U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Multilevel Perspective on the Climate of Bullying: Discrepancies Among Students, School Staff, and Parents

NCJ Number
234998
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: April - June 2011 Pages: 115-132
Author(s)
Tracy Evian Waasdorp; Elise T. Pas; Lindsey M. O'Brennan; Catherine P. Bradshaw
Date Published
April 2011
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study examined how school climate and bullying are perceived by students, parents, and staff, and the potential influence of school contextual factors on these perceptions.
Abstract
Although many bullying prevention programs aim to involve multiple partners, few studies have examined perceptual differences regarding peer victimization and the broader bullying climate among students, staff, and parents. The present study utilized multilevel data from 11,674 students, 960 parents, and 1,027 staff at 44 schools to examine the association between school-level indicators of disorder, norms regarding bullying and bullies, and students, parents, and staff perceptions of safety, belonging, and witnessing bullying. Results revealed several important discrepancies between adults and youth with regard to their perceptions. Moreover, results highlight the significance of normative beliefs about bullies, retaliation, and the influence of school contextual factors on students' risk for exposure to bullying. (Published Abstract)