I have a secondary experience. Process drama is effective in terms of creating awareness and preventing bullying. A good area for you to further research on and consolidate the literature.

Best Wishes!

Helo Peter

I have conducted and continue to conduct research on bullying. Here is a some advice. If you involve children in drama of any kind, never, never, place a real bully in the role of an actor playing the role of bully. Also, never give a drama role as victim to a real victim. If you are in RG, you can access some of my articles on bullying . This can have the unfortunate effect of confirming, so to speak, the real roles of the actors. Best wishes Paul

Hi Peter,

If you haven't already, you may like to look at Cooling Conflict: A New Approach to Managing Bullying and Conflict in Schools (John O'Toole, Bruce Burton and Anna Plunkett, 2004): https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Cooling_Conflict.html?id=OHZFOwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

This is a peer led forum theatre approach (so not strictly process drama), but still very focused on classroom drama and makes use of some of the same conventions that are found in process drama. It is an evidence-based program that is also supported by rigorous theoretical work around the bullying culture and dynamics within schools.

All the best!

I just started reading about it for the "Starwalker-Project" in Germany. This is why I have lots of german literature and look for international publications, too... :/

Like the tipps above!

Not about drama, but about reasons for bulling:

Salin, Denise 2001 Prevalence and forms of bullying among business professionals: A comparison of two different strategies for measuring bullying;  European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 10 (4)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13594320143000771

Salin, Denise 2003 Ways of Explaining Workplace Bullying: A Review of Enabling, Motivating and Precipitating Structures and Processes in the Work Environment

Human Relations October 2003 56: 1213-1232,

There are studies by Oakley (2016) who is a cognitive psychologist, creative writing professor, and fiction writer himself, whose research revealed that by teaching and reading fiction in the classroom is like a flight simulator for teaching and inculcating empathy in students. I personally used books by Kate Di Millo for the purpose of having students become more sensitive to those with disabilities, vulnerabilities, diverse ethnic groups., etc.These are great anti-bullying activities. One book, The Rising Tiger  is about a little boy who developed a skin condition after his mother died. He was bullied and shied away from interactions until he met someone else who also felt awkward. The boy also identified with a tiger he saw in a wooded forest near the motel in which he and his father lived; they both were "caged," and somehow communicated and became sensitive to each one's plight.

Also, the Creativelearning.org website (Sarasoto, Fla.) lists and summarizes quantitative research in the literature depicting successful theater and drama student groups and how they improved in social relationships.

Ma (2010) depicts the bully and the victim as both lacking in social emotional skills. 

See below.

Article Preventing and confronting school bullying: A comparative st...

So what is your take on feedback to date, Peter? it is customary to join the discussion that one has begun. Paul

Peter. Join the discussion. That way you can give us your ideas and consider our ideas. Paul

Hello all, my apologies for the delayed response. I had posted this question before settling in for a long week of study ahead of exams.

I'm overwhelmed with the number and range of responses above, thank you so much for your support! This is my first dissertation, so from your comments above it has given me some really interesting things to consider and look further into.

@Harshvardhan, I agree with your point in terms of secondary education, however as far as my limited experience is concerned in primary education in Ireland, the 'grade factories' mentality has not managed to permeate as much as it has at secondary level. However it does make its way in during standardised testing and before annual reports on class levels.

@Paul, thank you very much for your advice, it would be terrible if a bullying intervention actually served to support and reinforce the behaviour itself rather than combat it in a meaningful way.

@Sarah many thanks for your recommendation, while it's not strictly process drama it is still highly relevant - thank you!

@Catherine many thanks for your helpful recommendation, it could give a very interesting read even to see the results of bullying not being combated from a young age.

@Rachel many thanks for your suggestions. The Rising Tiger seems like a fascinating story, and I believe it can serve to help give general perspective to the physical implications of emotional upset.

Thank you all for your support, I'm looking forward to digging deeper into each of the above, and I will contact you individually if I have questions or ideas, I hope that's okay!

Woody beat me to it!!  You absolutely must read O'Toole, Burton & Plunkett (2004). Acting Against Bullying is a great program that uses peer teaching, playbuilding and forum theatre. The program upskills participants with a language that helps them to codify bullying episodes and develop creative solutions to manage the moment.

Hi Peter, A number of my colleagues at Griffith University have a great deal of expertise in process drama - check out Julie Dunn - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julie_Dunn2 or Michael Balfour - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Balfour2 

Regards, Kevin

Craig, many thanks for supporting Woody's point, I'll be sure to read about Acting Against Bulying. Kevin many thanks for your help, I'll be in contact with your colleagues regarding this question.