Using children's literature to decrease moral disengagement and victimization among elementary school students

Previous research has suggested that moral disengagement is strongly associated with bullying and bystander behavior. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a 5‐week classroom‐wide bullying intervention, The Bullying Literature Project‐Moral Disengagement Version (BLP‐MD), on moral disengagement and bullying among elementary school students. A quasiexperimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the BLP‐MD. A sample of 84 third grade students (M_age = 7.93 years, 53.6% female) from four classrooms and their teachers participated in this study. The results revealed significant time by treatment interactions for decreasing both victimization and moral disengagement in treatment classrooms compared to waitlist control classrooms. The program also resulted in improved perception of peer friendships and was rated as having high social validity for both students and their teachers. How to incorporate the BLP‐MD into the general language arts curriculum to decrease moral disengagement and bullying, and promote positive bystanding is discussed.     

The relationship between school belonging,sibling aggression and bullying involvement: implications for students with and without disabilities

Bullying is grounded in the interactions between an individual and complex social–ecological systems. Therefore, bullying involvement is not just confined to the classroom or school. Recent research suggests that sibling aggression may be a predictor for peer-level aggression. These findings may be more relevant for students with disabilities because studies suggest that students with disabilities are disproportionately involved in the bullying dynamic. Therefore, this study explored the intersection between sibling aggression and school belonging on bullying, victimisation and fighting for 14,508 students, including 1183 students with disabilities and 13,325 students without disabilities in grades 6 through 12. As hypothesised, students with disabilities reported higher levels of victimisation, bullying and fighting. Additionally, high levels of school belonging partially buffered fighting and bullying behaviours for students with and without disabilities. These findings demonstrate the importance of establishing an inclusive and safe environment for school-aged youth.     

Maternal- versus paternal-perpetrated maltreatment and risk for sexual and peer bullying revictimization in young women with depression

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment is one of the strongest predictors of sexual and peer bullying re-victimization. However, it is not clear which types of maltreatment are associated with the greatest risk.ObjectiveThe current study examined the differential relations of maternal- versus paternal-perpetrated emotional maltreatment, neglect, and physical maltreatment, as well as sexual maltreatment, to sexual victimization and peer bullying victimization outside the home. It was hypothesized that paternal-perpetrated emotional maltreatment would be the strongest predictor of later sexual and peer bullying victimization, and that sexual maltreatment would predict sexual re-victimization.Participants and settingParticipants included data from 263 adolescent and young adult women who had previously taken part in one of three larger studies conducted in an academic research setting investigating the relation between stress and depression. All participants had been recruited from the wider community or clinician referral and met criteria for a unipolar depressive disorder.MethodsPsychiatric diagnoses were assessed with a structured diagnostic interview. Childhood maltreatment and victimization were assessed retrospectively with a semi-structured contextual interview that includes standardized ratings.ResultsPaternal-perpetrated emotional abuse was the only maltreatment type that was independently associated with sexual (OR = 3.09, p = .004) and peer bullying (OR = 1.41, p = .05) re-victimization over other forms of maltreatment and indicators of depression severity.ConclusionsThese findings provide an important foundation for future research examining the mechanisms driving the relation between father’s hostility, criticism, and rejection and daughters’ revictimization that can ultimately provide targets for prevention in girls at highest risk.     

Parental absence,child victimization,and psychological well-being in rural China

Using cross-sectional data regarding 793 rural children aged 10–16 in Sichuan Province of China, the present study examined the preceding-year rates of seven forms of child victimization (physical assault, property crime, peer/sibling victimization, child maltreatment, sexual victimization, witnessing family violence, and exposure to community violence) and poly-victimization, and found children’s victimization experiences increased as the degree of parental absence increased (from the presence of two biological parents, to parental migration and parental separation and divorce). Elevated levels of depression were also found among left-behind children and children of separated or divorced parents, compared to children living with both biological parents; and child poly-victimization added to the risk of child depression. Certain demographic characteristics (being a boy and younger) and parental factors were associated with child victimization in rural China. This study highlights the need for child protection in rural China, and in particular for parent-absent children.     

Student victimization by teachers in Taiwan: prevalence and associations

Objectives

This paper reports on the prevalence of student victimization by teachers in junior high schools in a Chinese cultural context (Taiwan) and examines how student demographic variables (gender, grade level, and family socioeconomic status) and school social experiences (student-teacher relationships and involvement with at-risk peers) are associated with such victimization.

Methods

Data were obtained from a large-scale random sample of 1,376 junior-high students (grades 7-9) in the city of Taichung, Taiwan. Students were given an anonymous structured questionnaire, including items regarding basic demographics and school social experiences.

