In-Service Teacher Training Program Development Study to Prevent Peer Bullying

Peer bullying is a problem that is difficult to notice and is increasingly affecting the health of society. Responding to peer bullying requires the determination and intense effort of school administrators, teachers, parents, and other school staff. Teachers who feel more competent about bullying are more likely to intervene in situations of bullying and victimization situations. However, many teachers have difficulty diagnosing bullying, do not know how to cope with bullying, or have trouble applying coping methods. This study aims to introduce the in-service teacher training program to prevent peer bullying. This program was developed using a problem-centered education program design. The content was determined with a thematic approach. The values emphasized by this program, the tools and methods it proposes, and the outcomes of the program reflect the progressive and existentialist perspectives. As a result of the evaluation of the program, it was seen that the in-service training program effectively improved teachers' competencies by increasing their awareness of peer bullying and combating bullying. It is recommended that future studies should be conducted in broad scope, including developing the competencies of teachers in dealing with cyberbullying that increased during online education.

An Analysis of the Attitudes of Secondary School Students on Cyber Bullying Behaviors

The utilization of ICT in education has led to the widespread use of these technologies by students. Accordingly, traditional peer bullying has shifted from the school playgrounds to the virtual world and thus created an updated form of bullying called cyber bullying. The purpose of this study is to look into Cyber Bullying Behaviors of Secondary School Students in Northern Cyprus. The randomly selected sample consisted of a total 1206 students attending junior high school, high school and vocational high schools in the 2018-2019 academic year. A descriptive research method of the general survey model was applied in this research. The students were given a questionnaire form that included a ‘Cyber bullying Scale’ and a ‘Personal Information Form’ during the data collection process. The results determined that the students of secondary and vocational secondary education engaged in low level cyber bullying behaviors. It is believed that the results obtained will contribute to the prevention of cyber bullying behaviors and to future studies towards encouraging a boost in healthy internet usage.

Bullying, Present Romantic Relationship and Depression as Predictive Factors of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), as a major public health issue of high complexity, multifactorial causes and great socioeconomic and family impact, affects China now especially after COVID-19. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical and psychological characteristic in adolescent psychiatric patients with or without NSSI.Methods: Adolescent psychiatric patients were recruited from psychiatric outpatient and inpatient unit in Guangdong mental Health Center between October and December 2020. NSSI was evaluated by the modified version of Adolescents Self-Harm Scale. Childhood trauma was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF). Peer bullying experience was evaluated by The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire（BVQ-R). Depression was assessed by the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Clinical data were collected from electronic medical record system.Results: The sample included 157 adolescent psychiatric patients (72.6% female), aged 13-18 years (M=15.39, SD=0.145). NSSI group experienced more peer bullying (t=4.08,P＜0.001), more likely to get into romantic relationship currently(χ2=5.38, P=0.02), more times of hospitalization (t=0.36, P<0.001), receiving more antipsychotic treatment (t=3.58, P<0.001), benzodiazepine treatment (t=3.46, P＜0.001), and mood-stabilizer treatment (χ2 =8.53, P<0.001). The significant predictor of NSSI for the last one year included being in romantic relationship currently (OR =4.27, 95% CI=[1.53,11.93]), outpatient (OR=0.38, 95%CI=[0.16,0.88]), BVQ-R total (OR=1.10, 95% CI=[1.02,1.18])，MARDS total (OR= 1.05, 95% CI=[1.01,1.09]), and benzodiazepine PDD/DDD (OR=5.79, 95% CI=[0.99,33.72]).Conclusions: Adolescent psychiatric patients with NSSI have significantly higher incidences of life event such as peer bulling, childhood trauma experience, and they were more likely to get into a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, patients with NSSI had significantly severe level of depression, being more on benzodiazepine and mood-stabilizer use. This provides a valuable basis for our clinical treatment of adolescent mental patients with NSSI.

