Citation

Jiménez-Barbero JA, Ruiz-Hernández JA, Llor-Esteban B, Llor-Zaragoza L, Pérez García M. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2013; 35(9): 1313-1318.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.05.010

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

There is growing interest in the phenomenon of school violence, which has been associated in diverse works with youth's attitudes towards violence, and it has been the focus of many intervention programs. However, the high human and economic cost entailed can impede its administration in some school centers. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to assess the efficacy of a brief intervention aimed at modifying attitudes towards violence to reduce the phenomenon of school bullying. The sample was obtained from a Secondary Education Institute during the 2010-2011 school term, and was made up of 252 students aged between 12 and 15 years. A controlled and randomized design was used in order to assess the effects of the program "Count on Me." Ten classrooms were randomly assigned either to the intervention or to a waiting-list.

RESULTS show a significant reduction of playground violence perceived by the students, especially among the girls. Implications for the development of future brief programs for the prevention of school violence are discussed.