Online Pestkoppenstoppen: the systematic development of a web-based tailored intervention for adolescent cyberbully victims to prevent cyberbullying

The ‘Online Pestkoppenstoppen’ program is an theory- and evidence-based, online tailored advice for cyberbullying victims (12-15 years). This program is developed according to the Intervention Mapping protocol. The purpose of this chapter is to give an integrative insight into the development of the ‘Online Pestkoppenstoppen’ (Stop Bullies Online/Stop Online Bullies) program, the program goals, relevant determinants and the intervention content. Program goals are statements of what the intervention should accomplish in cyberbullying victims. By specifying program goals, healthy and effective behaviors are described. Performance objectives are sub-behaviors, as specific as possible, of the health promoting behavior or environmental conditions. They are phrased in words of an end state, so what exactly the person has to do to perform the health-related behavior. Cyberbully victims need to do the performance objectives in order to reach the program goals. By crossing performance objectives with determinants (factors that are known to have an influence on the health behavior) change objectives are created. Change objectives are specificgoals that state what exactly should change on an individual and environmental level. The goal is to adapt methods and strategies to the change objectives. The strategies in its turn are then used in order to develop the program. The program consists of three advices delivered over three months. The first advice aims to teach participants how behavior is influenced by the thoughts they have. They will learn how to recognize and dispute irrational thoughts and how to form rational thoughts. In the second advice, participants will learn about the use of effective coping strategies in order to stop (online) bullying, how bullying emerges and how their behavior influences bullying. Tailored to their scores on problem behaviors (such as depression, social withdrawal and social problems) they receive additional extra lessons aimed at improving social skills (e.g. starting a conversation, asking questions, empathy, planning social activities). Finally, in the third advice, participants will learn how to use the Internet and mobile phones in a safe manner. Tailored to their performance, participants will also receive additional lessons in changing irrational thoughts and effective coping strategies. All learned skills are internalized via coping planning and implementation intentions. Each advice is tailored to personal characteristics such as self-efficacy, personality, coping strategies used and (type of) irrational thoughts.