PUSH AND PULL FACTORS OF NEGATIVE SOCIAL BEHAVIOURS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Education is considered critical for both showing positive behaviour and regulating negative social behaviour and affecting the social attitudes by improving one's ability to perceive others. Hence, this research examined the push and pull factors of Negative Social Behaviour among secondary school students. In this research, we collect data over two self-developed questionnaires. Thus, total 500 students (252 female, 248 male) and 120 teachers (60 male, 60 female) from 04 districts of Punjab were selected conveniently. The EFA revealed 06 dimensions possibly be extracted from two questionnaires designed for the students and teachers separately. Multilevel analyses mean SD, Pearson correlation, and independent-sample t-test were performed. Findings reveal that parents’ conflicts, peer’ bullying, teachers’ insulting behaviours and students’ sarcastic attitude are the major push factors that cause de-motivation and promote NSB among students. These factors severely influence students’ personality, and as a result, students lost study interest, behave roughly and violate the institutions’ rules.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Exposure to Peer Bullying Victimization

Females exposed to child sexual abuse (CSA) are at an increased risk of experiencing further victimization in adolescence. Associations between CSA and several forms of cyber and in-person peer bullying victimization were assessed in a prospective, longitudinal study. Females exposed to substantiated CSA and a matched comparison group (N = 422) were followed over a two-year period. Bullying experiences were assessed in both survey and qualitative interviews. Qualitative data were coded and used to describe the types (e.g., cyber, physical, verbal), and foci (e.g., threats, physical appearance) of bullying victimization. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds that CSA was associated with subsequent bullying victimization, adjusted for demographics, social networking use, and prior bullying. CSA-exposed females were at an increased risk of multiple forms of bullying victimization with a persistent risk of bullying victimization over time. Specifically, they had 2.6 times higher odds of experiencing any bullying at follow-up, 2.9 times higher odds of experiencing cyberbullying at follow-up, and 2 times higher odds of experiencing combined cyber/in-person bullying at follow-up. CSA-exposed females were more likely than comparison females to experience bullying regarding their appearance/weight and dating relationships. Findings provide further insight into the unique circumstances of the cyberbullying and in-person bullying experienced by CSA-exposed females. Females exposed to child sexual abuse (CSA) are at an increased risk of experiencing bullying victimization, specifically cyberbullying and combined cyber/in-person bullying, as well as bullying about their appearance and dating relationships. These findings indicate that bullying prevention needs to include trauma-focused components to target these uniquely vulnerable females.

The Zero Violence Brave Club: A Successful Intervention to Prevent and Address Bullying in Schools

Bullying among peers in schools is a growing problem affecting children and adolescents from an early age worldwide. The consequences of bullying victimization in the emotional development of children and youth and their academic achievement are adverse for them and the rest of the school community, with its negative impact extending into the mid and long run. The Zero Violence Brave Club is implemented in schools in the framework of the Dialogic Model of Violence Prevention, a successful educational action according to the INCLUD-ED project [Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from Education] (6th Framework Program of Research of the European Commission). The Zero Violence Brave Club has decreased peer bullying in schools by establishing and cultivating a culture of zero tolerance to violence in educational centers located in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. This evidence-based intervention is grounded in the principle that only the person who denounces violence suffered by a peer and takes a stand always on the victim's side—and those who support her or him—against the aggressor can be considered brave. This article reports a qualitative study of the Zero Violence Brave Club as a successful intervention in seven schools in Spain. The schools are diverse in terms of public or private ownership, religious or lay background, and population served (different proportions of cultural minorities and students with special needs), challenging the misconception that the impact of educational interventions depends on the context. Interviews were conducted with teachers in the schools implementing the Zero Violence Brave Club in their class, using the communicative methodology of research. The results shed light on specific mechanisms through which the Zero Violence Brave Club prevents and responds to bullying in schools, such as emptying of social attractiveness any aggressive behaviors or attitudes. Benefits on mental health and psychological wellbeing are also reported.