Takuya Yanagida

Prevention of Cyberbullying and Cyber Victimization: Evaluation of the ViSC Social Competence Program

It is well-documented that cyberbullying and victimization co-occur with traditional forms indicating that they share similar mechanisms. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the general antibullying program ViSC might also be effective in tackling these new forms of bullying. A longitudinal randomized control group design has been applied to examine the program effectiveness in 18 schools. In total, 2,042 students in Grades 5 to 7 (47.3% girls) aged 11.7 (SD = 0.9) attending 105 classes participated in the study. Utilizing a multiple group bivariate latent change score model controlling for traditional aggression, traditional victimization, and age, results demonstrate program effectiveness for cyberbullying (latent d = 0.39) and cyber victimization (latent d = 0.29) indicating that these behaviors reflect a systemic (school) problem.

Effectiveness and sustainability of the ViSC Social Competence Program to prevent cyberbullying and cyber‐victimization: Class and individual level moderators

We investigated whether the general anti-bullying program ViSC sustainably prevents cyberbullying and cyber-victimization. A longitudinal randomized control group design was used to examine (i) program effectiveness immediately after a 1 year implementation phase and (ii) sustainable program effects 6 months later taking several moderators on the class level (class climate and ethnic diversity) and on the individual level (gender, age, internet usage, traditional bullying/victimization) into account. Effectiveness (e.g., the change between waves 2 and 1) was examined in 2,042 students (47.6% girls), aged 11.7 years (SD = 0.88) enrolled in 18 schools and 103 classes. Sustainability (e.g., the change between waves 3 and 2) was examined in a sub-sample of 6 schools and 35 classes comprising 659 students. The self-assessment multiple-item scales showed longitudinal and multiple group invariance. Factor scores were extracted to compute difference scores for effectiveness (Posttest minus Pretest) and sustainability (Follow-up test minus Posttest) for cyberbullying and cyber-victimization. Multilevel Modeling was applied to examine (i) the effectiveness and (ii) the sustainability of the ViSC intervention controlling for several individual and class level variables. Controlling for covariates, it was demonstrated that the ViSC program is effective in preventing cyberbullying and cyber-victimization and that the effects are sustainable after 6 months. The consequences for cyberbullying prevention are discussed.

Bullying prevention in schools by targeting cognitions, emotions, and behavior: evaluating the effectiveness of the REBE-ViSC Program

The effectiveness of a class-based antibullying prevention program on cognitions, emotions, and behaviors was investigated. The program consists of a cognitive-behavioral (Rational Emotive Behavioral Education; REBE) and a behavioral (Viennese Social Competence; ViSC) component. The REBE program is based on rational emotive behavioral theory and contains 9 student lessons. The ViSC program is based on social learning theory and comprises 10 student lessons. The order of the programs was experimentally manipulated. The REBE-ViSC program was implemented in 5 schools (14 classes), the ViSC-REBE program was implemented in 3 schools (9 classes), and 3 schools (11 classes) served as an untreated control group. Data were collected during 1 school year at pretest, midpoint, and posttest. Emotions (overt and internalizing anger), cognitions (learning and entitlement), and behaviors (bullying perpetration and bullying victimization) were measured with self-assessments. To examine the effectiveness of the REBE-ViSC/ViSC-REBE program, multilevel growth models were applied (time points at Level 1, individuals at Level 2, and classes at Level 3). The analyses revealed that the program effects differed depending on the order of the programs. The REBE-ViSC condition was more effective in changing negative emotions than the ViSC-REBE condition; both experimental conditions were effective in reducing dysfunctional cognitions, whereas no behavioral change was found in the 2 experimental groups when compared with the control group. To improve program effectiveness regarding behavioral changes, a multilevel whole-school approach including a teacher component is recommended.

The implementation and evaluation of the ViSC program in Cyprus: challenges of cross-national dissemination and evaluation results

Abstract The ViSC program is a socio-ecological anti-bullying program that has been developed, implemented and rigorously evaluated in Austria. The main goals of the present study were (1) to implement the ViSC program with high fidelity in Cyprus and (2) to investigate the program effectiveness within a quasi-experimental longitudinal study. To tackle bullying on different levels in the educational system, a cascaded train-the-trainer model has been realized. Nine permanent staff members of the Cypriot Ministry of Education were trained as multipliers by researchers. These multipliers trained teachers in three Cypriot schools and teachers trained their students. To investigate the effectiveness of the program, data from students of three intervention and three control schools was collected via self-assessments at pre-test (October–November 2012), post-test (April–May 2013) and follow-up (March–April 2014). In total, 1752 grade 7 and 8 students (602 intervention, 1150 control group) with a mean age of 12.6 (SD = .60) at pre-test, nested in 82 classes and 6 schools participated. To investigate the program effectiveness regarding the reduction of victimization and aggressive behavior, multilevel growth models were applied (time points at level 1, individuals at level 2, and classes at level 3). The analyses revealed that the program effects differed depending on the grade level of the students. Overall, the program was more effective for grade 7 compared with grade 8 students. In grade 8, bullying and victimization increased more in the intervention group compared with the control group at time 2, but also steeper decreased at time 3 indicating a sensitizing effect of the program.

