A comprehensive and extensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs is presented. This report updates earlier research conducted by Farrington and ...Ttofi (2009). Systematic searches of online databases (i.e., Web of Science, PsychARTICLES, PsychINFO, EMBASE, DARE, ERIC, Google scholar, and Scopus) were conducted for primary studies published from 2009 to December 2016. Searches were also conducted for unpublished reports. To be included in the systematic review, primary studies must: (1) describe an evaluation of a school-based anti-bullying program; (2) utilize an appropriate operational definition of school-bullying (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014; Farrington, 1993; Olweus, 1992); (3) measure school-bullying perpetration and/or victimization behaviors using quantitative measures; and (4) use an experimental or quasi-experimental design with adequate control group.
Following systematic screening of over 20,000 search results, a total of 100 evaluations (with 103 independent effect sizes) were eligible for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Most of the effect sizes are estimated from studies that used RCT designs (n = 45) or quasi-experiments (n = 44 effect sizes), with only 14 effect sizes from age cohort designs.
Anti-bullying programs significantly reduce bullying perpetration (random effects OR = 1.309) and bullying victimization (random effects OR = 1.244). These results suggest that anti-bullying programs reduce school-bullying perpetration by approximately 19–20% ad school-bullying victimization by approximately 15–16%. Effect sizes vary greatly across studies, with a significant heterogeneity between studies for both bullying perpetration bullying victimization outcomes. This is anticipated given the variability in a range of moderators, for example, methodological designs, type of program used, or place of implementation. Analyses suggest no publication bias for either meta-analysis.
Variability in effect sizes across different methodological designs is investigated. Primary studies employing age cohort designs (n = 14) provide the largest effects in reducing both bullying perpetration (OR = 1.474) and victimization (OR = 1.302). In relation to bullying victimization outcomes, before-after/experimental-control designs provide similar effects (OR = 1.225) to randomized controlled trials (OR = 1.21). Randomized controlled trials (OR = 1.244) are more effective in reducing bullying perpetration than before-after/experimental-control designs (OR = 1.187). In future, we aim to further explain differences across programs by correlating individual effect sizes with varying program components and varying methodological elements available across these 100 evaluations.
•This paper updates the results of one of the most recent comprehensive meta-analyses of anti-bullying programs.•The meta-analysis included 100 evaluations of school bullying intervention programs and 103 independent effect sizes.•The results suggest that anti-bullying programs effectively reduce school-bullying perpetration by approximately 19 – 20%.•The results suggest that anti-bullying programs effectively reduce school-bullying victimization by approximately 15 – 16%.•Further research is needed to explore which specific components of school-bullying intervention programs are effective.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Unprecedented numbers of children experience parental incarceration worldwide. Families and children of prisoners can experience multiple difficulties after parental incarceration, including ...traumatic separation, loneliness, stigma, confused explanations to children, unstable childcare arrangements, strained parenting, reduced income, and home, school, and neighborhood moves. Children of incarcerated parents often have multiple, stressful life events before parental incarceration. Theoretically, children with incarcerated parents may be at risk for a range of adverse behavioral outcomes. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on associations between parental incarceration and children's later antisocial behavior, mental health problems, drug use, and educational performance. Results from 40 studies (including 7,374 children with incarcerated parents and 37,325 comparison children in 50 samples) were pooled in a meta-analysis. The most rigorous studies showed that parental incarceration is associated with higher risk for children's antisocial behavior, but not for mental health problems, drug use, or poor educational performance. Studies that controlled for parental criminality or children's antisocial behavior before parental incarceration had a pooled effect size of OR = 1.4 (p < .01), corresponding to about 10% increased risk for antisocial behavior among children with incarcerated parents, compared with peers. Effect sizes did not decrease with number of covariates controlled. However, the methodological quality of many studies was poor. More rigorous tests of the causal effects of parental incarceration are needed, using randomized designs and prospective longitudinal studies. Criminal justice reforms and national support systems might be needed to prevent harmful consequences of parental incarceration for children.
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CEKLJ, FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PEFLJ, UPUK
This 2007 book examines several contentious and under-studied criminal career issues using one of the world's most important longitudinal studies, the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development ...(CSDD), a longitudinal study of 411 South London boys followed in criminal records to age 40. The analysis reported in the book explores issues related to prevalence, offending frequency, specialization, onset sequences, co-offending, chronicity, career length, and trajectory estimation. The results of the study are considered in the context of developmental/life-course theories, and the authors outline an agenda for criminal career research generally, and within the context of the CSDD specifically.
