Efficacy of a Web-Enabled, School-Based, Preventative Intervention to Reduce Bullying and Improve Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: Study Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Bullying is a major preventable risk factor for mental disorders. Available evidence suggests school-based interventions reduce bullying prevalence rates. This study aims to test the efficacy of a web-enabled, school-based, multicomponent anti-bullying intervention to prevent school bullying and to assess its effects on mental health and quality of life.Methods and analysis: Cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 20 publicly funded primary and secondary schools in Madrid, Spain. Schools are randomly allocated to either the intervention arm (n = 10) or conventional practices arm (n = 10). The web-enabled intervention (LINKlusive) lasts ~12 weeks and consists of three main components: (i) an online training program for teachers and parents, (ii) a web-guided educational program for students, focusing on promoting respect for diversity, empathy, and social skill development, and (iii) a web-guided, teacher-delivered, targeted intervention program for bullying situations identified based on peer-support strategies and individual intervention for those involved (i.e., bullying victims and perpetrators). The primary objective is to compare differences between peer-reported bullying victimization in the intervention and control arms at the end of the intervention. Secondary outcome measures are additional measures of bullying victimization and perpetration, mental health symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life. A follow-up assessment is conducted 1 year after the end of the intervention. Treatment effects will be tested using multilevel mixed models, adjusting for school-, classroom-, and student-related covariates. Considering the increased bullying rates in children with special educational needs, a specific subgroup analysis will test the efficacy of the intervention on bullying prevalence, mental health, and quality of life in this particularly vulnerable population.Ethics and Dissemination: The Deontology Commission of the School of Psychology, Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain reviewed the study protocol and granted ethical approval on 21st January 2019. The results of the trial will be disseminated in relevant peer-reviewed journals and at conferences in the field.Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN15719015.

School-Based Nursing Interventions for Preventing Bullying and Reducing Its Incidence on Students: A Scoping Review

“…Training is an activity that is mostly carried out in school-based nursing interventions. The method used is in the form of Web-Enabled, School-Based, Preventive Intervention carried out for 10 sessions of 40 min/session [ 28 ]. Nurses as educators have a role in providing education to students and teachers about how to deal with the negative effects of bullying.…”

A web-enabled, school-based intervention for bullying prevention (LINKlusive): a cluster randomised trial

“… 15 Furthermore, we selected specific components based on their association with intervention effectiveness in a previous meta-analysis 29 and their inclusion in other comprehensive anti-bullying programmes. 30 …”

“…Further details of the intervention and the Study Protocol can be found in the Supplement and elsewhere. 30 …”

“…Peer reported bullying victimisation was assessed by analysing the group structure and social networks within the classroom with Sociescuela. 30 In brief, students provide peer nominations and ratings of their social preferences. We defined peer-reported victimisation and perpetration as receiving at least two peer nominations as either victims or perpetrators in any of the items of the Sociescuela victimisation subscale.…”

Psychometric properties, validity and insights of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) in secondary schools of the Valencian Community (Spain)

“…Their first project (SAVE, Seville Anti-Violence in School) came up with a global process of intervention liked to research and was applied also in secondary education with the aim to involve staff in the slow process of making decisions about the problem, to help teachers distinguish and pay attention to bullying phenomena. Diaz-Caneja et al, [ 56 ] performed the web-enabled LINKlusive intervention program at some secondary schools from Madrid (Spain). They also involved all educative agents and focused the 12-week intervention component in identifying bullying situations and by pursuing the student program on the promotion of respect for diversity.…”