Bystander InterventionNCT07098559
Effects of Bystander Model-Based Creative Drama on Empathy and Bullying Intervention in Middle School Students
A study testing Creative drama in people with Bystander Intervention, run by Gazi University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This research is a randomized controlled experimental study. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of creative drama workshops based on the bystander intervention model on middle school students' bystander intervention and empathy levels. The research population consists of sixth and seventh grade students. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 10 to 14 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Bystander Intervention
- What is being tested?
- Creative drama
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 42 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- Sep 2025to Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 10 to 14 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Being in 6th or 7th grade,
- Having parental consent, and
- Voluntary participation in the study
Who cannot join
- Difficulty in reading and writing Turkish, and
- Having a physical/mental disability or illness
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Gazi University
Ankara
Şeyma Nur Hepokur Yıldırım, Phd Candidate
Yeter Kitiş, Prof.
About this study
Official title: The Effects of Bystander Intervention Model-Based Creative Drama Workshops on Bystander Intervention and Empathy in Peer Bullying Among Middle School Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This research is a randomized controlled experimental study. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of creative drama workshops based on the bystander intervention model on middle school students' bystander intervention and empathy levels. The research population consists of sixth and seventh grade students. The research sample will consist of at least 42 middle school students, 21 in the intervention group and 21 in the control group. The sample will be selected through randomization. The students in the intervention group will receive 10 sessions of creative drama intervention. The research aims to answer the following questions: Is there a difference between the intervention group and the control group in terms of bystander intervention levels? Is there a difference between the intervention group and the control group in terms of empathy levels toward the victim of peer bullying?
Read the detailed description
Adolescence is a crucial period during which individuals undergo significant physical, mental, and social changes, and the process of identity development begins. The transition to middle school during this period leads to increased interaction with peer groups and an increased likelihood of encountering behaviors such as bullying. Bullying, a form of aggression characterized by intent to harm, repetition, and a power imbalance, is a common occurrence in schools. According to a 2023 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), one in three students worldwide is bullied, while in Turkey, rates range from 15.9% to 34.9%. Bullying negatively impacts children's physical, mental, and social development, and these effects can extend into adulthood. During bullying, students may assume various roles, including bully, victim, bully-victim, and bystander. Bystander intervention is particularly critical for preventing bullying. However, research shows that a large portion of bystanders remain passive. However, intervening bystanders have the potential to quickly stop bullying. One effective strategy for preventing bullying is school-based, multifaceted intervention programs. The school nurse plays a crucial role in this process, providing guidance both in identifying bullying and in providing intervention. Empathy is a key determinant in bystander intervention. Individuals with high empathy are more likely to take on an advocacy role. In this context, creative drama can increase students' sensitivity to bullying by fostering empathy. Through creative drama, students can experience the effects of bullying and discuss solutions. Drama helps students express their feelings and develop problem-solving and communication skills. The Bystander Intervention Model defines five stages individuals must go through to help a situation: recognizing the incident, interpreting it as urgent, assuming responsibility, knowing how to help, and intervening. Individual attitudes and environmental factors play important roles in this process. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of creative drama workshops based on the bystander intervention model in increasing middle school students' bystander intervention levels and empathy skills in bullying. The study will be conducted with 6th and 7th grade students and will utilize a randomized controlled experimental design. The sample will consist of 42 students, who will be randomly assigned to an intervention group of 21 and a control group of 21. The experimental group will participate in creative drama workshops based on an audience intervention model, while the control group will not receive any intervention.
- Conditions
- Bystander Intervention
- Being tested
- Creative drama
- Keywords
- creative drama, middle school students, peer bullying, bystander intervention, bystander intervention model, bystander role, emphaty, nursing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Creative dramaBehavioural
This intervention is unique in its integration of the Bystander Intervention Model with creative drama techniques to enhance empathy, self-efficacy, and active intervention behaviors among middle school students witnessing peer bullying. Unlike traditional anti-bullying programs that rely on lectures or cognitive-based approaches, this study uses experiential learning and role-playing scenarios to simulate real-life bullying situations and encourage emotional engagement and behavioral change.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Creative drama group | Experimental | Participants will be given ten sessions of creative drama intervention training in creative drama workshops reviewed by experts. Receives: Behavioral: Creative drama |
| Control group | No intervention | No intervention will be applied to the control group. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Bystander Intervention Scale in Bullying
The scale aims to evaluate individuals' reactions and attitudes towards bullying incidents they witness and was created based on the Bystander Intervention Model. The scale, consisting of 16 items in total, consists of five sub-dimensions: Noticing the incident, interpreting the incident as a situation requiring immediate help, accepting the responsibility to help, deciding how to intervene, and implementing the intervention decision. The scale, structured as a 5-point Likert-type scale, is applied by rating from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." The overall Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.88. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficients for the sub-dimensions are, respectively; 0.60 for recognizing the event, 0.78 for interpreting the event as emergency aid, 0.67 for accepting the responsibility to help, 0.75 for deciding on the intervention method, and 0.78 for implementing the intervention decision
Measured: 3 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Empathy Scale for Peer Bullying Victims
To assess empathy towards victims of peer bullying. The scale consists of seven items on a five-point Likert-type scale and two subscales: cognitive empathy and affective empathy. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient for the entire scale is 0.88.