Abstract This article discusses conceptual issues and reviews knowledge about direct and buffering protective factors in the development of youth violence. Direct protective factors predict a low ...probability of violence, whereas buffering protective factors predict a low probability of violence in the presence of risk (and often interact with risk factors). Individual, family, school, peer, and neighborhood factors are reviewed. Heterogeneity of variables, measurement, contexts, study design, sample, and other characteristics limit generalizations. However, there were various evidence-based candidates for having a direct protective or buffering protective effect such as above-average intelligence, low impulsivity/easy temperament, enhanced anxiety, prosocial attitudes, high heart rate, close relationship to at least one parent, intensive parental supervision, medium SES of the family, sound academic achievement, strong school bonding, a positive school/class climate, nondeviant peers, and living in a nondeprived and nonviolent neighborhood. The probability of violence decreases as the number of protective factors increases (a dose–response relationship). Implications for future research and practice concern adequate research designs to detect nonlinear relationships; conceptually and methodologically homogeneous studies; differentiated analyses with regard to age, gender, and other characteristics; and greater integration of longitudinal correlational research with (quasi-)experimental intervention studies.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Conduct disorder (CD) and delinquency are behavioural problems involving violation of major rules, societal norms, and laws. The prevalence of CD and delinquency peaks in mid-to-late adolescence. ...Both show considerable continuity over time. The most important studies of CD and delinquency have prospective longitudinal designs, large community samples, repeated personal interviews, measures of many possible risk factors, and both self-reports and official measures of antisocial behaviour. The most important risk factors that predict CD and delinquency include impulsiveness, low IQ and low school achievement, poor parental supervision, punitive or erratic parental discipline, cold parental attitude, child physical abuse, parental conflict, disrupted families, antisocial parents, large family size, low family income, antisocial peers, high delinquency rate schools, and high crime neighbourhoods. However, for many risk factors, it is not known whether they have causal effects. Future research should examine changes in risk factors and changes in CD and delinquency to identify the risk factors that are causes and those that are merely markers of other risk mechanisms.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Bullying and cyberbullying are damaging aggressive behaviors in which some children and adolescents intentionally inflict frequent and long term harm on peers who become victimized. The number of ...studies on bullying is high and a lot of knowledge has already been gathered. Nevertheless, there are still many gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. Research on protective factors and effective interventions is still in its relatively early stages. This systematic review of meta-analyses on protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying was conducted to synthesize knowledge and discover the most important community, school, family, peer and individual protective factors. After systematic searches and the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 meta-analyses with 128 effect sizes were included and analyzed. Forest plots were constructed and median effect sizes were calculated for each group of protective factors. Self-oriented personal competencies were the strongest protector against victimization. Low frequency of technology use protected from involvement in cyberbullying. Good academic performance and other-oriented social competencies were the strongest protective factors against perpetration. Positive peer interaction was the strongest protective factor against being a bully/victim. These findings can be useful to improve anti-bullying programs, policy and practice.
•Bullying and cyberbullying are very damaging aggressive behaviors present in schools.•A systematic review of meta-analyses on protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying was conducted.•Forest plots were constructed and median effect sizes were calculated for different protective factors based on 128 overall effect sizes.•Community, school, family, peer and individual protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying were found.•Findings are useful to improve anti-bullying programs, policy, and practice.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Previous research has shown that many school-based anti-bullying programs are effective. A prior meta-analysis (Gaffney, Ttofi, & Farrington, 2019) found that intervention programs are effective in ...reducing school-bullying perpetration by approximately 19–20% and school-bullying victimization by approximately 15–16%. Using data from this prior meta-analysis, the aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between effectiveness estimates and specific elements of anti-bullying programs. Specific intervention components in line with a socio-ecological framework were coded as present or absent. Components were coded on the following levels: school, classroom, teacher, parent, peer, individual, and intervention. Meta-analytical subgroup comparisons analogous to ANOVA were computed to examine the relationship between the presence of specific components and the effectiveness in reducing bullying perpetration (n = 82) and victimization (n = 86). Results indicated that the presence of a number of intervention components (e.g., whole-school approach, anti-bullying policies, classroom rules, information for parents, informal peer involvement, and work with victims) were significantly associated with larger effect sizes for school-bullying perpetration outcomes. The presence of informal peer involvement and information for parents were associated with larger effect sizes for school-bullying victimization outcomes. Meta-regression analyses showed no significant relationship between effectiveness and the number of intervention components included in a program. The present report contributes to the understanding of 'what works' in reducing school-bullying