Princeton University, Roots Program

The Roots Program is led by Professor Betsy Levy Paluck and Postdoctoral Associate Hana Shepherd out of the Department of Psychology and the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. We are conducting a research-based intervention program to address issues of harassment, intimidation and bullying in middle schools. We study the social basis for peer harassment, in particular how social norms develop and change at schools, and we design intervention programs to alter school climates that encourage peer harassment. The research and intervention is designed for a diverse audience: academics interested in theories of social norms, peer influence, and behavior change; educators who design curricula and monitor school climate and seek new ways to diffuse ideas that will appeal to students; and activists who work to mobilize youth in school and community settings.