Bowes, Lucy, Babu, Malavika, Badger, Julia R., Broome, Matthew R., Cannings-John, Rebecca  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5235-6517, Clarkson, Suzy, Coulman, Elinor, Tudor Edwards, Rhiannon, Ford, Tamsin, Hastings, Richard P., Hayes, Rachel, Lugg-Widger, Fiona ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0029-9703, Owen-Jones, Eleri ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0850-4724, Patterson, Paul, Segrott, Jeremy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6215-0870, Sydenham, Mia, Townson, Julia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8679-3619, Watkins, Richard C., Whiteley, Holly, Williams, Margiad E. and Hutchings, Judy
2024.
The effects and costs of an anti-bullying program (KiVa) in UK primary schools: a multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial.
Psychological Medicine
54
(15)
, pp. 4362-4373.
10.1017/S0033291724002666
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Abstract
Background: Childhood bullying is a public health priority. We evaluated the effectiveness and costs of KiVa, a whole-school anti-bullying program that targets the peer context. Methods: A two-arm pragmatic multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial with embedded economic evaluation. Schools were randomized to KiVa-intervention or usual practice (UP), stratified on school size and Free School Meals eligibility. KiVa was delivered by trained teachers across one school year. Follow-up was at 12 months post randomization. Primary outcome: student-reported bullying-victimization; secondary outcomes: self-reported bullying-perpetration, participant roles in bullying, empathy and teacher-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Outcomes were analyzed using multilevel linear and logistic regression models. Findings: Between 8/11/2019–12/02/2021, 118 primary schools were recruited in four trial sites, 11 111 students in primary analysis (KiVa-intervention: n = 5944; 49.6% female; UP: n = 5167, 49.0% female). At baseline, 21.6% of students reported being bullied in the UP group and 20.3% in the KiVa-intervention group, reducing to 20.7% in the UP group and 17.7% in the KiVa-intervention group at follow-up (odds ratio 0.87; 95% confidence interval 0.78 to 0.97, p value = 0.009). Students in the KiVa group had significantly higher empathy and reduced peer problems. We found no differences in bullying perpetration, school wellbeing, emotional or behavioral problems. A priori subgroup analyses revealed no differences in effectiveness by socioeconomic gradient, or by gender. KiVa costs £20.78 more per pupil than usual practice in the first year, and £1.65 more per pupil in subsequent years. Interpretation: The KiVa anti-bullying program is effective at reducing bullying victimization with small-moderate effects of public health importance.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Medicine Research Institutes & Centres > Centre for Trials Research (CNTRR) |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| ISSN: | 0033-2917 |
| Funders: | National Institute for Health Research, Public Health Research Programme |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 20 December 2024 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 30 September 2024 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Jun 2025 09:05 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174292 |
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