The effects of an anti-bullying intervention programme on peers' attitudes and behaviour

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 21 - 34
• Main Authors: STEVENS, VEERLE, VAN OOST, PAULETTE, DE BOURDEAUDHUIJ, IISE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2000; Elsevier Science; Academic Press for the Association for the Psychiatric Study of Adolescents; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescents; Aggression; Attitude; Attitudes; Behavior; Belgium; Biological and medical sciences; Bullying; Conduct Disorder - prevention & control; Conflict Resolution; Elementary School Students; Factors; Female; Foreign Countries; Humans; Interpersonal Conflict; Intervention; Junior High School Students; Male; Medical sciences; Mental health; Outcomes of Treatment; Peer Group; Peer groups; Peer Relations; Peer Relationship; Peers; Pretests Posttests; Prevention. Health policy. Planification; Problem Solving; Program Evaluation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Schools; Secondary School Students; Secondary schools; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Socialization; Students; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teacher Student Relationship; University of Ghent (Belgium); Belgium; Europe; Human; Social environment; Peer relation; Violence; Mental health; Educational schedule; School environment; Preadolescent; Prevention; Social interaction; Adolescent; Social behavior disorder; Public health
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1006/jado.1999.0296

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an anti-bullying intervention programme on peers' attitudes towards bullying and their attempts to solve bully/victim conflicts. An experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group was used. For secondary school students, positive outcomes were observed at post-test 1 on attitudes and on actual rates of intervention. However, the effects had disappeared at post-test 2. For primary school students, significant differences were found at post-test 2, showing a smaller decline in seeking teacher's help and in heightening students' support for victims. Students' competence to solve bully/victim problems in relation to their general pro-social development is discussed.