Reduction Of Bullying Research Articles

School‐based anti‐bullying approaches for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities: A systematic review and synthesis

AbstractMainstream anti‐bullying interventions can reduce primary school‐level victimisation by 15–16% and bullying perpetration by 19%–20% (Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2019; 45: 111–133). Less is known about anti‐bullying interventions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) even though they are at least 2–4 times more likely to be involved in bullying. This systematic review aimed to identify reported anti‐bullying approaches for pupils with SEND, what the evidence is for these approaches reducing bullying and which design factors are linked to a reduction in bullying. We searched 10 databases and four grey literature sources for articles that evaluated school‐based anti‐bullying strategies for children and young people aged 4–18 years with SEND. This review included 15 studies and used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality and risk of bias. Ten reported a reduction in bullying involvement, but the evidence was variable. A further 27 articles formed a ‘suggested strategies’ review which synthesised articles without evaluations of interventions but that suggested anti‐bullying strategies for use with pupils with SEND. The main suggestion was encouraging social skills and networks. Interventions should be evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness. High‐quality randomised controlled trials are required to build an evidence base to support pupils with SEND.

MENGUKUR EFEK PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER TERHADAP REDUKSI PERUNDUNGAN DI SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEJURUAN

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Character Education Strengthening at SMK Negeri 1 Subang as an effort to shape positive attitudes, behaviors, motivation, and skills in students. In the context of character strengthening as the foundation for the implementation of government regulations, this research focuses on the key role of guidance counselors in three main stages: knowledge, implementation, and habituation. The lack of character education can increase the risk of issues such as rudeness, lack of empathy, and bullying. The research employs a qualitative approach with observation, interviews, and documentation as methods. Results indicate the active participation of the entire school community, the implementation of the P5 program, and regular evaluations. Supportive factors involve the enthusiasm of the school community, understanding of the independent curriculum, and adequate infrastructure, while variations in student backgrounds and challenges in online learning pose obstacles. Positive impacts are evident in the reduction of bullying, a comfortable school environment, and students' improved character. This study provides an in-depth overview of the school's efforts to address bullying through character strengthening, contributing to the creation of a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Influence of a Summer Wellness Program on Bullying Reduction Among School-Age Children

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine children’s, camp counselors’, and activity leaders’ perceptions toward the effects of a 4-week teaching personal and social responsibility model-based summer learning and enrichment program and its ability to reduce bullying behaviors among school-age children. Method: Data collection included semistructured interviews with 30 children and eight camp staff. Child participants completed the following pre- and postsurveys: Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire and the Illinois Bullying Scale. In addition, daily observations over a 4-week period were recorded in a field notes log. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations, and all observational and interview data were coded using inductive and deductive techniques. Results: The results indicated that the implementation of teaching personal and social responsibility model was perceived to be associated with reduction in the bullying. Conclusion: Findings from the present study suggested teaching personal and social responsibility facilitated social and emotional learning and improved children’s personal and social responsibility.

Developing a Basketball Learning Model Using the Teaching Game for Understanding (TGfU) Approach to Improve the Effectiveness of HOTS in Elementary Schools

Study purpose. The researcher realizes that not all physical education teachers in elementary schools provide basketball lessons and some teachers still use conventional learning techniques. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a basketball learning model with the TGfU approach to increase HOTS and reduce bullying.
 Materials and methods. This study used a quantitative approach to test the validity of the content and constructs as well as the effectiveness of the learning model. The experimental subjects in this study were fifth-grade students totaling 165 respondents from 5 elementary schools in Central Java, Indonesia. Data analysis of small-scale trials used Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) path analysis, and that of large-scale trials used Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) path analysis. The paired-samples t-test was used to analyze the effectiveness of HOTS and the reduction of bullying.
 Results. The result of this study is a basketball learning model that utilizes the TGfU approach to increase HOTS and reduce bullying behavior in the form of a guidebook.
 Conclusions. The developed model can increase HOTS and reduce bullying and will affect students’ cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning outcomes. So that the learning model is easy, safe, and makes students more enthusiastic about learning.

