Added July 14, 2017
The purpose of this study was to extend the literature by evaluating a brief, school-based bystander program in an elementary school setting. Students participating in the STAC program, which stands for “stealing the show,” “turning it over,” “accompanying others,” and “coaching compassion” reported a significant increase in knowledge of what different types of bullying look like, knowledge of the STAC strategies, and general confidence intervening in bullying situations compared to students in the wait-list control group. This finding indicates that a brief, counselor-led bystander intervention can increase elementary school students' reported knowledge and confidence to act appropriately when they observe bullying, rather than participating in the bullying either actively or through passive avoidance.
Furthermore, as predicted, students in the intervention group reported a larger increase in self-esteem compared to students in the wait-list control group. This is important considering increased self-esteem can serve as a buffer against the negative effects associated with bullying (Grills & Ollendick, 2002; Kowalski & Limber, 2013; Raskauskas et al. 2015). We only found an increase in self-esteem between students in the intervention and wait-list control group to be significant for sixth-grade students. This finding is consistent with prior research indicating the training is more effective for older elementary students (Midgett & Doumas, 2016) and that students in upper elementary school are primed to be trained as “defenders” (Sullivan & Stoner, 2011). Sixth grade may be an optimal time to implement the STAC program to provide a protective effect against negative consequences for bystanders. However, it is possible that we only found changes in self-esteem among sixth grade students because the questionnaire we utilized to measure self-esteem may be more valid for sixth grade students relative to those in lower grades.
Results from this study suggest that the STAC program, which shifts implementation from teachers to school counselors and requires few resources for implementation, may be a promising approach to bullying intervention. Although more research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the program in decreasing bullying behavior, results provide initial support for a counselor-led program that can train students to act as “defenders” to reduce bullying behavior. Findings suggest the STAC program can increase self-esteem for older elementary school students trained to act as “defenders” to stop bullying at school. This is an important finding because high self-esteem buffers students against bullying (Grills & Ollendick, 2002; Kowalski & Limber, 2013; Raskauskas et al., 2015) and because students who intervene on behalf of victims can become a target of bullying themselves (Meter & Card, 2015). This is particularly important because bullying begins to escalate in upper elementary school as students prepare to transition to middle school (Pellegrini & Van Ryzin, 2011). School counselors can utilize the STAC program to increase protective factors against bullying for older students by expanding program implementation to all sixth grade students. Further, the STAC program was designed for school counselors to take on a leadership role in program implementation, which is in line with the ASCA (2012) model’s identification of school counselors as systemic change agents implementing programs promoting a safe learning environment and teaching students appropriate social and emotional skills (American School Counseling Association [ASCA], 2014).
Finally, school counselors can adapt the STAC program to meet the needs of their school and incorporate the training into their classroom lesson curriculum. This is consistent with the ASCA (2012; 2014) model’s identification of the importance of the school counselor’s role in delivery of a school counseling core curriculum designed to students develop developmentally appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills. School counselors can also conduct follow-up meetings within the context of school counseling program lessons where they discuss the strategies and implementation, utilizing the STAC program to combat bullying at school, as well as to potentially increase student self-esteem. For schools with limited counseling resources, school counselors can work in partnership with a local counselor education program to provide the STAC training with the help of counseling students.
doi: 10.5330/1096-2409-20.1.172
Aida Midgett, Ed.D., is an associate professor and associate chair of Counselor Education at Boise State University in Boise, ID. Diana Doumas, Ph.D., is a professor and chair of Counselor Education and Rhiannon Trull is a master's graduate assistant, both at Boise State University.
Aida Midgett, Ed.D., Diana Doumas, Ph.D., and Rhiannon Trull
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