A Novel Approach to Tackling Bullying in Schools: Personality-Targeted Intervention for Adolescent Victims and Bullies in Australia

Self-ratings and peer-ratings of bullying perpetrators: Intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that differentiate bully subgroups

Using a large sample of students (N = 1373; 40% girls; Mage = 14 years) from 54 classrooms in South Korea, this study identified subtypes of bullies based on specific combinations of self-reports and peer-reports and examined the intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that explain the differences in characteristics between these identified groups. Latent profile analysis identified four subgroups of bullies: (a) non-bullies (59.5%), (b) peer-identified bullies (21%), (c) self-identified bullies (9.8%), and (d) self/peer-identified bullies (9.7%). Multinomial logistic hierarchical analysis revealed significant differences between the bully subgroups on the four intrapersonal factors (i.e., anti-bullying attitudes, perception of teachers' reaction to bullying, delinquent behavior, and depression; odds ratios [OR] ranged from 0.24 to 3.13) and three of the four interpersonal factors (i.e., overestimated popularity, rejection, and victimization; ORs ranged from 0.39 to 2.26). More specifically, compared to the peer-identified bully group, the non-bully and self/peer-identified bully groups showed opposite patterns of anti-bullying attitudes, delinquent behavior, and peer status (ORs ranged from 0.46 to 3.13). Relative to the peer-identified bully group, the self-identified bully group was more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms and perceive themselves as being victimized, was less likely to endorse anti-bullying attitudes, and had a less positive perception of teacher's reaction to bullying (ORs ranged from 0.24 to 1.40). Gender differences emerged as well. Implications for optimizing the screening of bullying perpetrators and anti-bullying interventions are discussed.

Though Forced, Still Valid: Examining the Psychometric Performance of Forced-Choice Measurement of Personality in Children and Adolescents

Unveiling the roles personality plays during childhood and adolescence necessitates its accurate measurement, commonly using traditional Likert-type (LK) scales. However, this format is susceptible to various response biases, which can be particularly prevalent in children and adolescents, thus likely undermining measurement accuracy. Forced-choice (FC) scales appear to be a promising alternative because they are largely free from these biases by design. However, some argue that the FC format may not perform satisfactorily in children and adolescents due to its complexity. Little empirical evidence exists regarding the suitability of the FC format for children and adolescents. As such, the current study examined the psychometric performance of an FC measure of the Big Five personality factors in three children and adolescent samples: 5th to 6th graders (N = 428), 7th to 8th graders (N = 449), and 10th to 11th graders (N = 555). Across the three age groups, the FC scale demonstrated a better fit to the Big Five model and better discriminant validity in comparison to the LK counterpart. Personality scores from the FC scale also converged well with those from the LK scale and demonstrated high reliability as well as sizable criterion-related validity. Furthermore, the FC scale had more invariant statements than its LK counterpart across age groups. Overall, we found good evidence showing that FC measurement of personality is suitable for children and adolescents.

The long-term effectiveness of a personality-targeted substance use prevention program on aggression from adolescence to early adulthood

BACKGROUND

Addressing aggressive behavior in adolescence is a key step toward preventing violence and associated social and economic costs in adulthood. This study examined the secondary effects of the personality-targeted substance use preventive program Preventure on aggressive behavior from ages 13 to 20.

METHODS

In total, 339 young people from nine independent schools (M age = 13.03 years, s.d. = 0.47, range = 12-15) who rated highly on one of the four personality traits associated with increased substance use and other emotional/behavioral symptoms (i.e. impulsivity, anxiety sensitivity, sensation seeking, and negative thinking) were included in the analyses (n = 145 in Preventure, n = 194 in control). Self-report assessments were administered at baseline and follow-up (6 months, 1, 2, 3, 5.5, and 7 years). Overall aggression and subtypes of aggressive behaviors (proactive, reactive) were examined using multilevel mixed-effects analysis accounting for school-level clustering.

