ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Peer violence is a serious type of school violence that is associated with emotional and behavioral problems. OBJECTIVE: To analyze violence between peers associated with students' social skills. METHODS: We used a cross sectional survey nested in a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate peer violence among elementary school students and its association with prosocial behaviors and mental problems. Teachers answered an adapted version of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and the Brazilian adaptation of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C) scale for each student. Children completed a sociodemographic questionnaire. The participants were 1,152 5-14-year-old children from Brazilian public schools; 79.70% reported being involved in violent situations. RESULTS: Children who had both committed and suffered violence were less likely to exhibit prosocial behaviors. Children who committed and suffered violence and those who only committed were more likely to experience concentration problems and disruptive behaviors. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that peer violence is associated with lower prosocial behaviors and more behavioral problems. Thus, more specialized mental health care is required for children involved in peer violence, in addition to the possibility of implementing and maintaining programs to prevent and reduce violence and to develop prosocial behaviors in schools.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Early interventions benefit the mental health, academic performance and productivity of children and adolescents throughout their life. The present study protocol will evaluate the effectiveness of the Elos 2.0 Programme, which is a version adapted for Brazil by the Ministry of Health, in reducing problem behaviours (e.g., disruptiveness, aggressivity and shyness) and promoting social skills in the school context in children 6 to 10 years of age. The Elos Programme is based on the Good Behaviour Game, which is widely used and prevents and/or reduces students' disruptive behaviours by establishing cooperation contingencies. METHOD: A cluster-randomized controlled trial will be performed in 30 schools in three cities (15 controls and 15 in the experimental group), with a total of 3800 children participating in the test (1900 in the control group and 1900 in the intervention group). Data will be collected by having teachers in the control and experimental classes complete the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation (TOCA) questionnaire, which is an instrument used to observe children's behaviour in the classroom. We will collect data before and after the intervention period in the same year. Due to the hierarchical structure of the data, multilevel analysis will be performed to detect simultaneous differences in prevalence over time and across groups to control for sociodemographic variables. DISCUSSION: The current study will examine the effectiveness of the Elos 2.0 Programme in reducing problem behaviours (e.g., disruptiveness, aggressivity and shyness) and promoting social skills in the school context. The findings of this school-based prevention programme for children will influence the development and implementation of similar programmes for schools and educational policymakers by identifying mechanisms that are central to achieving positive outcomes for participants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry of Clinical Trials of the Ministry of Health RBR-86c6jp . Registered February 2, 2019.