A Systematic Review on Primary School Teachers’ Characteristics and Behaviors in Identifying, Preventing, and Reducing Bullying

Despite the expanding body of research on school bullying and interventions, knowledge is limited on what teachers should do to identify, prevent, and reduce bullying. This systematic literature review provides an overview of research on the role of primary school teachers with regard to bullying and victimization. A conceptual framework was developed in line with the Theory of Planned Pehavior, which can serve in further research to facilitate research in investigating the prevention and reduction of bullying. Different elements of this framework were distinguished in categorizing the literature: teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, perceived subjective norms, and self-efficacy, which impacted subsequently the likelihood to intervene, used strategies and programs, and ultimately the bullying prevalence in the classroom. In total, 75 studies complied to the inclusion criteria and were reviewed systematically. The Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment was used to assess the quality of each study, leading to 25 papers with an adequate research design that were discussed in more detail. The approach in this review provides a framework to combine studies on single or multiple elements of a complex theoretical model of which only some parts have been empirically investigated.

School-Type and Gender Influence on the Efficacy of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy on Reducing Bullying Among Secondary School Students in Rivers State

The study determined school-type and gender influence on the efficacy of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) on reducing bullying among students in senior secondary schools in Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. Bullying was the dependent variable while CBT was the independent variable. School-type and gender were the moderator variables. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A sample of 45 students identified as bullies from a population of 2,368 SS2 students in Ikwerre Local Government Area using a non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. Olweus Bullying Questionnaire (OBQ) was the instrument used for the study. OBQ had its content validity estimated by the total item cumulative variance of 75.25% while its construct validity was estimated by factor loading matrixes that ranged between .45 and .88. The reliability of OBQ was established using Cronbach alpha at r=.80, p<.05 level of significance. Data collected were analyzed using independent t-test. Results of the study indicated that school-type had no influence on the efficacy of CBT on reducing bullying. This is due to the fact that the mean reduction difference of public and private school students on their bullying reduction level was not significant at 0.05 alpha level of significance, when tested with independence t-test. Gender had no influence on the efficacy of CBT on the reduction of bullying. This is due to the fact that the mean reduction difference of male and female students on their bullying reduction level was not significant when tested with independent t-test statistics. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that counsellors and psychotherapists should make use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in reducing students’ bullying behaviour without the fear of these variables interfering with the treatment.

A-Judo: An Innovative Intervention Programme to Prevent Bullying Based on Self-Determination Theory—A Pilot Study

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention entitled A-Judo Programme for the reduction in bullying and improvement of prosocial behaviour at school, based on the theory of self-determination (SDT). Physical education teachers (PETs) received 20 h of specific training, implementing the programme thereafter in their classes in a total of 10 sessions of 50 min each (two sessions per week over 5 weeks). Variables such as teacher’s teaching style, basic psychological needs (BPNs), self-determined motivation, tolerance and respect, moral identity, harassment and victimisation were studied. Seventy-nine students (11.13 ± 0.52 y) of both sexes (40 girls and 39 boys) participated in the study and were divided into an intervention and a control group (which received no training). The results showed significant changes with moderate to high effect sizes in BPN, motivation, tolerance–respect, moral identity and bullying. These research findings improve the body of knowledge of the applications offered by SDT and its usefulness for improving anti-bullying programmes through PET training.

Holes in the wall: Examining gaps in knowledge in child and adolescent mental health in Tanzania - Scoping review.

To perform scoping review of the existing literature available specific to child and adolescent mental health in Tanzania. An extensive literature search of PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE and EMBASE was undertaken to identify studies that focussed specifically on mental illness in children and young people in Tanzania. This included neurological and functional disorders, affective disorders, psychosis, epidemiological, intervention and treatment-based studies. Qualitative analysis of the studies was then undertaken to assess what is currently known about the subject and how reliable this information is and to identify areas for further research. Of 23 studies were included in the final synthesis, which could be broadly split into studies focussing on the prevalence and incidence of child and adolescent mental illness, hypothesised causes and correlations, identified treatments and interventions and qualitative studies of human experience. There is a dearth of published research regarding child and adolescent mental health in Tanzania. Although some high-quality studies allow us good insight into the epidemiology of mental illness, interventional studies are often small and low-power, and significant correlational relationships are yet to be drawn. There is significant scope for further child and adolescent mental health research in Tanzania.

