The Dignity Act and bullying intervention self-efficacy among New York school psychologists

Bullying has been found to be prominent in school-aged children, with schools answering the call to address it through prevention and intervention efforts (Felix & Furlong, 2008). As mental health issues become more prevalent in public schools (Slomski, 2012), the role and responsibilities of school psychologists must adapt to meet that need (Splett, Fowler, Weist, McDaniel, & Dvorsky, 2013). As of December 2015, the Cyberbullying Research Center identified that all 50 states have laws that address bullying. In New York State, The Dignity Act was signed into law in September of 2010. This education law may have a significant impact on the role of the school psychologists in New York State.;This study examined 252 school psychologists practicing in New York on their knowledge of the Dignity Act, feelings of self-efficacy, and knowledge of best practices in bullying prevention and intervention methods. Exploratory analyses highlighted the benefits of a specific training workshop on measures of knowledge education law, knowledge of bullying prevention and intervention, and self-efficacy of bullying prevention and intervention. Implications for local school districts, graduate training programs, state education departments, and national organizations are discussed.