Evaluation of a Brief, School-Based Bystander Bullying Intervention: A Pilot Study Conducted at an Ethnically-Blended, Low-Income School.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to adapt a brief, bystander bullying intervention to be culturally appropriate for ethnically-blended schools in low-income communities and to assess the social validity of the adapted intervention. A mixed-methods design with sequential sampling was used to collect qualitative data from focus groups and quantitative survey data. The researchers used Consensual Qualitative Research to analyze qualitative data and chi square analyses and independent sample t-tests to analyzed qualitative data. Students (N = 40) from an ethnically-blended school (i.e., predominantly White and Hispanic students) in a low-income community were trained in the bystander bullying program. The 90-minute training includes a didactic and experiential component. The didactic component includes information about bullying and strategies students can use to intervene when they witness bullying. The experiential component includes small group activities and role-plays in which students practice utilizing the strategies. We used a phased research approach to meet the study aims. In Phase 1, students participated in focus groups after receiving the bystander training. Qualitative themes that emerged from the focus groups included students' experiences with bullying, including types of bullying and reasons why students bully, negative emotions associated with bullying, fears related to reporting bullying to adults, and positive reactions to the intervention. In Phase 2, we adapted the intervention based on information from a literature search and feedback from participants in Phase 1. In Phase 3, we trained a new group of students (N = 69) in the adapted intervention to evaluate the intervention's social validity. Results indicated students perceived the adapted intervention as appropriate and relevant for their school, with no differences between White and Hispanic students. This study serves as a first step in developing a culturally appropriate intervention designed to address bullying-related health disparities for students attending an ethnically-blended school in a low-income community.