Teachers' views and beliefs about bullying: Influences on classroom management strategies and students' coping with peer victimization

doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2007.07.005

Journal of School Psychology

Volume 46, Issue 4, August 2008, Pages 431-453

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.07.005 Get rights and content

Abstract

A multilevel design was used to test a model in which teachers' attitudes (beliefs) about bullying (e.g., it is normative; assertive children do not get bullied; children wouldn't be bullied if they avoided mean kids) were hypothesized to influence if and how they intervene in bullying interactions. In turn, it was hypothesized that teachers' strategies would influence how their students cope with victimization and the frequency of victimization reported by their students. Data were gathered on 34 2nd and 4th grade teachers and 363 ethnically-diverse students (188 boys; 175 girls; M age = 9 years 2 months). Results indicated that teachers were not likely to intervene if they viewed bullying as normative behavior, but were more likely to intervene if they held either assertion or avoidant beliefs. Moreover, avoidant beliefs were predictive of separating students which was then associated both directly and indirectly (via reduced revenge seeking) with lower levels of peer victimization. No grade differences emerged for teachers' views or management strategies; however, minor sex differences were detected which will be discussed.

Section snippets

Participants

Teachers and their students from four public elementary schools in the Southwestern United States, serving primarily low-to-middle income families (as measured by percent of students who received free lunches: 26%, 56%, 79% and 95% for the four schools), participated in the present study. Schools were selected to represent the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the community. All 34 (31 female; 3 male) second (n = 19) and fourth (n = 15) grade teachers agreed to allow their students to

Results

Preliminary analyses were first conducted to test hypotheses regarding sex and grade mean group differences among the variables. Next, correlations between teachers' views regarding peer victimization and their use of specific strategies for managing bullying in their classroom were computed separately for boys and girls. Lastly, multilevel modeling using Mplus 3.1 was used to test the model that teachers' beliefs of bullying influence their use of management strategies, which in turn, is

Discussion

The present study was designed to address three primary issues. First, we examined if the beliefs teachers hold about bullying and the strategies they use to handle such incidences vary as a function of the sex and grade of their students. Second, we investigated how such beliefs may influence teachers' responses to bullying. Third, it was of interest to determine if the management strategies teachers used to handle victimization were predictive of student-reported levels of peer victimization

Acknowledgements

This paper is based on a Master's thesis completed by the second author under the advisement of the first author. Preparation of this project was supported by National Science Foundation Grant #0318462 awarded to Becky Kochenderfer-Ladd, Arizona State University. We would like to thank the principals, teachers, students and parents of Keller, Loma Linda, Mendoza, and Orangedale Elementary Schools for their participation.

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^☆: This article was accepted under Dr. Pianta's editorship.

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Teachers' views and beliefs about bullying: Influences on classroom management strategies and students' coping with peer victimization☆

Abstract

Section snippets

Participants

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Knowledge and beliefs about bullying in schools: Comparing pre-service teachers in the Unites States and the United Kingdom

School Psychology International

Secondary school teachers' perception of pupils' undesirable behaviors

British Journal of Educational Psychology

Teachers' views on bullying: Definitions, attitudes and ability to cope

British Journal of Educational Psychology

Alternative ways of assessing model fit

Development of a self-report coping measure for elementary school children

Journal of Clinical Child Psychology

Children's goals and strategies in peer conflict situations

Merrill-Palmer Quarterly

Prospective teachers' attitudes toward bullying and victimization

School Psychology International

Low-level violence: A neglected aspect of school culture

Urban Education

The expression and regulation of negative emotions: Risks factors for young children's peer victimization

Development and Psychopathology

The social context of young children's peer victimization

Social Development

Cut-off criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives

Structural Equation Modeling

Help seeking amongst child and adolescent victims of peer-aggression and bullying: The influence of school-stage, gender, victimization, appraisal, and emotion

British Journal of Educational Psychology

Peer victimization: Cause or consequence of school maladjustment

Child Development

Victimized children's responses to peers' aggression: Behaviors associated with reduced versus continued victimization

Development and Psychopathology

Children's coping strategies: Moderators of the effects of peer victimization

Developmental Psychology

Perceived seriousness of pupils' undesirable behaviors: The student teachers' perspective

Educational Psychology

The use of coping strategies by Danish children classed as bullies, victims, bully/victims, and not involved, in response to different (hypothetical) types of bullying

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology