Be-Prox. An effectiveness study of bullying intervention in Norwegian kindergartens.
Bullying can destroy lives. Approximately 40,000 children and youth are bullied in Norwegian primary schools yearly. We know that these negative acts start already in kindergarten. In this project, we will examine how an anti-bullying intervention contributes to prevent and handle bullying in Norwegian kindergartens.
In 2021, changes to the Norwegian Kindergarten Act ensured Norwegian kindergarten children the right to a safe kindergarten environment. According to this act, Norwegian kindergartens should work systematically to prevent bullying and social exclusion, including adopting a zero-tolerance for violations such as exclusion, bullying, violence, discrimination, and harassment.
BeProx was developed in Switzerland with the aim to systematically prevent and handle bullying in kindergartens through increased competence and understanding among kindergarten staff. In Switzerland, introducing BeProx in kindergartens led to a decrease in the number of children who experienced bullying. In a pilot study in Askøy municipality, the intervention has been translated and adjusted to Norwegian conditions and tested in the municipality's kindergartens.
The current project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of BeProx in Norwegian kindergartens in a cluster randomized controlled trial. The project is a collaboration between researchers at the Regional Center for Child Mental Health - West (RKBU West), NORCE Health and Society, and RKBU North, UiT Norway's Arctic University, as well as Bjørnafjorden and Narvik municipality.
The aim of the project is threefold, and we will examine the effect of BeProx to prevent and handle bullying and negative acts between Norwegian kindergarten children, factors that promote and inhibit implementation in Norwegian municipalities, and the cost-effectiveness of introducing BeProx in Norwegian kindergartens compared to usual practice.
If BeProx proves to be effective in a Norwegian context, the intervention can be offered as knowledge-based practice to prevent and handle bullying in kindergartens nationwide.
Project facts
Name
Be-Prox. An effectiveness study of bullying intervention in Norwegian kindergartens.
Status
Active
Duration
01.04.23 - 31.12.27
Total budget
20.000.000 NOK