RESULTS

Across the 7-year follow-up period, the average yearly reduction in the frequency of aggressive behaviors (b = -0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.64 to -0.20; p < 0.001), reactive aggression (b = -0.22; 95% CI 0.35 to -0.10; p = 0.001), and proactive aggression (b = -0.14; 95% CI -0.23 to -0.05; p = 0.002) was greater for the Preventure group compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests a brief personality-targeted intervention may have long-term impacts on aggression among young people; however, this interpretation is limited by imbalance of sex ratios between study groups.

An Analysis of the Association between School Bullying Prevention and Control Measures and Secondary School Students' Bullying Behavior in Jiangsu Province

(1) Background: China released regulations on school bullying prevention and control in 2017; however, current research on school bullying in China focuses on exploring influencing factors and lacks empirical research on the effectiveness of anti-bullying policies in schools. The objective of this study was to use an empirical model to explore the association between bullying prevention and control measures and secondary school students' bullying victimization and multiple bullying victimization in Chinese schools. (2) Methods: Data were derived from the 2019 Surveillance of Common Diseases and Health Influencing Factors among Students in Jiangsu Province. The school's bullying prevention and control measures, which was the independent variable, were obtained in the form of a self-report questionnaire and consisted of five measures: the establishment of bullying governance committees, thematic education for students, thematic training for parents, special investigations on bullying, and a bullying disposal process. Bullying victimization and multiple bullying victimization, which was the dependent variable, were obtained through a modified version of the Olweus bullying victimization questionnaire. In order to better explain the differences in the results, this study constructed multilevel logistic regression models to test the association between school bullying prevention and control measures and the rates of bullying victimization and multiple bullying victimization among secondary school students at both the school level and the student level. Meanwhile, this study constructed five models based on the null model by sequentially incorporating demographic variables, physical and mental health variables, lifestyle variables, and bullying prevention and control measures in schools to verify this association. (3) Results: A total of 25,739 students were included in the analysis. The range of bullying victimization rates for students in the different secondary schools in this study was between 6.8% and 37.3%, and the range of multiple bullying victimization rates was between 0.9% and 14.8%. The establishment of bullying disposal procedures was strongly associated with a reduction in bullying victimization (OR = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.71-0.99, p < 0.05). Establishing bullying disposal procedures was not significantly associated with multiple bullying victimization rates (OR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.73-1.09, p > 0.05). The establishment of a bullying governance committee, thematic education for students, thematic training for parents, and special surveys on bullying were not significantly associated with bullying victimization rates or multiple bullying victimization rates (all p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Among the current bullying prevention and control measures for secondary school students in China, the establishment of a bullying disposal process was conducive to reducing the rate of bullying victimization, but it was ineffective in reducing the rate of multiple bullying victimization, and the other preventive and control measures did not achieve the purpose of anti-bullying in schools.

Pattern of lifestyle behaviors and associated risk of being bullied at schools: A latent class analysis of 25,379 adolescents in Jiangsu Province of China

School bullying is a worldwide problem. Although previous studies examined the association between different lifestyle behaviors and bullying victimization, the complex co-occurrence of these behaviors was not identified, and their association with the risk of being bullied remains unclear. We aimed to identify the behavioral patterns of adolescents and to explore their association with bullying victimization. This cross-sectional study employed data from the "Surveillance for Common Diseases and Health Risk Factors among Students" project implemented in Jiangsu Province of China in 2019, and a total of 25,379 school-enrolled students were included. We used a latent class analysis to identify behavioral patterns and a regression mixture model to explore various demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, and family structure in relation to bullying victimization across different patterns. We considered respondents having targeted behaviors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, sugar consumption, no fruit consumption, low physical activity, electronic media use, and insufficient sleep. Four behavioral patterns were identified, including the "adolescents without apparent targeted behaviors" (19.65%), "substance and electronic media users" (12.76%), "typical electronic media users" (54.49%), and "typical substance users" (8.10%). The risk of being bullied was the highest in the "substance and electronic media users" (probability: 0.33), tripled that in "adolescents without apparent targeted behaviors" (odds ratio: 3.60, 95% confidence interval: 3.01-4.30). Risk of being bullied was reduced for those "substance and electronic media users" living with a nuclear family. Behavioral patterns and their association with being bullied differ between groups of school-aged adolescents. To better inform decision-making based on the current real-world findings, the implementation of bullying prevention programs could target specific behavioral patterns.

