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Feasibility of a Bullying Bystander Intervention (STAC) Parent Module for Rural Schools
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of parent training designed as a companion module to a bullying bystander intervention (STAC) for middle school students in rural communities. Parents ( N = 23) invited from three rural middle schools viewed a parent training and completed measures to assess limited efficacy through immediate program outcomes (e.g., knowledge, confidence, self-efficacy, attitudes, behavioral intentions) and program feasibility, as well as participated in focus groups to provide feedback about program acceptability, demand, practicality, and online delivery adaptation. Parents reported increases in knowledge and confidence in supporting their adolescents to intervene in bullying situations, confidence and comfort in managing bullying, bullying self-efficacy, communication self-efficacy, responsibility to actively engage in bullying prevention, and anti-bullying attitudes from pre-training to post-training. Parents also reported behavioral intentions to use strategies they learned to support their adolescents to intervene in bullying situations. Further, parents’ responses suggested high levels of program acceptability, as well as interest in an interactive, self-paced online parent training. Themes from focus groups ( n = 12) revealed a need for bullying prevention training for both students and parents in rural communities and found the training to be useful, easy to understand, and relevant and appropriate for their community. Parents identified barriers including cost, time, program flexibility, and the importance of parent buy-in. Parents also provided feedback specific to an online training, including a preference for a smartphone application and design elements to increase engagement. Implications for program development for rural communities are discussed.
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Background:
Bullying is a significant problem for youth associated with wide-ranging negative consequences. Providing students who witness bullying with intervention strategies to act as defenders can reduce bullying and negative associated outcomes for both targets and bystanders. Educating teachers about bullying and training them to support students to intervene as defenders may increase the efficacy of bystander programs as teachers' attitudes and responses to bullying relate to bystander behavior. This is particularly important in middle school, when bullying peaks and rates of reporting bullying to teachers begin to decline. Reducing implementation barriers, including limited time and resources, must also be considered, particularly for schools in low-income and rural areas. Technology-based programs can increase access and scalability but require participant buy-in for adoption.
Objective:
We used a mixed methods design to inform the development of the STAC teacher module, a companion training to a brief bullying bystander intervention. STAC stands for the four bystander intervention strategies: Stealing the Show, Turning it Over, Accompanying Others, and Coaching Compassion. Objectives included examining the effectiveness of the STAC teacher module and informing the translation of the training into a technology-based format that can be used as a companion to the technology-based STAC.
Methods:
A sample of 17 teachers recruited from 1 middle school in a rural, low-income community completed pre- and posttraining surveys assessing immediate outcomes (ie, knowledge, confidence, comfort, and self-efficacy), intention to use program strategies, and program acceptability and relevance, followed by a qualitative focus group obtaining feedback regarding program appropriateness, feasibility, content, perception of need, and desire for web-based training. Descriptive statistics, 2-tailed independent-sample t tests, and thematic analyses were used to analyze the data.
Results:
Assessment of pre- and posttraining surveys indicated that teachers reported an increase in knowledge and confidence to support defenders, confidence and comfort in managing bullying, and bullying self-efficacy. Furthermore, most participants reported that they were likely or very likely to use STAC strategies to support students who intervene in bullying. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that participants found the training easy to use, useful, relevant, and appropriate. Qualitative data provided feedback on ways of improving the program, including revising role-plays and guidance on understanding student behavior. Participants shared positive perceptions regarding program feasibility and need for bullying-specific prevention, the most significant barriers being cost and parent buy-in, suggesting the importance of including parents in the prevention process. Finally, participants shared the strengths of a web-based program, including ease of implementation and time efficiency, while indicating the importance of participant engagement and administration buy-in.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the STAC teacher module in increasing knowledge and bullying self-efficacy and provides support for developing the module, including key information regarding considerations for web-based translation.
Background:
Students who are targets of bullying and who witnessing bullying as bystanders are at high risk for negative mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Bystander training is essential to reduce both bullying and the negative associated consequences for targets and bystanders. Resources necessary for program delivery, however, pose significant implementation barriers to schools, particularly those in rural, low-income communities. Technology-based programs can reduce health disparities for student in these communities through a cost-effective, easy to disseminate programming.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to conduct usability testing of a prototype of a bystander bullying web app (STAC-T) as an initial step in the development of a the full-scale STAC-T intervention. Objectives included assessing the usability and acceptability of the STAC-T prototype; understanding school needs and barriers to program implementation, and assessing differences in usability between school personnel and students.
Methods:
A sample of 16 participants including school personnel and students recruited from three middle schools in rural, low-income communities completed usability testing followed by a qualitative interview. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and consensual qualitative research (CQR) were used to assess usability and program satisfaction and to extract themes related to acceptability, feasibility, needs, barriers, and feedback for intervention development.
