An Evidence-Based Serious Game Approach for Bullying Prevention

描述(申请人提供)：欺凌，在其最熟悉的形式，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和更广泛的社交应用程序的增加，极大地增加了由儿童和青少年实施的可能类型的欺凌行为。网络欺凌是指一个或多个人滥用多种计算机或互联网媒介的通信形式(如手机、电子邮件、互联网、Facebook、短信)中的一种来欺凌、恐吓或骚扰年轻受害者。与面对面的欺凌一样，网络欺凌也被证明会对年轻人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犯罪者都更有可能出现自卑、自杀念头、抑郁、药物使用和其他相关问题。[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，尤其是针对最常见的受害者：中学生。]拟议的第一阶段SBIR应用程序要求六个月的资金来开发欺凌和网络欺凌预防模块，包括课堂材料和网络欺凌的严重游戏组件，以补充基于证据的生活技能培训中学毒品和暴力预防计划。严肃的游戏技术是指用于纯娱乐(例如，教育、模拟、调查)以外的目的的各种电子游戏。这种创新和必要的干预措施的开发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求助行为方面的空白。拟议的欺凌和网络欺凌材料将被纳入基于证据的生活技能培训(LST)预防模式，适用于中学年龄段的青少年。LST模式教授青少年个人自我管理技能、社交技能、拒绝药物技能和其他生活技能，这些技能是成功驾驭发展任务、提高复原力和促进健康心理社会发展所必需的。建议的干预模块将利用在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，我们将开发选定的严肃游戏原型材料，包括参与者指南、供应商手册和游戏本身。我们将通过一系列焦点小组和关键线人对中学学生和教师的访谈，对原型材料的可行性、可用性和整体吸引力进行初步测试。在第二阶段，原型材料将被完全开发成商业质量的产品，并在严格的随机对照试验中进行测试。这项研究的最终目标是促进一项针对中学生的循证预防计划，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.