Bullying Victimization, Peer Bullying, Psychological Resilience
Conditions
Keywords
Psychological resilience, Peer bullying, Bullying awareness, School-based intervention, Psychoeducation
Brief summary
This study evaluated whether a school-based psychoeducational program could improve psychological resilience and reduce bullying victimization among high school students in Hatay, Türkiye, following the 2023 earthquake. The intervention consisted of a 10-week psychological resilience program followed by a 5-week peer bullying awareness program delivered in weekly group sessions. A single-group pretest-posttest mixed-methods design was used. Psychological resilience and bullying victimization were assessed before the intervention and three months after program completion using validated self-report scales. Qualitative data were also collected to explore students' experiences and perceived benefits of the program.
Detailed description
Adolescents living in disaster-affected regions may experience increased psychological distress, reduced resilience, and greater vulnerability to peer bullying. School-based psychoeducational interventions may strengthen coping skills, improve emotional regulation, and promote healthier peer relationships. This study was conducted in Hatay, Türkiye, following the February 2023 earthquakes to examine changes in psychological resilience and bullying victimization after participation in a structured psychoeducational intervention. The study used a single-group pretest-posttest mixed-methods design. High school students participated in a 15-week intervention consisting of two sequential components. The first component was a 10-week psychological resilience program designed to improve self-awareness, emotional regulation, coping skills, self-efficacy, goal setting, and social support. The second component was a 5-week peer bullying awareness program developed by the Ministry of National Education with educational support from UNICEF, focusing on recognizing bullying, empathy, bystander intervention, and prevention strategies. Quantitative outcomes were measured using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-12 (CYRM-12) and the Child-Adolescent Bullying Scale-9 Short Form (CABS-9). Assessments were performed before the intervention and three months after completion of the program. Qualitative data were collected using open-ended written questions to explore participants' perceptions of the intervention and its effects. The primary objective was to evaluate changes in psychological resilience and bullying victimization following participation in the program. Secondary objectives included exploring students' experiences of the intervention and identifying perceived changes in personal development, peer relationships, and school climate.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPsychological Resilience Program
The Psychological Resilience Program was a structured, school-based psychoeducational intervention delivered in weekly group sessions over 10 consecutive weeks. The program was designed to strengthen adolescents' psychological resilience following the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. The curriculum included activities aimed at improving self-awareness, emotional awareness and regulation, stress management, problem-solving, coping strategies, communication skills, self-efficacy, goal setting, optimism, social support, and adaptive responses to challenging life events. Sessions were conducted using interactive methods, including group discussions, experiential activities, role-playing, reflection exercises, and practical skill-building tasks. The intervention was delivered by trained professionals according to a standardized program protocol.
BEHAVIORALPeer Bullying Awareness Program
The Peer Bullying Awareness Program was delivered immediately after completion of the resilience program and consisted of five weekly school-based group sessions. The program was developed by the Turkish Ministry of National Education with educational support from UNICEF and was designed to increase awareness of peer bullying and promote healthy peer relationships. Session topics included the definition and types of bullying, recognition of bullying behaviors, empathy development, emotional awareness, effective communication, bystander responsibilities, conflict resolution, reporting mechanisms, and strategies for preventing bullying in school settings. Interactive discussions, scenario-based learning, group activities, and reflective exercises were used to encourage active participation and application of the concepts in everyday school life.
Sponsors
Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi Gulhane Tip Fakultesi
Mustafa Kemal University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
A single-group pretest-posttest mixed-methods design was used. A total of 101 students participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-12 (CYRM-12) and the Child-Adolescent Bullying Scale-9 Short Form (CABS-9). Written qualitative responses collected after the program were analyzed using content analysis. Nonparametric tests were used for quantitative comparisons.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
14 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
\*\*Inclusion Criteria:\*\* * Students enrolled in grades 9, 10, or 11 at the participating high school in Hatay, Türkiye. * Aged between 14 and 18 years. * Able to understand and complete the study questionnaires. * Willing to participate in the school-based intervention. * Written informed consent obtained from parents or legal guardians, and assent obtained from the student where applicable. \*\*
Exclusion criteria
\*\* * Students who did not provide informed consent or whose parents/legal guardians did not provide consent. * Students who were absent from the majority of intervention sessions. * Students who did not complete both the baseline and follow-up assessments. * Students who withdrew from the study at any time during the intervention period.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological Resilience | Baseline and 3 months after completion of the intervention. | Psychological resilience will be assessed using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-12 (CYRM-12), a validated self-report instrument that evaluates individual, relational, and contextual resilience resources among adolescents. The total CYRM-12 score will be used to determine changes in participants' resilience following the intervention. Higher scores indicate greater psychological resilience and adaptive coping capacity. |
| Peer Bullying victimization | Baseline and 3 months after completion of the intervention. | Peer bullying victimization will be assessed using the Child-Adolescent Bullying Scale-9 Short Form (CABS-9), a validated self-report instrument that measures the frequency and severity of bullying experiences among adolescents. Total CABS-9 scores will be compared before and after the intervention to evaluate changes in peer bullying victimization. Lower scores indicate reduced exposure to peer bullying and improved school social experiences. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Participants' Experiences of the Intervention | 3 months after completion of the intervention. | Participants' experiences and perceptions of the intervention will be explored using open-ended qualitative questions administered three months after completion of the program. Responses will be analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify perceived changes in psychological resilience, coping strategies, emotional well-being, peer relationships, bullying awareness, and the overall usefulness of the intervention. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed