Cooperative learning and PREBULLPE programme: Two bullying prevention interventions in physical education

Background: School bullying is a social problem that is receiving increasing scientific attention, with physical education (PE) emerging as a domain in which to address perpetration and victimisation. Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the Prevention of Bullying in Physical Education (PREBULLPE) programme, and cooperative learning, in reducing bullying perpetration and victimisation over the course of six PE classes. Design and setting: A total of 293 students aged 11–16 participated in the study, assigned to two experimental groups: the first with a focus on cooperative learning ( n = 92), and the second which participated in the PREBULLPE programme ( n = 115). The study also included a control group ( n = 86). Method: The Spanish language version of the European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (EBIPQ) was used to measure school bullying. Potential differences between the groups were assessed using paired-samples t -test. In addition, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with adjusted marginal means using Bonferroni correction was conducted, with baseline, gender, school attended and age as covariates. Results: Findings revealed a decrease in perpetration in the PREBULLPE group compared to the control group at post-test ( F = 4.086; p = .044; η p 2 = .022), although no differences were observed in victimisation. Regarding gender, girls in the PREBULLPE group exhibited a significant reduction in perpetration ( F = 5.616; p = .005; η p 2 = .076) compared to the control and the cooperative learning groups. However, all group differences dissipated after the 13-week intervention. Conclusion: PREBULLPE proved efficacious in reducing perpetration, especially in girls, although these effects diminished in the medium term. Cooperative learning did not produce significant reductions compared to the control group in any of the assessed variables.