Reduce Aggression & Raise Resilience with Measurable Results

Rethinking Aggression in Schools: A New Approach to a Persistent Problem

For nearly two decades, schools have worked tirelessly to establish “bully-free zones.” Every state in America—and many countries worldwide—has implemented anti-bullying laws that require schools to protect children from aggression. Thousands of schools have adopted intensive, whole-school anti-bullying programs to address the issue.

Some schools have seen success in reducing aggression significantly. However, the overall effectiveness of anti-bullying initiatives has been far from impressive. Despite years of anti-bullying efforts, child aggression remains a widespread concern, often described as an epidemic. Incidents of suicides and school shootings have risen, and research suggests that most celebrated anti-bullying programs yield only minor reductions in aggression—sometimes even exacerbating the issue.

For example, a major study from the University of Texas at Arlington found that students in schools with anti-bullying programs were more likely to experience aggression than those in schools without such programs. Similarly, a Canadian study revealed that anti-bullying laws at best reduce aggression by 20%. Alarmingly, researchers now consider a 20% reduction in bullying a mark of success, meaning an 80% failure rate is deemed acceptable.

If your school has been investing significant time and effort into anti-bullying programs with limited results, you’re not alone. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the prevailing approach to addressing aggression is not working. Yet, rather than rethinking the strategy, many experts and organizations advocate for intensifying the very methods that have proven ineffective.

Introducing a Better Way: SQUABBLES® – Your Game Plan for Aggression

It’s time to acknowledge that doubling down on a failing approach won’t yield better results. Instead, we need a fundamentally different strategy, and that’s where *SQUABBLES®: Your Game Plan for Aggression* comes in.

Our program is built on an entirely new paradigm of aggression—one that challenges outdated beliefs upheld by traditional anti-bullying activists and organizations. While these ideas may initially face resistance, their simplicity and effectiveness quickly become evident.

Importantly, this approach is not based on untested theories. Instead, it draws from robust psychological principles and ancient, universal wisdom. It’s a model designed to empower students to resolve conflicts, build resilience, and thrive socially.

Children deserve better. They need tools that truly address the problem of aggression. With *SQUABBLES®,* you’ll discover an approach that not only produces measurable results with less effort but also equips students with lifelong skills to handle social challenges. Your students will be happier, your workload more manageable, parents will appreciate your efforts, and your school culture will thrive.

A Scalable, Sustainable Program for Transforming School Culture

Our goal in creating *SQUABBLES®* is to provide educators with clear, step-by-step resources that can be implemented with ease. By incorporating evidence-based principles and aligning with proven strategies, this program is designed to:

• Leverage Established Theories: Grounded in psychological and social frameworks, as well as evidence-based practices in conflict resolution.
• Rethink "Bullying": We replace this abstract, overused, and confusing term. Get to the root of the problem; aggression and low frustration tolerance. 
• Reinforce Understanding Through Practice: Uses effective teaching strategies to ensure students internalize core principles.
• Target Specific Needs: Adaptable to various levels of intervention, from chronic victimization to occasional conflict.
• Scale Seamlessly: Suitable for individuals, small groups, classrooms, or larger audiences.
• Quick Results: Recognized with two international awards for effectiveness in conflict resolution and excellence in bullying prevention. 
• Maximize Efficiency: Requires minimal resources while achieving significant impact.

At SQUABBLES®, we, like many experts, believe the key to reducing aggression lies in fostering resilience and social-emotional competence in students. By empowering students to handle conflicts independently, schools can reduce legal liabilities, promote prosocial behaviors, and create a more inclusive, collaborative environment for all.

Join Us in Transforming Lives

Let’s work together to equip students with the tools they need—not just for surviving school but for succeeding throughout life. Welcome to SQUABBLES®: Your Game Plan for Aggression.

Our Theoretical Frameworks

SQUABBLES is a researched-based program that takes a psychological and educational approach to minimizing aggression at school, at home, and online. We are a breath of fresh air for the "bully" fatigued education industry. Our theoretical frameworks are why we are so successful. These frameworks include:

Social Learning Theory
The theory that we learn how to be human by observing and imitating others and by being rewarded or punished for our actions (Bandura, 2005).

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
These are tools to help us understand and develop the skills needed to control our emotions, set positive goals, feel and show empathy, create and maintain awesome relationships and make responsible decisions (CASEL, n.d.).

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
This is the idea that a kid’s attitudes and beliefs, their environment (home, school, playground, or classroom) and their actions are all connected and lead to certain actions throughout their life. SCT suggests that the central element of behavioral change is self-efficacy, or the feeling that one is in control of his or her destiny (Gurung, 2013).

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)
Teaches us that intervention can be fantastic when it’s the right time and place. For example, during the “pre-contemplation stage,” typically, people don’t know they need to change – in this stage our program shows us that it can actually be easy to prevent aggression without having to be scared of someone wanting revenge (Gurung, 2013).

Health Belief Model (HBM)
Focuses on the good things that happen when aggression is prevented. This model shows us that when kids really know that they can prevent hate, then they will be motivated to do the work (Gurung, 2013).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Suggests that our thinking colors our feelings. In other words, it’s not the event that affects our emotions, it is how we think and what we believe about the event that create the negative feelings (Myers, 2011). The SQUABBLES Game Plan For Aggression teaches kids to think about aggression differently and change their behavior because they become more aware of their negative thinking.

