Bullying Prevention in Turkish Schools: Evaluation of the ViSC Program

Research indicates that bullying is a widespread problem among students in Turkey. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish evidence-based bullying prevention programs in Turkish schools. The Viennese Social Competence (ViSC) program was the first evidence-based whole-school bullying prevention program that was adapted, implemented, and evaluated in Turkey. Based on a socioecological theoretical perspective and a whole-school approach, the ViSC program aims to change the school and class environment as well as the behavior of the students including bullies, victims, bully/victims, and bystanders. This chapter summarizes different program implementation models and the effectiveness results. Model 1 was excusively based on the original ViSC program, implemented in middle schools by professional ViSC coaches, and evaluated with a quasi-experimental three-wave longitudinal control group design. Model 2 was based on the short version of the program, implemented in elementary schools by graduate students, and evaluated by using a quasi-experimental longitudinal control group design with two measurement points. Model 3 was also implemented in elementary schools based on the shortened version by undergraduate psychology students. Challenges during the implementation, lessons learned, and suggestions for future research are discussed in detail. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of the implementation of evidence-based bullying prevention programs in Turkey to protect children and adolescents against the short and long-term negative effects of bullying.