Evaluating a psycho-educational program for the prevention of bullying in junior high school

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to develop a school-based program for preventing bullying, and to evaluate its effectiveness. The program contained elements of social skills training and psycho-education. Participants were 519 junior high school students (grades 7 through 9, 5 classes per grade; age 12-15 years). Each class had one 50-minute session of the program. A pre-post program comparison indicated that students' self-efficacy for behavior to prevent bullying and norms regarding abusive behavior increased, whereas potential participation in abuse significantly decreased. The results suggest the efficacy of this program.