A meta-analysis of the effect of school-based anti-bullying programs

Sunhee Lee, Chun Ja Kim, Dong Hee Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

96 Scopus citations

Abstract

Bullying is a serious public health problem, and many studies have examined the effect of school-based anti-bullying programs. However, these programs and those outcomes are complex, broad, and diverse. Research is needed into the optimal strategies for these comprehensive programs, which consider both the effectiveness and cost of programs. We performed a meta-analysis of 13 studies using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software package to calculate effect size (ES) and the Q statistic. We conducted subgroup analyses to examine the differences based on student grade level, program duration, and program strategy. The pooled ES calculation indicated that school-based anti-bullying programs have a small to moderate effect on victimization. The results of the Q test indicated significant heterogeneity across studies of victimization (Q = 39.625; I2 = 69.7%; p < .001). Studies involving training in emotional control (p < .01), peer counseling (p < .05), or the establishment of a school policy on bullying (p < .05) showed significantly larger ESs on victimization than did studies that did not involve these strategies. Effective school-based anti-bullying programs should include training in emotional control, peer counseling, and the establishment of a school policy on bullying.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)136-153
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Child Health Care
Volume19
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 Jun 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2012R1A1A2006819).

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2013.

Keywords

  • Bullying
  • meta-analysis
  • program

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