Results

Overall, 26.9% of students reported having been maltreated by teachers at least 1 time in the previous semester. Hitting, beating, or slapping was the most common maltreatment, and the most vulnerable students were boys and senior students. Students who perceived that student-teacher relationships were poor, and those who were involved with at-risk peers, were more likely to report victimization.

Conclusion

Although there are clear guidelines and regulations prohibiting teacher aggression against students, Taiwanese students are still exposed to high levels of maltreatment. The findings provide empirical evidence to support school social workers and policymakers in taking immediate action to educate politicians, the general public, and the media about the severity of student victimization by teachers as well as to build up mechanisms to supervise the government's enforcement of regulation. These findings clearly imply that promoting positive social experiences for students is crucial for successful intervention.     

The cycle of victimization: The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent peer victimization

Child maltreatment has been demonstrated to have many short- and long-term harmful consequences for victims, but whether or not child abuse is associated with an increased risk of peer victimization during adolescence is unclear. This study analyzed prospective data from 831 children and parents participating in the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) to investigate the relationships between child physical and sexual abuse and adolescent victimization by peers, as well as the potential for gender to moderate these relationships. Results from ordinal logit regression models indicated that children who were physically abused prior to age 12, based on official reports, parent reports, and child reports, had a greater risk of experiencing more intimidation and physical assault by peers at age 16. Having a history of sexual abuse predicted more physical assault but not intimidation. There was no evidence that gender moderated these relationships; in all cases, the relationship between abuse and revictimization was similar for boys and girls. The findings emphasize the need to provide victims of abuse with assistance to help prevent a cycle of victimization.     

Prospective associations between peer victimization and aggression

The current study involved a short-term longitudinal study of young children (M = 44.56 months, SD = 11.88, N = 103) to test the prospective associations between peer victimization and aggression subtypes. Path analyses documented that teacher-reported physical victimization was uniquely associated with increases in observed physical aggression over time. The path model also revealed that teacher-reported relational victimization was uniquely associated with statistically significant increases in observed relational aggression over time. Ways in which these findings extend the extant developmental literature are discussed.     

Associations between peer victimization and school climate: The impact of form and the moderating role of gender

The purpose of the present study is to examine whether physical and relational victimization negatively impacts indicators of school climate–students’ perceptions of school safety, their attachment to school, and their help‐seeking behavior–and whether gender moderates these associations. Using a sample of 361 third through fifth‐grade students recruited from six public elementary schools, results reveal that relational and physical victimization were both uniquely associated with lower levels of school safety and school attachment, with stronger associations between school attachment and relational victimization. However, only physical victimization was negatively associated with help‐seeking, suggesting that physical victimization is more influential on help seeking as compared with relational victimization. Gender moderated the relationships between victimization and school attachment and help‐seeking with differences by form noted. No gender differences were evident in associations between the forms of peer victimization and school safety. Implications for prevention and intervention in schools are discussed.     

Negative parental attributions mediate associations between risk factors and dysfunctional parenting: A replication and extension

The primary goal of the current study was to replicate our previous study in which was found that negative maternal attributions mediate the association between parenting stress and harsh and abusive discipline. In addition, we investigated this association in fathers, and added observational parenting data. During two home visits mothers and fathers were observed with their children (age 1.5–6.0 years), filled in questionnaires, and completed the Parental Attributions of Child behavior Task (PACT; a computerized attribution task). Similar to our previous study, negative parental attributions mediated the relation between parenting stress and self-reported harsh and abusive parenting for both mothers and fathers. For mothers, this mediation effect was also found in the relation between parenting stress and lower levels of observed supportive parenting in a challenging disciplinary task. In addition, the relation of partner-related stress and abuse risk with harsh, abusive, and (low) supportive parenting were also mediated by maternal negative attributions. When parenting stress, partner-related stress, and abuse risk were studied in one model, only parenting stress remained significant. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of targeting parental attributions for prevention and intervention purposes in families experiencing stress.     

Childhood victimization and lifetime revictimization

OBJECTIVE: To examine the fundamental hypothesis that childhood victimization leads to increased vulnerability for subsequent (re)victimization in adolescence and adulthood and, if so, whether there are differences in rates of experiencing traumas and victimizations by gender, race/ethnicity, and type of childhood abuse and/or neglect. METHODS: Using a prospective cohort design, participants are individuals with documented cases of childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect from the years 1967 through 1971 and a matched control group. Both groups were interviewed in-person (mean age 39.5 years) in 2000-2002 using a new instrument to assess lifetime trauma and victimization history. RESULTS: Abused and neglected individuals reported a higher number of traumas and victimization experiences than controls and all types of childhood victimization (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) were associated with increased risk for lifetime revictimization. Significant group (abuse/neglect vs. control) by gender and group by race/ethnicity interactions were found. Childhood victimization increased risk for physical and sexual assault/abuse, kidnapping/stalking, and having a family friend murdered or commit suicide, but not for general traumas, witnessing trauma, or crime victimization. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide strong support for the need for early intervention with abused and neglected children and their families to prevent subsequent exposure to traumas and victimization experiences.     

