Developing Wellbeing Through a Randomised Controlled Trial of a Martial Arts Based Intervention: An Alternative to the Anti-Bullying Approach

Brian Moore, Stuart Woodcock and Dean Dudley
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Brian Moore: Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
Stuart Woodcock: Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
Dean Dudley: Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Anti-bullying policies and interventions are the main approach addressing bullying behaviours in Australian schools. However, the evidence supporting these approaches is inconsistent and its theoretical underpinning may be problematic. The current study examined the effects of a martial arts based psycho-social intervention on participants’ ratings of resilience and self-efficacy, delivered as a randomised controlled trial to 283 secondary school students. Results found a consistent pattern for strengths-based wellbeing outcomes. All measures relating to resilience and self-efficacy improved for the intervention group, whereas results declined for the control group. These findings suggest that a martial arts based psycho-social intervention may be an efficacious method of improving wellbeing outcomes including resilience and self-efficacy. The study proposes utilising alternatives to the anti-bullying approach and that interventions should be aimed towards helping individuals develop strengths and cope more effectively, which has specific relevance to bullying and more generalised importance to positive mental health.

Keywords: bullying; martial arts; mental health; resilience; self-efficacy; wellbeing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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