Presentation Information
[O-13-06]School Bullying Prevention and Intervention Across Cultures: The ICoRIPI Study Protocol for Promoting Youth Mental Health in Six Nations
*Ekachaeryanti Zain1, Atsunori Sugimoto2,3, Emmanuel Aniekan Essien4, Gniewko Więckiewicz5, Ching-Hua Julie Lee6, Rwanda Gaffaz7, Joanna Smolarczyk5, Victor Pereira-Sanchez8, Kiyohiro Yoshinaga3, Masaya Ootake1, Hiroyuki Kasahara2, Faisal Budisasmita Paturungi Parawansa1, Isa Multazam Noor9, Naoki Fukui1, Yuichiro Watanabe1,10, Jun Egawa1, Shuken Boku1 (1.Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences(Japan), 2.Department of Community Psychiatric Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences(Japan), 3.Department of Psychiatry, Niigata Psychiatric Center(Japan), 4.Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital(Nigeria), 5.Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia(Poland), 6.Tsaotun Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare(Taiwan), 7.Alrazi Psychiatric Hospital(Libya), 8.Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University(United States of America), 9.Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, YARSI University(Indonesia), 10.Department of Psychiatry, Uonuma Kikan Hospital(Japan))
Keywords:
School Bullying,Prevention and Intervention,Youth Mental Health,Cross-cultural Research
Bullying has been consistently associated with a range of psychiatric problems in children and adolescents, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioral and substance use disorders, self-harm, and suicidality. Global data indicate a victimization rate of 36%, with conceptual frameworks for bullying varying across cultures. While UNESCO defines bullying as repeated aggressive behavior involving a power imbalance, some countries base definitions solely on the victim’s subjective experience of harm, regardless of intent, repetition, or power dynamics. Most existing interventions are Western-based and may not reflect diverse cultural contexts, limiting their global applicability.
To address this gap, the ICoRIPI project, led by Niigata University and supported by an international team, was launched across six culturally diverse countries: Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Nigeria, Poland, and Taiwan. This project aims to develop culturally informed strategies for addressing school bullying and mental health aspects.
A three-phase study protocol was designed to ensure methodological integrity and cultural relevance across participating countries. This presentation will share the current progress and preliminary insights from Phase 1, which involves the adaptation, translation, and standardization of the seven assessment tools measuring bullying, psychiatric symptoms, and school-related factors in each country’s national language. Additionally, we will outline the methodological challenges of Phase 2, which consists of cross-sectional surveys to examine the prevalence of bullying, sociocultural determinants, and associated mental health problems using path modeling. We will also introduce the study design for Phase 3, which involves parallel, pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the Niigata Ijime Prevention and Intervention Program (NIPIP).
We aim to invite expert feedback on this study protocol, particularly regarding methodological considerations and implementation strategies for upcoming phases. This discussion will contribute to enhancing the rigor and cultural relevance of global efforts to prevent school bullying, create safer school environments, and improve youth mental health.
To address this gap, the ICoRIPI project, led by Niigata University and supported by an international team, was launched across six culturally diverse countries: Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Nigeria, Poland, and Taiwan. This project aims to develop culturally informed strategies for addressing school bullying and mental health aspects.
A three-phase study protocol was designed to ensure methodological integrity and cultural relevance across participating countries. This presentation will share the current progress and preliminary insights from Phase 1, which involves the adaptation, translation, and standardization of the seven assessment tools measuring bullying, psychiatric symptoms, and school-related factors in each country’s national language. Additionally, we will outline the methodological challenges of Phase 2, which consists of cross-sectional surveys to examine the prevalence of bullying, sociocultural determinants, and associated mental health problems using path modeling. We will also introduce the study design for Phase 3, which involves parallel, pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the Niigata Ijime Prevention and Intervention Program (NIPIP).
We aim to invite expert feedback on this study protocol, particularly regarding methodological considerations and implementation strategies for upcoming phases. This discussion will contribute to enhancing the rigor and cultural relevance of global efforts to prevent school bullying, create safer school environments, and improve youth mental health.