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Abstract
While much has been written about the problems associated with bullying in schools, no evidence-based summary of intervention strategies to reduce bullying has been found. This formative study comprised four systematic phases of information and data collection to compile and then validate a comprehensive summary of evidence to help schools to assess, select or develop and implement whole-school strategies to reduce bullying. The Guidelines for School Bullying Prevention and Management were derived from a synthesis of recently published evidence and international expert opinion. To demonstrate how they could be applied in practice, each guideline was illustrated through case studies from 81 schools. The whole-school program, operationalising these guidelines, was then pilot-tested in six schools to determine its usefulness and practicality. This iterative process of gathering evidence from the literature and schools and systematically validating it with expert researchers' and practitioners' opinion has contributed to the development of the comprehensive Friendly Schools programme to guide whole-of-school policy and practice in bullying prevention and management. To assess its effectiveness empirically, the Friendly Schools program is currently being evaluated as part of a two-stage, six-year randomised group intervention trial conducted from 2000 to 2004 in Western Australia.