The effectiveness of an individual-centered bullying prevention program based on the Olweus method on social desirability and callous-unemotional traits in adolescents
Social Determinants of Health,
Vol. 12 (2026),
1 January 2026
,
Page 1-8
https://doi.org/10.22037/sdh.v12i1.48985
Abstract
Background: Adolescence is a vulnerable phase characterized by identity formation and psychological challenges. During this period, school bullying can severely damage a student’s mental and social health, resulting in major interpersonal difficulties. Consequently, this research evaluated whether a personalized, Olweus-based bullying prevention program could successfully decrease callous-unemotional traits and improve social desirability among 15- to 17-year-old boys.
Methods: This study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design utilizing a control group. The study population comprised adolescent males attending school in Karun County across the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 30participants were recruited via purposive sampling and subsequently assigned at random to either an experimental condition (n=15) or an untreated control condition (n=15). The experimental group completed fifteen 90-minute intervention sessions grounded in the Olweus bullying prevention approach. Primary outcomes were evaluated across all time points using the Callous-Unemotional Traits Questionnaire and the Social Desirability Scale. Statistical analyses were conducted in SPSS (Version 27) applying repeated-measures mixed ANOVAs alongside Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons.
Results: Relative to the control group, participants receiving the intervention exhibited statistically significant improvements (p<0.001), characterized by a substantial reduction in callous-unemotional traits (η2=0.65) and a marked increase in social desirability (η2=0.96), where higher scores reflect a greater inclination toward positive self-presentation. Crucially, these therapeutic gains were fully sustained at the two-month follow-up evaluation.
Conclusion: The personalized Olweus bullying prevention intervention is a highly effective tool for mitigating behavioral problems and fostering positive social maturation in youth. It is strongly advised that family counseling centers widely adopt this program.
- Adolescents
- Bullying prevention program
- Callous-unemotional traits
- Social desirability
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