Implementation and evaluation of the Youth Police Academy school bullying prevention program in South Korea

Abstract

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Youth Police Academy bullying prevention program using a sample of 1649 students. Applying a semi-experimental research design, pre-test and post-test surveys were administered to an experimental group (N = 1,027) and a control group (N = 622). The results of the study reveal that the community-based anti-bullying program targeting bystanders had a positive impact in four areas: bystander indicators, empathy towards victims, anti-bullying attitudes, and coping responses to observations of bullying. Regarding the gender effect, the results show that the YPA program was more effective for female participants in decreasing reinforcer behaviors. We then explored the implications of the results and proposed suggestions for policy-makers and program developers committed to bullying prevention.