity of schools in Virginia to reduce bullying and to create classroom climates where children feel safe and cared for—where children are free to learn academically and to thrive emotionally. We work with educators, parents and communities.

Goals:

    • Assist schools to increase pro-social behaviors, reduce bullying and improve classroom learning climate;
    • Educate professionals and parents in the on-going research on bullying prevention;
    • Communicate information to educators, parents and students about bullying and what can be done about it;
    • Assist schools to implement research-based bullying prevention;
    • Share resources that facilitate prevention of bullying in all its forms.
    • Assist parents to work with schools and with their own children in making home, school, and neighborhood bully-free.

    Workshops and Conferences

    Training and Presentations
    Virginia has 61 Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Certified Trainer/Consultants in Virginia who are prepared to assist schools with presentations on bullying and with training and consultation for program implementation.

    The Bully-Free Virginia Project 

    The Virginia State-Wide Implementation Grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has Increased Virginia’s Capacity to Address Child and Adolescent Health through Statewide Olweus Bullying Prevention 2006-2009.

    The VCU Center for School-Community Collaboration and the Virginia Department of Health Virginia Division for Injury and Violence Prevention collaborated through Bully-Free Virginia to address the negative effects of bullying on the learning environment of schools and to increase pro-social student behaviors by providing research-based training, networking conferences, technical assistance and resources for school divisions and communities throughout Virginia.

    Mini-Grants awarded in 2006 to 26 schools across the Commonwealth provided 3 years of support (2006-2009) to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: training, consultation, networking conferences, technical assistance and materials.

    Grants awarded in 2007     to 6 school divisions (22 schools) within the Commonwealth provided 2 years of support (2007-2009) for expansion toward district-wide implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: training, consultation, networking conferences, technical assistance and materials.

    Mini-Grants awarded in 2008     to 11 school divisions for expansion into 29 schools for the third year of the project (2008-2009). These Mini-Grants provided Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Training-of-Trainers for school division staff members; all necessary program materials for one to two schools; and networking conferences. The school division trainers will be certified to provide training and consultation for school Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committees.

    Minigrants awarded in 2009 to 10 schools in 9 school divisions. These mini-grants provided all necessary program materials and assistance with training by Olweus Certified Trainer/consultants for the schools’ Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committees.

     

    How Did Bully-Free Virginia Create Capacity for Expansion?
    For information on the history of this project, click capacity building

    Dr. Katie Moffett, Director of Bully-Free Virginia believes that respect must be given to every child by all adults in the school; every child should feel nurtured, and cared for by at least one adult in the school; bullying must be stopped; and pro-social skills must be taught. Katie says, “Listening is the greatest gift you can give to a child—of any age.”