Personality Science in the Digital Age: The Promises and Challenges of Psychological Targeting for Personalized Behavior-Change Interventions at Scale

With the rapidly growing availability of scalable psychological assessments, personality science holds great promise for the scientific study and applied use of customized behavior-change interventions. To facilitate this development, we propose a classification system that divides psychological targeting into two approaches that differ in the process by which interventions are designed: audience-to-content matching or content-to-audience matching. This system is both integrative and generative: It allows us to (a) integrate existing research on personalized interventions from different psychological subdisciplines (e.g., political, educational, organizational, consumer, and clinical and health psychology) and to (b) articulate open questions that generate promising new avenues for future research. Our objective is to infuse personality science into intervention research and encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations within and outside of psychology. To ensure the development of personality-customized interventions aligns with the broader interests of individuals (and society at large), we also address important ethical considerations for the use of psychological targeting (e.g., privacy, self-determination, and equity) and offer concrete guidelines for researchers and practitioners.

Research Review: Do antibullying interventions reduce internalizing symptoms? A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression exploring intervention components, moderators, and mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Effective antibullying interventions may reduce the impact of bullying on young people's mental health. Nevertheless, little is known about their effectiveness in reducing internalizing symptoms such as anxiety or depression, and what factors may influence intervention effects. The aim of this systematic review, meta-analysis, and metaregression is to assess the effects of school-based antibullying interventions on children's and adolescent's internalizing symptoms. The secondary aims are to explore potential moderators, intervention components, and reductions in bullying as mediators of intervention effects on internalizing symptoms.

METHODS

We searched nine databases: PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library, and performed an author search of included studies in English from January 1983 to April 2021. We included studies that evaluated school-based antibullying interventions using controlled designs and reporting on both bullying and internalizing outcomes. Random-effects and metaregression models were used to derive Hedges g values with pooled 95% CIs as estimates of effect size and to test associations between moderator variables and effect size estimates. Path analysis was used to test potential mediation using effect size measures of victimization, perpetration, and internalizing outcomes. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using Cochrane collaboration tools.

RESULTS

This review included 22 studies with 58,091 participants in the meta-analysis. Antibullying interventions had a very small effect in reducing overall internalizing symptoms (ES, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.0284 to 0.1005), anxiety (ES, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.011 to 0.158), and depression (ES, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.014 to 0.107) at postintervention. The reduction in internalizing symptoms did not vary significantly across geographic location, grade level, program duration, and intensity. The intervention component 'working with peers' was associated with a significant reduction, and 'using CBT techniques' was associated with a significant increase in internalizing outcomes. Bullying victimization and perpetration did not mediate the relationship between intervention condition and internalizing outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Antibullying interventions have a small impact on reducing internalizing symptoms. Ongoing development of antibullying interventions should address how best to maximize their impact on internalizing symptoms to safeguard young people from the damaging mental health outcomes of bullying.

