An investigation into the efficiency of empathy training program on preventing bullying in primary schools

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of empathy training as an intervention program on bullying exercised by six graders in primary schools. The study, carried out as a true experimental design, used two experiment groups and two control groups. The subjects were 38 students exercising bullying. The study used Child Form of Bully and Victim Determination Scale and Empathy Index for Children as data gathering tools. As data analysis tool, repeated measures of ANOVA was used to analyze time and intervention effects of empathetic skills and bullying behaviors of the participants. The study found that bullying behaviors of the participants in the experiment group decreased significantly when compared to the subjects in the control group. The study also found that the levels of emphatic skills of the participants in the experiment group increased significantly compared to the participants in the control group.

► Emphatic education program was effective on bullying behaviors of students.
► The program was effective on decreasing bullying behaviors of experimental group.
► No change was observed on control group.
► The program made positive impact in developing empathic skills of bully students.