Catherine Houlston BSc MSc

Supervisors: Prof Peter Smith, Dr John Jessel

Investigating the effectiveness of peer support schemes as school-based anti-bullying initiatives
The investigation of school bullying is at the forefront of educational reform and has begun to influence policy development. It is now a DfES requirement that all schools have an anti-bullying policy and attempts to monitor and prevent bullying are assessed during school inspections .Therefore, there is a pressing requirement to evaluate the success of various anti-bullying initiatives in order to determine those which are most effective in reducing bullying and contributing to students’ emotional well being. It has been suggested that the message from anti-bullying campaigns may be more effective if it is presented by peers themselves.

Formal peer support schemes are increasingly being utilized in schools to help with interpersonal problems such as bullying. These programmes aim to improve students’ perception of available support and encourage a more caring and compassionate environment within schools. Previous research suggests that peer support systems provide benefits for users of the scheme, peer supporters themselves and schools in general. However, much of the early findings are based on anecdotal evidence and there is a need for more direct, stringent evaluations concerning their effects.

My research aims to investigate the relative developmental and gender difference in the outcome expectances of peer support and in relation to the particular form of peer service utilized. Also, I wish to explore the impact such schemes may have on the general improvement in school ethos.