The Effectiveness of a Self-Regulation-Based Anti-Bullying Program for Middle School Students

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a self-regulation-based anti-bullying program on middle school students' self-regulation skills and peer bullying behaviors. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. The study group consisted of 24 students attending a middle school, and the students were divided into an experimental (n=12) and a control (n=12) group. The Adolescent Self-Regulation Skills Scale and the Peer Bullying Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. Data were collected at three different times: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the data. The research results showed that students who participated in the self-regulation-based anti-bullying program had significantly higher self-regulation success (Z=-3.26, r=.66) and total self-regulation scores (Z=-2.62, r=.53) than the control group. Additionally, a significant decrease in physical bullying (Z =-2.37, r=.48), rumor-spreading (Z=-2.91, r=.49), and total bullying scores (Z=-2.37, r=.48) was observed in favor of the experimental group. In contrast, no significant differences were found in the subdimensions of verbal bullying, exclusion, and property damage. Follow-up test results indicate that the effects of the program were largely maintained at the final assessment. The findings suggest that programs aimed at developing self-regulation skills may contribute to reducing certain bullying behaviors among students. However, as significant differences were not observed across all bullying subdimensions, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, the results highlight the potential importance of interventions focusing on the development of self-regulation skills within school-based bullying prevention efforts.