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Success in Stages® (SIS) is a multicomponent bullying intervention package that draws on all students involved—victims, passive bystanders, and bullies themselves—to reduce the problem of bullying and create a climate of respect in school. The program offers three different versions tailored for students in elementary, middle, or high school. One Build Respect, Stop Bullying® version is used in elementary school with students in grades 4–6 and one in middle school to motivate preteens to respect themselves and others. A Building Respect® version is used in high schools to help teens build a safe and respectful school climate. Each (SIS) version can also be used in conjunction with other programs to support your schoolwide bullying initiatives.
The SIS program offers an interactive, Internet-based program that uses an “expert computer system” that combines a highly detailed knowledge base with a powerful inference engine to provide personalized feedback based on students responses. These Internet-based programs are based on the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change (TTM). An integrative model of behavior change, TTM incorporates key constructs from other theories. The model describes how people modify a problem behavior or acquire a positive behavior. The central organizing construct of the model is a series of five stages known as the Stages of Change. The model also includes a series of processes and principles of change that are used differentially to help students progress forward from one stage to the next.
SIS programs “get to know” each student by asking about his or her behaviors and experiences. The programs deliver tailored prevention messages based on a student’s answers through an engaging multimedia interface.
Each program involves three ½-hour computer sessions during the school year. Once students register for the program and log in, they are instructed how the program works. Then the program assesses the behaviors and roles the students play in bullying. As participants answer questions, the program scores the assessments, refers to the decision rules and database, and provides on-screen feedback. To generate individualized expert feedback, students are assessed on all TTM constructs relevant to their specific stage of change at each session. For each stage of change, the program analyzes the participant’s responses to the particular constructs and determines where they are in relation to a predetermined construct level used to optimize movement to the next stage. The program’s ‘expert system’ delivers individualized feedback to the participant through on-screen text and narration. The feedback addresses the desired behavior and the student’s answers. This feedback helps the student 1) learn how change occurs, 2) learn which of the five stages of change he or she is in, 3) realize how his or her behavior affects others, 4) realize the positive things gained by changing and the negative things that changing will help him or her avoid, and 5) learn strategies for moving ahead to the next stage or for keeping up the healthy behavior.
In addition to the software, program kit components include an informational folder for participants’ families about the program and bullying. Classroom staff receive a guide with instructions for using the program, information on how to work with parents, and general information on bullying and activities to support student change. School administrators receive a guide describing the software’s system requirements, suggestions and timelines for implementing the program, and instructions for accessing school-level reports. A Web site is available with additional program information, a technical troubleshooting guide, and password-protected access to school reports. Teachers do not need training, because their main responsibilities are to assist students in starting and completing the Internet program.
Evaluations have been conducted for all versions of the program. The evaluation of the middle and high school programs (study 1) used a three-by-two factorial experimental design that crossed three experimental groups with two assessments (pretest–posttest and posttest only). Twelve middle schools and 13 high schools from across the United States were recruited from different types of communities (e.g., rural working towns, suburbs, innercity schools, urban blue collar, and urban cores), with preference given to schools with higher percentages of students eligible for free lunches (about 45 percent of all students). Schools were matched on key variables (type of community, region of the country, and percentage of students eligible for free lunches) and placed into different groups that were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The three experimental groups were 1) a control group that received only pretests and posttests; 2) an intervention and posttest group that received up to three Internet-based individualized and interactive sessions, a staff guide, a family guide, and a posttest (Treatment Group 1); and 3) an intervention and pretest and posttest group that received the same protocol as Treatment Group 1 and received a pretest before their first intervention (Treatment Group 2). There were no significant differences in bullying roles across the experimental groups at baseline. However, for the middle and high school samples, there were significant differences on grade level and race. In addition, the high school sample showed significant differences on gender and baseline stage of change. The statistical analyses controlled for effects of all baseline measures.