US teachers' and school counsellors' strategies for handling school bullying incidents

A sample of 735 US teachers and school counsellors completed an online survey asking how likely they would be to use various strategies to respond to a hypothetical bullying incident. Analyses examined their use of five strategies: Ignoring the incident, Working with the bully, Working with the victim, Enlisting other adults, and Disciplining the bully. Differences in mean scores based on these strategies were found by gender of participant, the presence or absence of school anti‐bullying policies and programmes, and previous anti‐bullying training. Teachers and school counsellors differed on four of the five scale scores. Qualitative comment data add to the findings. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Academic bullying among faculty personnel in Estonia and Finland

This comparative study focuses on the prevalence, nature, and manifestations of experienced bullying among faculty personnel, that is, both academic and management staff of universities in Estonia and Finland. A total of 1,191 respondents from Estonia (n = 864) and Finland (n = 327) responded to identical questionnaires. The results show that 27 per cent of respondents in Estonia and 18 per cent in Finland had experienced bullying within six months prior to the study. In Estonia bullying is most commonly straightforward and may include insulting an individual in the presence of colleagues, while in Finland people typically get indirectly slandered behind their back. In Estonia, work-related threats of blame, violence, humiliation and ridicule are typical, whereas it is more ordinary to make negative work-related remarks in Finland. The dissimilar factor models and the categories based on open-ended answers also confirm the presupposition of academic bullying as a culture-related phenomenon.     

The role of negative parental attributions in the associations between daily stressors,maltreatment history,and harsh and abusive discipline

Negative parental attributions are related to parent and family stressors and are thought to be important predictors of subsequent disciplinary actions and, potentially, abusive parenting. We examined if negative parental attributions mediate the relation between daily stressors (i.e., low SES, parenting stress, partner-related stress) parents’ own history of child maltreatment, and harsh and abusive parenting. Mothers (n = 53) completed a computerized attribution task and reported on daily stressors, their own history of child maltreatment and their discipline strategies. Mothers’ negative parental attributions mediated the association between parenting stress (but not the other stressors) and harsh and abusive discipline. These finding implicate that interventions to decrease (the risk of) child abuse should not only focus on reducing abuse-related stressors, but also target negative parental attributions.     

Peer victimization and empathy for victims of bullying: A test of bidirectional associations in childhood and adolescence

Anti-bullying interventions often assume that knowing how it feels to be bullied increases empathy for victims. However, longitudinal research on actual experiences of bullying and empathy is lacking. This study investigated whether within-person changes in victimization predicted changes in empathy over 1 year using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. Self- and peer-reported victimization, and cognitive and affective empathy for victims were measured in a sample of 15,713 Finnish youth (M_age = 13.23, SD_age = 2.01, 51.6% female; 92.5% had Finnish-speaking parents; data was collected in 2007–2009 when information about participants’ race/ethnicity was not available due to ethical guidelines for the protection of personal information). Results indicated small, positive longitudinal associations from victimization to cognitive empathy. Implications for empathy-raising interventions are discussed.     

Homophobic and transphobic bullying: barriers and supports to school intervention

This study explores the perceived barriers and supports identified by school staff in tackling homophobic and transphobic bullying, using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model as a framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from five separate second-level/high schools (two designated disadvantaged schools, and three non-disadvantaged schools), within an area of Dublin, Ireland. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the resulting data. Findings indicated that the main barriers in tackling homophobic and transphobic bullying included students’ perceived discomfort in discussing their sexuality with teachers, teachers’ discomfort in discussing issues (including an associated lack of training), a lack of priority given to these types of bullying, and parental views on homosexuality. Perceived supports included consistency in dealing with these types of bullying, appropriate training, and support from management. Relationships were also evidenced between some perceived barriers and supports, with the absence of these factors being perceived as a barrier, while their presence was perceived as a support. Findings are considered within the context of previous research. The strengths and limitations of the study are discussed, as are its practice implications, and implications for possible future research.     