Results:
Usability testing indicated the app was easy to use, acceptable, and feasible. Both school personnel (M = 89.6, SD = 5.1) and students (M = 91.8, SD = 7.0) rated the app well above the standard cutoff score for above average usability (i.e., 68.0) and both school personnel (M = 5.83, SD = 0.41) and students (M = 6.10, SD = 0.57) gave the app high user-friendliness ratings (0-7 scale, with 7 high user-friendliness). Overall ratings also suggested school personnel and students were satisfied with the program. Among school personnel, 100% (n = 6) said they would recommend the program to others and 17% (n = 1), 66% (n = 4), and 17% (n = 1) rated the program as 3, 4, and 5 stars, respectively. Among students, 80% (n = 8) said they would recommend the program to others and 60% (n = 6) and 40% (n = 4) rated the program as 4 stars and 5 stars, respectively. Qualitative data revealed that both school personnel and students found the STAC-T app was useful, user-friendly, and relevant, while providing feedback related to the importance of virtual interaction. Data from school personnel also indicated positive perceptions regarding program feasibility and probability of program adoption, with the most significant barrier being cost, suggesting the importance of considering the financial resources available to schools in rural, low-income communities when setting the price point for the full-scale STAC-T intervention.
Conclusions:
This study provides support for the development of the full-scale development of the STAC-T app and provides key information for revision to enhance used engagement.
Clinicaltrial:
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04681495.
Bullying is a significant problem in the United States, with 26.7% of middle school students reporting bullying victimization. The majority of bullying programs are comprehensive, school-wide interventions that require significant resources for implementation, creating barriers and challenges for schools in rural and low-income communities. To increase access for these schools, we propose to translate a brief, bystander bullying intervention (STAC) into a technology-based format. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR), we aimed to understand the needs of school personnel and perceived challenges to program implementation to provide information on how to best serve middle schools in rural and low-income communities. We conducted interviews and focus groups with key school personnel at three middle schools in rural, low-income communities (N = 15). Participants indicated a strong interest in a technology-based bullying intervention and reported positive conditions for implementation including administrative support and technology-readiness. Participants identified program efficacy, flexibility of delivery, and parental involvement as important components of bullying prevention and identified implementation challenges, which included time, financial resources, and teacher buy-in. Perceived strengths of the STAC intervention included providing a clear definition of bullying, skills training and practice, and a certificate of completion. Feedback related to translating the intervention to a technology-based format included the use of virtual interaction and a hybrid virtual/in-person program, particularly for booster-sessions. Findings from this study support the need for the proposed technology-based STAC intervention and provide feedback on both the needs and challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation in middle schools in rural and low-income communities.
Cyberbullying is a significant problem among school-aged youth. Cyberbullying peaks in middle school with 33% of middle school students reporting cyberbullying victimization and more than 50% reporting witnessing cyberbullying as bystanders. Although the association between cyberbullying victimization and internalizing symptoms is well documented, there is limited research examining the impact of witnessing cyberbullying on bystanders. To assess differences in internalizing symptoms between cyberbullying bystanders and non-bystanders, a school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among middle school students (6th–8th grade) in the United States (N = 130; 57.4% female; 42.6% male). Questionnaire data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of co-variance (MANCOVA) with three outcome variables (depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms) and the between-subject factor bystander status (bystander, non-bystander). We controlled for witnessing school bullying to examine the unique effect of witnessing cyberbullying on internalizing symptoms. Results of the MANCOVA indicated a significant effect for cyberbullying bystander status (p < 0.04). Post hoc analyses demonstrated that bystanders reported significantly higher levels of depression (p < 0.05), anxiety (p < 0.02), and somatic symptoms (p < 0.01) than non-bystanders. Findings suggest that programs to support students who witness cyberbullying are needed to reduce the mental health risks associated with being a cyberbullying bystander.
Bullying is a serious public health concern across the globe. While there are a number of bullying interventions with parental components, limited efforts have been made to synthesize the impacts of parenting programs on bullying prevention. This meta-analysis aimed to review and examine parenting programs on bullying reduction that involving both school-based and home visiting anti-bullying programs. The overall effect size supported a significant outcome on bullying reduction ( d = .640, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.239, 1.041]). Results of this meta-analysis reported that participants in the parenting programs scored significantly lower on both bullying and victimization. Data from the randomized controlled trials and the pre- and posttest design studies showed evidence of highly significant effects of parenting interventions on bullying reduction. Child- and parent-related factors including parenting style, children’s empathy, and parent–child interaction about bullying were found to be significantly related to the effectiveness of intervention programs. This study provides evidence to enhance policy and practice for effectively enabling parent involvement in bullying behavior reduction and to increase parent–children communication about bullying as well as parenting skills. Future researchers and practitioners may explore more about the impact of school–family partnerships and their reliance on each other to help reduce bullying.
This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at improving parent‐school cooperation in counteracting bullying. Using a randomized controlled trial, data of teachers, parents of non‐victimized children, and children themselves were collected at 13 intervention and 14 control schools (grades 3–6, N at post‐assessment: teachers = 83, parents = 153, children = 2,510) at two time points (time lag about 6 months). Results showed positive effects of the intervention for some aspects of the primary outcomes: parents’ and teachers’ attitudes and efforts, whereas no effects were found of teachers’ or parents’ competences in counteracting bullying. No intervention effects were found for secondary outcomes: children's self‐reported bullying, victimization, well‐being, and self‐esteem. The findings indicate that, due to the intervention, teachers and parents were more aligned and able to cooperate, even within the short time of the intervention: one school year. This is the first essential step to systematically addressing parents’ role in tackling bullying; future research is needed to examine the long‐term effects of parent and school interventions in enhancing the effectiveness of anti‐bullying programs.
