Working with parents to counteract bullying: A randomized controlled trial of an intervention to improve parent‐school cooperation

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at improving parent‐school cooperation in counteracting bullying. Using a randomized controlled trial, data of teachers, parents of non‐victimized children, and children themselves were collected at 13 intervention and 14 control schools (grades 3–6, N at post‐assessment: teachers = 83, parents = 153, children = 2,510) at two time points (time lag about 6 months). Results showed positive effects of the intervention for some aspects of the primary outcomes: parents’ and teachers’ attitudes and efforts, whereas no effects were found of teachers’ or parents’ competences in counteracting bullying. No intervention effects were found for secondary outcomes: children's self‐reported bullying, victimization, well‐being, and self‐esteem. The findings indicate that, due to the intervention, teachers and parents were more aligned and able to cooperate, even within the short time of the intervention: one school year. This is the first essential step to systematically addressing parents’ role in tackling bullying; future research is needed to examine the long‐term effects of parent and school interventions in enhancing the effectiveness of anti‐bullying programs.