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
Suggests that the roots to all of our irrational thoughts is aimed toward self, others, and life. (Ellis, 2010). These include the following demands: "I must perform well and receive approval from important people, or I am inadequate. You must be fair and not block my goals, or you deserve punishment. Life must be comfortable and turn out how I envisioned, or it is unbearable."

The Kalman Method
SQUABBLES® is heavily influenced by the four decades of research and field work of nationally certified psychologist Israel "Izzy" Kalman. Izzy is the founder of the Kalman Bullying Institute. He's an international expert on bullying and an outspoken critic on the modern-day anti-bullying movement and it's adverse effect on society.

Developed & Tested on the Front Lines

With nearly 60 years of combined experience, our founders have applied the SQUABBLES® approach to conflict resolution in diverse settings, including school classrooms, residential treatment facilities, after-school programs, and crisis intervention. A 2017 pilot study demonstrated the program's effectiveness, showing up to an 80% increase in students' socio-emotional resilience.

Each SQUABBLES lesson has been scripted to target the root cause of aggression: Low Frustration Tolerance. We have therefore worked hard to cure students of their victim mentality by building up their emotional resilience to everyday non-criminal aggressions (squabbles). This is why all of our video training series in our growing library of lessons reinforce the following ten lessons:

1. Do you believe it?
   Students learn that verbal direct aggression (name calling, criticizing, or lying) can only cause subjective harm, based on their interpretation of the words. They will learn how to look past the words and focus on the intent of the aggressor. The A-B-C model of REBT is introduced and explained. The key intervention phrase is: "Do you believe it?"

2. Are you hurt?
   Students learn that nonverbal direct aggression (pushing, tripping, gesturing that doesn't cause pain) can only cause subjective harm, based on their interpretation of the provocation. They will learn how to build up their physical resilience by expanding their tolerance towards physical provocations. The A-B-C model of REBT is reinforced as it relates to physical aggression. The key intervention phrase is: "Are you hurt?"

3. Is it true?
   Students learn that verbal indirect aggression (rumors/gossip/trolling) can only cause subjective harm, based on their interpretation of the behavior. They will learn how gossip feeds on their upsetness, and how to "kill the gossip" by "starving it to death." The A-B-C model of REBT is reinforced as it relates to verbal indirect aggression. The key intervention phrase is: "Is it true?"

4. What else can you do? 
   In this lesson, students learn that nonverbal indirect aggression (avoiding, ignoring, and excluding) can only cause subjective harm, based on their interpretation of the exclusion. They will learn the sociological value of exclusion and why it's important to preserve resources and values. The A-B-C model of REBT is reinforced as it relates to social exclusion. The key intervention phrase is: "What else can you do?"

5. How could this have been worse?
   Students learn how to improve their mood from "devastated mad" to "disappointed sad". They will learn how to talk themselves off the ledge of irrationality, "give up the grip" of rigid demands, and compare their unfortunate situation with someone else less fortunate. The 6 "roots" to irrational thought will be introduced. The key intervention phrase is: "How could this have been worse?"
6. Why won't this matter in your future?
   Students learn how to improve their mood from "disappointed sad" to "indifferent meh". They will learn how to keep the problem in its proper size, recognizing and embracing the insignificance of the event in comparison to their life-long timeline. The 6 "ANTS" of automatic negative thinking will be introduced and the primary question to help them feel better is: "Why won't this matter in your future?"

7. How could this turn out for your good?
   Students learn how to improve their mood from "indifferent meh" to "optimistic glad". They will learn how to see the good in every bad and view themselves as advantageous for enduring the negative event. Optimistic thinking will be introduced. The key intervention phrase is: "How could this turn out for my good?"

8. Are they bothering you?
   Students learn the intention behind aggression, with this first part focused on "bothering, provoking, and psychological domination." They will learn the sociological value of domination and how to avoid being dominated when they don't want to be. They will be introduced to "the law of reciprocity" and learn how to use that law to their advantage through "The Golden Rule". The key phrase to remember will be "Don't get upset, treat them like a friend." The key intervention phrase is: "Are they bothering you?"

9. Are they joking with you?
   Students learn the intention behind aggression, with this second part focused on "joking, humor, and pranks". They will learn the sociological value of humor and how to enjoy taking and making a joke about themselves. They will be introduced to the 4 styles of humor and learn how to enjoy being the target of humor, embracing their perceived flaws, and enjoying exaggerating them for a laugh. The key phrase to remember will be "Don't get upset and laugh." The key intervention phrase is: "Are they joking with you?"

10. Are they hurt by you?
    Students learn the intention behind aggression, with this third part focused on "hurting and victimization". They will learn the sociological value of emotional pain and how to empathize with others, seeking to comfort them. They will be introduced to the four types of ineffective apologies and taught how to effectively apologize without shifting blame or making excuses. The key phrase to remember will be "Don't get upset and apologize." The key intervention phrase is: "Are they hurt by you?"

Additionally, SQUABBLES is Built on the 5 Core Competencies of Social & Emotional Learning.

• Self Awareness
• Self Management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills
• Responsible Decision-Making