Abstract
Anti-bullying commitment across school communities is seen as crucial to the effectiveness of interventions. This exploratory study used a mixed-methods design to investigate bullying behaviour, intentions and aspects of the classroom ecology within the context of an anti-bullying initiative that was launched with a declaration of commitment. Across the sample of 14 primary school classes, containing 338 children aged 8–11 years, changes over time in peer-assessed and self-reported bullying and victimisation were found to be associated with changes in pupils’ sense of school belonging and perceptions of their classroom climate. Using a newly-developed theory of planned behaviour measure, changes in bullying were found to be associated with pupils’ intentions and perceived control with regard to engagement in bullying behaviour. No differences were found between intervention and comparison classes on any of the pupil outcome measures. However teachers of intervention classes reported a relative increase in perceived control over undertaking anti-bullying work with their class. The role of the class as a meaningful unit of analysis in the investigation of ecological-systemic bullying interventions in primary schools is highlighted.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behaviour. Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211.
Ajzen, I. (2002). Constructing a TOPB questionnaire: Conceptual and methodological considerations. Retrieved from 05.10.10 http://people.umass.edu/aizen/pdf/tpb.measurement.pdf.
Andreou, E., Didaskalou, E., & Vlachou, A. (2008). Outcomes of a curriculum-based anti-bullying intervention programme on students’ attitudes and behaviour. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 13, 235–248.
Astor, R. A., Benbenishty, R., Zeira, A., & Vinokur, A. (2002). School climate, observed risky behaviours and victimization as predictors of high school students’ fear and judgements of school violence as a problem. Health Education and Behaviour, 29, 716–736.
Beran, T. N., Tutty, L., & Steinrath, G. (2004). The evaluation of a bullying prevention programme for primary schools. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 19, 99–116.
Bosworth, K., Espelage, D. L., & Simon, T. R. (1999). Factors associated with bullying behavior in middle school students. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 19, 341–362.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.
Burnett, P. C. (2002). Teacher praise and feedback and students’ perceptions of the classroom environment. Educational Psychology, 22, 1–16.
Cornell, D. G., Sheras, P. L., & Cole, J. C. M. (2006). Assessment of bullying. In S. R. Jimerson & M. Furlong (Eds.), Handbook of school violence and school safety: From research to practice (pp. 191–209). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Department for Children Schools and Families, UK (DCSF). (2007). Anti-bullying charter. Nottingham: DCSF Publications.
Eslea, M., & Smith, P. K. (1998). The long-term effectiveness of anti-bullying work in primary schools. Educational Research, 40, 203–218.
Fraser, B. J. (1982). Development of short forms of several classroom environment scales. Journal of Educational Measurement, 19, 221–227.
Fraser, B. J. (1998). Classroom environment instruments: Development, validity and applications. Learning Environments Research, 1, 7–33.
Frederickson, N., Simmonds, E., Evans, L., & Soulsby, C. (2007). Assessing the social and affective outcomes of inclusion. British Journal of Special Education, 34, 105–115.
Frey, K. S., Hirschstein, M. K., Snell, J. L., Edstrom, L. V. S., MacKenzie, E. P., & Broderick, C. J. (2005). Reducing playground bullying and supporting beliefs: An experimental trial of the steps to respect programme. Developmental Psychology, 41, 479–491.
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., & Bailey, V. (1998). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 125–130.
Gratton, L., Povey, R., & Clark-Carter, D. (2007). Promoting children’s fruit and vegetable consumption: Interventions using the theory of planned behaviour as a framework. British Journal of Health Psychology, 12, 639–650.
Hawker, D. S. J., & Boulton, M. J. (2000). Twenty years’ research on peer victimisation and psychosocial maladjustment: A meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 41, 441–455.
Higgins, A., & Conner, M. (2003). Understanding adolescent smoking: The role of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and implementation intentions. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 8, 173–186.
Juvonen, J., Nishina, A., & Graham, S. (2001). Self-views versus peer perceptions of victim status among early adolescents. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and vicitimized (pp. 105–124). New York: Guilford Press.
Kumpulainen, K., Rasanen, E., & Puura, K. (2001). Psychiatric disorders and the use of mental health services among children involved in bullying. Aggressive Behaviour, 27, 102–110.
