The WITS Programs:

How is WITS different?What does the research indicate?

Distinguishing Features of WITS

• Targets children’s individual social skills.• Based on written curricula solely

delivered by teachers.• Focused on bullying behavior and the capacity to resist bullying.

Typical Conflict Resolution Programs WITS Programs

• Invites the participation from the parents and the community.

• Implemented across several contexts including playgrounds and families’ homes.

• Focused on the prevention of victimization rather than bullying because bullies are often themselves victims.

What is peer victimization?• Peer Victimization is the experience of being a target of a peer’s hurtful teasing and

aggressive behavior

• Two subtypes of victimization:

– Physical Victimization involves overt, direct actions aimed at causing a child bodily harm or threats of harm

– Relational Victimization involves covert indirect actions directed at damaging a child’s social status in the peer group.

Prevalence of Peer Victimization• Approximately 1 in 10 children are

persistently victimized by peers

• Frequency of victimization episodes is generally higher in the early elementary grades

• Episodes of victimization become more chronic in the late elementary grades

How is WITS different in its implementation?There are resources available for parents, the community, teachers and school staff to promote common strategies and a consistent voice.

WITS Resources For The Community

- Manual and online resources for emergency services personnel and university representatives

WITS Resources For Parents

- Pamphlets and online resources

WITS Resources For Teachers

- Recommended literature list- Lesson Plans- Online Training

WITS Multi-Systems ApproachThe WITS Programs reduces peer victimization by:

– Calling upon community champions including schools, families, and emergency services personnel to promote pro-social behaviors and to help children deal with peer victimization

– Take a comprehensive, multi-setting approach to reducing peer victimization and enhancing social competence at the school- and classroom-level

– Give a common language for children and adults to use to resolve conflicts peacefully

What evidence suggests that WITS works?

Two studies were conducted to measure the feasibility and effectiveness of the WITS Programs.

WITS Program Evaluation 1

• Participants & Data Collection– Data were collected from eleven program schools and six

control schools

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Wave 4

• Fall of 2000

• N = 432

•Beginning of 1st grade

• Spring of 2001

• N = 423

•End of 1st grade

• Spring of 2002

•N = 397

•End of 2nd grade

• Spring of 2003

• N = 385

•End of 3rd grade

Indicators of Success

Measures that were examined:

• Children’s ratings on:

– Physical Victimization• How often are you hit by another kid at school?

– Relational Victimization• How often does another kid tell lies about you to

make other kids not like you anymore?

Rates of Decline for Physical Victimization

This chart illustrates the rate of physical victimization over three years.

Rates of Decline for Relational Victimization

This chart illustrates the rate of relational victimization over three years.

Understanding the findingsChildren in the WITS schools report more victimization Why?

– All of the WITS program schools had the WITS program by the time this study was under way. Higher levels of reporting may reflect the program children’s greater awareness of what victimization is and their willingness to report it or “Seek Help”.

– Rates of victimization reported decline over the three years of elementary school for these children in program schools but not in the control schools.

Follow-Up Study

Goal:

1. To assess the effectiveness of the WITS Program with a broader and more independent sample of schools

Indicators of Success

WITS Program Evaluation 2

WITS Program Evaluation 2

• Participants & Data Collection– Data were collected from six WITS program schools and five control schools

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3

• Fall of 2006

• N = 829 (472 in program schools)

• Grades 1 to 3 students

• Fall of 2007

• N = 737 (422 in program schools)

• Spring of 2008

• N = 732 (418 in program schools)

The Process

Measures that were examined:

• Children’s ratings on:– Physical Victimization (e.g., hitting, pushing)– Relational Victimization (e.g., social exclusion, rumour-spreading)– Peer Support (e.g., receiving help, being cheered up by classmates)

• Teacher’s ratings on:– Social Responsibility (e.g., giving help to others, solving problems in

peaceful ways)

Average Levels of Physical & Relational Victimization

• Physical Victimization– The rate of decline in physical

victimization was significantly greater in program than control schools

• Relational Victimization– The rate of decline in relational

victimization was greater in program than control schools

Note: Children in program schools reported higher initial levels of physical & relational victimization, possibly due to a greater awareness of victimization created by the WITS Program

Average Levels of Peer Support & Social Responsibility

• Peer Support– Levels of peer support did not

significantly differ in program and control schools

• Social Responsibility– Teachers of children in program

schools reported higher average levels of social responsibility at each time point, compared to control schools.

Conclusion

WITS joins a growing number of studies showing promise of school, parent, and community involvement in interventions for reducing peer victimization in elementary schools

Peer Victimization can be reduced through:

- Multi-setting programs and multiple systems of support that include visible (uniformed) community members, school staff and parents

- Strategies that convey consistent and developmentally appropriate messages for peaceful conflict resolution across contexts