Bullying prevention strategies cannot begin and end with posters on the wall or themed spirit days. According to Dr. Eric Landers, Associate Professor of Special Education at Georgia Southern University, effective prevention must be systemic, sustained, and rooted in prediction and prevention — not reaction and discipline.
In a recent webinar hosted by Navigate360, Dr. Landers outlined a practical, research-backed approach for reducing bullying and improving school climate across entire districts. Drawing on his experience as a former educator and behavioral expert, Landers challenged school leaders to rethink how we define, detect, and disrupt bullying behavior — before it escalates.
Beyond Reaction: A Framework for Lasting Prevention
“Most schools approach discipline through reaction, bribery, and humiliation,” said Dr. Landers. “But true prevention happens when we create more engagement than conflict. If a student is engaged, they’re less likely to disrupt.”
This shift in mindset — from punishing behavior to preventing it — requires a broader understanding of school environments, power dynamics, and data.
According to Landers, bullying typically meets three key criteria:
- It is intentional and harmful
- It occurs more than once
- It involves a power imbalance
But the hardest question for school staff is: How many times is too many? One student might feel targeted after a single incident, while an administrator may not intervene until a clear pattern emerges. This inconsistency, Landers argues, is why schools need a structured, districtwide approach to detection and reporting.
The Problem Triangle: Addressing Aggressors, Targets, & Opportunity
To understand how to prevent bullying, Landers introduced a behavioral model called the Problem Analysis Triangle, adapted from community policing frameworks. In this model, bullying occurs when three elements are present:
- An aggressor
- A target
- An opportunity
The solution? Remove just one of those legs, and the triangle collapses.
“I don’t need to solve the whole problem at once,” said Landers. “I need to focus on reducing opportunity, supporting the target, or retraining the aggressor.”
This targeted strategy helps school staff move beyond vague intentions to concrete prevention strategies they can act on immediately.
Step 1: Reduce Opportunity Through Awareness & Supervision
Many districts struggle with inconsistent definitions of bullying, making it difficult for staff to know when or how to respond. Landers recommends starting with a shared definition and increasing awareness among parents, school staff, and students.
He also emphasized the importance of differentiating between:
- Rude behavior (thoughtless, unintentional)
- Mean behavior (intentional, but not repeated)
- Conflict (two students with equal power)
- Bullying (targeted, repeated, with a power imbalance)
Too often, a lack of understanding prevents adults from intervening — or delays the response until long after a pattern has emerged. That’s where data collection becomes essential.
“If you’re not collecting the right data,” Landers said, “you’ll never see the patterns. And if you don’t see the patterns, you can’t intervene.”
He recommends schools track Minor Incident Reports (MIRs) alongside more formal discipline referrals. While office referrals flag major issues, MIRs can reveal trends — such as a student being sent to stand by the fence 27 times in one semester — that indicate deeper problems.
Step 2: Engage Place Managers Across the School Setting
Another overlooked prevention tool? Every adult in the building.
From cafeteria workers and bus drivers to custodians and coaches, these adults — called place managers — control the environments where much of bullying takes place. Yet many receive no training on how to recognize or respond to bullying behavior.
“Let’s give cafeteria data to cafeteria staff,” said Landers. “Let’s ask them why the behavior is happening in their setting — and give them a voice in solving it.”
By equipping place managers with training, consistent reporting protocols, and clear expectations, schools can expand their prevention strategies far beyond the classroom.
Step 3: Empower Targets with Social and Emotional Skills
When students experience bullying, the effects are long-lasting. Victims often face increased rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, absenteeism, and declining academic performance.
Landers encourages schools to empower targets — not just protect them — through:
- Emotional regulation skills
- Friendship-building and assertiveness training
- Problem-solving and conflict resolution strategies
- Clear anonymous reporting systems
This skill-building approach is especially important for students who struggle socially, such as those with disabilities, those who appear different from peers, or those with limited social support.
“We can’t just teach students to be kind and get along,” Landers said. “We need to teach them it’s okay not to be liked — and how to navigate that with confidence.”
Schools can support targets through existing behavior intervention tools like Check-In/Check-Out, matching students with trusted adults who help them build confidence and safety strategies over time.
Step 4: Reteach Aggressors, Don’t Just Punish Them
Students who exhibit bullying behavior are not inherently “bullies,” Landers insists. They’re often seeking social rewards like attention, status, or peer approval — and those behaviors can be redirected.
“I don’t want to crush leadership,” he explained. “I want to turn it into something pro-social.”
Effective intervention includes:
- Denying access to the social reinforcement (e.g., delaying transitions, removing peer access)
- Providing structured behavior coaching through mentoring
- Using Check-In/Check-Out systems for aggressors as well
- Replacing disciplinary-only approaches with behavior-specific feedback
By pairing students with adults who are firm, consistent, and willing to listen, schools can help aggressors replace harmful behaviors with positive leadership skills.
Step 5: Create a Districtwide Culture of Prevention
While much of the work happens at the school level, Landers emphasized that district leaders set the tone for bullying prevention.
He recommends aligning bullying prevention programs with existing PBIS and MTSS frameworks, including:
- Updating schoolwide matrices to include expectations for how students treat each other — not just how they move through spaces
- Embedding social skills instruction in the curriculum (e.g., Stop, Walk, and Talk from PBIS.org)
- Promoting positive behavior and defending behaviors through ongoing classroom discussions — not just one-off campaigns
- Training staff in how to identify, respond to, and report bullying in a consistent and compassionate way
“Most schools talk about bullying in October,” said Landers. “But if we want real change, we have to talk about it every month.”
From Awareness to Action: Your Next Steps
Dr. Landers’ message is clear: Schools can prevent bullying — but not without a plan. By investing in consistent training, early detection, and districtwide coordination, leaders can create positive school environments where every student feels safe, supported, and seen.
Ready to Take Action?
Navigate360 is here to help. Our bullying prevention strategies include:
- Behavior intervention and mental health training
- Social and behavioral skill-building curricula for students and staff
- Anonymous reporting systems to empower early intervention
- Staff training and professional development aligned to PBIS and MTSS
- Data tools that help districts track trends and respond with confidence
Build a Culture Where Every Student Can Thrive
Let’s work together to move from awareness to action — and create safer, more supportive schools for all.
