Program Description

The Safe School Ambassadors® Program (SSA) is our evidence-based program that harnesses the power of students to prevent and stop bullying and mistreatment. It is considered a social-emotional learning program (SEL) and has been approved by many school districts as meeting their required SEL criteria. The SSA Program is a student-centered model that educates diverse social leaders with the skills to prevent and reduce bullying. It is the nation’s most effective student-led bullying prevention program. The Safe School Ambassadors® Program relies on the “inside-out” approach to improving school climate. Student bystanders see, hear, and know things adults don’t, can intervene in ways adults can’t and are often on the scene of an incident before an adult. They are a critical and necessary resource for positively impacting the crisis of bullying in our schools. The Safe School Ambassadors® Program harnesses the power of the socially influential leaders of a school’s diverse cliques; the ones who shape the social norms that govern other students’ behavior. These leaders are carefully identified through student and staff surveys. They are selected based upon specific criteria, such as: strong position and influence in their peer group, good communication skills, and a history of standing up for friends.

Cost

Must contact for info on cost/training.

Intended Population

• Core

Grade

• Middle School
• High School

Intended Group Size

• School

ELL/DLL

• Unspecified

Multisensory Applications

• Unspecified

Delivery Method

• Hybrid / blended delivery

Scripted

• Instructor Scripted

Comprehensive or Skill Specific

• Comprehensive

Placement Tests

• No

Accelerated Learning

• No

Assessment to Monitor Skills Mastery

• Yes

Error Correction Built In

• Unspecified

Fidelity Measures Provided by Publisher

• Yes

Research Summary

A literature review indicated mixed results. In one comparison study, suspension rates and other types of discipline in schools implementing the Safe School Ambassador program decreased significantly compared to control schools. In one randomized control study, self-survey measures indicated mixed findings in student fidelity of mistreatment intervention overtime. Anecdotally, students and adults reported seeing growth in student confidence, leadership, communication, empathy, and willingness to intervene when they noticed maltreatment, all resulting in a decrease in bullying at their schools.

Study Citations

Lewis, A. K., Nguyen, C., Freshour, C., Hoover, S., Bohnenkamp, J., Schaeffer, C., & Slade, E. (2019). Promoting School Safety: A Comprehensive Emotional and Behavioral Health Model. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b7ea2794cde7a79e7c00582/t/637637b3271fd25596ed1c70/1668691891638/promoting+school.pdf

Pack, C., White, A., Raczynski, K., & Wang, A. (2011). Evaluation of the Safe School Ambassadors Program: A Student-led Approach to Reducing Mistreatment and Bullying in Schools. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84(4), 127–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2011.564974

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

• Insufficient evidence

Additional Reviews

• https://www.edutopia.org/safe-schools-ambassadors-peers-antibullying