Fostering cross-cultural friendships with the ViSC anti-bullying program

Abstract

It was examined whether the implementation of a whole-school anti-bullying program is able to increase cross-cultural friendships among 450 non-immigrant and 607 immigrant youth aged 10–14 years (M = 11.64 years, SD = 0.80). Over a period of one school year, teachers received three in-school trainings and implemented a 13-week social competence project in their classes. The social competence project was structured to foster the cross-cultural friendship potential in the classes by utilizing equal status, common goals, cooperation, and authority support. To investigate program effectiveness, a cluster randomized control study was realized, and longitudinal social network data were gathered. In total, 2-wave longitudinal data set was available from 11 intervention schools (53 classes, N = 719) and 5 control schools (27 classes, N = 338). Reciprocal and unilateral same-cultural friendship preference indices were calculated based on the social network data. Controlling for several class-level variables, multilevel growth modelling revealed no program effects regarding reciprocal same-cultural friendship preferences. However, a buffer effect on unilateral same-cultural friendship preferences among Turkish immigrant youth was found. The value of real-world teacher-led contact interventions to foster cross-cultural friendships is discussed.