An Analysis of Statewide Anti-bullying Laws Employing the Iowa Safe Schools Law as a Case Study

School bullying is a pervasive social problem that has been linked to severe mental health consequences for students. Though 50 states have adopted anti-bullying policies, research into the effectiveness of these policies has suggested that many such policies are not effective in reducing rates of bullying in schools. This paper aims to identify strategies for policy makers and social workers to reduce bullying in schools. This paper focuses on the Iowa Safe Schools Law as a case study for better understanding the strengths and limitations of statewide anti-bullying laws. Consistent with general evaluations of statewide anti-bullying laws, comparisons of rates of bullying before and after the passage of the Iowa Safe Schools Law reveal no reductions in rates of bullying. Through an examination of the extant academic and popular literature, this analysis identifies several critiques of the policy, namely that such policies infringe upon freedom of expression and that such policies focus on individual behavior modification rather than on changing underlying social norms that contribute to hostile environments. This paper presents several recommendations for advancing the prevention of bullying. Future research should identify underlying factors that render these policies ineffective and common factors of policies that have been found to be more effective. Bullying prevention policies should include funding allocated to these efforts and components that have been empirically linked to reductions in bullying. Social workers hold a key role in advocating for funding for this policy and offering institutional and individual-level interventions to reduce bullying.

Perceptions of School Uniforms in Relation to Socioeconomic Statuses

The purpose of this study was to examine any relationships between students’ perceptions of the effects of school uniforms and student socioeconomic status. A survey was administered to 182 students in a charter school to gather perception information, and a separate survey was administered to parents to gather socioeconomic status information. An examination of individual survey items revealed older students were more likely to report that school uniforms help to reduce bullying and teasing, and some students of high socioeconomic status reported that uniforms help reduce arguments with parents about clothing. Student responses on 10 survey items were grouped into one factor called School Climate, reflecting student perceptions on how uniforms affect the school’s climate. Analyses revealed no significant relationships between the School Climate factor and socioeconomic status. However, Hispanic students reported a significantly more positive response overall than non-Hispanic students. These findings suggest students of various socioeconomic status perceive school uniforms similarly, but older students could be more likely to associate uniforms with a reduction in bullying.

Effectiveness of the ViSC Social Competence Program in Turkish Elementary Schools

This study examined whether participating in the ViSC social competence program is able to reduce different types of reported problem behaviors including bullying perpetration and victimization as well as promoting various social competencies in elementary school children. Two wave longitudinal self-report and teacher report data was available from 822 students (546 intervention group, 276 control group, 50% girls, Mage = 9.30) from five intervention (23 classes) and four control (14 classes) schools. Multilevel growth models revealed a more favorable development of the ViSC intervention group compared with the control group in three student-reported and all teacher reported variables. Participating in the program reduced conduct problems, reactive and proactive aggression and promoted school bonding, relationships with classmates, emotional regulation, and prosocial skills. However, the program was not effective regarding the reduction of bullying and victimization. Findings are discussed with regard to the implementation of future bullying prevention programs and social policies in Turkish schools.

Effectiveness of the TEI Program for Bullying and Cyberbullying Reduction and School Climate Improvement.

The increase in the prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying in recent years worldwide is undeniable. Although several intervention programs oriented towards the reduction of bullying and cyberbullying have been developed and implemented, significant disparities have been found regarding their efficacy. In most of the cases, the lack of the implementation of interventions involving all of the school community could be on the basis of this limited efficacy. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the TEI Program, an intervention based on peer tutoring, in the reduction of bullying and cyberbullying, and in the improvement of school climate. The design of the study was quasi-experimental, in which 2057 Spanish students (aged 11 to 16 years) participated from 22 schools, and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (10 schools, 987 students) or the control group (12 schools, 1070 students). The obtained results showed a significant reduction in bullying behavior, peer victimization, fighting, cyberbullying and cybervictimization in the experimental group after the intervention implementation. Similarly, a significant improvement in factors of school climate was found only in this group. The obtained results demonstrated that the TEI program is effective in reducing bully and cyberbully behavior, and at the same time, improving the school climate.