A new approach for testing the Rasch model

Though calibration of an achievement test within psychological and educational context is very often carried out by the Rasch model, data sampling is hardly designed according to statistical foundations. However, Kubinger, Rasch, and Yanagida (2009) recently suggested an approach for the determination of sample size according to a given Type I and Type II risk, and a certain effect of model misfit when testing the Rasch model is supported by some new results. The approach uses a three-way analysis of variance design with mixed classification. There is a (fixed) group factor A, a (random) factor B of testees within A, and a (fixed) factor C of items cross-classified with . The simulation study in this article deals with further item parameter ranges and ability parameter distributions, and with larger sample sizes and item numbers than the original paper. The results are: The approach works given several restrictions, and its main aim, the determination of the sample size, is attained.

Dynamic Change of Aggressive Behavior and Victimization Among Adolescents: Effectiveness of the ViSC Program.

The present study reports a high-quality evaluation of the ViSC Social Competence Program, which was implemented large scale in Austria. A rigorous test of program effectiveness has been performed to investigate the dynamic change of aggressive behavior and victimization and to ensure a high level of statistical conclusion validity. A cluster randomized control study was applied to examine program effectiveness regarding aggressive behavior and victimization. In sum, 1,377 adolescents (48.5% girls, Mage = 11.7) enrolled in 13 schools participated in the program; 665 adolescents (45.2% girls, Mage = 11.6) enrolled in 5 schools were in the control group. Data were collected with Internet-based questionnaires at pre- and posttest with several validated scales to capture the full range of the two constructs. To ensure construct validity, a series of invariance tests of the second-order factor models were performed. To test program effectiveness, a multiple group bivariate latent change score model was applied. Evidence for a dynamic change of aggressive behavior and victimization was found. As predicted, the pretest levels and the change scores of aggressive behavior and victimization were associated. Moreover, higher levels of pretest values predicted more change. The program was effective in reducing victimization but not aggressive behavior. Gender did not moderate the results. Results are important for national rollout and cross-national dissemination of the program. However, further research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the intervention effects.

Cross-National Prevalence of Traditional Bullying, Traditional Victimization, Cyberbullying and Cyber-Victimization: Comparing Single-Item and Multiple-Item Approaches of Measurement

Many large-scale cross-national studies rely on a single-item measurement when comparing prevalence rates of traditional bullying, traditional victimization, cyberbullying, and cyber-victimization between countries. However, the reliability and validity of single-item measurement approaches are highly problematic and might be biased. Data from three countries were used as an example case to compare the singleand multiple-item approaches from a substantial and a statistical point of view. The sample comprised 671 Austrian (46.3% girls), 691 Cypriot (45.9% girls), and 604 Romanian (46.7% girls) 12 year old students. Data were collected via self-assessments with single and multiple-items. Because scalar measurement invariance could be established for the multiple-item measurement approaches, latent means between the three countries were compared. Substantial results of the singleand multiple-item approach did not differ for traditional bullying and traditional victimization, but differed for cyberbullying and cyber-victimization. As a consequence, we suggest using carefully validated multiple-item scales for cross-national comparisons.

Differences in Severity and Emotions for Public and Private Face-to-Face and Cyber Victimization Across Six Countries:

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of medium (face-to-face, cyber) and publicity (public, private) in perceptions of severity and emotional responses to victimization among adolescents from China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, and the United States, while controlling for gender, individualism, and collectivism. There were 3,432 adolescents (age range = 11-15 years, 49% girls) included in this study. They read four hypothetical victimization scenarios, which were manipulated based on the medium and publicity, including public face-to-face victimization, private face-to-face victimization, public cyber victimization, and private cyber victimization. After reading the scenarios, adolescents rated the severity of each scenario and their feelings of anger, sadness, and embarrassment following victimization. Overall, higher severity related to each of the emotional responses. Furthermore, greater perceptions of severity increased adolescents’ feelings of anger, sadness, and embarrassment more often for public victimization and face-to-face victimization than for private victimization and cyber victimization. Some variations were found in these associations based on country of origin. The findings from this study indicate that perceived severity and emotional responses are different in various victimization contexts. Therefore, it is important to consider various victimization contexts.

Differences in Coping Strategies for Public and Private Face-to-Face and Cyber Victimization among Adolescents in Six Countries

The aim of this study was to examine the role of publicity (private versus public) and medium (face-to-face versus cyber) in adolescents’ coping strategies for hypothetical victimization, while also considering culture. Participants were adolescents from China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, and the United States. The study also controlled for adolescents’ gender, individualism, and collectivism. Adolescents completed questionnaires on the hypothetical coping strategies that they would use for four scenarios, including public face-to-face victimization, public cyber victimization, private face-to-face victimization, and private cyber victimization. Overall, the findings revealed that adolescents relied more on avoidance, social support, retaliation, helplessness, and ignoring for public and face-to-face forms of victimization than for private and cyber forms of victimization. Cross-cultural differences in coping strategies are discussed.

Emotional responses to bullying among Japanese adolescents: Gender, context, and incidence visibility

ABSTRACT Bullying can occur with differing levels of visibility (e.g., public or private) and in various contexts (e.g., face-to-face or online). This study examined 474 Japanese middle-school students’ emotional responses to public versus private bullying scenarios in face-to-face and digital contexts. After reading four hypothetical bullying vignettes, participants described how they would have felt in each. Students felt sadder and more embarrassed for public bullying scenarios. No differences in anger were observed regarding visibility, but students reported feeling angrier in cyberbullying than face-to-face scenarios. As for gender differences, girls were more likely to feel sad and embarrassed than boys; however, no differences were seen in emotional responses based on visibility or context. The results suggest it is important to consider the context and incident visibility as well as different types of bullying when developing educational programs for bullying prevention.