Impact of Training Prevention Program on Bullying and Prejudice among Adolescents Toward Ending Bullying Behavior: a Randomized Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Every child deserves to feel secure and has the right to be free of all forms of bullying. Bullying and prejudice should be opposed and resisted to put an end to this destructive behavior. The aim was to investigate the impact of a training prevention program on reducing bullying and prejudice among adolescents at a specific governmental school (103). Methods: The study employed a randomized experimental design, involving 155 middle-level students who were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. Three assessment tools were utilized, including demographic information, the Bullying Amongst Diverse Populations (BADP) evaluation scale adapted from Ishiyama (2006), and the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) developed by Jolliffe and Farrington (2006). The validity and reliability of these tools were assessed, with reported scores of 83.5 for knowledge, 83.7 for skills, 87.8 for efficacy, 84.8 for intervention, and 7.8 for empathy scales. Results: The mean age of the experimental group was 13.52±1.024, while the control group had a mean age of 13.37±1.210. Significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups in the pre-and post-test assessments regarding knowledge, attitudes, affective and cognitive domains, as well as total empathy, with a significance level of P<0.05. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of witness communication skills and bullying intervention ability. Conclusion and recommendations: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing bullying and prejudice. It highlights the importance of providing training programs to vulnerable students in schools as a key component for success. Therefore, it is recommended to implement a comprehensive "No Bullying and Prejudice" policy across all schools and establish laws that address harmful behaviors to ensure the safety and well-being of children.