Kelly Larson, licensed social worker for Breckenridge Public Schools, is flying to Nashville, Tenn., Monday for a three-day session on the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Targeting students ages 6-15, the comprehensive program is designed to reduce delinquency by incorporating methods such as staff training and parental involvement. Originating in Sweden, the Olweus Bullying Program is currently used by thousands of U.S. schools.
Larson, who had to apply for the training, will train Breckenridge school staff and faculty after the trip. Eventually, ATOD intends to implement the program in all Wilkin County schools.
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The trip is the least expensive option for the ATOD coalition, which otherwise would have had to pay $150 an hour for a trainer to travel here. At one school, the expenses for the training cost $4,000, said Larson.
Her training coincides with the recent release of a study that reveals a sharp decline in reports of bullying nationwide, which experts attribute to anti-bullying programs such as Olweus in schools.
Less than 15 percent of children reported being bullied or victimized by peers or siblings in 2008, down from nearly 22 percent in 2003, according to an Associated Press article on the report. The U.S. Justice Department funded the study, which covered 2,030 children in 2003 and 4,046 in 2008.
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