Unpacking Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: The Relative Importance of Hazardous Alcohol Use

Young adulthood is an important developmental period for investigating the nature of violent behavior. This study examines the unique contribution of alcohol use to violence perpetration among young adults in the Australian community, after accounting for the influence of sociodemographic, early life, trait, and well-being influences. Cross-sectional, self-report data was collected from 507 young adults aged 18-20 years in the Australian general community via an online survey. Sequential logistic regressions examined the relative and independent contribution of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), impulsivity, psychological distress, and hazardous alcohol use to past-year violent behavior. Results show one in eight young adults aged 18-20 (13%) reported at least one act of violent behavior in the past year, primarily assault perpetrated against another person. Sequential logistic regression identified that after controlling for other risk factors, the number of ACEs reported and hazardous alcohol use were independently and positively associated with increased odds of reporting violent behavior in young adulthood. These findings demonstrate that ACEs and hazardous alcohol use are important, independent correlates of violent behavior in young adults. While preventing early adversity is key for reducing violence in the community, this evidence suggests that it is also important to target proximal causes such as hazardous alcohol use. Increasing early and widespread access to evidence-based, trauma-informed violence-prevention programs targeting risk factors across multiple settings is critical for reducing harm and supporting young people into healthy adulthood.

Selective personality‐targeted prevention of suicidal ideation in young adolescents: post hoc analysis of data collected in a cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective

Design

Setting, participants

Intervention

Main outcome measure

Results

Conclusion

Trial registration (CAP study only)

School Bullying: the Internal Issue and Means for Management

<p>This article provides an overview of national and foreign works on the problem of bullying, which is described as a complex phenomenon. It is a result of systemic pressure and growing intra-group tension on the one hand, and as an effect of victimization and use of violence &mdash; on the other. The complex structure of bullying makes high demands on anti-bullying programs. It should deal with systemic group features and students' personal characteristics. The text provides the analysis of short-term anti-bullying programs. An anti-bullying program plan is proposed, based on the KiVa program, taking into account the specifics of the education system in Russia.</p>

Bullying at school and mental health problems among adolescents: a repeated cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To examine recent trends in bullying and mental health problems among adolescents and the association between them.

METHOD

A questionnaire measuring mental health problems, bullying at school, socio-economic status, and the school environment was distributed to all secondary school students aged 15 (school-year 9) and 18 (school-year 11) in Stockholm during 2014, 2018, and 2020 (n = 32,722). Associations between bullying and mental health problems were assessed using logistic regression analyses adjusting for relevant demographic, socio-economic, and school-related factors.

RESULTS

The prevalence of bullying remained stable and was highest among girls in year 9; range = 4.9% to 16.9%. Mental health problems increased; range = + 1.2% (year 9 boys) to + 4.6% (year 11 girls) and were consistently higher among girls (17.2% in year 11, 2020). In adjusted models, having been bullied was detrimentally associated with mental health (OR = 2.57 [2.24-2.96]). Reports of mental health problems were four times higher among boys who had been bullied compared to those not bullied. The corresponding figure for girls was 2.4 times higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to bullying at school was associated with higher odds of mental health problems. Boys appear to be more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of bullying than girls.

Suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 54 studies

COVID-19, and efforts to mitigate its spread, are creating extensive mental health problems. Experts have speculated the mental, economic, behavioral, and psychosocial problems linked to the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to a rise in suicide behavior. However, a quantitative synthesis is needed to reach an overall conclusion regarding the pandemic-suicide link. In the most comprehensive test of the COVID-19-suicidality link to date, we meta-analyzed data from 308,596 participants across 54 studies. Our results suggested increased event rates for suicide ideation (10.81%), suicide attempts (4.68%), and self-harm (9.63%) during the COVID-19 pandemic when considered against event rates from pre-pandemic studies. Moderation analysis indicated younger people, women, and individuals from democratic countries are most susceptible to suicide ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers and helping professionals are advised that suicide behaviors are alarmingly common during the COVID-19 pandemic and vary based upon age, gender, and geopolitics. Strong protections from governments (e.g., implementing best practices in suicide prevention) are urgently needed to reduce suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cognitive-Behavioral Skills Building to Alleviate the Mental Health Effects of Bullying Victimization in Youth

Bullying is a long-standing problem with relatively few intervention options for individual youth who have experienced it and have adverse mental health concerns. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are major consequences of bullying victimization. Although few evidence-based interventions have been put forth to address bullying victimization at the individual level, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and cognitive-behavioral skills building (CBSB) have been well researched for mental health concerns in youth. The purpose of the current article is to examine the theoretical framework of cognitive theory for individuals who have experienced bullying. Previous work that has addressed CBT for bullying interventions is described. Specific examples of how CBSB components could be applied to a bullying intervention program for youth are discussed. Ultimately, providing a theoretical framework to address this public health concern sets the stage for future intervention research. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(5), 15-20.].