It is well documented that bullying victimization and perpetration are associated with mental health problems, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Although the majority of students report witnessing bullying as bystanders, very few studies have investigated whether negative consequences associated with bullying extend beyond targets and perpetrators to students who are bystanders. The present study examined the association between witnessing bullying and anxiety and depressive symptoms among middle school students. Middle school students (N = 130; grades 6th through 8th) completed questionnaires assessing experiences as a bystander, target, and perpetrator of bullying, as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine whether bystander status was associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms over and above the effects of victimization and perpetration and to examine bullying victimization and perpetration as moderators of these relationships. Analyses indicated being a bystander was associated with higher levels of anxiety (β = .40, p < .001) and depressive symptoms (β = .37, p < .001) even after controlling for frequency of being a target or perpetrator of bullying. Bystanders who were also targets of bullying reported the highest level of depressive symptoms; however, being a target of bullying did not moderate the relationship between being a bystander and anxiety. Furthermore, bullying perpetration did not moderate the relationship between being a bystander and anxiety or depressive symptoms. Findings indicate witnessing bullying uniquely contributes to anxiety and depressive symptoms for middle school students. For student bystanders who are also targets of bullying, depressive symptoms may be particularly high due to co-victimization or re-victimization experienced when witnessing bullying.
Background
Major depressive episodes (MDEs) are prevalent in the workplace and affect workers’ health and productivity. Therefore, there is a pressing need for innovation in the prevention of MDEs in the workplace. Electronic mental (e-mental) health programs are a cost-effective approach toward the self-management of stress and emotional issues. E-mental health dropout rate, MDE prevalence, and symptoms greatly vary by sex and age. Thus, the development and implementation of e-mental health programs for the prevention of MDEs need to be examined through a sex and age lens to enhance program use and effectiveness.
Objective
This study aimed to examine design feature preferences based on sex and age for an e-mental health program targeted toward depression prevention.
Methods
Household residents across Canada were contacted using the random digit dialing method. 500 women and 511 men who were 18 years and older and who were at high risk of having MDEs were interviewed. Internet use was assessed using questions from the 2012 Canadian Internet Use Survey conducted by Statistics Canada, and preferred design features of e-mental health program questions were developed by the BroMatters team members. The proportions of likely use of specific features of e-mental health programs in women were estimated and compared with those in men using chi-square tests. The comparisons were made overall and by age groups.
Results
Men (181/511, 35.4%) and women (211/500, 42.2%) differed significantly in their likelihood of using an e-mental health program. Compared with men (307/489, 62.8%), women (408/479, 85.2%) were more likely to use the internet for medical or health-related information. Women were more likely to use the following design features: practices and exercises to help reduce symptoms of stress and depression (350/500, 70.7%), a self-help interactive program that provides information about stress and work problems (302/500, 61.8%), the ability to ask questions and receive answers from mental health professionals via email or text message (294/500, 59.9%), and to receive printed materials by mail (215/500, 43.4%). Men preferred to receive information in a video game format (156/511, 30.7%). Younger men (46/73, 63%) and younger women (49/60, 81%) were more likely to access a program through a mobile phone or an app, and younger men preferred having access to information in a video game format.
Conclusions
Factors such as sex and age influenced design feature preferences for an e-mental health program. Working women who are at high risk for MDEs preferred interactive programs incorporating practice and exercise for reducing stress, quality information about work stress, and some guidance from professionals. This suggests that sex and age should be taken into account when designing e-mental health programs to meet the needs of individuals seeking help via Web-based mental health programs and to enhance their use.
Research, theory, and practice suggest an important role for parents in supporting their children when exposed to violence and helping them cope with victimization experiences. Despite this little is known about how parents respond to bullying and the factors that influence their response. Using data from 1,117 parents who reported that their middle or high schooler had been bullied in the past 30 days, this article identified different patterns of responses as well as examined the influence of perceptions of school climate, school policies and training, and school structural characteristics on their responses. A latent class analysis identified 3 different patterns of parental responses including Only Talk (72%), Contact School (23%), and Handle Themselves (5%). Parents who perceived the school to have more effective school rules were less likely to be in the class of parents who contacted the school versus the only talking class; however, school staff training was associated with a greater likelihood of parents being in the contact the school class versus the only talking class. Perceptions of equity were also related to an increased likelihood of being in the contact the school class versus the handle themselves class. These findings suggest that parents’ behaviors in response to bullying may be related to their perceptions of the school and school actions around bullying. Efforts to promote a collaborative approach to bullying between school and home should focus on communicating this expectation, potentially addressing parents’ perceptions of equitable treatment for all students.
As qualitative research becomes increasingly recognized and valued, it is imperative that it is conducted in a rigorous and methodical manner to yield meaningful and useful results. To be accepted as trustworthy, qualitative researchers must demonstrate that data analysis has been conducted in a precise, consistent, and exhaustive manner through recording, systematizing , and disclosing the methods of analysis with enough detail to enable the reader to determine whether the process is credible. Although there are numerous examples of how to conduct qualitative research, few sophisticated tools are available to researchers for conducting a rigorous and relevant thematic analysis. The purpose of this article is to guide researchers using thematic analysis as a research method. We offer personal insights and practical examples, while exploring issues of rigor and trustworthiness. The process of conducting a thematic analysis is illustrated through the presentation of an auditable decision trail, guiding interpreting and representing textual data. We detail our step-by-step approach to exploring the effectiveness of strategic clinical networks in Alberta, Canada, in our mixed methods case study. This article contributes a purposeful approach to thematic analysis in order to systematize and increase the traceability and verification of the analysis.
