Abstract:

Although students’ positive behaviors should be promoted from elementary education, to date, there are few findings regarding the effectiveness of cyberbullying prevention programs for elementary school children of typical and non-typical development. The present study examined the effectiveness of such a school-based European funded preventive program (TABBY, Threat Assessment of Bullying Behavior in Youth) among students with and without Special Educational Needs (SEN), as well as the predictive role of their self-esteem in their engagement with cyberbullying (as victims/bullies). Overall, 240 sixth grade students from randomly selected Greek elementary schools of mainstream education completed a self-report questionnaire, which included demographic questions, as well as scales related to the variables involved (cyberbullying, self-esteem). According to an experimental longitudinal research design, the intervention was applied only to the experimental (N = 120) but not to the control group of students (N = 120). Each group consisted of both students with (N = 60) and without SEN (N = 60). The intervention was evaluated, through the completion of the self-report questionnaire, before (1st phase), immediately after (2nd phase), and six months after the intervention was implemented (3rd phase) by trained general and special education teachers. The results showed that students’ cyberbullying involvement (as victims/bullies) decreased significantly in the second and third phase, and especially for students with SEN. Also, students’ self-esteem negatively predicted their engagement with cyberbullying (as victims/bullies) in all three phases. The findings imply the necessity to implement prevention programs in elementary schools to enhance self-esteem and promote a pattern of safe social media use among students of typical and non-typical development.

Keywords:

Cyberbullying, self-esteem, prevention, elementary school students, special educational needs.