Coaching for Bullying Intervention in Schools

(BCCU Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Tracy Waasdorp, Ph.D.

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Disqualifiers: Non-English speakers, Special education, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

32 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if the Bullying Classroom Check-Up (BCCU) program can reduce aggressive and bullying behaviors among elementary school students. It also examines whether this program improves teacher-student interactions and perceptions of the school environment. The trial includes two groups: one will participate in the BCCU program, while the other will continue their usual school activities. Schools in urban areas of the Northeast U.S. with predominantly minority students and at least two classes each of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are eligible. Teachers and students in regular education classrooms are the primary participants. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to educational research that could enhance school environments.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Bullying Classroom Check-Up is safe for students and teachers?

Research has shown that the Bullying Classroom Check-Up (BCCU) program helps teachers manage classrooms and reduce bullying. It trains teachers to recognize and handle bullying effectively.

While specific safety data from clinical trials is not available, the BCCU is a coaching program for teachers, not a medical treatment. It does not involve drugs or physical procedures, making it low-risk for participants. The program focuses on enhancing teachers' skills and improving the overall school environment, creating a safe and supportive space for students.

In summary, the BCCU aims to make schools more positive by reducing bullying, benefiting both students and teachers without health risks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Bullying Classroom Check-Up because it focuses on empowering educators with Professional Development and Coaching, unlike traditional anti-bullying programs that often rely on student-focused interventions or punitive measures. This method aims to equip teachers with the skills and strategies needed to identify and address bullying proactively, fostering a healthier classroom environment. By shifting attention to teacher involvement and support, this approach could lead to more sustainable and effective outcomes in reducing bullying incidents in schools.

What evidence suggests that the Bullying Classroom Check-Up is effective for reducing bullying behaviors?

Research has shown that the Bullying Classroom Check-Up (BCCU) program, which the intervention group in this trial will receive, effectively reduces bullying in schools. Studies found that teachers who received coaching through this program noticed positive changes by the end of the school year. Specifically, programs like BCCU decreased bullying incidents by about 18-19% and reduced the number of students being bullied by 15-16%. The program equips teachers with strategies to manage and reduce aggressive behavior in classrooms. This approach not only cuts down on bullying but also improves the overall school atmosphere and the relationships between students and teachers. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Tracy Waasdorp, PhD

Principal Investigator

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Elise Pas, PhD

Principal Investigator

Johns Hopkins University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for teachers of 3rd to 5th grade in urban or near-urban schools in the Northeast US, with a predominantly minority student body (>65%). The schools should have at least two classrooms per grade level. All students of participating teachers can join survey activities.

Inclusion Criteria

All students of teachers who agreed to participate can take part in the survey.

The school needs to have at least two classrooms for each of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.

The study is only accepting participants who attend schools in the northeastern United States in urban or suburban areas.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Baseline data collection including surveys and classroom observations

Up to 8 months

Multiple classroom observations

Intervention

Professional Development and Coaching (BCCU) for teachers

1 school year

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in teacher practices and student behaviors

Winter of the following school year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Bullying Classroom Check-Up

Trial Overview The Bullying Classroom Check-Up (BCCU) program is being tested to see if it helps reduce aggressive and bullying behaviors among elementary school students, improves teacher practices, and enhances the overall school climate and relationships.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This group will receive Professional Development and Coaching (CCU)

Group II: Control group Active Control 1 Intervention

Business as usual

Bullying Classroom Check-Up is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Bullying Classroom Check-Up for:

• Elementary school bullying prevention and intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Lead Sponsor

Trials

441

Recruited

2,157,000+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials

2,103

Recruited

2,760,000+

University of Virginia

Collaborator

Trials

802

Recruited

1,342,000+

Sheppard Pratt Health System

Collaborator

Trials

23

Recruited

7,800+

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Collaborator

Trials

749

Recruited

11,400,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A quality improvement initiative successfully increased bullying screening rates in pediatric orthopedic outpatient clinics from 0% to 80%, screening nearly 8,000 patients over a year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 2% of patients reported experiencing bullying in the past 3 months, and those who did were provided with resources and referrals for support, highlighting the initiative's effectiveness in addressing this issue.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Quality Improvement Initiative to Screen for Bullying in Pediatric Orthopedic Outpatient Clinics. Hoover, LA., Holstine, JB., Williamson, J., et al.[2023]

Interventions aimed at reducing school bullying have been implemented at various levels, including whole school policies and individual support, but their effectiveness has been inconsistent across different programs.

The review highlights the need for better evaluation methods and comparability in studies to enhance the effectiveness of future anti-bullying interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions to reduce school bullying. Smith, PK., Ananiadou, K., Cowie, H.[2017]

Anti-bullying interventions in schools have been shown to effectively reduce bullying levels and prevent ongoing cases, highlighting their positive impact on student safety.

