©2008 M.A.R.C

MARC's bullying & cyberbullying prevention programs for K-12 students are unique in that most services are delivered by trained graduate and undergraduate students from Bridgewater State College, in a high-status peer model.  The student services we offer are a variety of assemblies for grades 3 through 12, and training for peer leadership programs in grades 6 through 12 (detailed descriptions below). 

 

 

 

 

General principles are:

1. Because bullies at schools are often high-social-status children (i.e., "popular"), it is students who must be aware enough to realize that bullying behavior is not desirable and should not be emulated;
2. Elementary aged students (grade 6 and below) are often emotionally connected with their primary classroom teacher, and thus best able to have their awareness raised by that teacher;
3. Older students (pre-teen and teenage) are often best able to learn from high-status peers who model positive social behaviors, and who model a distaste for bullying and abusive behaviors;
4. Cyberbullying is a central form of bullying today and it must be addressed, even among older elementary school children, albeit in a developmentally appropriate manner;
5. Ongoing, continuous programs -- even low-key ones -- are preferable to one-time programs such as assemblies;
6. However, assemblies can be very useful for raising interest and for beginning or continuing interest in a campaign of behavior change.
     < Click to see a Calendar of the AVAILABLE DATES FOR STUDENT PROGRAMS IN MARC OVER THE 2009-10 ACADEMIC YEAR. 

   (Please note these are available dates ONLY for STUDENT programming. Faculty & parent programs are booked by requesting a specific date and are entirely separate.)

MARC offers its anti-bullying programs to K-12 schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Currently, the program is grant-supported and participating schools do not have to pay for it, although they are asked to cooperate with the research.

Characteristic	Explanation
Developmentally-appropriate student programming	The program presumes that student education must take different forms for children of different ages. Younger children learn best from teachers with whom they have a positive emotional relationship, and older children (preteens and teens) learn best from high-status peers.  Approaches and procedures should be ongoing, although one-time assemblies may be useful for kicking off a new anti-bullying effort.  Therefore, we have developed: help from MARC Student Associates (see below) in forming student-led leadership teams whose purpose is to change school culture in Middle and High Schools (peer leadership programs) student assemblies for different age groups (including elementary, fifth grade / transition to Middle School, middle school, and high school) student contests, a Youth Summit, and other positive pro-active events designed to encourage and support student-led anti-violence efforts
MARC Student Associates	MARC is a teaching Center, meaning that we instruct graduate and advanced undergraduate students at Bridgewater State College. These students are powerful tools in any bullying prevention effort, as they are high-status peers and role models to teenage children.  They are trained, among other things, to facilitate with groups of teenagers on changing their school climate. They also deliver assembly programs.  The purpose is dual: (a) to promote the training of students in this area; and (b) to help schools deliver this program without increasing the teaching burden on classroom teachers and guidance counselors.