perpetration and victimization. The impact of these findings on future anti-bullying research is discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs in schools. Studies were included if they evaluated the effects of an anti-bullying program ...by comparing an intervention group who received the program with a control group who did not. Four types of research design were included: a) randomized experiments, b) intervention-control comparisons with before-and-after measures of bullying, c) other intervention-control comparisons, and d) age-cohort designs. Both published and unpublished reports were included. All volumes of 35 journals from 1983 up to the end of May 2009 were hand-searched, as were 18 electronic databases. Reports in languages other than English were also included. A total of 622 reports concerned with bullying prevention were found, and 89 of these reports (describing 53 different program evaluations) were included in our review. Of the 53 different program evaluations, 44 provided data that permitted the calculation of an effect size for bullying or victimization. The meta-analysis of these 44 evaluations showed that, overall, school-based anti-bullying programs are effective: on average, bullying decreased by 20–23% and victimization decreased by 17–20%. Program elements and intervention components that were associated with a decrease in bullying and victimization were identified, based on feedback from researchers about the coding of 40 out of 44 programs. More intensive programs were more effective, as were programs including parent meetings, firm disciplinary methods, and improved playground supervision. Work with peers was associated with an increase in victimization. It is concluded that the time is ripe to mount a new program of research on the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs based on these findings.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This paper presents the results from a systematic and meta-analytical review of the effectiveness of cyberbullying intervention and prevention programs. Systematic searches were conducted for ...published and unpublished studies from 2000 to end 2017 on several online databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PsychINFO, PsychARTICLES, Google Scholar, DARE, and ERIC. In addition, specific journals, for example, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking and Computers in Human Behavior, were hand searched for relevant studies. In total, 192 studies were retained for further screening from nearly 4000 search results. To be included in the present systematic review, studies had to: (1) include an adequate operational definition of cyberbullying; (2) describe the evaluation of an intervention or prevention program implemented with school-aged participants; (3) Employ experimental and control conditions; (4) Measure cyber-bullying behaviors using quantitative measurement instruments; and (5) have been published from 2000 onwards.
Following rigorous screening, 24 publications were included in our systematic review. The majority of these studies (n = 15) used randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate anti-cyberbullying programs, while the remaining studies used quasi-experimental designs with before and after measures (n = 9). Within these 24 publications, 26 independent evaluations were reported. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize the results of primary evaluations of cyberbullying intervention programs. Our meta-analysis included 18 and 19 independent effect sizes for cyberbullying perpetration and cyberbullying victimization independently.
The results of our meta-analysis suggest that cyberbullying intervention programs are effective in reducing both cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. Our results indicate that anti-cyberbullying programs can reduce cyberbullying perpetration by approximately 10%–15% and cyberbullying victimization by approximately 14%. We also compared results between different methodological designs and models of meta-analysis. The effect sizes were greater for RCTs than for quasi-experimental designs.
Overall, the results of the present report address a significant gap in the cyberbullying literature, and suggest that intervention and prevention can be effective. However, future research needs to address the specific components of interventions that are effective, the effectiveness of prevention programs with non-school-aged samples, and the influence of overlapping offline and online victimization.
•This systematic review of cyberbullying intervention programs included 24 primary evaluation studies, identified in searches of online databases from 2000 to end December 2017.•Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of school-based anti-cyberbullying programs identified that programs effectively reduce both cyberbullying perpetration (OR = 1.233) and cyberbullying victimization (OR = 1.227) amongst school-aged participants.•Results suggest that in included studies the weighted mean ORs correspond to a reduction in cyberbullying perpetration of approximately 9–15% and a reduction in cyberbullying victimization of approximately 14–15%.•This article is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs in reducing cyberbullying perpetration and victimization.•Further research and investment is needed in this area, as cyberbullying becomes an increasing problem in modern society.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In developing the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), 40 items measuring affective and cognitive empathy were administered to 363 adolescents in Year 10 (aged about 15). Factor analysis reduced this to a ...20-item scale that was administered 1 year later to 357 different adolescents in Year 10 in the same schools. Confirmatory factor analysis verified the two-factor solution. Females scored higher than males on both affective and cognitive empathy. Empathy was positively correlated with intelligence (for females only), extraversion (cognitive empathy only) neuroticism (affective empathy only), agreeableness, conscientiousness (for males only), and openness. Empathy was positively related to parental supervision and socioeconomic status. Adolescents who would help victims of bullying had high empathy.
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FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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