STAC is a copyrighted brief bullying intervention program for schools that teaches students to act as “defenders” on behalf of targets of bullying. STAC stands for the four bullying intervention strategies: “Stealing the Show,” “Turning it Over,” “Accompanying Others,” and “Coaching Compassion.” STAC was designed to place a low demand on schools both in terms of costs and time commitment.
The initial 90-minute training includes didactic and experiential components followed by two, 15-minute booster sessions to support students to act as “defenders” on behalf of peers who are targets of bullying. The initial training is delivered through an audiovisual presentation with information about bullying and age-appropriate ways to use the four STAC strategies. The training concludes with students breaking into small groups to practice the strategies. During booster sessions, the school counselor talks with students about their experiences using the strategies, provides feedback, and brainstorms effective ways to implement and combine strategies.
STAC is stand-alone program that consists of a 90-minute training conducted by the school counselor followed by 2, bi-weekly, 15-minute booster sessions. The training can take place in classrooms as part of the school counseling program and is specifically designed to meet the time constraints of K-12 school environments. If you are interested in more information about purchasing, implementing, or researching the STAC program, please contact Dr. Aida Midgett at aidamidgett@boisestate.edu or Katy Ritter at katyritter@boisestate.edu
Researchers have published many studies that show the STAC program is effective in addressing bullying at school.
Students trained in the STAC program report increased:
Further, studies have shown that the STAC program decreases:
The authors evaluated a brief, school-wide, bystander bullying intervention (STAC) designed to establish school counselors as leaders in curriculum delivery. Elementary school students trained in the program reported an increase in perceived knowledge and confidence to act as “defenders,” utilizing the STAC strategies when they observed bullying, and a decrease in bullying victimization and perpetration at a 4-month follow-up. We discuss implications for school counselors.
Bullying is a major public health problem faced by youth today. This randomized controlled study evaluated a brief, counselor-led bystander bullying intervention for elementary school students with a history of occasionally bullying (N = 54). The intervention—stealing the show, turning it over, accompanying others, and coaching compassion (STAC)—is designed to train students to intervene as peer advocates when they witness bullying situations at school. Students in the STAC intervention group reported a significantly lower level of bullying perpetration compared to students in the waitlist control group. Findings suggest that training students who bully to be peer advocates may be a promising approach to bullying prevention. The authors discuss future directions for research and implications for counselors.
Researchers have found that elementary school student bystanders benefit from intervening on behalf of students who are victims of bullying (Olenik-Shemesh, Heiman, & Eden, 2015). However, research is needed that evaluates the impact of bystander interventions on students trained to intervene as “defenders.” This study addresses this gap in research by evaluating the efficacy of a brief, school-based bystander intervention on the socioemotional adjustment of elementary school students trained to act as defenders to intervene in bullying incidences.
The authors investigated lived experiences of student-advocates trained in a brief, bystander bullying intervention program to stop bullying as “defenders.” Personal values, taking perceived risks, implementation of bullying intervention strategies, and positive sense of self were core themes with a textural-structural description that helped define students’ experiences. Implications and future research are discussed.
A randomized controlled study evaluated a brief, bystander bullying intervention for junior high school students. Students in both groups reported an increase in knowledge and confidence to act as defenders and to utilize strategies to intervene on behalf of victims of bullying. Findings suggest possible carry-over effects from the intervention group to control group. Students in the intervention group, however, reported a significantly greater ability to identify of bullying and a decrease in anxiety (p = .06) relative to the control group. There were no differences in reported depression between the two groups. Implications for school counselors are discussed.
Read about the Bystander Bullying Psychoeducation Program With Middle School Students study
A randomized controlled study evaluated a brief, bystander bullying intervention for junior high school students. Students in both groups reported an increase in knowledge and confidence to act as defenders and to utilize strategies to intervene on behalf of victims of bullying. Findings suggest possible carry-over effects from the intervention group to control group. Students in the intervention group, however, reported a significantly greater ability to identify of bullying and a decrease in anxiety (p = .06) relative to the control group. There were no differences in reported depression between the two groups. Implications for school counselors are discussed.
Read about the Randomized Controlled Study Evaluating a Brief, Bystander Bullying Intervention study (PDF)
A randomized controlled study evaluated a brief, bystander bullying intervention for junior high school students. Students in both groups reported an increase in knowledge and confidence to act as defenders and to utilize strategies to intervene on behalf of victims of bullying. Findings suggest possible carry-over effects from the intervention group to control group. Students in the intervention group, however, reported a significantly greater ability to identify of bullying and a decrease in anxiety (p = .06) relative to the control group. There were no differences in reported depression between the two groups. Implications for school counselors are discussed.
Read about the Efficacy of a Brief, Bystander Bullying Intervention study
We examined the efficacy of a brief, bystander bullying intervention on reducing alcohol use among high school students (n = 61). As hypothesized, high-risk drinkers in the intervention group reported reduced drinking compared to control students at a 30-day follow-up.
Read the School-Based Bystander Bullying Intervention study (PDF)
Researchers evaluated the impact of a brief, bystander bullying intervention (STAC) on depressive symptoms among high school students using a randomized controlled design. Results of path analyses provided support for a mediational model in which the intervention was associated with an increase in sense of school belonging, which in turn was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms. We discuss implications for high school counselors and counselors in other settings working with adolescents.
Read the Bullying Bystander Intervention on Depressive Symptoms study (PDF)
If you are interested in learning more about the STAC program, please contact Dr. Aida Midgett or Katy Ritter.
Dr. Midgett’s research currently focuses on continuing to improve the STAC program and evaluate its efficacy in combating bullying and improving socio-emotional outcomes for students trained. Dr. Midgett and her research team initially developed the STAC program for middle and elementary school settings, but she and her team have also conducted several studies to adapt STAC to be appropriate for high school students, as well as for students attending diverse, underserved middle schools. Currently, her research team is working on the development of a STAC teacher training module. STAC has been implemented in many K-12 schools in various parts of Idaho.
Dr. Midgett’s research currently focuses on continuing to improve the STAC program and evaluate its efficacy in combating bullying and improving socio-emotional outcomes for students trained. Dr. Midgett and her research team initially developed the STAC program for middle and elementary school settings, but she and her team have also conducted several studies to adapt STAC to be appropriate for high school students, as well as for students attending diverse, underserved middle schools. Currently, her research team is working on the development of a STAC teacher training module. STAC has been implemented in many K-12 schools in various parts of Idaho.