Randomized Controlled Trial of a Family Intervention for Children Bullied by Peers

Abstract

This study examined the effects of a family intervention on victimization and emotional distress of children bullied by peers. The intervention, Resilience Triple P, combined facilitative parenting and teaching children social and emotional skills relevant to developing strong peer relationships and addressing problems with peers. Facilitative parenting is parenting which supports the development of children's peer relationship skills. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 111 families who reported chronic bullying of children aged six to 12 years. Families were randomly allocated to either an immediate start to Resilience Triple P (RTP) or an assessment control (AC) condition. Assessments involving children, parents, teachers and observational measures were conducted at 0 (pre), 3(post) and 9 months follow-up. RTP families had significantly greater improvements than AC families on measures of victimization, child distress, child peer and family relationships, Key words: school bullying, facilitative parenting, family intervention, controlled trial, victim A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT3 Randomized Controlled Trial of a Family Intervention for Children Bullied by PeersBullying is hurtful behavior which is typically repeated (Olweus, 1993). It can take physical, verbal and relational forms (e.g. deliberate exclusion) and can be carried out in person or through technology. Children who bully do not distribute their aggressive behavior evenly across all available peers; they selectively target a minority of 10% of children (Perry, Kusel & Perry, 1988). For this targeted minority, victimization tends to be quite stable throughout primary school (Boulton & Smith, 1994), and across the transition into middle or high school (Paul & Cillessen, 2003), resulting in the same children being victimized over many years. Bullying in primary school has serious mental health consequences for victims including higher rates of internalizing problems two years later (Arseneault et al., 2008), higher rates of self-harm and psychotic problems by 12 years of age (Fisher et al., 2012;Schreier et al., 2009) and increased incidence of depression and psychiatric problems in early adulthood and up to 32 years later (Sourander et al. 2007;Farrington, Loeber, Stallings, & Ttofi, 2011), after controlling for early adjustment and family factors.There is evidence that children who are bullied demonstrate social behavior which can attract more bullying over time. Poor social competence is one of the strongest predictors for being bullied (Cook, Williams, Guerra, Kim & Sadek, 2010). Children who are bullied have fewer friends than other students, which places them at greater risk of ongoing victimization (Fox & Boulton, 2006). Being emotionally reactive is also a risk factor for victimization. The majority of bullied children act as "passive victims", who demonstrate "internalizing" behaviors of submissiveness, depression and anxiety which act as both risk factors and consequences of bullying, resultin...

A Public‐Health Approach to Improving Parenting and Promoting Children's Well‐Being

“…Stepping Stones Triple P was designed for parents who have a child with a disability (e.g., autism spectrum disorder). Although the parent is the direct participant in Triple P programs, in Resilience Triple P, children take part in sessions that offer strategies to help with bullying (Healy & Sanders, 2014).…”

The Systematic Application of Network Diagnostics to Monitor and Tackle Bullying and Victimization in Schools

“…If victims are experiencing severe individual or social adjustment problems or problems at home, they can benefit from individual approaches (Bradshaw 2013), such as a training course focused on improving their self-esteem, practicing social skills, acquiring a more positive mindset (Yeager et al 2013), or involving their parents (Healy and Sanders 2014). Bully-victims may especially need such approaches because of their greater risk of individual and social adjustment problems and problems at home, as explained above.…”

Clinical Practice with Children and Adolescents Involved in Bullying and Cyberbullying: Gleaning Guidelines from the Literature

“…Even if rarely stated or theorized explicitly, it was evident in many of the articles reviewed that clinicians frequently work at multiple levels of engagement with clients involved in bullying and cyberbullying. They work to support, train, and advocate for and with caregivers, teachers, and school administrators, and work simultaneously with clients in individual, group, and family treatments (Butler & Platt, 2008;Greene, 2003;Gregory & Vessey, 2004;Healy & Sanders, 2014;Kvarme, Aabo, & Saeteren, 2016;Pikas, 2002;Sosin & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2016;Young, 1998;Ziomek-Daigle & Land, 2016).…”

“…The common emphases on enhancing assertiveness for bullied clients on the one hand, and empathy for clients engaged in bullying on the other, reflects a narrow conceptualization of bullying as stemming from specific traits of individuals involved with bullying and being victimized. More recently, however, some models have begun to incorporate more dynamic and interactive models that take into account environmental factors (Beebe & Robey, 2011;Cannon, Hammer, Reicherzer, & Gillian, 2012;DeRosier, 2004;Healy & Sanders, 2014;Gregorino, 2016;Sandu & Kaur, 2016). Healy and Sanders (2014)…”

“…More recently, however, some models have begun to incorporate more dynamic and interactive models that take into account environmental factors (Beebe & Robey, 2011;Cannon, Hammer, Reicherzer, & Gillian, 2012;DeRosier, 2004;Healy & Sanders, 2014;Gregorino, 2016;Sandu & Kaur, 2016). Healy and Sanders (2014)…”