Prevention Workshop to Address Bullying Behaviors in Schools (APACHES)

Grenoble Alpes University Hospital Center (CHU)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: School Health Services; Bullying of Child; Social Behavior; Prevention and Control; Interpersonal Relations; Mental Health; Child Behavior Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: Standard Health Education Sessions; Behavioral: Tous Épanouis à l'École (TEAL Program)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06835205

PREPS-22-0015

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study, titled APACHES, is a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a school-based prevention program, "Tous Épanouis à l'École" (TEAL), conducted by healthcare students as part of their mandatory public health service curriculum. The TEAL program consists of five interactive sessions focused on developing psychosocial skills (e.g., communication, empathy, collaboration) among elementary school students (grades CE2-CM1-CM2) in the Grenoble Academy. The primary objective is to assess whether the program reduces the prevalence of bullying behaviors (victims and/or aggressors) compared to standard preventive actions on unrelated themes. The study involves 36 classrooms across 18 schools, with data collected at three time points: before, one month after, and four months after the intervention. Secondary objectives include evaluating social proximity, altruistic behaviors, and qualitative perceptions from students, teachers, and facilitators.

Full description

Bullying is a critical public health issue with severe consequences for children's psychological development, academic success, and long-term health outcomes. The APACHES study evaluates the effectiveness of the TEAL program, a psychosocial skills training intervention tailored to reduce bullying behaviors and improve classroom climate. The intervention will be delivered by healthcare students (from medicine, midwifery, pharmacy, and nursing) as part of their Service Sanitaire curriculum.

The study follows a pragmatic design with a cluster randomized controlled methodology. Classrooms in participating schools are randomized into two groups: an intervention group receiving the TEAL program and a control group undergoing alternative health education sessions. The TEAL program is structured around active and participatory learning, including sessions on emotional awareness, communication, empathy, and collective problem-solving. A total of 900 students from 36 classrooms (approximately 450 per group) will participate.

Objectives Primary Objective: To determine whether the TEAL program reduces the prevalence of bullying (victims and/or aggressors) by comparing baseline and follow-up outcomes.

Secondary Objectives: To explore improvements in social proximity, altruistic behaviors, and psychosocial skills; to collect qualitative feedback from students, facilitators, and teachers about the intervention.

Data Collection and Outcomes Quantitative data will be collected using validated questionnaires (e.g., Revised Bully/Victim Questionnaire) administered at three time points: pre-intervention (T1), one month post-intervention (T2), and four months post-intervention (T3). Secondary outcomes, including social proximity and altruism, will also be assessed. Qualitative data will be gathered through interviews and focus groups to evaluate participants' experiences and perceptions.

Significance This study aims to address a pressing public health need by leveraging healthcare students' involvement in primary prevention. If effective, the TEAL program could be scaled nationally across France, contributing to the broader goal of improving psychosocial environments in schools and mitigating the long-term effects of bullying.

Enrollment: 900 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 11 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Students enrolled in grades CE2, CM1, or CM2 in participating schools.
• Parents or legal guardians have provided signed informed consent for their child to participate in the study.
• The child is available to attend all scheduled intervention sessions.

Exclusion criteria

• Students whose parents or legal guardians have not provided signed informed consent.
• Students with medical or behavioral conditions that might prevent full participation in the sessions (e.g., requiring additional support not available during the study).
• Students not attending the school on a regular basis.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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900 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention Group (TEAL Program)

Experimental group

Description:

Students in this group will receive the "Tous Épanouis à l'École" (TEAL) program, a five-session intervention aimed at developing psychosocial skills, including empathy, communication, and social proximity. Sessions will be conducted by trained healthcare students as part of their Service Sanitaire curriculum. The program focuses on reducing bullying behaviors and improving classroom climate.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tous Épanouis à l'École (TEAL Program)

Control Group (Standard Health Education)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Students in this group will participate in five health education sessions on topics unrelated to bullying (e.g., nutrition, sleep hygiene). These sessions will also be delivered by healthcare students following the standard Service Sanitaire training curriculum.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard Health Education Sessions