As with all prevention efforts, it is imperative to have the support and involvement of school leaders when planning and implementing bullying prevention activities. School administrators play a critical role in ensuring that such efforts are appropriate, effective, and sustained over time. The following are some specific steps that they can take to initiate and maintain bullying prevention activities at school:

• Assess the awareness and the scope of the bullying problem at your school through student and staff surveys.

• Closely supervise children on the playgrounds and in classrooms, hallways, rest rooms, cafeterias, and other areas where bullying occurs in your school.

• Conduct schoolwide assemblies and teacher/staff in-service training to raise awareness regarding the problem of bullying and to communicate a zero tolerance for such behavior.

• Post and publicize clear behavior standards, including rules against bullying, for all students. Consistently and fairly enforce such standards.

• Encourage parent participation by establishing on-campus parents' centers that recruit, coordinate, and encourage parents to take part in the educational process and in volunteering to assist in school activities and projects.

• Establish a confidential reporting system that allows children to report victimization and that records the details of bullying incidents.

• Ensure that your school has all legally required policies and grievance procedures for sexual (and other forms of) discrimination. Make these procedures known to parents and students.

• Receive and listen receptively to parents who report bullying. Establish procedures whereby such reports are investigated and resolved expeditiously at the school level in order to avoid perpetuating bullying.

• Develop strategies to reward students for positive, inclusive behavior.

• Provide schoolwide and classroom activities that are designed to build self- esteem by spotlighting special talents, hobbies, interests, and abilities of all students and that foster mutual understanding of and appreciation for differences in others.