Keywords:
Cyberbullying, Whole-school intervention, Peer leadership, Students, Parents, Teachers, Randomized controlled trial
Abstract:
This chapter describes a whole-school cyberbullying intervention developed and evaluated in Western Australia with secondary school students aged 13–18 years old. The Cyber-Friendly Schools (CFS) program has three components, designed for the whole-school community, students, and) parents. Each component provides teaching and learning resources, access to an online website resource, and training. The program also involves the recruitment and training of students to act as “cyber leaders” for their school community. In a randomized controlled trial, over 3000 Grade 8 students received the intervention and were tracked for 2 years. The intervention reduced the likelihood of new cases of cybervictimization and cyberperpetration by Grade 9, but these declines did not persist in the following year. School staff struggled to find time to fit the intervention into their usual teaching program, which may have attenuated the intervention’s effectiveness. Schools need support and training to implement evidence-based whole-school strategies and engage with student leaders to prevent and address cyberbullying.