AIM
To identify health and psychosocial problems associated with bullying victimization and conduct a meta-analysis summarizing the causal evidence.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC and PsycINFO electronic databases up to 28 February 2015. The study included published longitudinal and cross-sectional articles that examined health and psychosocial consequences of bullying victimization. All meta-analyses were based on quality-effects models. Evidence for causality was assessed using Bradford Hill criteria and the grading system developed by the World Cancer Research Fund.
RESULTS
Out of 317 articles assessed for eligibility, 165 satisfied the predetermined inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Statistically significant associations were observed between bullying victimization and a wide range of adverse health and psychosocial problems. The evidence was strongest for causal associations between bullying victimization and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, poor general health and suicidal ideation and behaviours. Probable causal associations existed between bullying victimization and tobacco and illicit drug use.
CONCLUSION
Strong evidence exists for a causal relationship between bullying victimization, mental health problems and substance use. Evidence also exists for associations between bullying victimization and other adverse health and psychosocial problems, however, there is insufficient evidence to conclude causality. The strong evidence that bullying victimization is causative of mental illness highlights the need for schools to implement effective interventions to address bullying behaviours.
Parents can significantly affect children's peer relationships, including their involvement in bullying. The authors developed and evaluated ways to enhance parents’ knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and skills related to parent–child communication about bullying. The 3-year Friendly Schools Friendly Families whole-school intervention included a family component, which provided training and resources to support school teams to engage families in awareness-raising and skill-building activities. Over 3,200 parents of the Grade 2, 4, and 6 cohorts were recruited. For the Grade 2 and 4 cohorts at both 10 and 22 months postintervention, the family component increased parents’ self-efficacy to talk about bullying with their children and their frequency of doing so. Grade 4 parents reported more provictim attitudes at 22 months. No differences were found for the Grade 6 cohort. These data suggest a whole-school capacity-building intervention in early and middle childhood can improve the likelihood and frequency of positive parent–child communication about bullying.
Numerous adolescents in the United States experience peer cybervictimization, which is associated with a series of internalizing (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger) and externalizing (e.g., aggression, substance use, risky sexual behavior) problems. The current study provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research on these relationships. Included in the meta-analyses are 239 effect sizes from 55 reports, representing responses from 257,678 adolescents. The results of a series of random effects meta-analyses using robust variance estimation indicated positive and significant relationships between peer cybervictimization and a series of internalizing and externalizing problems, with point estimates of this relationship ranging from Pearson’s r = .14 to .34. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Background Positive bystander behavior in cyberbullying among adolescents may effectively mitigate cyberbullying and its harm for the victim. Limited, scattered, and sometimes only qualitative research is available on predictors of positive (e.g. defending, comforting or reporting) and negative (e.g. passive bystanding, joining, reinforcing) bystander behavior in cyberbullying. A multidimensional model and multilevel analysis were therefore applied in this study. Methods A sample of 1979 adolescents in 7th -9th grade, in 16 schools and 158 classes participated in the study. Analyses were performed in MLwiN 2.32. Results Analyses confirmed the multifaceted nature of bystander behavior and behavioral intention. No school level effects, and only limited class effects were found. Strongest individual predictors of positive bystander behavior were a positive intention, and friendship with the victim. Intention for positive bystander behavior was most predicted by positive outcome expectations of their actions for the victim. Negative bystander behavior was most predicted by intentions for negative behavior, and moral disengagement attitudes. Intentions to act as a negative bystander were most predicted by positive attitudes towards passive bystanding and a lack of skills (social, empathic, coping). Moral disengagement at classroom level also predicted positive behavior and behavioral intentions, and negative behavioral intentions, but not negative behavior. Information days for pupils on cyberbullying was a significant school-level predictor of the intention to act as a positive bystander. Conclusions Future research and interventions should take the multidimensional nature of cyberbullying bystander behavior into account. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Student self-reports of resiliency and social-emotional internalizing problems were examined to determine intervention effects of a culturally adapted social and emotional learning (SEL) program. Data were analyzed from 20 culturally and linguistically diverse high school students who participated in a school-based 12-lesson SEL intervention and completed all data points (full pre, post, and follow-up). Participants were in grades 9 and 10 and included 16 male students. Students’ self reports of resiliency and internalizing symptoms were assessed before intervention, immediately after intervention, and at 2 months following the intervention. Statistically significant gains in self-reported resiliency immediately after intervention were obtained; furthermore, these gains in resiliency were maintained 2 months after the intervention. Reductions in students’ self-reported internalizing problems were not observed. Student reports of social validity suggest high levels of intervention acceptability and relevance for use with culturally and linguistic diverse high school students.
