Peer-reviewed article
Effects of the Learning Together intervention on bullying and aggression in English secondary schools (INCLUSIVE): a cluster randomised controlled trial
Chris P. Bonell, Elizabeth J. Allen, Emily A. Warren, Jennifer McGowan, Leonardo Bevilacqua et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study tested the Learning Together intervention in 40 English secondary schools over 3 years to reduce bullying and aggression among students. The intervention included staff training in restorative practice, a school action group, and a social and emotional skills curriculum for students. Learning Together reduced self-reported bullying victimization by a small but statistically significant amount, but had no effect on student aggression. The intervention cost an additional £58 per pupil.
Key points
- Bullying victimization scores were significantly lower in intervention schools (0.29 vs 0.34, effect size -0.08)
- School misbehaviour and aggression scores showed no significant difference between intervention and control groups (effect size -0.03)
- The intervention involved restorative practice training for staff, a school action group, and student social-emotional skills curriculum
- 93.6% of students participated at baseline and 83.3% at 36-month follow-up across 40 schools
- Additional cost of £58 per pupil in intervention schools compared to control schools
Limitations
The study was conducted only in south-east England secondary schools, so findings may not generalize to other regions, age groups, or school settings. The effects on bullying, while significant, were small in magnitude, limiting practical implications.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bullying, aggression, and violence among children and young people are some of the most consequential public mental health problems. We tested the Learning Together intervention, which involved students in efforts to modify their school environment using restorative practice and by developing social and emotional skills. METHODS: We did a cluster randomised trial, with economic and process evaluations, of the Learning Together intervention compared with standard practice (controls) over 3 years in secondary schools in south-east England. Learning Together consisted of staff training in restorative practice; convening and facilitating a school action group; and a student social and emotional skills curriculum. Primary outcomes were self-reported experience of bullying victimisation (Gatehouse Bullying Scale; GBS) and perpetration of aggression (Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime (ESYTC) school misbehaviour subscale) measured at 36 months. We analysed data using intention-to-treat longitudinal mixed-effects models. This trial was registered with the ISRCTN registry (10751359). FINDINGS: We included 40 schools (20 in each group); no schools withdrew. 6667 (93·6%) of 7121 students participated at baseline and 5960 (83·3%) of 7154 at 36 months. Mean GBS bullying score at 36 months was 0·34 (SE 0·02) in the control group versus 0·29 (SE 0·02) in the intervention group, with a significant adjusted mean difference (-0·03, 95% CI -0·06 to -0·001; adjusted effect size -0·08). Mean ESYTC score at 36 months was 4·33 (SE 0·20) in the control group versus 4·04 (0·21) in the intervention group, with no evidence of a difference between groups (adjusted difference -0·13, 95% CI -0·43 to 0·18; adjusted effect size -0·03). Costs were an additional £58 per pupil in intervention schools than in control schools. INTERPRETATION: Learning Together had small but significant effects on bullying, which could be important for public health, but no effect on aggression. Interventions to promote student health by modifying the whole-school environment are likely to be one of the most feasible and efficient ways of addressing closely related risk and health outcomes in children and young people. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research, Educational Endowment Foundation.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Learning Together: staff training in restorative practice, establishment of a school action group, and a student social and emotional skills curriculum
- Population
- Secondary school students in south-east England; 6667 students at baseline across 40 schools (20 intervention, 20 control)
Key finding
Bullying victimization significantly reduced in intervention group: mean difference -0.03 (95% CI -0.06 to -0.001), adjusted effect size -0.08