Curricular intervention in physical education to prevent bullying

A-Judo programme

Bibliographic Data

ID21783854
AuthorsCarlos Montero-Carretero (0000-0002-1565-8169, Universitat de Miguel Hernández d'Elx), Alba Roldán (0000-0001-5232-5825, Universitat de Miguel Hernández d'Elx, corresponding author), Natsumi Katagiri (International Pacific University), Eduardo Cervelló (0000-0001-5854-6354, Miguel Hernández University), Eduardo M Cervelló (Universitat de Miguel Hernández d'Elx)
Year2026
Pages1-21
Publication date2026-01-25
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhysical Education and Sport Pedagogy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1740-8989 • E-ISSN: 1742-5786
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17408989.2026.2620050
OpenAlexW7125640405
LanguageEN
References cited61

Background: Bullying remains a major challenge in schools worldwide, with serious psychological and social consequences for students. Physical Education (PE) provides a natural context for developing empathy, cooperation, and respect, making it a strategic setting for implementing preventive programmes.Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a judo-based curricular intervention, the A-Judo Programme, on psychosocial development and bullying prevention among school-aged students in regular PE classes.Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post design was conducted with 415 students aged 10–15 years (M = 12.17; SD = 0.84) from seven public schools in Spain. Participants were randomly allocated by clusters into an intervention group (n = 174) or a control group (n = 241). The eight-session programme integrated judo-based cooperative and reflective activities aligned with the Self-Determination Theory. Pre- and post-intervention measures included validated Spanish versions of questionnaires assessing bullying perpetration and victimisation, resilience, moral disengagement, empathy, impulsivity, and self-determined motivation.Results: Significant group differences favoured the intervention group, who showed reductions in moral disengagement, impulsivity, and bullying perpetration, as well as increases in empathy and self-determined motivation. Improvements in victimisation and resilience followed the same trend but did not reach statistical significance.Conclusions: The A-Judo Programme proved effective in enhancing key psychosocial competencies and reducing bullying-related behaviours. Integrating judo-based learning experiences into PE may contribute to the holistic development of students and the creation of safer, more inclusive school environments

Curriculum · Health education · Physical education · Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education · Physical education and sports games research · Sports injuries and prevention

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