A Peer-Led School-Based Intervention for Safer Internet Use Among Primary School Students: A Controlled Pre–Post Study

Introduction Increasing evidence links problematic internet use and excessive digital engagement with psychosocial vulnerability among youth. While adolescent populations have been extensively studied, preventive interventions targeting late childhood remain limited. This study examined changes in adolescents’ internet-related behaviors - social networking time, device use frequency, gaming, and compulsive internet use (10-item Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS-10)) - associated with participation in a school-based intervention. Methods A controlled pre-post design was implemented among 235 fifth- and sixth-grade students (intervention group n = 125; control group n = 110). Twelve peer leaders were selected through voluntary participation and multi-criteria assessment and received structured training in digital literacy and peer facilitation. Behavioral indicators of internet use were assessed at baseline and two months after intervention. Normality of continuous variables was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Descriptive statistics included means, standard deviations (SD), frequencies (N), and percentages (%), according to the type of variable. Between-group comparisons were performed using Mann-Whitney U (continuous variables), Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests (categorical variables), and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (pre-post comparisons groups). Results No baseline differences were observed between groups. Post-intervention analyses demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the intervention group in daily social networking time, device use frequency, online interaction behaviors, and gaming activities (p < .001; small to moderate effect sizes). No comparable pattern was observed in the control group. Conclusions Structured peer-led interventions may represent a feasible early preventive approach for promoting healthier digital engagement patterns in primary school settings.