ABSTRACT
Bullying is recognized as one of the most significant public health concerns facing children in the United States today. Despite a burgeoning number of published studies on the topic of bullying, systematic evaluations of large-scale prevention programs are only now appearing in the literature. The Steps to Respect program promotes a whole-school primary- and secondary-level approach to bullying prevention by addressing factors at four levels: school staff, peer group, individual child, and family. The Peaceful Schools Project's goals are consistent with the Social and Emotional Learning framework by the inclusion of developing healthy relationships between all stakeholders in the educational setting and altering the school climate in permanent and meaningful ways. All stakeholders in the school are flooded with an awareness of the bullying dynamic, and bullying is described as a social relationship problem. The Peaceful Schools Project is a holistic philosophy that attempts to alter negative social relationships in schools.