The effectiveness of these interventions can vary based on factors like the severity of bullying, the age of the child, and how thoroughly the programs are implemented.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions to reduce bullying. Rigby, K., Slee, P.[2019]

Research over the past 20 years has significantly influenced bullying prevention strategies and policies, highlighting the importance of understanding bullying through a social-ecological framework.

Key findings from The Espelage Lab emphasize the need to identify at-risk populations and evaluate the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs to inform future efforts in reducing school violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Leveraging school-based research to inform bullying prevention and policy. Espelage, DL.[2017]

The bullying prevention program showed no overall effect on student victimization across all participants, but it did lead to a significant reduction in relational and physical victimization among white students, with decreases of 28% and 37%, respectively.

Students in intervention schools reported a greater perception of peer intervention in bullying incidents, indicating a potential positive shift in attitudes, particularly among 6th graders who expressed more empathy towards victims.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in public middle schools: a controlled trial. Bauer, NS., Lozano, P., Rivara, FP.[2021]

The KiVa antibullying program significantly improved perceptions of a caring school climate, especially among the most victimized students, indicating its effectiveness in addressing the emotional needs of bullying victims.

The program showed the strongest positive effects on reducing depression and improving self-esteem specifically in the most victimized sixth graders, highlighting the importance of tailoring interventions to those at greatest risk.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Can a school-wide bullying prevention program improve the plight of victims? Evidence for risk × intervention effects": Correction to Juvonen et al. (2016). [2017]

The Classroom Check-up (CCU) model, combined with Visual Performance Feedback, significantly improved teachers' classroom management strategies, leading to more praise and less reprimanding.

These changes in teacher behavior resulted in a decrease in disruptive behavior among students, highlighting the effectiveness of classroom-level consultation in promoting positive behavior changes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Classroom Check-up: A Classwide Teacher Consultation Model for Increasing Praise and Decreasing Disruptive Behavior. Reinke, WM., Lewis-Palmer, T., Merrell, K.[2021]

The CAPLE (Creating A Positive Learning Environment) intervention, implemented over two eight-week cycles in 2016 and 2017, effectively engaged clinical staff in developing their teaching skills while addressing student bullying in clinical settings.

A strategic four-part framework (approach, process, content, and person) was identified as crucial for enhancing bullying interventions, promoting participant engagement and fostering positive changes in values related to student learning.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

It's 'probably the teacher!' A strategic framework for clinical staff engagement in clinical student bullying intervention. Gamble Blakey, A., Smith-Han, K., Anderson, L., et al.[2020]

A narrative review of 38 articles on student bullying interventions in clinical environments identified six key themes for effective practices, emphasizing the need to understand bullying catalysts and address staff needs rather than solely relying on policies.

Effective interventions should focus on promoting positive behavior rather than targeting negative behavior, and should be designed collaboratively by both interventionists and institutions to avoid ineffective practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions addressing student bullying in the clinical workplace: a narrative review. Gamble Blakey, A., Smith-Han, K., Anderson, L., et al.[2020]

A scoping review of 11 articles identified four effective nursing interventions—prevention programs, activities programs, peer group programs, and resilience programs—that can significantly reduce bullying incidents and their negative impacts on students.

These interventions not only help decrease bullying but also enhance students' social skills and mental health, improving their self-efficacy, resilience, and coping strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Method of Nursing Interventions to Reduce the Incidence of Bullying and Its Impact on Students in School: A Scoping Review. Yosep, I., Hikmat, R., Mardhiyah, A., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. violence.chop.edu violence.chop.edu/research-and-programs/bullying-prevention/bullying-classroom-check-up

Bullying Classroom Check-Up - Center for Violence Prevention The Bullying Classroom Check-Up program provides bullying prevention support for teachers through classroom strategies and behavior interventions.

2. nij.ojp.gov nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/anti-bullying-intervention-teachers-shows-positive-short-term-outcomes

Anti-Bullying Intervention for Teachers Shows Positive, Short ... The study showed that by the end of the first school year of the intervention, coached teachers who used the Bullying Classroom Check-Up ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8356322/

Effectiveness of school‐based programs to reduce bullying ... Antibullying programs are effective in reducing bullying perpetration outcomes by roughly 18–19% and bullying victimization by roughly 15–16%. Variability in ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5363950/

The Effectiveness of Policy Interventions for School Bullying A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies found that school bullies were 2.5 times more likely to engage in criminal offending over an 11-year follow-up period ( ...

5. arsafeschools.com arsafeschools.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pas2019_article_coachingteacherstodetectpreven.pdf

Coaching Teachers to Detect, Prevent, and Respond to ... The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of an adapted version of the Classroom Check-Up (CCU) coaching model, which utilized mixed reality ...

6. nij.ojp.gov nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/anti-bullying-intervention-teachers-shows-positive-short-term-outcomes

Anti-Bullying Intervention for Teachers Shows Positive, Short ... ... Bullying Classroom Check-Up. Abstract. Bullying is a common form of aggression experienced by school-aged children. Because bullying often ...