Can Bullying Attitudes in School-Aged Children be Changed Using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Methods? A Pilot Study

Abstract: The main aim of this study was to investigate whether Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) methods could be used to change implicit attitudes towards bullying. The role of gender was looked at exploratively. 54 Primary school children (30 boys and 24 girls) completed a questionnaire (explicit bullying attitude measure), an IAT on bullying (Implicit Association Test which measures implicit bullying attitudes), two CBT-like sessions (a qualitative measure of implicit attitudes), followed by a second round of IAT on bullying. A main effect for CBT intervention was found, but only for female participants. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.