The school-led Preventure study: Protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial of effectiveness to prevent adolescent alcohol misuse, internalising problems, and externalising problems through a personality-targeted intervention delivered by school staff

Mental disorders and problematic alcohol use are common, co-occurring and cause significant harm to individuals and society. It is critical to intervene early to prevent chronic and debilitating trajectories. Existing prevention programs among adolescents are limited in effectiveness and implementation. This Australian-first study will examine the effectiveness and feasibility of a personality-targeted program called Preventure, in preventing the onset or escalation of alcohol use, internalising problems and externalising problems among young Australians, when delivered by school staff. A cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of effectiveness will be conducted from 2020 to 2022 with 12 schools in Sydney, Australia, with students aged 13 years at baseline. Schools will be randomly allocated to the Preventure intervention or a control condition who will receive their usual Health Education curriculum. Schools allocated to the intervention will deliver Preventure to students scoring one standard deviation above the population mean on one of four personality traits. Preventure consists of two 90-minute group sessions that incorporate cognitive-behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing to promote coping skills. Students will be invited to complete surveys at baseline, 6- and 12-months following the intervention. Primary outcomes include student alcohol use, internalising problems, and externalising problems. Implementation fidelity, feasibility and acceptability will also be examined through surveys with school staff and students. Ethical approval has been obtained from the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee, and the State Education Research Applications Process for research in public schools in NSW. This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620000790943).

Childhood maltreatment with school bullying behaviors in Chinese adolescents: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Although childhood maltreatment and school bullying are common among Chinese adolescents, their possible connection remains severely under-discussed in this population. This study primarily aims to explore the association between childhood maltreatment experience and school bullying behaviors in a large sample of Chinese teenagers.

METHOD

A school-based sampling survey was implemented with 2579 adolescents in southwest China. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect relevant information form the participants. Binary Logistic regression models were adopted to estimate the crude and adjusted associations between childhood maltreatment experience and school bullying involvement in general, as well as between different types of child maltreatment and school bullying.

RESULTS

Multivariate Logistic regression models revealed that, for adolescents who had experienced any type of childhood maltreatment, their risk of implicating into school bullying significantly increased (OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.41-2.16). Further analysis revealed that, for all types of childhood maltreatment and school bullying, only child abuse showed prominent association with bullying victimization: adolescents who reported a history of sexual abuse and emotional abuse were found 4.31 (95% CI: 2.79-6.68) and 2.11 (95% CI: 1.32-3.39) folds of odds for bullying victimization. However, the dose-response association was not apparent between the severity of child abuse and bullying victimization based on subgroup analysis of abused participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment, especially sexual abuse and emotional abuse, were significantly associated with increased risk of school bullying victimization among Chinese adolescents. Targeted intervention measures should be designed and implemented to protect the abused adolescents from being bullied at school.

Editors' Best of 2020

There is, in the content of the Journal, an embarrassment of riches, and picking a "best" seems to demand a certain qualification: is the "best" the most interesting, most surprising, most educational, most important, most provocative, most enjoyable? How to choose? We are hardly unbiased and can admit to a special affection for the ones that we and the authors worked hardest on, hammering version after version into shape. Acknowledging these biases, here are the 2020 articles that we think deserve your attention, or at least a second read.

