Development and evaluation of a school-based bullying prevention program (Bullying&You): study protocol for a cluster randomized trial.

Abstract

Background: Bullying victimization affects one in ten schoolchildren in Europe and has far-reaching negative consequences for mental health and school achievement. Although school-based bullying prevention programs seem overall capable of reducing the frequency of bullying, the continuous development, improvement, and rigorous evaluation of bullying prevention programs with enhanced feasibility and efficacy is critical. Consequently, we developed the program Bullying&You, which applies a blended-intervention approach to school-based bullying prevention based on latest empirical knowledge regarding effective program components and program-related facilitators. We aim to test its efficacy within a cluster randomized trial (CRT).

Methods: Bullying&You will be implemented and evaluated in 40 schools (estimated total n = 8500 pupils) in Germany. The effectiveness of the program will be investigated in a CRT comparing 20 schools in the intervention group (IG; starting immediately with the program) with 20 schools in the waiting control group (CG; starting with a 1-year delay). The target group of the program are pupils in grades 3-9, as well as the whole school staff. All pupils will be asked to complete questionnaires concerning their bullying experiences (as victims, perpetrators, and bystanders) and mental health at baseline (T0) and two annual follow-ups (T1 and T2). The main endpoint of the trial is the reduction of bullying (prevalence of victims and perpetrators of direct, indirect, and cyberbullying) at 1-year follow-up (T1) in the IG compared to the CG. Secondary endpoints are psychopathology and self-harm behaviour. In addition, further research questions include (a) which specific components of the program prove to be most effective and (b) whether there are certain characteristics that predict program success at the individual level.

Discussion: School-based bullying prevention programs still lack rigorous evidence for their efficacy. In addition, dissemination of bullying prevention programs has previously been hampered by the high need of resources required from schools for their implementation. The program's blended-intervention approach allows for a time-efficient and flexible implementation, while the continuous monitoring of the progress ensures program fidelity and strengthens adherence. If proven effective, Bullying&You has the potential to contribute to filling the gap in systematic dissemination of bullying prevention among youth.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00028183. Registered on 02 March 2022.