Each October, National Bullying Prevention Month serves as a reminder of the importance of fostering safe, inclusive spaces for all students. For researchers at the BRAVE Lab, that mission is year-round work.
With 58 percent of middle school students reporting they’ve been cyberbullied and one in four admitting to bullying a peer online, a 2025 study by the Cyberbullying Research Center makes one thing clear: action to address these behaviors is more important than ever.
At the BRAVE Lab, short for Bullying Research and Violence Education, Susan Swearer, Willa Cather Professor and chair of the Department of Educational Psychology, and her team are at the forefront of that effort. Part of the College of Education and Human Sciences, the lab was established in 1998 and is dedicated to understanding, preventing, and reducing bullying through innovative research and evidence-based interventions.
Swearer, a co-founder of the Bullying Research Network (BRNET), has helped establish an international community of scholars focused on understanding and addressing bullying behavior. BRNET serves as a virtual hub that connects researchers around the world and disseminates the latest findings in the field.
Recently, Swearer and her colleagues participated in a 13-country study examining how teachers respond to bullying in schools. The findings, presented at the World Anti-Bullying Forum in Sweden and published in the ‘International Journal of Bullying Prevention,’ highlight the crucial role educators play in shaping how students experience and report bullying.
"This study was the first study across 13 countries to examine teacher responses to bias-based bullying,” Swearer said. “BRNET has served as the leading international clearinghouse connecting bullying prevention and intervention researchers across the globe.”
While the BRAVE Lab’s reach extends internationally, its impact is felt deeply in Nebraska schools. Swearer’s early work led to the development of the Target Bullying Intervention Program (T-BIP) in 1998, a pioneering approach that works directly with students who engage in bullying behaviors. Rather than focusing solely on punishment, T-BIP helps students identify the reasons behind their actions and develop healthier, more empathetic ways of relating to others.
The program has been implemented in schools across Nebraska and the U.S., providing educators and counselors with a restorative framework for addressing bullying and improving school climate.
The BRAVE Lab’s mission also extends to support students who have experienced bullying. Through partnerships with the Born This Way Foundation, founded by Lady Gaga, the lab promotes kindness, emotional wellness, and inclusion among youth.
One of its newest initiatives, BELONG, the Bullying, Empowerment, and Learning Online Network Group, funded by the Moran Family Foundation, offers virtual support groups for middle school students who have been bullied. These groups provide a safe, structured space to connect with peers, share experiences, and build coping strategies, reflecting the lab’s belief that healing and prevention go together.
“BELONG is a unique and critical opportunity for targets of bullying to come together in a safe and supportive space where they can realize they are not alone in their challenges and struggles,” said Emilea Rejman, project director for BELONG and doctoral candidate in the school psychology program.
From Nebraska classrooms to international research networks, the BRAVE Lab continues to drive progress toward a world where all students feel safe, valued, and supported. Through decades of research, outreach, and collaboration, Swearer and her team are empowering educators, families, and communities to take a stand against bullying one act of kindness at a time.
College of Education and Human Sciences
Educational Psychology
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