About 650 school employees, policymakers, researchers, community leaders and parents are in town for the International Bullying Prevention Association at the Omni William Penn Hotel this week.

One report released today by the Highmark Foundation shows that the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program can decrease bullying in schools. The report showed that within three months of starting the program, bullying decreased by 14 percent among elementary students and 25 percent among high school students. After at least six months, 14 percent of middle school students said they would try to help another student who was being bullied.

The survey covered 56,000 students and 2,400 teachers in 107 Pennsylvania schools. The anti-bullying program is part of the Highmark Healthy High 5 Initiative.

Over the past three years, Highmark Health High 5 provided Olweus resources to more than 200 schools in the state.

The Olweus program includes forming a bullying prevention coordinating committee in a school, adoption of school-wide rules against bullying, reinforcement of those rules, and interventions with children who bully or are being bullied.

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