Highmark Foundation Reaches More Than 210,000 School Children With Bullying Reduction Measures

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen percent of Pennsylvania school children are experiencing a safer, more responsive school climate through exposure to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP), according to Bullying Prevention: The Impact on Pennsylvania School Children, a report released by the Highmark Foundation today. Funded by the Foundation for the region's schools, the wide-scale implementation of the program represents the largest in the nation and has led to Pennsylvania's rise as a national leader in bullying prevention.

By 2012, OBPP will reach 210,000 students, 13 percent of all Pennsylvania public school children, more than 17,000 teachers and approximately 345,000 parents. It has been classified as a model program by the Blueprints for Violence Prevention, a project of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado.

"A safe school climate is so important to the overall health and well-being of children, and this report showcases the impact of evidence-based OBPP in schools and the positive effect they have on decreasing bullying incidents," said Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook. "It is the Foundation's goal to continue to collaborate between public and private entities and offer this model program to others in an effort to affect more positive change across the system."

The 2011 report brings to light the most recent results from the continuing analysis of bullying prevention program outcomes from more than 400 Pennsylvania schools. The Highmark Foundation supported the report's development by renowned bullying prevention experts at the Windber Research Institute, the Center for Safe Schools and Clemson University, which reflects the significance of the scope of bullying prevention efforts made in these Pennsylvania schools through Highmark Healthy High 5, a five-year initiative of the Highmark Foundation.

The 2011 data, compiled through student self-reports, indicates that the percentage of students who bully others two to three times per month or more (between 2008 and 2010) decreased by 27 percent among elementary students, 35 percent among middle school students and 31 percent for high school students. Students' reports of being bullied two to three times per month or more also decreased.

"Bullying prevention has certainly become a higher priority on the national agenda through anti-bullying legislation and federal lawmakers," said Dr. Matt Masiello, Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Windber Research Institute. "The positive results found within Pennsylvania schools can serve as a great example for other states to follow. Students themselves are emerging as leaders, and ongoing data collection and analysis predicts even more positive change for the future."

The report findings also demonstrate that Pennsylvania school students are beginning to reach out to their peers in a more positive way. Findings show that the percentage of students who said they would "just watch" when someone is getting bullied decreased by 27 percent among elementary students, 17 percent among middle school students and 33 percent among high school students. 

The Highmark Foundation has led this coalition of OBPP experts, educators and public health professionals to implement OBPP to the largest population of students to date. With an evidence-based program in place and motivating outcomes on the rise in Pennsylvania, the positive impact of bullying prevention programming in schools is the driving force to fostering healthier, happier children.

About the Highmark Foundation

Created in 2000, the Highmark Foundation is a charitable organization, a private foundation and an affiliate of Highmark Inc. Its mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who live in the communities served by Highmark Inc., its affiliates and subsidiaries. In 2006, the Foundation launched Highmark Healthy High 5, a children's health promotion initiative designed to improve the health of children and adolescents, ages 6-18. Through a $100 million commitment, Highmark Healthy High 5 addresses five critical issues -- nutrition, physical activity, grieving, self-esteem, and bullying prevention.

The Highmark Foundation awards high-impact grants to charitable organizations and hospitals to launch programs aimed at improving community health and addresses four key areas of health care concern: chronic disease, communicable disease, family health and service delivery systems. Find more information about the Highmark Foundation at www.highmarkfoundation.org

SOURCE Highmark Foundation