Profiles: Programs Should Strive to Keep Bullying Victims Engaged in School

Keeping bullying victims engaged in school can help them avoid truancy and low academic achievement, researchers from the National Center for School Engagement say in a bulletin from the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

The recommendation is one conclusion of a study of bullying funded by the OJJDP.

"Challenging academics, extracurricular activities, understanding teachers and coaches, and a focus on the future help keep victimized children engaged in their education," the bulletin says.

The researchers also say that anti-bullying programs should model caring behavior for students; offer mentoring programs; provide students with opportunities for service learning; address the transition from elementary to middle school; and avoid the use of prefabricated curriculums that are not aligned to local conditions.