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The Relationship Between School Climate and Student Bullying

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The Relationship Between School Climate and Student Bullying Research & Scholarship TEACHR The relationship between school climate and student bullying Kevin Petrie Lecturer, School of Education, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, NSW Abstract et al., 2003). A significant connection has also been This study investigates the relationship between found with self-esteem, depressive symptoms and student perceptions of school climate and self- challenging behaviour (Way, Reddy, & Rhodes, 2007). reported bullying between students. Data were Behavioural problems with links to school climate collected from 604 students in 59 regular grade include aggression (Wilson, 2004), school delinquency 5-6 classrooms, within 20 state schools in Victoria, (Gottfredson, Gottfredson, Payne, & Gottfredson, Australia. A significant negative relationship was 2005) and bullying (Bandyopadhyay, Cornell, & found between measures of positive school climate Konold, 2009). Following a review of anti-bullying and the prevalence of student peer bullying. intervention programmes, Parada (2000, p. 15) claimed Implications for classroom teachers and school that “interventions which changed the social milieu of administrators are discussed. The importance of schools are the most appropriate when dealing with measuring and monitoring students’ involvement school bullying”. in bullying and perceptions of school climate is Many researchers are convinced that the climate emphasised. of a school has a direct impact on the attitudes and behaviour of students, including the prevalence of One child in Introduction bullying (Bandyopadhyay et al., 2009; J. Cohen, six is bullied School climate has gained increased attention in recent McCabe, et al., 2009; Due et al., 2005; Kasen, Johnson, at school years as a factor linked to a wide range of important Chen, Crawford, & Cohen, 2011; Meyer-Adams & “on at least a student outcomes (Swearer, Espelage, & Napolitano, Conner, 2008; Orpinas, Horne, & Staniszewski, 2003; weekly basis 2009). School climate refers to the quality and Roland & Galloway, 2002; Swearer et al., 2009; and … 1 in atmosphere of school life, and includes factors such Yoneyama & Rigby, 2006). A school-wide initiative by 10 are active as school values, interpersonal relationships, teaching Orpinas et al. (2003) for example, focused on changes bullies. and learning, leadership, and organisational structures to particular aspects of school climate and included (Cohen, 2009). It is more than simply an individual a strong education component for both students and experience, but rather a group phenomenon that is staff. They reported a 40% reduction in self-reported larger than any single personal perspective (J. Cohen, aggression and a 19% reduction in self-reported ” McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009). For Welsh (2000, victimisation. In contrast, a longitudinal study by p. 256) it is defined as “the unwritten beliefs, values, Kasen, Berenson, Cohen & Johnson (2004) involving and attitudes that become the style of interaction 500 children and their mothers, found that students in between students, teachers, and administrators.” highly conflictual schools demonstrated an increase From the view-point of social-cognitive theorists in verbal and physical aggression over time, even after (Bandura, 2001; Rogers, 1951) people react to life- controlling for baseline aggression. experiences as they perceive them to be; regardless of whether their perceptions are objectively accurate School Bullying or not (Koth, Bradshaw, & Leaf, 2008). Consequently, Bullying has been defined as aggressive behaviour, the perception that students have of their school repeated over time, which results in harm to another environment is argued to have an impact on their person, who is usually powerless to defend themself behaviour within the school setting (Koth et al., (Olweus, 1999). Australian studies have indicated that 2008). School climate has indeed been found to be about one child in six is bullied at school on at least a linked to a wide range of important school outcomes weekly basis and that 1 in 10 are active bullies (Rigby, such as academic achievement (Brand, Felner, Shim, 2007). The effects of involvement in student peer Seitsinger, & Dumas, 2003) learning motivation (Marsh, bullying are wide-ranging, with negative outcomes Martin, & Cheng, 2008) and school avoidance (Brand reported within the physical, psychological and social 26 | TEACH | v8 n1 v8 n1 | TEACH | 27 TEACHjournal8-1idv4.indd 26 7/08/14 1:32 PM Research & Scholarship domains of well-being (Due et al., 2005; Kaltiala- traditionally been five domains identified (Zullig, Heino, Rimpela, Rantanen, & Rimpela, 2000; Williams, Koopman, Patton, & Ubbes, 