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Teachers' Perceptions of Teasing in Schools

NCJ Number
229579
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: January-March 2010 Pages: 2-22
Author(s)
Heather Smith; Kris Varjas; Joel Meyers; Megan L. Marshall; Cristina Ruffner; Emily C. Graybill
Date Published
January 2010
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article presents an exploratory investigation into teachers' perceptions of teasing in schools, an underrepresented perspective in the literature.
Abstract
Teasing is a prevalent behavior in schools that can result in both positive and negative outcomes for students. Semistructured interviews with 28 teachers of grades four through eight revealed complex decisionmaking processes regarding how they differentiate between teasing and bullying interactions and how they select and implement interventions. These processes suggested that teachers conceptualize teasing as a prosocial or an antisocial behavior. Implications and opportunities for future research also are discussed. 1 figure and 52 references (Published abstract)