The minimum dropout age and student victimization

Over the years, the minimum dropout age has been raised to 18 in 21 states. Although these policy changes are promoted for their educational benefits, they have been shown to reduce crimes committed by youths in the affected age groups. However, an unintended consequence of increasing the minimum dropout age could be the displacement of crime from the streets to schools. We use data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys to estimate the relationship between minimum dropout age laws and student victimization. Our results suggest that higher minimum dropout ages increase the likelihood that females and younger students report missing school for fear of their safety and younger students are more likely to report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property. Our results also yield some evidence that students are more likely to report being victims of in-school theft when the minimum dropout age is higher.     

School bullying,subjective well-being,and resilience

The aim of the current study was to examine the role of resilience in the victimization experiences of students and their subjective well-being as well as to explore gender and age-related effects. Initially, 558 students (52.15% male) from grades 6 to 10 participated in the study completing The Student Aggression and Victimization Questionnaire, The Mental Health Continuum, and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale. One-hundred and twenty-seven (22.8%) students were excluded from the final analysis, as they did not report any victimization experience during the past 3 months. Males in all year levels reported higher levels of well-being and resilience compared with females. No gender differences were found in victimization experiences. Languishing students were found to be at higher risk of experiencing serious victimization. Resilience was not found to moderate the effects of victimization on mental health, but a higher level of resilience appeared to be related to more positive well-being for boys and younger students. Limitations of the study and implications for anti-bullying interventions are briefly discussed.     

Protective factors promoting resilience in the relation between child sexual victimization and internalizing and externalizing symptoms

Sexual victimization has been one of the most frequently studied forms of child victimization. Its effects are common and diverse; however, not all children and youth exposed to sexual victimization eventually develop adjustment problems. A total of 1105 children and youth (590 male and 515 female) aged between 12 and 17 from northeastern Spain were assessed regarding their experiences of sexual victimization, symptoms of psychopathology, and protective factors. The results showed that all forms of sexual victimization were associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems. However, the presence of a low Negative Cognition, high Social Skills and high Confidence seem to act buffering internalizing problems. Additionally, a significant interaction between Sexual Victimization and low Negative Cognition was observed (p < 0.5), so that, low Negative Cognition was related to a lower risk of being in the clinical range for internalizing problems. Likewise, high scores on Empathy/Tolerance, Connectedness to School, Connectedness to Family and low Negative Cognition acted as promotive factors in relation to externalizing symptoms, in this case without any interaction effect. The strong relationship found with emotional and behavioral problems highlights the importance of continuing the research on the protective factors underlying resilience in the relationship between sexual victimization and psychopathological symptoms. The findings also support the multi-dimensional and specific nature of resilience and identify some of the protective factors that should be regarded as key intervention targets in adolescents with a history of sexual victimization.     

Teachers' self‐efficacy in bullying interventions and their probability of intervention

Teacher intervention is an important factor in stopping bullying. Several studies indicate that teachers who believe they are capable of stopping bullying intervene more often in bullying. But this finding has only been based on hypothetical situations. It remains unclear if these results can be replicated in bullying interventions that the teachers actually performed. In addition, some studies claim that self‐efficacy is only connected to teacher intervention in direct forms of bullying, rather than indirect forms. In the current study, teachers' self‐efficacy in bullying interventions and the probability that they will intervene is investigated using self‐reported real‐life bullying situations in a sample of German teachers. Results show that teachers who feel more confident in dealing with bullying report intervening more often in bullying episodes they observed. Teacher training should include discussions of real‐life experiences to promote teachers' self‐efficacy beliefs and increase the probability of teacher intervention.     

Multiple perspectives on the targets and causes of school bullying

Clarification of how individuals in different roles perceive the victims and causes of bullying is of great importance to educational research and practice. The present study aimed to investigate the opinions of individuals in different roles (bullies, victims, bystanders, educators) regarding the targets and causes of bullying and to identify differences among various perspectives. A total of 1558 participants from 77 secondary schools in Taiwan responded to the questionnaire, including 537 bystanders, 217 bullies, 213 victims, and 591 educators. Grounded-theory method was employed to analyse the qualitative data. A theoretical model addressing commonalities among the perspectives held by individuals in different roles suggested that at-risk targets, including provocative, vulnerable, and atypical students, had poor interpersonal relationships. The bullies selected their targets based on different motivations, which included having fun, releasing emotions, and achieving status or benefits. The research found differences between the perspectives of educators and those of student participants regarding the causes of school bullying with respect to blaming victims, the intentions of bullies, intolerance of diversity in peer cultures, and the influence of contextual factors. Increasing awareness and minimizing these differences may help efforts to prevent and intervene in bullying.