Bullying has been established as a prevalent traumatic stressor both in school and at workplaces. It has been claimed that the mental and physical health problems found among bullied persons resembles the symptomatology of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Yet, it is still unclear whether bullying can be considered as a precursor to PTSD. Through a review and meta-analysis of the research literature on workplace- and school bullying, the aims of this study were to determine: 1) the magnitude of the association between bullying and symptoms of PTSD, and 2) whether the clinical diagnosis of PTSD applies to the consequences of bullying. Altogether 29 relevant studies were identified. All had cross-sectional research designs. At an average, 57% of victims reported symptoms of PTSD above thresholds for caseness. A correlation of .42 (95% CI: .36-.48; p < .001) was found between bullying and an overall symptom-score of PTSD. Correlations between bullying and specific PTSD-symptoms were in the same range. Equally strong associations were found among children and adults. Two out of the three identified clinical diagnosis studies suggested that bullying is associated with the PTSD-diagnosis. Due to a lack of longitudinal research and structural clinical interview studies, existing literature provides no absolute evidence for or against bullying as a causal precursor of PTSD.
Bullying within United States (US) schools is a growing concern among parents, school officials and policymakers. In early 2011, the first-ever White House Conference on Bullying Prevention was held in hope of addressing bullying within US schools. Although the social, political, and media attention is increasing, it is important to consider the complexities and disparities associated with school bullying. In this article, four of the wide array of influences that increase the vulnerabilities of youth to be a victim of bullying at school are reviewed: (i) race and ethnicity, (ii) being and immigrant, (iii) gender, and; (iv) sexual orientation. Understanding and acknowledging the inequalities associated with school bullying, as well as the policies implemented in response, is instrumental for the US’ efforts towards providing safe, healthy, and democratic learning environments.
Background
The social-ecological systems perspective describes bullying as a complex social phenomenon, influenced by numerous social variables within a child’s school, home, peer, and community environments. As such, it is important to gain the perspective of a wide range of stakeholders within these environments, in order to truly understand bullying and develop effective prevention and intervention programmes.
Objective
Parents’ experiences with bullying remain relatively unexplored. Accordingly, this systematic review aimed to summarise qualitative research examining parents’ experiences with and perceptions of bullying.
Methods
Electronic searches were conducted in the PsycINFO, Education Resources Information Center, ProQuest, A+ Education, and Academic Search Premier databases; reference lists and specific journals were also searched. Selected studies were read thoroughly, and the main findings were categorised into common themes.
Results
Thirteen studies were identified to be included in the review. Six themes emerged: (1) variation in parents’ definitions of bullying, (2) the perception of bullying as normal, and a tendency to blame victims, (3) parents’ strategies for coping with bullying, (4) the negative effects of bullying, (5) issues of disclosure, awareness and support, and (6) the question of responsibility for dealing with bullying.
Conclusions
Parents’ experiences with bullying are varied and diverse. However, parents consistently expressed the need for targeted information and guidelines on how to deal with bullying. Furthermore, greater awareness and understanding of bullying among parents is necessary, along with the acknowledgement of shared responsibility for bullying, and greater collaboration between schools and families.
Bullying among students is a recalcitrant problem in U.S. schools. Victimized students are more likely to experience feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loneliness, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Research indicates that many students do not disclose bullying they experience or witness despite repeated efforts on the part of adults. The preponderance of research tends to neither include the perceptions of students nor provide understanding about their reluctance to tell or rely on adults for intervention. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of adolescents on their reasons for not reporting incidents or seeking help with bullying. Grounded theory was utilized for data analysis and for detection of patterns in the data. Results revealed seven themes including: (a) the ubiquitous nature of bullying, (b) a sense of helplessness, (c) concerns over inappropriate adult action, (d) self-reliance, (e) shame, (f) parental omniscience, and (g) a different definition of bullying than adults use. Conclusions reflect the need to understand this phenomenon from the multiple perspectives of adolescents to minimize bullying and to encourage reporting.
Thematic analysis is a poorly demarcated, rarely acknowledged, yet widely used qualitative analytic method within psychology. In this paper, we argue that it offers an accessible and theoretically flexible approach to analysing qualitative data. We outline what thematic analysis is, locating it in relation to other qualitative analytic methods that search for themes or patterns, and in relation to different epistemological and ontological positions. We then provide clear guidelines to those wanting to start thematic analysis, or conduct it in a more deliberate and rigorous way, and consider potential pitfalls in conducting thematic analysis. Finally, we outline the disadvantages and advantages of thematic analysis. We conclude by advocating thematic analysis as a useful and flexible method for qualitative research in and beyond psychology.
This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying behavior as either a perpetrator or a victim. Observing others was also found to predict higher risk irrespective of whether students were or were not victims themselves. The results are discussed with reference to past research on bystander and witness behavior.
There is a significant research to practice gap in the area of mental health practices and interventions in schools. Understanding the teacher perspective can provide important information about contextual influences that can be used to bridge the research to practice gap in school-based mental health practices. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of current mental health needs in their schools; their knowledge, skills, training experiences and training needs; their roles for supporting children's mental health; and barriers to supporting mental health needs in their school settings. Participants included 292 teachers from 5 school districts. Teachers reported viewing school psychologists as having a primary role in most aspects of mental health service delivery in the school including conducting screening and behavioral assessments, monitoring student progress, and referring children to school-based or community services. Teachers perceived themselves as having primary responsibility for implementing classroom-based behavioral interventions but believed school psychologists had a greater role in teaching social emotional lessons. Teachers also reported a global lack of experience and training for supporting children's mental health needs. Implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The extent of bullying among Australian school children and attitudes toward victims of bullying were investigated in a survey of Australian school children between the ages of 6 and 16 years (n = 685) and their teachers (n = 32). Approximately 1 child in 10 was subjected to peer group bullying. Boys reported being bullied more often than girls, who tended to be more supportive of victims. With increasing age, there was a slight but significant decline in reported bullying; notably, however, attitudes toward victims became less supportive. Attitudes toward victims were examined in detail by using a reliable and validated 20-item Likert scale. Factor analyses of the children's responses yielded three interpretable factors: a tendency to despise the victims of bullies; general admiration for school bullies; and avowed support for intervention to assist the victim. An understanding of such attitudes is desirable for designing effective intervention programs.
