Teacher Characteristics and Peer Victimization in Elementary Schools: A Classroom-Level Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between teacher characteristics and peer victimization in elementary schools. We used data of 3,385 elementary school students (M age = 9.8) and 139 of their teachers (M age = 43.9) and employed Poisson regression analyses to explain the classroom victimization rate. Results showed a higher victimization rate in the classrooms of teachers who attributed bullying to external factors-factors outside of their control. In addition, the results suggest that both teachers' perceived ability to handle bullying among students and teachers' own bullying history were positively associated with the classroom victimization rate. We also took into account classroom composition characteristics and found lower victimization rates in multi-grade classrooms and in classrooms with older students. The results support the notion of an association between teacher characteristics and peer victimization. Findings are discussed with regards to current literature and suggestions for future research are made.

Peer and self-reported victimization: Do non-victimized students give victimization nominations to classmates who are self-reported victims?

“…Accordingly, in these classrooms students would be more likely to perceive classmates who are victimized sometimes as victimized. These findings are in line with other studies in which the bullying process has been found to be strongly influenced by the classroom context (e.g., Oldenburg et al, 2015;Pozzoli, Gini, & Vieno, 2012;Salmivalli et al, 1996). Future studies could further investigate the relationship between classroom climate and reporter-receiver agreement.…”

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

“…Their attitudes and intervention behavior influences pupils' bullying experiences (Saarento et al, ; Troop‐Gordon & Ladd, ), mediates the success of antibullying programs (Saarento, Boulton, & Salmivalli, ), and contributes to the stability or instability of victimization in the classroom in any given year (Serdiouk, Rodkin, Madill, Logis, & Gest, ). In their responses to bullying episodes among students, teachers function as role models (Oldenburg et al, ). At the same time, their interventions can clearly signal that bullying is not acceptable in school (e.g., Oldenburg et al, ; Saarento, Garandeau, & Salmivalli, ; Veenstra, Lindenberg, Huitsing, Sainio, & Salmivalli, ).…”

“…In their responses to bullying episodes among students, teachers function as role models (Oldenburg et al, ). At the same time, their interventions can clearly signal that bullying is not acceptable in school (e.g., Oldenburg et al, ; Saarento, Garandeau, & Salmivalli, ; Veenstra, Lindenberg, Huitsing, Sainio, & Salmivalli, ).…”

Are school policies focused on sexual orientation and gender identity associated with less bullying? Teachers' perspectives

“…The role that teachers play in actively reducing bullying is influenced both by their perceptions of the problem of bullying in their schools (e.g., Holt & Keyes, 2004) as well as their perceptions of the overall school climate. For example, a recent study (Oldenburg et al, 2014) showed that higher victimization rates in classrooms are associated with a greater tendency among teachers to attribute the cause of the bullying to factors outside of their control and, consequently, to feel less confident about their abilities to intervene in bullying. Espelage and colleagues (2014) reported that staff and teachers’ commitment to prevent bullying was associated with less bullying, fighting and peer victimization.…”