The effect of motivational interviewing on peer bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial

Purpose: The study was carried out to investigate the effect of motivational interviewing on peer bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents. Design: A parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Methods: The study population consisted of ninth-grade (aged 14years) high school students (n = 200). The study was completed with 48 participants (intervention: 24; control: 24). The data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Stages of Change Questionnaire, the Peer Bullying Scale, and the Cyberbullying Scale. The intervention group received a preparatory session and five weekly motivational interviewing sessions. Instruments were administered to both groups before the intervention, at the end of the last motivational interviewing session (post-test), and at 3rd- and 6th-month follow-ups. The data were analyzed using chi-square test, independent sample t-test, and two-way mixed-design ANOVA with Bonferroni's test. Results: In the pre-test, no statistically significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups regarding mean scores for peer bullying and cyberbullying (p>0.05). Following the motivational interviewing sessions, adolescents in the intervention group had a significantly lower mean score for peer bullying and cyberbullying than the control group at the post-test and follow-up tests (p< 0.001). Conclusion: The present study concluded that motivational interviewing effectively reduced peer bullying and cyberbullying behaviors among adolescents. Clinical Relevance: Nurses would implement motivational interviewing to prevent bullying behaviors in schools.