Rethinking Bullying Interventions for High School Students: A Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to obtain feedback to inform a modification of a brief, school-based bullying intervention originally developed for elementary and middle school students to be age appropriate for the high school level. We investigated the in-depth, inner experiences of high school students randomly selected to participate in a brief, bystander bullying intervention program. Thorough qualitative analysis, we found students spoke about (a) the complexity of bullying in high school, (b) cyberbullying and increased potential consequences related to social media, (c) the normalization and minimization of bullying, (d) lack of adult support, (e) an appreciation for the program’s strategies for students to take action, and (f) the importance of training activities to help build rapport and increase awareness. We discuss implications for counselors and counselor educators based on our findings.