Leff, S. S., Power, T. J., & Goldstein, A. B. (2004). Outcome measures to assess the effectiveness of bullying-prevention programmes in the schools. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention (pp. 269–293). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
Limber, S. P., Nation, M., Tracy, A. J., Melton, G. B., & Vlerx, V. (2004). Implementation of the Olweus bullying prevention programme in the Southeastern United States. In P. K. Smith, D. Pepler, & K. Rigby (Eds.), Bullying in schools: How successful can interventions be? (pp. 55–79). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
MacKay, T. (2006). From the cradle to the grave: The declaration study. West Dumbartonshire, Scotland: West Dumbartonshire Council.
Merrell, K. W., Gueldner, B. A., Ross, S. W., & Isava, D. M. (2008). How effective are school bullying intervention programmes? A meta-analysis of intervention research. School Psychology Quarterly, 23, 26–42.
Miles, M., & Huberman, M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. London: Sage.
Muris, P., Meesters, C., Eijkelenboom, A., & Vincken, M. (2004). The self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: Its psychometric properties in 8–13-year-old non-clinical children. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43, 437–448.
Nabuzoka, D., & Smith, P. K. (1993). Sociometric status and social behaviour of children with and without learning difficulties. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 34, 1435–1448.
Nesdale, D., Durkin, K., Maass, A., Kiesner, J., & Griffiths, J. A. (2008). Effects of group norms on children’s intentions to bully. Social Development, 17, 889–907.
Nishina, A., Juvonen, J., & Witkow, M. R. (2005). Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will make me feel sick: The psychosocial, somatic, and scholastic consequences of peer harassment. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 37–48.
Office of National Statistics. (2008). Special educational needs in England 2008. London: DfES.
Olweus, D. (1991). Bully/victim problems among school children: Some basic facts and effects of a school based intervention Programme. In D. Pepler & K. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 411–438). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford: Blackwell.
Powell, H., Mihalas, S., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Suldo, S., & Daley, C. E. (2008). Mixed methods research in school psychology: A mixed methods investigation of trends in the literature. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 291–309.
Rigby, K. (2002). New perspectives on bullying. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Rigby, K., & Johnson, B. (2006). Expressed readiness of Australian schoolchildren to act as bystanders in support of children who are being bullied. Educational Psychology, 26, 425–440.
Rigby, K., & Slee, P. (1993). Dimensions of interpersonal relations among Australian children and implications for psychological well-being. Journal of Social Psychology, 133, 33–42.
Slee, P. T., & Mohyla, J. (2007). The PEACE Pack: an evaluation of interventions to reduce bullying in four Australian primary schools. Educational Research, 49, 103–114.
Smith, D. J., Schneider, B. H., Smith, P. K., & Ananiadou, K. (2004). The effectiveness of whole-school antibullying programmes: A synthesis of evaluation research. School Psychology Review, 33, 548–561.
Solomon, D., Battistich, V., Kim, D., & Watson, M. (1997). Teacher practices associated with students’ sense of the classroom as a community. Social Psychology of Education, 1, 235–267.
Song, S. Y., & Stoiber, K. C. (2008). Children exposed to violence at school: An evidence-based intervention agenda for the “real” bullying problem. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 8, 235–253.
Stassen Berger, K. (2007). Update on bullying at school: Science forgotten? Developmental Review, 27, 90–126.
Stewart, D. W., Shamdasani, P. N., & Rook, D. W. (2006). Focus groups: Theory and practice. London: Sage.
Swearer, S. M., & Espelage, D. L. (2004). Introduction: A social-ecological framework of bullying among youth. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention (pp. 1–12). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Swearer, S. M., Espelage, D. L., & Napolitano, S. A. (2009). Bullying prevention and intervention: Realistic strategies for schools. New York: Guilford Press.
Vaughn, S., Schumm, J. S., & Sinagub, J. (1996). Focus group interviews in education and psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Viding, E., Simmonds, E., Petrides, K. V., & Frederickson, N. (2009). The contribution of callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems to bullying in early adolescence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 471–481.
Wolke, D., Woods, S., Bloomfield, L., & Karstadt, L. (2000). The association between direct and relational bullying and behaviour problems among primary school children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41, 989–1002.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pryce, S., Frederickson, N. Bullying behaviour, intentions and classroom ecology. Learning Environ Res 16, 183–199 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-013-9137-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-013-9137-7