The middle school sample of 1,233 students at baseline who could be matched at posttest were more Hispanic (27.4 percentage) than in the United States generally (14.0 percent). There were fewer non-Hispanic whites than in the United States as a whole and comparable percentages of African-Americans and Asian-Americans. Forty-eight percent of the students were eligible for free lunches. Slightly more than 50 percent were female. The students were distributed across grades 6–8, with the largest percentage (45.1 percentage) in the seventh grade. The high school sample of 1,203 students at baseline who could be matched at posttest more clearly paralleled the ethnic distribution throughout the United States. Forty-two percent were eligible for free lunches. Fifty-five percent were female. Most of these participants were from grades 9–11, with ninth grade (41.6 percentage) being the largest group.
All assessments were conducted by computer, which included both text and sound components. Outcome measures included the percentage of students who at posttest were no longer participating in each of the three roles related to bullying (bully, victim, or passive bystander) and the percentage who were no longer participants when all three roles were combined. All three groups received these measures at pretest or the start of the intervention for Treatment Group 1 and at posttest. Self-report measures are the standard for assessing outcomes in the bullying prevention.
The evaluation of the elementary school programs (study 2) used a similar methodology in the form of three-by-three factorial experimental design. The elementary school sample included 1,807 students from 12 elementary schools from across the United States. Schools were matched on key variables (type of community, region of the county, and percentage of students eligible for free lunch) and placed into different groups that were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The three experimental groups were 1) a control group that received only pretests and three posttests and 2) two intervention groups that received up to three Internet-based individualized and interactive sessions, a staff guide, a family guide, and three posttests. Unlike study 1, there were significant differences for the bully role between the control and treatment groups in that there were fewer bullies at baseline in the control group compared with both treatment groups. Statistical procedures were used to control for any baseline differences. Overall, 59.4 percent of the students were white, 17.5 percent African-American, and 13.1 percent Hispanic. About 40.6 percent of the students were eligible for free lunch.
All assessments were conducted by computer. Outcome measures included the percentage of students who at posttest were no longer participating in each of the three roles related to bullying (bully, victim, or passive bystander) and the percentage who were no longer participants when all three roles were combined. Self-report measures are the standard for assessing outcomes in the bullying prevention.
Specifically, the analyses indicate that the magnitude of program treatment effects varies by school level.
Evers, Kerry E., James O. Prochaska, Deborah F. Van Marter, Janet L. Johnson, and Janice M. Prochaska. 2007. “Transtheoretical-Based Bullying Prevention Effectiveness Trials in Middle Schools and High Schools.” Educational Research 49(4): 397-414.
Evers, Kerry E., Deborah F. Van Marter, Janet L. Johnson, A.L. Eastwood, Janice M. Prochaska, and James O. Prochaska. 2003. “Development and Validation of Transtheoretical Model Variables Applied to Bullying Prevention Among High School Students.” Presented at the 24th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Johnson, Janet L., Deborah F. Van Marter, Sharon J. Dyment, Kerry E. Evers, Janice M. Prochaska, and James O. Prochaska. 2005. Elementary School Bullying (ESB): Effectiveness Trial Data Analysis Report. West Kingston, R.I.: Pro Change Behavior Systems, Inc.
Van Marter, Deborah F., Kerry E. Evers, Janet L. Johnson, A.L. Eastwood, Janice .M. Prochaska, and James O. Prochaska. 2003. “Measure Development of Transtheoretical Model Constructs for Bullying Prevention in Middle Schools.” Presented at the 24th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kerry E. Evers, Ph.D.
Director of Health Behavior Change Programs Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 755
West Kingston, RI 02892
Phone: (401) 874-4118
Fax: (401) 874-4103
E-mail: kevers@prochange.com
Web site: http://www.successinstages.com
Karen McGuane
Channing Bete Company
One Community Place
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Phone: (877) 896-8629
Fax: (800) 499-6464
E-mail: custsvcs@channing-bete.com
Web site: http://www.successinstages.com/
