Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Hardwick Smith Johnson, Jr.

Committee Member

Theodore Kinasewitz

Keywords

professional development, prevalence of bullying, bullying interventions, theories of behavior

Abstract

It should be noted that about a year after this researcher began work on this dissertation, he became seriously ill, greatly interfering with his ability to function. In 2019 he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a terminal lung disease. As his physical condition continued to worsen, work on the dissertation came to practically a halt until he received a double lung transplant at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida on January 17, 2023. Following the transplant he has worked diligently to complete the research and the dissertation. At that time the research site was no longer accessible to the researcher so it was decided that subjects for the research would be drawn from former colleagues of the researcher who had been educators or otherwise employed in public elementary, middle, and high schools.

The problem addressed in this dissertation was to determine the characteristics and parameters of a more functional anti-bullying program designed to reduce or eliminate bullying in a public-school setting. The intent was to gather survey input from all relevant school staff that had direct contact with students on a regular basis. The sought after information from staff included, but was not limited to, their previous training, experience, and willingness to participate in an anti-bullying program.

This study utilized a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional research design. Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to compute frequencies, percentages, and weighted values. The sample of 21 instructional and noninstructional staff came from the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The Likert-scale survey was piloted for the purpose of gathering information on current staff experiences, training levels, and willingness to participate in any program designed to reduce or eliminate bullying at their school.

Findings for Research Question 1 showed responders reported no or minimum formal training in the management of bullying. They reported being interested in receiving more professional development on bullying management, while some responders thought training in bullying management should not be provided just for teachers and administrators. Results for Research Question 2 on the effective skills the staff possessed included (a) notification of another teacher, counselor, or administrator; verbal intervention; (b) being visually seen as an adult present, serving as a deterrent, and (c) effective physical intervention to stop the episode. For Research Question 3, they reported needing bullying intervention skills to help them implement an effective schoolwide program and desired intervention skills on effective verbal interventions that deterred bullying. Regarding Research Question 4, the analyzed data conveyed that between the opinions of instructional and non-instructional staff, there was little, if no differences. With Research Question 5 about staff testimonials on the skills that should be viii included in an effective anti-bullying program. There were 10 essential skills. An example of an essential skill is an effective bully prevention program should involve the parents, students, staff, and community members.

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