Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center
Training
Train the Trainer Certification Program
Attend a regional workshop or complete our Online, On Demand program!
WINNER OF THE 2023 NATIONAL PARENTING PRODUCT AWARDS
You Got a Phone (Now Read This Book) offers fun and straight-to-the-point advice for kids who have phones and parents who want to keep phone trouble at bay.
About MARC
MARC at Bridgewater State University is a completely unique Academic Center
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Directed by Dr. Meghan McCoy and founded by Dr. Elizabeth Englander, the Center's team is staffed by both faculty and dedicated University students in the fields of Psychology, Social Work, Education/Counseling, and Criminal Justice.
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The MARC Center has brought research-based programs and services to K-12 education at no / low cost to schools across the country for over a decade.
Annually providing programming and services to more than 400 schools across the US.
Learn more about What We Do
What We Do
The Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center provides free and low-cost programs, services, research and resources to schools, families, and professionals, in the United States and beyond. Our focus is on social and emotional adjustment in children, including bullying and cyberbullying, fighting, bias and diversity, peer relationships, and screen and social media use.
MARC is an academic Center at Bridgewater State University (BSU).
We're staffed by faculty, students , office staff and wonderful volunteers. We offer free curricula, training and presentations for children; training for educators and professionals; and presentations and resources for parents and families.
Request any programs or services your school needs.
Learn more about Our Team
Our TEAM
Dr. Meghan McCoy is the Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) and founder and co-creator of the Digital Good Initiative (DGI). In addition to her work in violence prevention in K through 12 schools, she has taught at Bridgewater State University since 2011. She works with and trains K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students, and consults in K-12 education. Her expertise is focused on providing practical strategies and concrete solutions to everyday social challenges.
Dr. Elizabeth Englander, founder and former Executive Director of MARC, now heads the research program as its Scholar-In-Residence. As a researcher and a professor of Psychology for more than 30 years, she is a nationally recognized expert in the area of bullying and cyberbullying, childhood causes of aggression and abuse, and children’s use of technology.
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Melissa Duphily is the Administrative Assistant at MARC. She oversees the Center’s operations, including program logistics and scheduling, event planning, office communications, database management, website maintenance, and student support.
Dr. Megan Maas is an Associate Professor in Human Development & Family Studies at Michigan State University
Dr. Katharine Covino is an Assistant Professor of English at Fitchburg State University, and is the Children's Literacy Specialist in MARC.
Learn more about
Our Philosophy
Our PHILOSOPHY
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We understand that student education must take different forms for children of different ages, therefore, all of our programming is developmentally appropriate.​
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Because bullies at schools are often high-social-status children (i.e., "popular"), it is students who must be aware enough to realize that bullying behavior is not desirable and should not be emulated. Bystander support of targets is key.
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​Elementary aged students (grade 6 and below) are often emotionally connected with their primary classroom teacher, and thus best able to have their awareness raised by that teacher.
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​Older students (pre-teen and teenage) are often best able to learn from high-status peers who model positive social behaviors, and who model a distaste for bullying and abusive behaviors.​
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Cyberbullying is a central form of bullying today and it must be addressed, even among elementary school children, albeit in a developmentally appropriate manner.​
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Ongoing, continuous programs -- even low-key ones -- are preferable to one-time programs such as assemblies.