2010): (1) Order, Safety Chambers, Logan, & Robinson, 2006). Concern has and Discipline, (2) Academic Outcomes, (3) Social also mounted over evidence for the long-term nature of Relationships, (4) School Facilities and (5) School these negative effects (Carlisle & Rofes, 2007; Schäfer Connectedness. In recent times however Zullig et al., 2004). and associates (2010) have argued for a set of eight It is acknowledged that comparing data in relation climate domains: student-teacher relationships, to bullying prevalence can be problematic since studies school connectedness, academic support, order and often vary widely in methodology (Carter & Spencer, discipline, school physical environment, school social 2006). Additionally, it is likely that the meaning environment, perceived exclusion/privilege, and bullying holds for respondents has altered over the academic satisfaction. years (Rigby, 2003). This has resulted in additional Arguably, the strongest body of evidence relating phenomena being included when identifying bullying to the improvement of school climate is that focused compared to early research, particularly with indirect on improving student-teacher relationships (Ahnert, forms such as relational bullying. It has been Harwardt-Heinecke, Kappler, Eckstein-Madry, & demonstrated however, that even when identical Milatz, 2012; Barile et al., 2012; Zullig, Huebner, & instruments and methodology are utilised, prevalence Patton, 2011). Of all school climate domains, student- rates can vary greatly between communities. An teacher relationships is most strongly correlated with international comparative study for example, surveyed all other school climate measures (Zullig et al., 2010), 40 European countries and North America (Craig including connectedness to others (Thapa et al., 2013), et al., 2009), finding a wide variation of reported and perceptions of social, emotional and academic involvement; from that of Sweden which recorded a support (Osterman, 2000; Wentzel, 2002). low of 6.7% (either as a bully, victim or both, in the The extent to which students feel a sense Sustained past two months), to a high of 40.5% in Lithuania. This of connectedness to the school has also been positive variation indicates that bullying is significantly more acknowledged as an important dimension and closely “school common in some communities than in others. related to that of relationships (J. Cohen, McCabe, et climate is It is also important to note evidence of wide al., 2009). There is evidence that when a person feels associated variations in victimisation between schools within a lack of belonging and connectedness, there is an with … the same locality. Following extensive work within increased risk of self-defeating behaviours, including effective risk Norwegian schools, Olweus (1991) reported that aggression towards others (Morrison, 2006). In prevention one institution could have up to five times the rate considering the importance of these relationships, it … health … of bullying of another in the same community. is significant to note the close connection between learning and This would suggest that even when factors such as students’ perception of fair discipline practices, and academic geographic location, socio-economic status and positive student-teacher relationships (Marzano, achievement, education systems are taken into account, some 2003; Wang, Selman, Dishion, & Stormshak, 2010; increased schools, through a range of internal factors, have Welsh, 2000). Findings suggest in fact that a student’s student much lower rates of bullying and victimisation than satisfaction with school is largely based on feeling that graduation comparable schools. School climate is considered “they are treated fairly, that they feel safe, and that rates, and one of the key factors contributing to the prevalence they believe that teachers are supportive” (Samdal, teacher of student bullying within school (Orpinas et al., Nutbeam, Wold, & Kannas, 1998, p. 383). Thus, the retention. 2003; Roland & Galloway, 2002). It is significant to extent to which students feel safe and are treated fairly note that climate scores have been found to be very contributes significantly to student perceptions of stable (Brand et al., 2003), suggesting that features of school climate. a school’s environment persist over time, even when To clarify the relationship between aspects of ” student membership changes. “School climate matters. school climate and bullying, in particular within the Sustained positive school climate is associated with Victorian school context, the current study examined positive child and youth development, effective risk the relationship between school bullying and three prevention and health promotion efforts, student dimensions of school climate: student-teacher learning and academic achievement, increased student relationships,
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