The effect of the cognitive behavioral based cyberbullying prevention program

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is analyzing the effect of cognitive behavioral cyber bullying prevention program developed within the thesis in view of 7th grade students who are sufferers or bullies on cyber bullying and peer victimization experiences. This research processed by explanatory combined techniques contains two parts. In the first part the effect of cyber bullying prevention program has been analyzed. In the second part, the reviews of the participants about this program have been analyzed. In 2016-2017 the first part of the program has been carried out with students of two similar secondary schools in Şahinbey (Subprovince), Gaziantep (Province). There are 78 participants in experimental group and 80 partipicants in control group. Pre-test data has been collected by applying participants the Revised Cyber Bullying Inventory, Cognition Scale about Bullying for Children, School Life Bullying Scale and the questionnaire containing personal information form. Later on, cognitive behavioral based cyber bullying prevention program containing 10 sessions has been applied only on experimental group. Nothing has been applied on control group. After applying this program, final test data has been collected by applying same scales on experimental and control groups. After the normality hypothesis was ensured in quantitative data analysis, by using independent samples t-test it has been checked if there is a significant difference between experimental and control groups' pretests and if there is a significant difference between experimental and control groups' final tests. Although there was not a significant difference between experimental and control groups before the process, to increase the statistical strength, Covariance analysis (ANCOVA) has beenapplied on final tests by stabilizing pre-tests of experimental and control groups. According to the results of analysis, it has been reached that participants of cognitive behavioral based cyber bullying program have had a positive effect on doing cyber bullying, suffering from cyber bullying, doing victimization and bullying cognitions except for their levels of suffering from peer victimization. In second part, to analyze the reviews of cognitive behavioral based cyber bullying program participants, focus group discussion has been carried out with 6 boys and 6 girls from experimental group. 5 evaluation criterias containing subject, time, content, method and activities have been identified and questions based on these have been asked. Participants have been asked 14 open-ended questions the qualitative data gathered from focus group discussion has been analyzed by using descriptive analysis method. According to analysis results, participants of focus group discussion has stated that cognitive behavioral based cyber bullying prevention program has reached its aim (n=12) and the content has been sufficient (n=12). Keywords: cognitive behavioral, peer victimization, cyber bullying, prevention program.