A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Evaluation of a Universal Healthy Relationships Promotion Program for Youth

Bullying and mental health problems are pressing concerns for adolescents. Given their burden, we need to find efficacious ways to prevent these experiences. However, existing prevention programs tend to be single-issue and may not focus on the universal capacities required to reduce these problems among youth. To this end, we evaluated the universal, small groups Healthy Relationships Plus (HRP) program, which focuses on the promotion of positive mental health and the reduction of bullying and substance misuse. A sample of 212 youth from Southwestern Ontario were randomly assigned to the HRP or an attention-control condition over an 8-day period during summer 2014. Primary outcome measures (i.e., most important outcomes for this evaluation) were positive mental health, bullying victimization/perpetration, and substance misuse (alcohol, marijuana). We also examined a mediator (help-seeking) and two moderators (sex, adverse childhood experiences) of main effects. Participation in HRP was associated with reduced odds of physical bullying victimization at 1-year follow-up, compared with adolescents in the attention-control condition. This finding was mediated by increased intention to seek help from a mental health professional following HRP participation. We did not find main effects for positive mental health or substance misuse in this sample; however, there was an interaction effect whereby youth with significant trauma experiences reported less marijuana use at 1-year follow-up compared with control students. Findings reiterate the importance of help-seeking for bullying prevention and demonstrate the preliminary efficacy of the HRP as a universal strategy for preventing bullying victimization among mid-adolescents within school and community settings.

Cooperative Learning in Middle School: A Means to Improve Peer Relations and Reduce Victimization, Bullying, and Related Outcomes.

Peer victimization is a highly stressful experience that impacts up to a third of all adolescents and can contribute to a variety of negative outcomes, including elevated anxiety, depression, drug use, and delinquency, as well as reduced self-esteem, school attendance, and academic achievement. Current prevention approaches (e.g., the Olweus program) have a mixed record in American schools. We propose a new approach to prevention that leverages theory and research surrounding the social aspects of bullying and victimization, particularly peer relations. Our approach attempts to (1) break down the process of homophily among bullies, and (2) provide a mechanism by which socially isolated students can develop new friendships. Our approach asks teachers to increase opportunities for positive peer interaction through carefully structured, group-based learning activities in school (i.e., cooperative learning). We hypothesized that these positive peer interactions would result in reductions in bullying, victimization, perceived stress, and emotional problems, as well as increases in peer relatedness, among more marginalized students. Using a cluster randomized trial with 15 rural middle schools in the Pacific Northwest (N = 1,460 7th grade students), we found that cooperative learning significantly reduced bullying, victimization, and perceived stress for marginalized students (i.e., moderated effects), and reduced emotional problems and enhanced relatedness for all students (i.e., main effects). Given that cooperative learning has already been shown to enhance student engagement and achievement in prior research, our results demonstrate that cooperative learning can be a permanent, sustainable component of teacher training and school culture.

The association of school connectedness and bullying involvement with multiple screen-time behaviours among youth in two Canadian provinces: a COMPASS study.

Screen time, a proxy for sedentary behaviours, has emerged as a critical health determinant among youth in contemporary societies, where most aspects of youth life involve access to screen-time devices. An understudied approach to reducing screen time among youth is bullying reduction. This study aims to understand the association between bullying perpetration, victimization, youth perception of the school environment and multiple screen-time behaviours. A total of 44,861 youth aged between 13 and 18 years in two Canadian provinces completed a validated questionnaire that collected student data on health behaviours and outcomes, including multiple screen-time behaviours, bullying perpetration and victimization, and school connectedness. The outcome variables were total screen time, time spent watching television, playing video games, internet surfing, and communication- based screen-time behaviours. Using a random intercept, the final models were built using PROC MIXED in SAS 9.4. These models were adjusted for age, ethnicity, weekly disposable income, daylight hours, and weather variables. Compared to youth who reported non-involvement in bullying, youth who were bullies, victims, or both bullies and victims spent on average more minutes per day in front of screens across all screen time categories. Youth who felt happy and safe at school, and who perceived their teachers as being fair, reported lower levels of multiple screen-time behaviours. With non-involvement in bullying showing a strong negative association with multiple screen-time behaviours, school policies to address bullying and screen time through school connectedness could offer a novel approach in minimizing these harmful behaviours.

Ten-Year Trends in Bullying and Related Attitudes Among 4th- to 12th-Graders.

