An Evidence-Based Hippie

Original image source: © Clarsen55 | Dreamstime.com

Lady Gaga has thrown her fame and some of her fortune behind what she described to Nick Kristof (“Born to Not Get Bullied“) as “more of a hippie approach” to end bullying.

The good news is that existing research points to promising, evidence-based programs with track records of success: Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, KiVa, and Roots of Empathy, to name a few. None are the entire solution, but understanding them and their effectiveness can give a head start to Lady Gaga and others joining her to end bullying.

Fame, money, and good intentions, bring attention, but not results. Knowing what has worked and what hasn’t is critical, especially when trying to improve the lives of already vulnerable young people. In philanthropy, too much can be lost reinventing the wheel or making the same mistakes others have before.

We applaud Lady Gaga’s dedication to a worthy cause. We hope that her “hippie approach” will be an evidence-based one, too.