Effects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Based Mindfulness and Interpersonal Effectiveness Training on Anti-Bullying Awareness and Bystander Intervention Among Adolescents: A Pre-Test/Post-Test Study
DBT skills training for adolescent responses to bullying
Keywords:
Adolescent, Bullying, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Helping Behavior, MindfulnessAbstract
Background: Bullying is widespread in schools, yet most adolescents who witness it do not intervene. Fear, pressure from peers and not knowing what to do are common reasons for remaining silent. We examined whether a short school-based program built on two Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) modules, mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness, could shift adolescents' behavior around bullying.
Methods: This single-group quasi-experimental study used a pre-test/post-test design. Fifty adolescents aged 13–18 years were recruited from a school through purposive sampling. The program consisted of a baseline session, two skills sessions (core mindfulness; DEAR MAN, GIVE and FAST strategies practiced through role-play) and a final evaluation session, spaced 3–5 days apart. Bystander Behavior, Victim Response Behavior and Bullying Perpetration Behavior were assessed with the Behavior Toward Bullying Scale (BTBS) at baseline and after the program. Analysis used paired-samples t-tests, with Cohen's dz as the effect size.
Results: Scores on Bystander Behavior dropped from 18.70 ± 3.42 to 16.46 ± 1.98 (p < .001, dz = 0.53), and scores on Victim Response Behavior from 18.60 ± 2.50 to 16.24 ± 2.33 (p < .001, dz = 0.62); on this scale, lower scores mean more adaptive responses. There was no significant change in Bullying Perpetration Behavior (p = .148, dz = 0.21).
Conclusion: After a brief DBT-informed program, adolescents showed moderate short-term improvement in how they responded to bullying, both as bystanders and as targets. Firm conclusions will require controlled trials with longer follow-up and behavioral outcome measures.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sara Jehangir, Sheeba Farhan, Shumaila Atif, Rabika Shoukat, Syeda Sania Khalid
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