Health-Promoting School (HPS) interventions aim to reduce bullying and violence via curriculum, environmental and family/community-engagement components. Despite evidence of their effectiveness, factors influencing the implementation of such interventions are poorly understood. This systematic review aims to examine such factors by assessing qualitative process evaluations of HPS interventions aiming to reduce bullying, aggression or violence. A comprehensive systematic search of 12 databases was carried out, and 20 reports from 17 studies were included. Thematic synthesis was used to identify factors affecting implementation. Factors that enable implementation were related to programme characteristics and stakeholder buy-in, including support from leadership, teachers, students and parents. Good communication and staff climate were important. Interventions were better implemented when they framed health promotion as a core school business, were supported by a national policy, used local data to show need and effectiveness and provided high-quality, pragmatic and accessible staff training. The results of this review can serve to guide and facilitate the design and implementation of future bullying and violence prevention programmes. Since there is significant overlap in terms of the important pillars and guiding principles for all interventions guided by the HPS framework, the findings may apply to outcomes beyond bullying and violence.
Bullying is a significant problem in the USA, with 1 in 5 middle school students reporting being a target of bullying. Although prevalence rates of bullying are higher among students in low-income communities and among minority students in ethnically blended schools, the majority of research on bullying prevention has been conducted with primarily White samples. Further, many available anti-bullying programs require significant resources for implementation, leading to barriers for schools in low-income communities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a brief, bystander preventive intervention (STAC) adapted to be culturally appropriate for students in ethnically blended schools in low-income communities. The STAC acronym stands for the four strategies students are taught to use to intervene in bullying behavior: “stealing the show,” “turning it over,” “accompanying others,” and “coaching compassion.” Participants were sixth grade students (N = 147) at an ethnically blended school in a low-income community. The social validity of the program was assessed through measures of program acceptability, student learning, and use of intervention strategies in bullying situations. Program outcomes included bullying behavior, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety. Results indicated that students trained in the adapted STAC program found the program to be acceptable, reported a significant increase in knowledge and confidence, and reported using the program strategies post-training. Students also reported a significant decrease in bullying behavior, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety. Findings suggest that the adapted STAC program is a promising approach for bullying prevention for ethnically blended middle schools in low-income communities.
The purpose of this article is to present a study that can serve as a model of program evaluation for school personnel that can be used to improve services and demonstrate program efficacy to key stakeholders. The study presented in this article evaluated the impact of a brief, bystander bullying program (“stealing the show,” “turning it over,” “accompanying others,” and “coaching compassion,” [STAC]) on depressive symptoms and passive suicidal ideation among middle school students in a rural, low-income community ( N = 130). This topic was selected as there is limited research examining the efficacy of bystander programs on improving mental health outcomes for students trained to intervene. Results of the study indicated students trained in the STAC program reported reductions in depressive symptoms and passive suicidal ideation at a 6-week follow-up compared with an increase in symptoms reported by students in the control group. We discuss these findings and the use of program evaluation by school personnel to support prevention programming.
The purpose of this mixed method study was to examine the appropriateness of a brief, bullying bystander intervention (STAC) adapted for a middle school in a low-income, rural community with a predominantly White and Hispanic student body. We were also interested in understanding the experiences of the students who participated in the intervention. Quantitative analysis suggested that students gained knowledge about bullying, increased their confidence to intervene in bullying situations, and used the STAC strategies to intervene in bullying behavior. Analyzing the qualitative data using Consensual Qualitative Research methodology ([CQR] Hill et al.) revealed four domains in which students (a) reported using the STAC strategies across multiple contexts and settings, (b) spoke about fears related to intervening in bullying, yet intervened despite those fears, (c) described emotional benefits experienced after participating in the intervention and while using the STAC strategies, and (d) reported stronger interpersonal relationship after participating in the STAC intervention. This study extends the literature by providing preliminary support for a brief, bystander intervention adapted to address the need for culturally relevant bullying interventions for low-income, rural, ethnically-blended schools.
Although school‐based programs are effective at decreasing bullying, the majority of studies have been conducted with elementary and middle school students. We conducted a pilot study using a randomized controlled design investigating the social validity of a brief, bullying bystander program adapted to be age‐appropriate for high school students (N = 65). Results indicated that high school students in the intervention group perceived the program to be acceptable and relevant and reported greater increases in knowledge (equation/pits22249-math-0001.png = 0.27) and confidence to intervene (equation/pits22249-math-0002.png = 0.27) in bullying situations compared to students in the control group. Despite being trained in the use of four intervention strategies, students reported using two of the strategies infrequently. Additionally, we found a significant difference between the intervention and control group for only one strategy (Φ = −0.44). This study provides partial support for the social validity of the adapted program. Implications for implementing the program at the high school level are discussed.
