Effect of the Bullying: The Power to Cope Program on Children's Response to Bullying

Abstract

This study evaluated the Bullying: The Power to Cope program (Bernard, 2012), which is designed to teach children the ideas espoused in the practice of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) to employ in response to bullying. Self-report data were collected at pre-and post-test of children's cognitive, behavioural, and emotional coping responses to four written bullying vignettes. At pre-test, children's personal qualities of intrinsic resiliency were also measured. The sample consisted of 139 participants in Melbourne, Australia (n = 80 in the experimental group and n = 59 in the control group), aged from 10 to 14 years. Results indicated children in the experimental group improved in cognitive and emotional coping responses relative to children in the control group. Females showed greater improvement than males in coping responses to bullying as a consequence of the intervention. Entering levels of intrinsic resiliency did not moderate the effects of the intervention program on children's coping responses. The cognitive and emotional coping responses of females to bullying vignettes (pre-test) were significantly more negative and emotionally intense than males. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as limitations and directions for future research.

From Victims to Perpetrators of Bullying: The Role of Irrational Cognitions, Externalizing Problems, and Parental Attachment

“…Reducing childhood behavioral problems or/and irrational cognitions should be critical components of the interventions for victims of bullying, that could reduce the risk of victimized youths to become bullying perpetrators. For example, Markopoulos and Bernard (2015) found that a short cognitive behavioral intervention addressing irrational cognitive dysfunctional overt behaviors reduced the irrationality and improved the coping strategies among youths victims of bullying (Markopoulos & Bernard, 2015). By promoting a rational evaluation of situations and effective behavioral coping strategies, such intervention programs not only will mitigate the negative emotional consequences of bullying on but also could prevent victims to make the transition to the bullying perpetrator role (Fung, 2012).…”

Coaching in secondary and tertiary education: The effects of two interventions on students’ well-being and teachers' stress

“…The latest studies regarding the effects of different YCDI! Education programmes (Ashdown & Bernard, 2012;Bernard, 2008aBernard, , 2008bBernard & Anglim, 2012;Bernard & Walton, 2011;Daniela & Bernard, 2011;Markopoulos & Bernard, 2015;Yamamoto, Matsumoto, & Bernard, 2017) all point to an increase in school achievement and social resilience of the children who participated in an YCDI! Education programme.…”

“…Deze resultaten zijn in overeenstemming met de resultaten gepresenteerd door Brown (1999), en ook in overeenstemming met de resultaten van andere studies over het YCDI! Education kader (Ashdown & Bernard, 2012;Bernard, 1995Bernard, , 2004Bernard, , 2008Bernard, , 2012Bernard & Anglim 2012;Bernard & Walton, 2011;Brooks, 1999;Buddecke, 2002;Campbell, 1999;Daniela & Bernard, 2011;Day, 1998;Eddy, 2000;Hudson, 1993;Markopoulos & Bernard, 2015;Pina, 1996;Yamamoto, Matsumoto & Bernard, 2017). Deze resultaten onderschrijven de effectiviteit van het…”