Bullying is a significant public health concern, and it has received considerable attention from the media and policymakers over the past decade, which has led some to believe that it is increasing. However, there are limited surveillance data on bullying to inform our understanding of such trends over the course of multiple years. The current study examined the prevalence of bullying and related behaviors between 2005 and 2014 and explored whether any such changes varied across schools or as a function of school-level covariates. Youth self-reports of 13 indicators of bullying and related behaviors were collected from 246 306 students in 109 Maryland schools across 10 years. The data were weighted to reflect the school populations and were analyzed by using longitudinal hierarchical linear modeling to examine changes over time. The covariate-adjusted models indicated a significant improvement over bullying and related concerns in 10 out of 13 indicators (including a decrease in bullying and victimization) for in-person forms (ie, physical, verbal, relational) and cyberbullying. Results also showed an increase in the perceptions that adults do enough to stop bullying and students' feelings of safety and belonging at school. Prevalence of bullying and related behaviors generally decreased over this 10-year period with the most recent years showing the greatest improvements in school climate and reductions in bullying. Additional research is needed to identify factors that contributed to this declining trend.

The Effectiveness of Policy Interventions for School Bullying: A Systematic Review.

Bullying threatens the mental and educational well-being of students. Although anti-bullying policies are prevalent, little is known about their effectiveness. This systematic review evaluates the methodological characteristics and summarizes substantive findings of studies examining the effectiveness of school bullying policies. Searches of 11 bibliographic databases yielded 489 studies completed since January 1, 1995. Following duplicate removal and double-independent screening based on a priori inclusion criteria, 21 studies were included for review. Substantially more educators perceive anti-bullying policies to be effective rather than ineffective. Whereas several studies show that the presence or quality of policies is associated with lower rates of bullying among students, other studies found no such associations between policy presence or quality and reductions in bullying. Consistent across studies, this review found that schools with anti-bullying policies that enumerated protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity were associated with better protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students. Specifically, LGBTQ students in schools with such policies reported less harassment and more frequent and effective intervention by school personnel. Findings are mixed regarding the relationship between having an anti-bullying policy and educators' responsiveness to general bullying. Anti-bullying policies might be effective at reducing bullying if their content is based on evidence and sound theory and if they are implemented with a high level of fidelity. More research is needed to improve on limitations among extant studies.

Do anti-bullying laws work? New evidence on school safety and youth violence

This study is the first to comprehensively examine the effect of state anti-bullying laws (ABLs) on school safety and youth violence. Using existing data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys and the Uniform Crime Reports, and newly-collected data on school shootings, we find little evidence that the typical state ABL is effective in improving school safety and student well-being. However, this null finding masks substantial policy heterogeneity. State mandates that require school districts to implement strong, comprehensive anti-bullying policies are associated with a 7 to 13 % reduction in school violence and an 8 to 12 % reduction in bullying. In addition, our results show that strong anti-bullying policy mandates are associated with a reduction in minor teen school shooting deaths and violent crime arrests, suggesting potentially important spillover effects.

Whose Responsibility Is It to Stop Bullying?

In the last 20 years, public awareness of the problem of bullying has increased to the degree that legislation has been developed to protect youth in all 50 United States. Bullying is clearly harmful to students’ social, psychological, and academic functioning. Researchers are now challenged to prevent or reduce bullying and its negative effects. The potential that key stakeholders—peers, parents, schools, and new media—hold for stopping bullying is reviewed. The evidence from the large body of bullying research offers hope for many ways that stakeholders can produce meaningful reductions in bullying, when provided proper supports for their efforts.

Reducing Bullying and Victimization: Student- and Classroom-Level Mechanisms of Change

This longitudinal study examines the mediating mechanisms by which the KiVa antibullying program, based on the Participant Role approach, reduces bullying and victimization among elementary school students. Both student-level mechanisms leading to reduced perpetration of bullying and classroom-level mechanisms leading to reductions in bullying and victimization are considered. Analyses are based on a sample of 7,491 students (49.5% boys) nested within 421 classrooms within 77 schools. At the beginning of program implementation, the children were in Grades 4, 5, and 6 (mean age 11.3 years). Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to analyze whether changes in the hypothesized mediators accounted for later reductions in the outcomes. At the student level, antibullying attitudes and perceptions regarding peers' defending behaviors and teacher attitudes toward bullying mediated the effects of KiVa on self-reported bullying perpetration. The effects on peer-reported bullying were only mediated by antibullying attitudes. At the classroom level, the program effects on both self- and peer-reported bullying were mediated by students' collective perceptions of teacher attitudes toward bullying. Also, perceived reinforcing behaviors predicted bullying but did not emerge as a significant mediator. Finally, bullying mediated the effects of the classroom-level factors on victimization. These findings enhance knowledge of the psychosocial developmental processes contributing to bullying and victimization and shed light on the key mechanisms by which school bullying can successfully be counteracted.