Classroom Atmosphere and Individual Factors Relating to Elementary School Children's Bullying Behavior

Abstract

The present study investigated relationships between children's perceptions of bullying, the likelihood of the children saying that they felt guilty about bullying behavior, and reactions of the students in a class to subsequent bullying. The participants were elementary school students in grades 4 to 6 (N=646 students, 22 classes). The study used a short-term longitudinal design (2 measurements separated by 1 month). The results indicated that those children whose behavior fundamentally denied bullying exhibited less bullying. However, the children's perceptions of bullying did not lead to less bullying behavior. Furthermore, the atmosphere in the classroom about bullying, measured with terms such as friendly, good, approving, and negative, was related to a less frequent occurrence of bullying behavior. The bullying behavior of the children who frequently engaged in bullying behavior in those classes where the atmosphere was rated as good was found to be likely to continue over time. These results suggest that when bullying is being studied, individual dynamics and the classroom environment in relation to bullying behavior should be examined.