Bullying Victimisation Clinical Trial
Official title:
Using a Virtual Learning Environment to Reduce Bullying: Evaluation of the FearNot!v.2.0 Intervention in Primary Schools in England and Germany
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual learning treatment in reducing bullying among primary school children in the UK and Germany.
In this study, a virtual learning environment application called FearNot!v.2.0 will be
evaluated as a way to improve the quality of life in schools by altering children's
attitudes and behavior towards bullying.
Participants will be assigned to either the intervention or the control group. The intention
was to assign randomly, however, only a minority of primary schools have the computer
facilities to run the software with all pupils participating. Thus, assignment is based on
the school computer compatibility with the FearNot!v.2.0 software for intervention versus
control group controlling for social variables. Participants in the intervention group will
interact with the software during 30-minute sessions once a week for a total of 3 weeks
while participants in the control group will follow the normal curriculum.
The FearNot! narrative comprises a number of emergent episodes, which play out like an
improvisational drama. During each of these emergent episodes, the characters will act out
their roles resulting in a dramatic movie-like display on the computer's monitor. In between
each of these episodes, the child can interact with the victim character. He/she can learn
how the character feels, and offer them coping strategy advice as to how to behave in the
following episode.
Outcomes will be assessed through student questionnaires at baseline, one week, and four
weeks after treatment. In addition, classroom teachers will be asked to complete the Teacher
Incidence of Bullying Scale at baseline and 4 weeks after the treatment.
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Allocation: Non-Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment