Medienhelden (Media Heroes)
“Medienhelden” is a universal, manualized, theoretically based, and carefully evaluated (process, impact, implementation evaluation) preventive intervention program for the school context (7th-9th graders), including teachers and parents. Objectives are: Prevention of cyberbullying/-victimization and promotion of online self-protection skills and social skills. The program relies mainly on social learning and cognitive-behavioral methods and works with activating methods (peer-topeer and peer-to-parent-tutoring). The program is intended for implementation in classrooms and covers ten weeks with sessions of 90 minutes each as part of a curriculum. A shortened one-day-version (4 sessions of 90 minutes) was also developed. The program manual provides school teachers with all materials needed to carry out the program. A longitudinal, randomized control study proved the positive effects of the program (e.g. reduction in cyberbullying, improved skills/empathy). A train-the-trainer approach is available for the purpose of implementation, offered by licenced external enterprises and partners.
The Project started in 2010 and is now finished.
Another research project started recently and the implementation of the program in Germany, other European countries (e.g. Austria) and South-America is ongoing.
Last review: December 2015.