Comfort Intervention

In order to compliment understanding student behaviors, Roosevelt must also strive to adequately prepare staff to appropriately intervene on behalf of victimized students. According to their study (O'brennan, Waasdorp, & Bradshaw, 2014) on school staff connectedness and level of comfort intervening, the researchers found that “having resources available regarding bullying, receiving training on the school’s bullying policy, and being involved in bullying prevention efforts were significantly associated with comfort intervening.” In order to provide adequate preparation, training that educates teachers about the signs and progression of bullying and appropriate ways to intervene in order to decrease the bystander effect is crucial. In addition

to implementing new trainings, school staff could also be provided literature and other resources regarding peer harassment that can be accessed as needed. In this way, school staff are better equipped and supported to protect the health and well-being of all students. While some research has highlighted the benefits of peer intervention, these programs could be costly. By training teachers and other school staff about trauma and the importance of bystander intervention practices and resources to staff members that equips administration, school staff could be a step in the right direction. As Dresler-Hawke & Dean Whitehead assert, individual (student) efforts to adopt these philosophies about anti bullying are more likely to occur in an environment that is willing to encourage, teach, and reward appropriate engagement practices. By equipping RHS staff to address peer harassment, modeling and encouraging this mindset and behavior can also be imparted with youth.