title: The KiVa antibullying program in primary schools in Chile, with and without the digital game component: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Bullying is a major problem worldwide and Chile is no exception. Bullying is defined as a systematic aggressive behavior against a victim who cannot defend him or herself. Victims suffer social isolation and psychological maladjustment, while bullies have a higher risk for conduct problems and substance use disorders. These problems appear to last over time. The KiVa antibullying program has been evaluated in Finland and other European countries, showing preventive effects on victimization and self-reported bullying. The aims of this study are (1) to develop a culturally appropriate version of the KiVa material and (2) to test the effectiveness of the KiVa program, with and without the online game, on reducing experiences of victimization and bullying behavior among vulnerable primary schools in Santiago (Chile), using a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with three arms: (1) full KiVa program group, (2) partial KiVa (without online game) program group and (3) control group.
  
  
  
  This is a three-arm, single-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a target enrolment of 1495 4th and 5th graders attending 13 vulnerable schools per arm. Students in the full and partial KiVa groups will receive universal actions: ten 2-h lessons delivered by trained teachers during 1 year; they will be exposed to posters encouraging them to support victims and behave constructively when witnessing bullying; and a person designated by the school authorities will be present in all school breaks and lunchtimes using a visible KiVa vest to remind everybody that they are in a KiVa school. KiVa schools also will have indicated actions, which consist of a set of discussion groups with the victims and with the bullies, with proper follow-up. Only full KiVa schools will also receive an online game which has the aim to raise awareness of the role of the group in bullying, increase empathy and promote strategies to support victimized peers. Self-reported victimization, bullying others and peer-reported bullying actions, psychological and academic functioning, and sense of school membership will be measured at baseline and 12 months after randomization.
  
  
  
  This is the first cluster RCT of the KiVa antibullying program in Latin America.
  
  
  
  ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02898324 . Registered on 8 September 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Universidad de los Andes, Monseñor Alvaro del Portillo 12455, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. jgaete@uandes.cl.|Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK. jgaete@uandes.cl.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6650-6018
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaete
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Universidad de los Andes, Monseñor Alvaro del Portillo 12455, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rojas-Barahona
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sociology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Universidad de los Andes, Monseñor Alvaro del Portillo 12455, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, FIN-20014, Finland.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salmivalli
mesh_terms: D058445:Bullying / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002677:Chile; D019548:Crime Victims; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011594:Psychometrics; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D018910:Video Games
keywords: Bullying; KiVa program; Psychological functioning; School membership; Students