Efficacy of Cyberbullying Prevention on Somatic Symptoms—Randomized Controlled Trial Applying a Reasoned Action Approach

Abstract

The theory of reasoned action (ToRA) has been proposed as a framework for cyberbullying prevention design, targeting attitudes and norms. In this study effects of a long (10 weekly sessions) and a short (one day, four sessions) cyberbullying prevention program based on the ToRA were compared with a control group over 9 months. Longitudinal data from 722 students (mean age = 13.36) on cyberbullying, somatic symptoms, attitudes, and norms were analyzed within a structural equation model. Participation in the long intervention group significantly reduced cyberbullying (d = -0.584) and somatic symptoms (d = -0.316). No between-group differences emerged for attitudes and norms. Developmental trajectories and associations were found to be as suggested by ToRA in both cross-sectional and change-score analyses.

Family and Educational Strategies for Cyberbullying Prevention: A Systematic Review

“…This review offers some insights that need to be further explored by future studies: first, as mentioned above, the need of a better knowledge of response-predictive variables in relation to cyberbullying interventions; second, the majority of the studies included here explore the short-term effects of the programs, whereas findings from the study of Tiiri et al on KiVa show that the longer students attended the program, the better the outcome, suggesting a positive dose effect of this intervention [ 23 ]. The same suggestion was made by Zagorscak et al, seeing that the longest version of the Media Heroes intervention had the best outcome on cyberbullying behaviours compared to the short version, offering evidence of the positive dose effect for cyberbullying programs as well [ 32 ].…”

“…In 2019, in Germany, Zagorscak et al [ 32 ] developed and examined the Media Heroes intervention program in two versions (a long and a short one), which aimed at changing attitudes and normative beliefs through the transfer of knowledge on cyberbullying and online safety strategies and through discussions and role play with classmates on these themes. Teachers were also involved in this program, as they attended training sessions led by psychologists and were given a manual.…”

“…Although some of the interventions included in our results explore the effects of teachers’ and parents’ training, these represent only a minority. Given the key role of these figures in children’s and adolescents’ development and the promising results obtained by the Arizona Attorney General’s cybersafety promotion presentation [ 31 ], the Media Heroes Program [ 32 ], the Dating Matters Program [ 33 ], and the Action for Neutralization of Bullying Program [ 34 ], it would be appropriate for further programming to include teachers’ and parents’ training and educational interventions in the near future. However, there are other figures and settings frequently visited by youngsters that may be included in future programs, for example, those related to extracurricular activities.…”

Predicting Abusive Behaviours in Spanish Adolescents’ Relationships: Insights from the Reasoned Action Approach

“…Previous versions of the RAA have been applied in similar context studies, including to predict cyberbullying [30] and adolescent dating violence [31,32], and have been used as a framework for cyberbullying prevention design [33]. However, in this study we applied the latest version of the Fishbein and Ajzen predictive model [16] from a dyadic perspective; that is, we identified the predictors of the intention to perform and accept the behaviours in a large sample of adolescents with different sociodemographic backgrounds, and the predictive capacity of intention on behaviour.…”

Prävention von Cybermobbing in Schulen mit dem Programm Medienhelden

“…B. hinsichtlich des Cybermobbing-Verhaltens bestätigen [17]. Mithilfe von Strukturgleichungsmodellen konnten die signifikanten Verbesserungen hinsichtlich des Cybermobbingverhaltens und ein Rückgang an somatischen Symptomen bestätigt werden [19]. Schließlich zeigten sich signifikante Verbesserungen im herkömmlichen Schulhofmobbing [20].…”