School Climate Counts: A Longitudinal Analysis of School Climate and Middle School Bullying Behaviors
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
School Climate Counts: A Longitudinal Analysis of School Climate and Middle School Bullying Behaviors Nicole B. Dorio 1
&
Kelly N. Clark 1 & Michelle K. Demaray 1 & Elyse M. Doll 1
# Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether student perceptions of school climate were associated with traditional and cyber bullying participant behaviors over the course of a school year. Additionally, gender was explored as a moderator in the associations between school climate perceptions and bullying participant behaviors. Data were collected from 870 6th through 8th grade middle school students using the Bullying Participant Behaviors Questionnaire (BPBQ; Demaray et al. 2014), the Cyber Victimization Survey (CVS; Brown et al. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 12–21, 2014), and the Safe and Responsive Schools Safe Schools Survey–Secondary Form (SRS; Skiba et al. School Violence Research, 3, 149–171, 2004). Results indicated students’ perceptions of school climate were significantly related to maladaptive bullying role behaviors (traditional and cyber bullying, traditional and cyber victimization, assisting in bullying, and outsider behaviors) but not adaptive role behaviors (defending). There were significant gender interactions with school climate, particularly with perceptions of delinquency/major safety at school. Implications concerning these findings are discussed. Keywords School climate . Bullying . Victimization . Defending . Assisting . Outsider . Cyber victimization . Cyber bullying
Bullying is prevalent in schools, and bullying behaviors can take place face-to-face or online (National Center for Education Statistics 2019). In 2017, about 20% of American students ages 12–18 reported experiencing victimization at school and 15% of American students in 9th–12th grades experienced cyberbullying (National Center for Educational Statistics 2019). Regardless of their behavior or experience (e.g., bully, victimization, bystander), individuals involved in traditional or cyber bullying often have negative long-term outcomes associated with their involvement. For example, youth who bully and victims of bullying also reported low academic achievement, loneliness, and psychosocial maladjustment (Nansel et al. 2001). A positive school climate may reduce bullying perpetration leading to less victimization, or
* Nicole B. Dorio [email protected] Michelle K. Demaray [email protected] 1
Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
it may increase defending behaviors leading to victims feeling supported and resulting in less negative outcomes. There is some evidence that a healthy school climate is associated with less frequent traditional victimization and bully perpetration, but little is known about the association between school climate and other bullying role behaviors (i.e., assistant, defender, outsider). There is also some initial evidence of an association between school climate and online bullying and victimiza
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