Measured: 3 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Aug 2025
- Study startSep 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completionJan 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Bystander InterventionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Gazi UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized study with experimental and control groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Gazi University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Şeyma Nur HEPOKUR, Gazi University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07098559
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- E-77082166-302.08.01-1265651
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 24 Jul 2025
- Last updated
- 7 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: IPD sharing is restricted by data confidentiality, participant privacy, and applicable ethics rules and legislation. Sharing data with third parties may require relevant ethics committee approval, institutional permissions, and explicit consent from participants. If these conditions are not met, IPD sharing may not be possible.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effects of Bystander Intervention Model-Based Creative Drama Workshops on Bystander Intervention and Empathy in Peer Bullying Among Middle School Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07098559
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- E-77082166-302.08.01-1265651
- Conditions
- Bystander Intervention
- Keywords
- creative drama, middle school students, peer bullying, bystander intervention, bystander intervention model, bystander role, emphaty, nursing
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Gazi UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Jan 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This research is a randomized controlled experimental study. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of creative drama workshops based on the bystander intervention model on middle school students' bystander intervention and empathy levels. The research population consists of sixth and seventh grade students. The research sample will consist of at least 42 middle school students, 21 in the intervention group and 21 in the control group. The sample will be selected through randomization. The students in the intervention group will receive 10 sessions of creative drama intervention. The research aims to answer the following questions: Is there a difference between the intervention group and the control group in terms of bystander intervention levels? Is there a difference between the intervention group and the control group in terms of empathy levels toward the victim of peer bullying?
Detailed description
Adolescence is a crucial period during which individuals undergo significant physical, mental, and social changes, and the process of identity development begins. The transition to middle school during this period leads to increased interaction with peer groups and an increased likelihood of encountering behaviors such as bullying. Bullying, a form of aggression characterized by intent to harm, repetition, and a power imbalance, is a common occurrence in schools. According to a 2023 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), one in three students worldwide is bullied, while in Turkey, rates range from 15.9% to 34.9%. Bullying negatively impacts children's physical, mental, and social development, and these effects can extend into adulthood. During bullying, students may assume various roles, including bully, victim, bully-victim, and bystander. Bystander intervention is particularly critical for preventing bullying. However, research shows that a large portion of bystanders remain passive. However, intervening bystanders have the potential to quickly stop bullying. One effective strategy for preventing bullying is school-based, multifaceted intervention programs. The school nurse plays a crucial role in this process, providing guidance both in identifying bullying and in providing intervention. Empathy is a key determinant in bystander intervention. Individuals with high empathy are more likely to take on an advocacy role. In this context, creative drama can increase students' sensitivity to bullying by fostering empathy. Through creative drama, students can experience the effects of bullying and discuss solutions. Drama helps students express their feelings and develop problem-solving and communication skills. The Bystander Intervention Model defines five stages individuals must go through to help a situation: recognizing the incident, interpreting it as urgent, assuming responsibility, knowing how to help, and intervening. Individual attitudes and environmental factors play important roles in this process. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of creative drama workshops based on the bystander intervention model in increasing middle school students' bystander intervention levels and empathy skills in bullying. The study will be conducted with 6th and 7th grade students and will utilize a randomized controlled experimental design. The sample will consist of 42 students, who will be randomly assigned to an intervention group of 21 and a control group of 21. The experimental group will participate in creative drama workshops based on an audience intervention model, while the control group will not receive any intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized study with experimental and control groups
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Creative drama group | Experimental | Behavioral: Creative dramaParticipants will be given ten sessions of creative drama intervention training in creative drama workshops reviewed by experts. |
| Control group | No intervention | –No intervention will be applied to the control group. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 10 to 14 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Being in 6th or 7th grade,
- Having parental consent, and
- Voluntary participation in the study
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Difficulty in reading and writing Turkish, and
- Having a physical/mental disability or illness
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Creative dramaThis intervention is unique in its integration of the Bystander Intervention Model with creative drama techniques to enhance empathy, self-efficacy, and active intervention behaviors among middle school students witnessing peer bullying. Unlike traditional anti-bullying programs that rely on lectures or cognitive-based approaches, this study uses experiential learning and role-playing scenarios to simulate real-life bullying situations and encourage emotional engagement and behavioral change. | Behavioural | Creative drama group |
Primary outcome
Bystander Intervention Scale in Bullying
Time frame: 3 months
The scale aims to evaluate individuals' reactions and attitudes towards bullying incidents they witness and was created based on the Bystander Intervention Model. The scale, consisting of 16 items in total, consists of five sub-dimensions: Noticing the incident, interpreting the incident as a situation requiring immediate help, accepting the responsibility to help, deciding how to intervene, and implementing the intervention decision. The scale, structured as a 5-point Likert-type scale, is applied by rating from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." The overall Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.88. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficients for the sub-dimensions are, respectively; 0.60 for recognizing the event, 0.78 for interpreting the event as emergency aid, 0.67 for accepting the responsibility to help, 0.75 for deciding on the intervention method, and 0.78 for implementing the intervention decision
1 secondary outcome
Empathy Scale for Peer Bullying Victims
Time frame: 3 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Aug 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. IPD sharing is restricted by data confidentiality, participant privacy, and applicable ethics rules and legislation. Sharing data with third parties may require relevant ethics committee approval, institutional permissions, and explicit consent from participants. If these conditions are not met, IPD sharing may not be possible.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Creative drama in people with Bystander Intervention, run by Gazi University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Şeyma Nur Hepokur Yıldırım, PhD Candidate (+90-533-552-15-38, seymanurhepokur@gazi.edu.tr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Bystander Intervention Scale in Bullying (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Aug 2025.