The Effectiveness of Intervention Programs for Cyberbullying in Schools: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Cyberbullying is a problem that affects children in schools around the world. Many intervention programs have been introduced to combat this threat. The ever-changing nature of this phenomenon necessitates an updated systematic review on the literature concerning the implementation of intervention programs. Objective: To produce a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature to discover whether cyberbullying intervention programs are effective at reducing perpetration and victimisation. Methods: Data from twelve independent studies were gathered from a comprehensive search of seven databases. The studies investigated intervention programs which compared an intervention group who participated in the program to a control group which consisted of a classroom from either the same or a different school. Random effects models were produced to compare the standardized mean differences of the studies which enabled the calculation of an overall effect size for the outcome in question. Heterogeneity statistics and 95% confidence intervals were utilised to assess the significance of the effect sizes of the meta-analyses. Results: Significant effects were found with relation to cyberbullying perpetration (-0.30 [-0.56, -0.04]) and cybervictimisation (-0.28 [-0.51, -0.05]). High levels of heterogeneity were also found with regards to cyberbullying perpetration, which produced an I2 value of 96% and cybervictimisation which produced an I2 value of 92%. Conclusions: The existing cyberbullying intervention programs were found to be effective at reducing cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimisation. The results of the meta analyses should be treated with caution however, due to their heterogeneity levels exceeding the recommended limit.