Antibullying programs in schools: how effective are evaluation practices?

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Public Health Interventions
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Bullying poses significant risks to students' social, psychological, and academic development globally.
• Existing antibullying programs show inconsistent effectiveness, necessitating rigorous evaluation.
• Accountability standards exist for social programs, but their application in antibullying evaluations is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically assess the methodological rigor of recent peer-reviewed antibullying program evaluations.
• To identify common shortcomings in the design and execution of these evaluations.
• To provide recommendations for improving future research quality.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of 31 peer-reviewed antibullying program evaluations published within the last decade.
• Coding of study characteristics to assess methodological rigor.
• Identification of specific limitations in evaluation designs and analyses.

Main Results:

• Many recent antibullying program evaluations exhibit significant methodological shortcomings.
• Common issues include inadequate study designs, inappropriate time intervals, and insufficient analytical methods.
• Lack of systematic verification of program integrity and dosage data was also noted.

Conclusions:

• Improving the rigor of antibullying program evaluations is essential for determining effective interventions.
• Researchers should adopt stronger designs, such as control conditions and random assignment.
• Enhanced analytical techniques and systematic verification of program implementation are recommended for future studies.