The review investigates the role played by contextual family processes, relational processes and parental individual processes on bullying and victimization. A systematic review has been conducted in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, ERIC) from 1970 through November 2017. Finally, 154 studies were reviewed differentiating among the three levels of family processes. The majority of the studies addressed single or multiple variables at the same level of analysis. Only 25% of studies focused on the interplay between different levels of family functioning. Our review finds evidence about the role of contextual family variables (parental mental health and domestic violence) and of relational family variables (in particular child abuse and neglect, maladaptive parenting, communication, parental involvement and support). A lower and more controversial evidence has been showed about the role of individual parental variables such as parental self-efficacy, parental attitudes toward victimization and parental knowledge about bullying.
A comprehensive and extensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs is presented. This report updates earlier research conducted by Farrington and Ttofi (2009). Systematic searches of online databases (i.e., Web of Science, PsychARTICLES, PsychINFO, EMBASE, DARE, ERIC, Google scholar, and Scopus) were conducted for primary studies published from 2009 to December 2016. Searches were also conducted for unpublished reports. To be included in the systematic review, primary studies must: (1) describe an evaluation of a school-based anti-bullying program; (2) utilize an appropriate operational definition of school-bullying (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014; Farrington, 1993; Olweus, 1992); (3) measure school-bullying perpetration and/or victimization behaviors using quantitative measures; and (4) use an experimental or quasi-experimental design with adequate control group. Following systematic screening of over 20,000 search results, a total of 100 evaluations (with 103 independent effect sizes) were eligible for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Most of the effect sizes are estimated from studies that used RCT designs (n = 45) or quasi-experiments (n = 44 effect sizes), with only 14 effect sizes from age cohort designs. Anti-bullying programs significantly reduce bullying perpetration (random effects OR = 1.309) and bullying victimization (random effects OR = 1.244). These results suggest that anti-bullying programs reduce school-bullying perpetration by approximately 19–20% ad school-bullying victimization by approximately 15–16%. Effect sizes vary greatly across studies, with a significant heterogeneity between studies for both bullying perpetration bullying victimization outcomes. This is anticipated given the variability in a range of moderators, for example, methodological designs, type of program used, or place of implementation. Analyses suggest no publication bias for either meta-analysis. Variability in effect sizes across different methodological designs is investigated. Primary studies employing age cohort designs (n = 14) provide the largest effects in reducing both bullying perpetration (OR = 1.474) and victimization (OR = 1.302). In relation to bullying victimization outcomes, before-after/experimental-control designs provide similar effects (OR = 1.225) to randomized controlled trials (OR = 1.21). Randomized controlled trials (OR = 1.244) are more effective in reducing bullying perpetration than before-after/experimental-control designs (OR = 1.187). In future, we aim to further explain differences across programs by correlating individual effect sizes with varying program components and varying methodological elements available across these 100 evaluations.
The benefits of school-based mental health services have been supported in prior research and literature. Studies have shown that approximately one in five youths in schools today have diagnosable mental health disorders. However, research has identified that close to 70 percent of those youths do not receive the services they need. This gap in care has a significant impact on the academic, social, and emotional well-being of youths. Parent involvement is essential in bridging services. However, parents often face barriers in accessing mental health care for their child. The aim of this study was to explore parent perceptions of needs and barriers to school-based mental health services. This exploratory study included 607 parent and guardian respondents. Findings showed that parents were overwhelmingly in support of schools being involved in addressing the mental health needs of students. Anxiety, depression, and bullying were the top emotional and behavioral issues that parents recognized as the main challenge for their child. Lack of parent support, understanding that mental health issues even exist in youths, and lack of supportive school programs were identified as key factors that place youths at risk of not receiving the services they need.
Content analysis of 463 student surveys was used to uncover the nature and prevalence of bullying behaviors within volunteer middle schools across the Southern United States. After completing a training to understand and distinguish between bullying and cyberbullying, students in grades six through eight from three southern states completed surveys and were given the opportunity to participate in face-to-face interviews. Of those surveyed, over 37% reported being bullied either face-to-face or online, with under 31% reporting bullying incidents to adults. Additional findings addressing the nature of bullying, as well as factors related to student reporting, are discussed.
The authors investigated lived experiences of student-advocates trained in a brief, bystander bullying intervention program to stop bullying as “defenders.” Personal values, taking perceived risks, implementation of bullying intervention strategies, and positive sense of self were core themes with a textural-structural description that helped define students' experiences. Implications and future research are discussed.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to describe how and why school-based programmes to prevent or reduce bullying involve parents, and what impact involving parents has on bullying.
Design/methodology/approach
– A review of relevant literature, in particular systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Findings
– The logic of involving parents in school-based bullying prevention programmes is that this increases the likelihood of parents first, telling schools that their child is being bullied, which in turn enables the school to act appropriately, and second, being able to address bullying-related issues effectively at home. Parent involvement is associated with a reduction in bullying but further research is needed to determine if it is a causal factor. Programmes tend not to include a parenting education and support element, despite negative parenting behaviour being associated with children being a victim or a bully/victim.
Practical implications
– There is good reason to involve parents in school-based bullying prevention. Given the parenting risk factors for bullying perpetration and victimisation, bullying prevention programmes could also usefully offer parenting education and support.
Originality/value
– The paper focuses exclusively on the role of parents in school-based bullying prevention programmes. It articulates the logic of involving parents and summarises the impact of parent involvement.
This article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs in schools. Studies
were included if they evaluated the effects of an anti-bullying program by comparing an intervention group who received the
program with a control group who did not. Four types of research design were included: a) randomized experiments, b) intervention-control
comparisons with before-and-after measures of bullying, c) other intervention-control comparisons, and d) age-cohort designs.
Both published and unpublished reports were included. All volumes of 35 journals from 1983 up to the end of May 2009 were
hand-searched, as were 18 electronic databases. Reports in languages other than English were also included. A total of 622
reports concerned with bullying prevention were found, and 89 of these reports (describing 53 different program evaluations)
were included in our review. Of the 53 different program evaluations, 44 provided data that permitted the calculation of an
effect size for bullying or victimization. The meta-analysis of these 44 evaluations showed that, overall, school-based anti-bullying
programs are effective: on average, bullying decreased by 20–23% and victimization decreased by 17–20%. Program elements and
intervention components that were associated with a decrease in bullying and victimization were identified, based on feedback
from researchers about the coding of 40 out of 44 programs. More intensive programs were more effective, as were programs
including parent meetings, firm disciplinary methods, and improved playground supervision. Work with peers was associated
with an increase in victimization. It is concluded that the time is ripe to mount a new program of research on the effectiveness
of anti-bullying programs based on these findings.
KeywordsSchool bullying–Intervention programs–Program elements–Systematic review–Meta-analysis
This paper presents a simple and widely ap- plicable multiple test procedure of the sequentially rejective type, i.e. hypotheses are rejected one at a tine until no further rejections can be done. It is shown that the test has a prescribed level of significance protection against error of the first kind for any combination of true hypotheses. The power properties of the test and a number of possible applications are also discussed.
Public health is moving toward the goal of implementing evidence-based interventions. To accomplish this, there is a need to select, adapt, and evaluate intervention studies. Such selection relies, in part, on making judgments about the feasibility of possible interventions and determining whether comprehensive and multilevel evaluations are justified. There exist few published standards and guides to aid these judgments. This article describes the diverse types of feasibility studies conducted in the field of cancer prevention, using a group of recently funded grants from the National Cancer Institute. The grants were submitted in response to a request for applications proposing research to identify feasible interventions for increasing the utilization of the Cancer Information Service among underserved populations.
To examine the prevalence and correlates of bullying in 7 rural elementary schools from students', parents', and teachers' perspectives.
Surveys were completed by 739 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students, 367 parents, and 37 teachers.
Students tended to report higher prevalence of bullying than did parents or teachers, and their reports were associated with aggression, attitudes toward violence, and perceptions of school safety.
Bullying behavior is prevalent in rural elementary schools and is indicative of aggression and proviolence attitudes. Parents and teachers need to pay closer attention to bullying behavior among schoolchildren and to impart their knowledge to children in a comprehensive, coordinated manner.
Bullying victimization is associated with several health issues. Prevention of bullying is therefore an important goal for health and education professionals. In the present study, 2766 children from 32 Dutch elementary schools participated by completing a questionnaire on bullying behavior, and the involvement of teachers, parents and classmates in bullying incidents. The results of this study show that bullying is still prevalent in Dutch schools. More than 16% of the children aged 9-11 years reported being bullied on a regular basis and 5.5% reported regular active bullying during the current school term. Almost half of the bullied children did not tell their teacher that they were being bullied. When teachers knew about the bullying, they often tried to stop it, but in many cases the bullying stayed the same or even got worse. With regard to active bullying, neither the majority of the teachers nor parents talked to the bullies about their behavior. Our results stress the importance of regular communication between children, parents, teachers and health care professionals with regard to bullying incidents. In addition, teachers need to learn effective ways to deal with bullying incidents. Schools need to adopt a whole-school approach with their anti-bullying interventions.
Evidence-based prevention and intervention programs are increasingly being implemented in schools and it therefore is becoming increasingly important to understand the complexities of program implementation under real-world conditions. Much research has focused on the contextual factors that influence program implementation but less work has attempted to provide an integrated understanding of mechanisms (e.g., teacher-training processes) that affect teachers' program implementation. In this paper, we review literature on factors related to teachers' implementation of school-based prevention and intervention programs, then from this review abstract what we believe are four basic ingredients that characterize potentially sustainable teacher-implemented classroom programs. Finally, we present a sequential model, based on these ingredients, of the naturalistic processes underlying sustainability of teachers' program implementation and describe how this sustainability can be enhanced through provision of teacher training and performance feedback from a classroom consultant.
Digital divide in high-speed internet access leaves rural areas behind
- K Pollard
- M Martinez
A randomized controlled study evaluating a brief, bystander bullying intervention with junior high school students
- A Midgett
- D M Doumas
- R Trull
- A Johnston
Bullying and victimization in rural schools: Risks, reasons, and responses
- B J Leadbeater
- P Sukhawathanakul
- A Smith
- R S Y Thompson
- E J Gladstone
- N Sklar
Is E-rate doing enough to effectively expand broadband in rural school?
- R Riddell