Victims, bullies and bully-victims: prevalence and association with negative health outcomes from a cross-sectional study in São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of self-reported bullying as victims, bullies or bully-victims among 9th grade adolescents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil; to investigate association between bullying with negative health outcomes.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were obtained in 2017 from a sample of Brazilian adolescents (n = 2680) using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression were employed to assess in which extent the experience of bullying in position of victim, bully or bully-victim affects adolescents' health.

RESULTS

Prevalence of bullying victimization was 18.3%, while victimization/perpetration and perpetration corresponded to 10.42% and 4.9%, respectively. Adolescents who experienced bullying victimization were more likely to present high levels of internalizing symptoms, to report self-harm, to present negative self-rated health and to use tobacco, when compared with those not involved. Bullies were more likely to use alcohol and to binge drinking. bully-victims presented a higher prevalence of all health outcomes, except for tobacco use.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the effect of bullying in adolescents' health, regardless of the position. Planned intersectoral efforts between parents, health and education systems to prevent bullying could therefore reduce negative health outcomes during adolescence.

Editorial: Selective Prevention in Anti-Bullying Programs: Could Targeting Personality Be the Answer?

Bullying is increasingly being viewed as a major public mental health problem; children and adolescents who are victims of bullying are at increased risk for negative psychological, social, and educational outcomes.¹ Children who bully others may also be at risk; as a group, they show higher levels of substance abuse, antisocial behavioral problems, and criminal offending when compared to children who do not bully others.^2,3 Yet bullying is tractable; systematic reviews provide evidence that complex, whole-school interventions are effective at reducing victimization and bullying.⁴ Although whole-school anti-bullying interventions have reported reductions in overall prevalence of bullying perpetration and victimization, it has been noted that some vulnerable children continue to be bullied. Of particular concern is the finding that such children may experience even greater levels of internalizing symptoms as overall rates of bullying and victimization decline-the so called "healthy context paradox." For example, in a study of 10- to 12-year-olds, children who were bullied suffered from lower self-esteem than their non-bullied peers and had even lower self-esteem in classrooms that had lower levels of peer-reported bullying victimization.⁵ Similarly, adolescents who reported higher rates of victimization experienced somatic problems more often when they were in classrooms with lower overall levels of self-reported victimization.⁶ Analyses from randomized controlled trial data from the Dutch implementation of the KiVa anti-bullying program similarly revealed that-despite the overall success of the intervention-those who remained or became victimized in intervention schools had more depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem after 1 year, compared to those who remained or became victimized in control schools.⁷ These early findings have led to calls for more targeted prevention programs designed specifically to support the most vulnerable children and adolescents.

Belief patterns and drug use in a sample of Brazilian youth: an exploratory latent class analysis

Objective:

Adolescent substance abuse is a public health concern worldwide, and its prevention is the subject of numerous programmatic efforts. Yet, little research exists on the structure of drug-related belief patterns in youth and their utility in preventive program planning. The aim of this study is to determine the structure of drug-related beliefs among 12-15-year-old students in Brazil using latent class analysis.

Methods:

De-identified survey data were obtained from the baseline sample (n=6,176) of a randomized controlled trial on the #Tamojunto drug use prevention program in Brazilian middle schools. Using 11 survey items assessing drug-related beliefs as indicators, four models were run and assessed for goodness-of-fit. For the best fitting model, demographic variables and substance use across latent classes were assessed.

Results:

Model fit statistics indicated that the best fit was a three-class solution, comprising a large Drug-Averse Beliefs class (80.9%), a smaller Permissive Beliefs class (12.7%), and an Inconsistent Beliefs class (6.4%). Respondents in the Permissive Beliefs and Inconsistent Beliefs classes reported greater past-year drug use, were slightly older and less likely to be female than those in the Drug-Averse Beliefs class.

Conclusions:

These results indicate that conceptualizing drug beliefs as a categorical latent variable may be useful for informing prevention. Longitudinal studies are needed to establish temporality and assess further applicability of this construct.