Spotlight on Virginia Schools
Halley Elementary School, Fairfax Station, Virginia
Teachers at Halley Elementary first became aware of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program when they saw an invitation for a grant for the program in 2005. They began training school officials that same year and implemented the program in 2006.
Halley Elementary has had great success with the program. The school has seen an improvement in eliminating bullying behavior. Data suggests that the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has helped reduce the number of students who are bullied. In the beginning of the program, 42.3 percent of students reported being bullied. After one year of implementation of the program, 33.9 percent of students reported being bullied, a marked improvement.
The program has made such a positive impression that two families transferred their children to Halley Elementary School because they felt it was a safer environment than other schools.
Chesterfield County Schools
For the past year, most of the elementary schools in Chesterfield County have employed a comprehensive anti-bullying program developed by Chesterfield school counselors. Chesterfield County Public Schools has also developed middle school anti-bullying strategies based on the core values of respect, responsibility, honesty and accountability.
At seven Chesterfield schools, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is in place. Olweus is a comprehensive program designed to reduce and prevent bullying and build positive relationships among students and staff members. Schools use different approaches to achieve these Olweus school rules:
- We will not bully others.
- We will try to help students who are bullied.
- We will try to include students who are left out.
- If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.
Chesterfield schools using the Olweus program are Beulah Elementary, Ettrick Elementary, Gordon Elementary, Alberta Smith Elementary, Carver Middle, Swift Creek Middle and Tomahawk Creek Middle.