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Bullying and Victimization in Ethnically Diverse Schools

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Abstract

The present study analyzed risk and protective factors on the individual and the class level related to bullying and victimization in ethnically diverse schools. The sample derived from the pre-test data of a national intervention evaluation study in Austria (ViSC) and comprised 1439 students (48.8% girls) aged 1115 (M 12.31). 747 students were native Austrians, 221 students had a Turkish background, 302 students originated from former Yugoslavia and 169 students were from other countries. Data were collected via internet-based questionnaires. Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that being a boy was a risk factor for higher bullying scores. With respect to ethnicity being Turkish was associated with lower bullying scores and lower victimization scores whereas students from other countries were most vulnerable to victimization. Class climate was most protective for bullying and victimization. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research is part of the ViSC project financed by the Austrian Ministry of Education (BMUKK) between 2008 and 2011.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology, Department of Economic Psychology, Educational Psychology, and Evaluation, University of Vienna, Universitaetsstrasse 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria

    Elisabeth Stefanek & Christiane Spiel

  2. School of Health/Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Garnisonstraße 21, 4020, Linz, Austria

    Dagmar Strohmeier

  3. Department of Methodology and Statistics, Utrecht University, 80.140, 3508TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Rens van de Schoot

Authors
  1. Elisabeth Stefanek
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  2. Dagmar Strohmeier
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  3. Rens van de Schoot
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  4. Christiane Spiel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elisabeth Stefanek .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Argentinierstrasse 67/18, Vienna, Austria

    Michi Messer

  2. , Department of Biochemistry, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Dr Bohr-Gasse 9/5, Vienna, 1030, Austria

    Renee Schroeder

  3. , Dpt. of Ling. and English Language, Lancaster University, County South, Lancaster, LA1 4YL, United Kingdom

    Ruth Wodak

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Stefanek, E., Strohmeier, D., de Schoot, R.v., Spiel, C. (2012). Bullying and Victimization in Ethnically Diverse Schools. In: Messer, M., Schroeder, R., Wodak, R. (eds) Migrations: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0950-2_7

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