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An Analysis of Bullying Behaviors at E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia. Elizabeth Wright Litz East Tennessee State University

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An Analysis of Bullying Behaviors at E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia. Elizabeth Wright Litz East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 12-2005 An Analysis of Bullying Behaviors at E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia. Elizabeth Wright Litz East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons Recommended Citation Litz, Elizabeth Wright, "An Analysis of Bullying Behaviors at E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia." (2005). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1102. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1102 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Analysis of Bullying Behaviors at E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education by Elizabeth Wright Litz December 2005 Dr. Jasmine Renner, Chair Dr. W. Hal Knight Dr. Louise L. MacKay Dr. Jack Rhoton Keywords: Adolescence, Bully, Bullying Behavior, Bystander, Middle School, School Climate, Victim ABSTRACT An Analysis of Bullying Behaviors at E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia by Elizabeth Wright Litz Many stakeholders in American education are concerned about the frequency of reported bullying incidents within schools in general and middle schools in particular. This nationwide problem has manifested itself in many ways over the past few decades. These manifestations include, but are not limited to, increased gang violence, school shootings, and attendance problems due to student concerns over safety. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the bullying behaviors of a single class of students as they progressed through E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia. Data were gathered over the course of three consecutive school years beginning in August 2002 and continuing through May 2005. Reported bullying incidents were analyzed based upon gender of students, grade level of students, frequency of bullying behaviors, types of bullying behaviors (verbal, physical, or emotional), and location of incidents (bus, classroom, hallway, or other). The study offers a valuable insight into the bullying incidents that occur within E. B. Stanley Middle School. It also offers a number of recommendations to combat this problem in middle level schools. Effective implementation of bullying prevention programs will need to involve all school stakeholders in order to be successful. Students have a right to feel safe at school as they grow and mature into adulthood. It is the duty of all schools to provide them that safe and secure atmosphere. 2 DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my entire family, both genetic and extended. I have had the good fortune to be married to Steve for the past eight years. He has been my “cheerleader” through two different sessions of graduate work. When I became a principal, I am sure he was certain that the tuition bills would stop; he was incorrect in this assumption. However, with the completion of this dissertation, we may be through with tuition until Andrew begins college. Andrew is my “mama’s boy”, who made me giggle and smile even though I may not have felt like it in the midst of this research. He, and other boys and girls like him, are the reason I am an educator. I want to make the world a better place for all of them. My “genetic” family has been with me through the trials and tribulations of growing up, gaining employment, and becoming a wife and mother. I could not have accomplished all of my educational dreams without their support. My Mom and Dad are the best role models I could have had; both were teachers in public education. My brother Lee and his family gave me the humor to keep going with this enormous project. My aunt Nancy Carter, an educator for over 30 years, gave me a love of reading and all things related to school. My extended family includes my in-laws. Their willingness to feed Steve and Andrew on many Thursday evenings when I had class saved me countless nights of worry. Also, my school family, which includes all those faculty, staff, students, and parents at E. B. Stanley Middle School; you are all truly the reason I come to school each day with a smile on my face. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely grateful to the many people associated with East Tennessee State University who have assisted me with this great endeavor. I would like to send a special note of thanks to the ELPA Bristol Cohort which began in August 2003. These men and women have worked tirelessly to pursue their educational goals and soon, we will all have our coveted doctorate degrees. The ETSU center at Bristol was wonderful in the accommodations for our cohort classes. A special thank you goes to Dr. Sue Fulmer for her willingness to provide all the classes we needed to complete our degrees at the Bristol site. In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to the members of my graduate committee. Dr. Jasmine Renner, my committee chairperson; Dr. Hal Knight, a Bristol cohort professor in a great time of need during the spring of 2005; Dr. Louise MacKay, a Bristol cohort professor in the fall of 2003 who got us all off to a great start in this program; and Dr. Jack Rhoton, a past associate during my former life as a biology major and science teacher. I would also like to thank Dr. James Lampley for his statistical assistance. A special thank you goes to all of the students, faculty, staff, and associates of mine at E. B. Stanley Middle School and in the Washington County Public School System. Without their support, this work would never have been completed. 4 CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................... 2 DEDICATION....................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................... 4 LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................. 8 LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 10 Statement of the Problem........................................................................................... 14 Significance of the Study........................................................................................... 14 Limitations, Delimitations, and Assumptions............................................................ 15 Research Questions.................................................................................................... 16 Definition of Terms.................................................................................................... 17 Overview of the Study ............................................................................................... 18 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .............................................................................. 20 Introduction to Bullying Behaviors........................................................................... 20 Environmental Issues Related to Bullying Behaviors......................................... 21 International Perspectives on Adolescent Bullying ............................................. 24 Specific Types of Bullying ....................................................................................... 28 Verbal Bullying.................................................................................................... 29 Physical Bullying................................................................................................. 29 Emotional Bullying.............................................................................................. 30 Gender Roles in Bullying........................................................................................... 32 The Male Perspective vs. The Female Perspective.............................................. 32 The Issue of Harassment...................................................................................... 35 5 Adolescence: A Time of Transition........................................................................... 37 Student Growth and Development....................................................................... 38 Anger and Associated Behaviors......................................................................... 42 Childhood Depression.......................................................................................... 44 Bullying Differences by Age..................................................................................... 46 The Age of Middle School................................................................................... 46 The Age of High School.....................................................................................
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