The effect of motivational interviewing on peer bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Purpose The study was carried out to investigate the effect of motivational interviewing on peer bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents. Design A parallel‐group randomized controlled trial. Methods The study population consisted of ninth‐grade (aged 14 years) high school students ( n = 200). The study was completed with 48 participants (intervention: 24; control: 24). The data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Stages of Change Questionnaire, the Peer Bullying Scale, and the Cyberbullying Scale. The intervention group received a preparatory session and five weekly motivational interviewing sessions. Instruments were administered to both groups before the intervention, at the end of the last motivational interviewing session (post‐test), and at 3rd‐ and 6th‐month follow‐ups. The data were analyzed using chi‐square test, independent sample t‐test, and two‐way mixed‐design ANOVA with Bonferroni's test. Results In the pre‐test, no statistically significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups regarding mean scores for peer bullying and cyberbullying ( p > 0.05). Following the motivational interviewing sessions, adolescents in the intervention group had a significantly lower mean score for peer bullying and cyberbullying than the control group at the post‐test and follow‐up tests ( p < 0.001). Conclusion The present study concluded that motivational interviewing effectively reduced peer bullying and cyberbullying behaviors among adolescents. Clinical Relevance Nurses would implement motivational interviewing to prevent bullying behaviors in schools.