Critical success factors for building school capacity to engage parents in school-based bullying prevention interventions
It is evident in current health promotion literature that capacity building is advocated asa future priority for action for health promoters in designing effective interventions.Although theory and definitions, and therefore the practice of capacity building iscriticised for its ambiguity, common elements include the development of knowledge,skills, commitment, structures, systems and leadership. Capacity building must bemultileveled working at the individual, organisational, community and system levels.Capacity building is centred in the process of implementation and its methods are aboutways to improve intervention implementation to achieve sustainable health outcomes.Given the limited resources available to health and other sectors to improve healthoutcomes, mechanisms that improve implementation and sustain and multiply the health gains which result from these interventions are crucial. However, little empiricalresearch on the implementation and evaluation of capacity building approaches exists,hence hindering its practical application to health promotion interventions. It is well accepted that the success of school health promotion interventions aredependent on effective implementation and that many barriers prevent schools fromembracing the recommended whole school approach. It is clear that school healthpromotion interventions aiming to address priority health issues must adopt a capacitybuilding approach to improve implementation efforts or risk failure. Effective capacitybuilding in schools, however, goes beyond the skills training of individuals toassessment of structures, processes, resources and leadership within the school systemto support teachers, parents and students to implement sustainable strategies over thelonger term. No matter what the level of enthusiasm or commitment is provided byschool leaders and staff, unless their school has the necessary capacity supports in place, their efforts will have limited success on student outcomes. Whilst schools in general know they must adopt a comprehensive approach thatinvolves the whole school community to be an effective health promoting environmentfor their students, most find engaging parents in their activities challenging. Evidencesuggests the important influence parents can have on their children’s healthy lifestylechoices and how this at-home influence, partnered with whole school and classroomstrategies are vital in providing health promoting environments for children.
Prevention of bullying in schools, Western Australia, Parent participation, Maternal and Child Health, Public Health Education and Promotion
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia