IVY (Intervention for Victimized Youth). Just as ivy plants are strong and can flourish in difficult environments, the goal of IVY will be for targets of peer victimization to thrive academically and socially despite challenging circumstances.
The project involves the development of a virtual intervention program for targets of peer victimization. Intervention for Victimized Youth (IVY) will improve upon many limitations of existing interventions described above since it is the first intervention program to specifically address the needs of targets of peer victimization from a trauma perspective. Moreover, it addresses key limitations of CBITS and increases the flexibility of the intervention by using a virtual delivery model. Just as ivy plants are strong and can flourish in difficult environments, the goal of IVY is for victimized youth to thrive academically and socially despite challenging circumstances. IVY uses a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to address current distress due to peer victimization and teach strategies for handling any future peer victimization. Common elements of effective CBT-based trauma treatments are psychoeducation, emotion regulation skills, imaginal or in vivo exposure, cognitive processing, and/or problem solving. Several methods are used within sessions to teach the content, including psychoeducation, didactic teaching, modeling, role playing, and guided self-reflection. The proposed 8-week intervention. The focus of the first 4 sessions will be on teaching skills to help students overcome emotional difficulties associated with being victimized. Weekly topics include: 1) Introduction \& Psychoeducation, 2) Emotional Regulation Skill Building and Practice, 3) Identifying \& Coping with Difficult Thoughts and Emotions, and 4) Connecting Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors. The last 4 sessions are specific to peer victimization issues with a focus on avoiding re-victimization since victimized youth often are victimized repeatedly and report that they defend other victims. Weekly topics include: 5) Options for Protecting Yourself, 6) Social Problem-Solving Skills, 7) Adaptive Thinking, and 8) Future Planning \& Celebration. Participants will be taught several options for intervening. A decision-making process for evaluating social situations will be taught. Based on the outcome of that decision-making process, participants will be taught options for responding with the goal of avoiding re-victimized.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
48
The intervention (IVY; Intervention for Victimized Youth) is an 8 week group counseling intervention delivered in a virtual environment.
Florida State University Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Change in Social-emotional Distress
The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System is a 30 item measure. For each item, participants decide how often a statement is true for them and respond using a 4-point Likert scale (0=never to 3=always). Personal adjustment is measured by 8 items (possible mean scores ranging from 0 to 3) and internalizing problems is measured by 10 items (possible mean scores ranging from 0 to 3). Mean item scores are computed for personal adjustment and internalizing problems, respectively, at pretest (time 1) and posttest (time 2). For both subscales, higher scores indicate greater difficulties, i.e., worse adjustment and worse internalizing issues.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Knowledge of Self-protection Skills
The Knowledge of Self-Protection Options (KSPO) scale consists of 9 items assessing the degree to which participants have knowledge of how to protect themselves. Participants are asked "If I am being bullied, I know how to..." then rate each item on a 3 point scale ranging from 0 (No), 1 (A little bit), or 2 (Yes). Mean scores were calculated for each participant, which could range from 0 to 2, which higher scores representing greater knowledge of how to protect oneself.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Self-efficacy for Protecting Self
The Self-Efficacy for Protecting Self (SEPS) scale consists of 8 items with the stem of "How do you rate your ability to engage in each action?" Response options range from 1 (I can not do this well at all) to 4 (I can do this very well). Mean scores were calculated for each participant, which could range from 1 to 4, which higher scores representing greater efficacy in protecting oneself.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Knowledge of Coping Skills
Coping skills will be measured using the Brief COPE, which is a 28-item scale that assesses coping strategies. Items are rated on a scale from 1 (I haven't been doing this at all) to 4 (I've been doing this a lot). Avoidance coping is measured by 11 items and approach coping is measured by 12 items. Mean scores were calculated for each participant, which could range from 1 to 4, which higher scores representing greater knowledge of how to protect oneself.
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Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Peer Victimization
The victim subscale of the Bullying Participant Behavior Questionnaire will be used to assess traditional/in-person victimization. The scale consists of 10 items Participants respond ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (7 or more times) in the past 30 days. A mean score was calculated for each participant, which could range from 1 to 5 with higher scores representing more victimization.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Cyber Victimization
The victim subscale of the Cyber Bullying Participant Rating Scales will be used to assess cyber victimization. The scale consists of 11 items. The 6-point Likert scale (1 = not at all to 6 = many times a week) requires participants to rate how often they have been a victim. A mean score was calculated for each participant, which could range from 1 to 6 with higher scores representing more cyber victimization.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Traumatic Stress Symptoms
Child PTSD Symptom Screener-Self-Report Version for DSM-5 will be used to assess traumatic stress symptoms. The scale consists of 16 self-report items with item responses ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (6 or more times a week/almost always). A mean score was calculated for each participant, which could range from 0 to 4 with higher scores representing more traumatic stress.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)
Change in Social Support
The Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale will be used to assess perceptions of social support. Only the peer support scale will be used. It consists of 12 items with response options ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (always). A mean score was calculated for each participant, which could range from 1 to 6 with higher scores representing more social support.
Time frame: Visit 1 (baseline); Visit 8 (8 weeks after baseline at the termination visit)