Interventions That Failed: Factors Associated with the Continuation of Bullying After a Targeted Intervention

Abstract

We examined how often teachers’ targeted interventions fail in stopping bullying and to what extent this varies between schools vs. between students involved. In addition, we investigated which student-level factors were associated with intervention failure. Data were collected annually in 2011–2016 via online questionnaires and included responses from students in 2107 Finnish primary and secondary schools implementing the KiVa antibullying program. During the years of the study, 27% of the 57,835 students who were victims in the cases of bullying addressed by adults reported no improvement in their situation. Among the 44,918 bullying perpetrators who were targeted by an intervention, 21% said they did not bully less as a result. Intervention failures were mostly due to differences between individuals: only 3–12% of the total variance in continued victimization and bullying was due to between-school differences. According to two-level logistic regression results, victim-perceived failure was more likely when the victimized student was in higher grades, had been victimized more frequently and, for a longer time, had been victimized also online, had bullied others, and had fewer friends in the class. Bully-perceived failure was more likely when the bullying student was in higher grades, bullied more frequently, and was victimized. Finally, the bullying students’ antibullying attitudes and their perception of teacher’s and parents’ antibullying attitudes were negatively associated with failure of the intervention.

The longitudinal role of classroom defending norms in victims’ psychological adjustment, causal attributions, and social comparisons.

“…First, defending behaviors may be less likely to end bullying in cases of severe victimization. Bullies who strategically and systematically target a victim might be less impressed by the defending attempts of peers than youth who just bully someone occasionally (e.g., because strategic bulies may be lower on empathy; Johander et al, 2023). If defending does not result in diminished victimization, this potentially increase feelings of hopelessness among severe victims, which negatively could affect their psychological adjustment.…”

The Sohanjana Antibullying Intervention: Pilot Results of a Peer-Training Module in Pakistan

“…Another possible solution is to provide micro-financing opportunities or monetary benefits to female students upon completion of their education to improve the current situation and increase access to education for girls (Mujahid et al 2015). Johander et al (2023) emphasized the importance of long-term interventions with continuous follow-up for improved effectiveness, as opposed to short-term interventions. The lack of significant results observed in the present study may be due to the limited duration of the intervention program.…”