Abstract
Bullying has been identified as one of the most widespread forms of violence encountered in U.S. schools, with 30% of children reporting being the victims of bullying sometime during their lives, and approximately 10% reporting being victimized on a regular basis. This research sought to identify common threads that seem important for individuals working with children in school settings to be aware of in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying based on current prevention efforts and curriculum a sample of Minnesota schools are currently utilizing. A qualitative research design was used to obtain data from a sample of seven school social workers, and data reduction was used to interpret the findings. The findings indicated the importance of social skill development among students, the use of formal and informal curriculum and programming, community building and active supervision, and the bystander effect. The findings speak to the importance of school staff to create a positive school climate, utilize curriculum and other individualized interventions, develop positive relationships with students, increase the level of adult supervision within the schools, and ensure consistent expectations and common language throughout the school in order to effectively prevent and intervene when children are involved in bullying.