Date Presented 03/28/20
The prevention of school bullying has been identified as an emerging area of practice for OT, yet there is a dearth of research on how the field is addressing this public-health epidemic. This study emphasizes the need for training, innovative interventions, and a defined role in order for OTs and assistants to be a part of the team in schools to help address bullying and create a safer environment to enable the participation of students with disabilities.
Primary Author and Speaker: Janet Njelesani
PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore the role of occupational therapy practitioners (OTs and OTAs) in addressing school bullying against students with disabilities. In the United States, one out of five students report being bullied at school and students with disabilities are at a higher risk than their non-disabled peers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). AOTA indicates that as “front line providers” occupational therapy has a crucial role in the prevention and intervention of school bullying (AOTA, 2013). Despite school bullying being identified as an emerging area of practice for occupational therapy; there is a dearth of research on how the field is addressing this public health epidemic.
DESIGN: A descriptive mixed methods study gathered data from 159 school-based occupational therapists and 35 occupational therapy assistants working across 40 states in the United States. The study was guided theoretically by Response to Intervention, a multi-tiered system of support framework.
METHOD: Using electronic surveys (n=186) and semi-structured interviews (n=8), data was collected on the roles, practices, beliefs, and strategies used by practitioners to address school bullying. The electronic survey was developed and distributed using Qualtrics software. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person and over the phone until data saturation was achieved. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically using the qualitative data management tool Taguette.
RESULTS: The results of the research illuminate critical gaps in occupational therapy practice. Overall, the majority of practitioners see or hear about bullying but do not address it. Many felt as though they were not trained on how to address bullying nor did they feel there was support from school staff regarding their possible role in intervention. Results further reflected that there was a lack of inclusion in school wide efforts against bullying, and that occupational therapy has many skill sets in child development and mental health that can be used to build our role as “front line providers” in the prevention and intervention of school bullying.
CONCLUSION: Despite bullying being identified as a current public health epidemic, addressing bullying is not yet an established part of the work carried out by occupational therapy practitioners. This study emphasizes the need for a defined role in order for occupational therapy practitioners to be a part of the team in schools to address bullying and create a safer environment to enable the participation of students with disabilities.
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To increase the role of occupational therapy in addressing bullying, it is recommend for: training at the entry-level and continuing education to prepare practitioners to address bullying across all tiers of support; practitioners to advocate on their role and how bullying intervention falls within the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework; contribute to school wide anti-bullying programs (Bazyk, 2011); and carry out individual programs for bullies and those bullied including social skills training focusing on friendship promotion, social and emotional learning and problem-solving (D’Elia & Brooks, 2017).
IMPACT STATEMENT: This is the first study conducted in the United States that provides evidence of the gaps and ways forward for school bullying to emerge as an area of practice in occupational therapy.
References
AOTA. (2013). Occupational therapy’s role in mental health promotion, prevention, & intervention with children & youth: Bullying prevention and friendship promotion. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Children/SchoolMHToolkit/BullyingPreventionInfoSheet.pdf
Bazyk, S. (ed.). (2011). Mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention for children and youth: A guiding framework for occupational therapy. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.
D’Elia, M., & Brooks, R. (2017). Bullying prevention: A survey of school-based occupational therapists. Children, Young People and Families Occupational Therapy Journal, Autumn, 12-18.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2015. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=719
