Nurse-Led Take a SELSTEP Program on Peer Bullying, Victimization, and Bystander Behavior Among Adolescents (Take a SELSTEP)

June 22, 2026 updated by: Marmara University

The Effect of Nurse-Led Social Emotional Learning Program on Adolescents' Bullying, Victimization, and Bystander Behaviors

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effect of a nurse-led social emotional learning (SEL) program on bullying, victimization, and bystander behaviors among adolescents. The study will be conducted in two public middle schools in Istanbul, Türkiye, with students in grades 6-8. Participants in the intervention group will receive structured SEL sessions designed to enhance emotional regulation, empathy, and problem-solving skills, while the control group will continue with routine education. Outcomes will be measured using validated scales at baseline, three months, and six months after the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

School violence is observed at all levels of education, but it is particularly prominent during middle school, which coincides with early adolescence. While violence tends to increase in primary school and decrease in higher grades of high school, no significant differences are observed between grade levels in middle school. Bullying has multiple negative consequences: for perpetrators, it is associated with suicide, weapon carrying, substance use disorders, and a tendency toward violence and criminal behavior in adulthood; for victims, it is linked to low self-esteem, anxiety disorders, and suicide. Due to these multifaceted negative effects, bullying prevention programs must be implemented as public health interventions. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led, social emotional learning (SEL)-based education program on bullying, victimization, and bystander behaviors among adolescents attending grades 6, 7, and 8 in middle schools. Unlike many previous studies, this program not only seeks to reduce bullying and victimization but also aims to enhance bystander intervention. Furthermore, the intervention will be uniquely delivered by a nurse with a focus on fostering social emotional skills.This randomized controlled trial will be conducted between October 2025 and June 2026 in two public middle schools located in the Ümraniye district of Istanbul, Türkiye. The study will follow a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test design with intervention and control groups. Randomization will be applied to ensure comparability, and participants with similar pre-test characteristics will be assigned to either group. The intervention group will receive the SEL-based training program, while the control group will continue with routine education. Post-tests will be conducted three months after the intervention, and follow-up assessments will be carried out at six months. Data will be collected in classrooms through face-to-face self-report surveys. Instruments include the Personal Information Form, Bullying Victimization Self-Efficacy Scale, Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents, Bystander Intervention in Bullying Scale, and Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale.Data entry will be performed electronically, and statistical analyses will be conducted using Jamovi. Tests appropriate for normal distribution will be used. A significance level of p < 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
210

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Students enrolled in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade during the study period
  • Students whose parents/legal guardians provide consent for participation
  • Students who volunteer to participate in the study
  • Students without communication barriers

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Students who provide incomplete data in the pre-test, post-test, or follow-up assessments
  • Students who do not fully participate in the intervention program
  • Students with insufficient cognitive level to complete the study requirements

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention Group
Students in the experimental group will participate in a structured six-week nurse-led social emotional learning intervention. The program comprises animations, an website, and a variety of learning activities designed to enhance emotional and social skills.
Other: Nurse-Led Take a SELSTEP Program
Nurse-Led Take a SELSTEP Program will be implemented in the intervention group once a week for six weeks. The program was developed based on the principles of social emotional learning. Each week addresses one of the five core components of social emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. The education will be delivered using various instructional methods, including lectures, problem-solving, question-and-answer, group discussions, case studies, scenario-based learning, gamification, and brainstorming. A range of audio-visual materials will be utilized, such as computers, projectors, presentation screens, speakers, remote controls, posters, brochures, videos, colored papers, educational booklets, and magazines. Additionally, scenarios prepared for the education program have been transformed into animations, and a dedicated website has been developed to support the intervention.
No Intervention: Control Group
Students in this group will continue their routine school curriculum without receiving the SEL-based program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)
The Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents (BCS-A) was originally developed by Thomas et al. (2019) and adapted into Turkish by Özbey and Başdaş (2020). The scale consists of two parallel forms measuring bullying and victimization experiences of adolescents during the past three months. Each form includes four subscales: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. The scale has 26 items in total. Subscale scores are calculated by dividing the sum of the items by the number of items in that subscale. Reported Cronbach's alpha values for the Turkish version range between 0.606-0.806 for the victimization subscale and 0.616-0.815 for the bullying subscale.
Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bystander Intervention in Bullying Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)
The scale was originally developed by Nickerson et al. (2014) to assess the level of bystander intervention in bullying situations. The Turkish adaptation was conducted by Demirbaş and Öztemel (2019). It consists of 16 items rated on a five-point Likert scale, covering five subdimensions: Noticing the Event, Interpreting the Event as Urgent, Accepting Responsibility to Help, Deciding How to Intervene, and Implementing the Decision to Intervene. Total scores range from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of bystander intervention. Reported internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.88 for the overall scale, 0.60 for Noticing the Event, 0.78 for Interpreting as Urgent, 0.67 for Accepting Responsibility, 0.75 for Deciding How to Intervene, and 0.78 for Implementing the Decision.
Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)
Bullying Victimization Self-Efficacy Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)
The Bullying Victimization Self-Efficacy Scale was originally developed by Kim et al. (2010) to assess students' self-efficacy in coping with bullying. The scale consists of 16 items across two subdimensions: Social Resources and Action. It is a five-point Likert-type scale (1 = Not sure, 5 = Very sure). The overall scale showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.93. The Turkish adaptation was carried out by the researchers with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88.
Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)
Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)
The Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale was developed by Kabakçı and Owen (2010) based on the framework of social emotional learning. The scale consists of 40 items across four factors: Problem-Solving Skills, Communication Skills, Self-Enhancing Skills, and Coping with Stress Skills. It is a four-point Likert-type scale, with total scores ranging from 40 to 160. Higher scores indicate greater proficiency in social emotional learning skills. In the original reliability study conducted with 597 participants, Cronbach's alpha was 0.88 for the overall scale, 0.80 for Problem-Solving, 0.70 for Communication, 0.79 for Self-Enhancing, and 0.69 for Coping with Stress.
Baseline (pre-test), 3 months (post-test), 6 months (follow-up)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Marmara University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Marmara University, Scientific Research Projects Committee

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Esma Akgul, MSc, RN, Marmara University
  • Study Chair: Ayse Ergun, Prof, RN, Marmara University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 3, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 15, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 28.06.2024- 68

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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