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This study evaluates the capacity of a school-based family referral service to support school personnel in connecting at-risk students with appropriate community agencies. Through a partnership between New South Wales government departments and a not-for-profit counselling organisation, the family referral service was piloted at four regional, government schools. In phase 1 of the mixed methods evaluation, 135 students completed an online version of the Student Engagement Instrument. In phase 2, 32 primary and secondary teachers participated in four focus groups. Four principals and 19 key stakeholders participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Findings showed the service increased the schools’ capacity to manage students who were at risk of underachievement and poorer educational outcomes and reduced the workload of principals and teachers. While high Student Engagement Instrument subscale scores were obtained for extrinsic motivation and relationships with teachers, family support for learning received the lowest scores. Recommendations for the wider promotion of school–family partnerships focussing on locating flexible, family referral services within schools are discussed.

The challenge for high schools to adopt effective measures to reduce bullying has been underscored by international media coverage highlighting the consequences of school bullying. Despite whole-school anti-bullying programs being accepted as the best evidence-based approaches to intervention, research continues to yield ambiguous findings, and only a limited number of studies have been conducted in secondary schools to systematically evaluate the components of this approach. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of anti-bullying interventions in four international secondary schools in Hong Kong. Schools were randomly assigned to: (a) a whole-school intervention, (b) a curriculum and Shared Concern intervention at Year 7, (c) a Shared Concern intervention at Year 7 and (d) a control school. Year 7 students in the four schools anonymously completed a bullying questionnaire at the beginning (N= 545) and end of the school year (N= 549). A highly significant main effect for schools was found between pre-test and post-test composite bullying scores (F= 7.70, p< .001). Results showed the most significant reductions occurred when a whole-school intervention was used (F= 10.73, p< .001). The research provides strong support for use of whole-school preventative/management interventions and the effective components of this approach are discussed.

The challenge for high schools to adopt effective measures to reduce bullying has been underscored by international media coverage highlighting the consequences of school bullying. Despite whole-school anti-bullying programs being accepted as the best evidence-based approaches to intervention, research continues to yield ambiguous findings, and only a limited number of studies have been conducted in secondary schools to systematically evaluate the components of this approach. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of anti-bullying interventions in four international secondary schools in Hong Kong. Schools were randomly assigned to: (a) a whole-school intervention, (b) a curriculum and Shared Concern intervention at Year 7, (c) a Shared Concern intervention at Year 7 and (d) a control school. Year 7 students in the four schools anonymously completed a bullying questionnaire at the beginning (N= 545) and end of the school year (N= 549). A highly significant main effect for schools was found between pre-test and post-test composite bullying scores (F= 7.70, p< .001). Results showed the most significant reductions occurred when a whole-school intervention was used (F= 10.73, p< .001). The research provides strong support for use of whole-school preventative/management interventions and the effective components of this approach are discussed.