Testing a predictive model of school climate on character development and bullying behaviors

Abstract

With the aim of testing a theoretical model with contributions on the study of the precedents and consequences of character, analysis was carried out of the relationship between school climate, character (resilience and moral identity), and bullying behavior (harassment and victimization). The sample was made up of 581 students (281 boys and 298 girls), aged between 11 and 15 (M =12.43, DT =.89). The results showed how the different dimensions of the school climate predicted resilience and moral identity, and these, in turn, predicted bullying behavior. These fi ndings suggest the need to create educational environments which favor the positive development of character as a strategy preventing negative consequences in the educational environment .