3. Measuring Success
- Assess whether the program is being implemented
- Assess the outcomes of the program
- Do a pre-test, post-test and future test
Conducting an effective evaluation of your program will ensure that it is addressing the needs that were identified at the outset. While it may seem like a particular initiative will have the necessary effect of countering bullying, the reality may be different. Therefore it is important to evaluate your program at regular intervals.
Process to evaluate bullying program:
- Form a committee to evaluate the bullying program.
- Determine the outcomes of the bullying program; make sure they are feasible outcomes given the duration of the program. Some outcomes might be: increase in a positive school environment; reduction in bullying.
- Create a checklist of activities necessary to implement the program.
- Ask staff at regular intervals to check off what activities are being done; this will give a good idea of whether the agreed upon activities are being undertaken by staff involved in the bullying program. This measures the implementation of the program.
- Devise questions that will determine whether the outcomes of the program have been met. For instance, “How many times were you physically bullied in the past month?“ This questionnaire will measure whether the outcomes of the program are being achieved.
- Do a pre-test using the bullying questionnaire, before the program is run, to use as a baseline.
- Administer the questionnaire just after the anti-bullying program is run, and again several months or a year after the program began.
- The committee will examine the information and suggest improvements to the program.
Source: Wanted: Teachers and Parents to Evaluate Anti-Bullying Programs (continued), D. Smith, Bullying Special Edition Contributor
Some organizations that are listed in the Resource section will also conduct an evaluation of your anti-bullying program if you have funding.
Frequency of Bullying
This is one example of an evaluation used to assess the frequency of bullying behaviour experienced by students in school. It can be administered at the start of the program and again at the end of the program to measure any reductions in bullying behaviour.
