An Evidence-Based Serious Game Approach for Bullying Prevention

描述（由申请人提供）：欺凌，以其最常见的形式，是一个严重的公共卫生问题。这在中学年龄的孩子中尤其如此。然而，最近社交网站的增加，加上更先进的个人设备的可用性和更广泛的社交应用程序的增加，大大增加了儿童和青少年所犯下的欺凌行为的可能类型。网络欺凌是由一个或多个个人实施的，他们滥用许多计算机或互联网媒介的通信格式之一（例如，手机、电子邮件、互联网、Facebook、短信）来欺凌、恐吓或骚扰年轻受害者。与面对面的欺凌一样，网络欺凌已被证明会对青少年的身体和社会情感发展产生负面影响。欺凌和网络欺凌的受害者和施暴者都更有可能出现自卑、自杀意念、抑郁、滥用药物和其他相关问题。[然而，全面解决传统欺凌和网络欺凌的循证干预措施非常有限，特别是针对最常见的受害者：中学年龄儿童。拟议的第一阶段SBIR申请要求六个月的资金用于开发欺凌和网络欺凌预防模块，包括针对网络欺凌的课堂材料和严肃游戏组件，以补充基于证据的生活技能培训中学毒品和暴力预防项目。严肃游戏技术指的是用于纯娱乐以外目的的各种电子游戏（例如，教育、模拟、调查）。这种创新和必要的干预措施的发展将填补学校和从业者目前如何能够影响所有类型欺凌行为的犯罪者的行为以及受害者的寻求帮助行为的空白。拟议的欺凌和网络欺凌材料将被纳入以证据为基础的中学年龄青少年生活技能培训（LST）预防模式。LST模式教授青年个人自我管理技能、社交技能、拒绝药物技能以及成功完成发展任务、增强适应力和促进健康的心理社会发展所需的其他生活技能。拟议的干预模块将利用课堂环境中提供的最先进的游戏技术，重点关注欺凌和网络欺凌的前因、反应和后果。在第一阶段，我们将开发精选的严肃游戏原型材料，包括参与者指南、提供商手册和游戏本身。我们将对原型材料的可行性、可用性和整体吸引力进行试点测试，通过一系列焦点小组和对中学生和教师的关键信息提供者访谈。在第二阶段，原型材料将完全开发成商业质量产品，并在严格的随机对照试验中进行测试。本研究的最终目的是促进一个基于证据的中学生预防计划，该计划包含一个创新的严肃游戏模块，以防止欺凌和网络欺凌的实施和受害。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bullying, in its most familiar form, is a serious public health concern. This is especially true among middle-school age children. However, the recent increase in social networking websites coupled with the increased availability of more advanced personal devices with a broader range of social applications has dramatically increased the possible types of bullying perpetrated by and against children and adolescents. Cyberbullying is perpetrated by one or more individuals who abuse one of the many computer or Internet-mediated communication formats (e.g., cell phones, email, the Internet, Facebook, texting) to bully, intimidate, or harass a young victim. Like in-person bullying, cyberbullying has been shown to negatively impact the physical and socioemotional development of youth. Both victims and offenders of bullying and cyberbullying are more likely to have low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, depression, substance use, and other associated problems. [However, there are very limited evidence-based interventions that comprehensively address both conventional bullying and cyberbullying, especially for the most frequent victims: middle-school age children.] The proposed Phase I SBIR application requests six months of funding to develop bullying and cyberbullying prevention modules, including classroom materials and serious gaming component for cyberbullying, to supplement the evidence-based Life Skills Training Middle School drug and violence prevention program. Serious gaming technology refers to a wide range of electronic games used for purposes other than pure entertainment (e.g., education, simulation, investigation). The development of such an innovative and needed intervention would fill a gap in how schools and practitioners are currently able to influence the behavior of offenders of all types of bullying as well as the help-seeking behavior of victims. The proposed bullying and cyberbullying materials will be incorporated into the evidence-based Life Skills Training (LST) prevention model for middle-school age youth. The LST model teaches youth personal self-management skills, social skills, drug refusal skills, and other life skills needed t successfully navigate developmental tasks, increase resilience, and facilitate healthy psychosocial development. The proposed intervention module will utilize state of the art gaming technology delivered within classroom settings, focusing on the antecedents, responses, and consequences of bullying and cyberbullying. In Phase I, we will develop selected serious gaming prototype materials including a participant guide, a provider manual, and the game itself. We will pilot test the prototype materials for feasibility, usability, and overall appeal i a series of focus groups and key informant interviews with middle school students and teachers. During Phase II, prototype materials will be developed in full into a commercial quality product and tested in a rigorous randomized controlled trial. The ultimate goal of this research is to promote an evidence-based prevention program for middle-school students that contains an innovative serious gaming module to prevent bullying and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization.