The use of group drumming-based music therapy with male adolescents in a school violence prevention program in Korea: A pilot study

This study investigated how a drumming experience influences students’ aggression and narrative experience as related to school violence. Participants were 15- to 16-year-old students from two classes in a men’s high school in a Southeastern city in Korea. The students in one class ( n = 38) participated in a group drumming-based music therapy school violence prevention program, while the 35 students in the other class participated in a didactic character education class. The Aggression Questionnaire (Korean Version) K-AQ was used for the quantitative data analysis, and individual semi-structured interviews with three participants, the classroom teacher, and researcher observations contributed qualitative data. A significant effect was found in the anger subscale of the K-AQ; no significant differences were found for the other 3 subscales (physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility). The qualitative data indicated that group drumming may enhance self-esteem, assertiveness, emotional expression, anger management skills, cooperation, feelings of unity, empathy, and active listening skills. These findings indicated that group drumming may contribute to reducing anger—one component of aggression—and may positively impact Korean male adolescents’ prosocial behaviors, as they pertain to school violence.