Students’ Perception of Efforts by School Staff to Counteract Bullying and Its Association with Students’ Psychosomatic Problems: an Ecological Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between students’ perceptions of staff efforts to counteract bullying and students’ self-reported psychosomatic problems. Using an ecological framework, the associations were investigated in the light of contextual factors related to the students’ family, school, and peer group, as well as their personal characteristics. We used cross-sectional questionnaire data collected in 2009 and 2010 among 2 582 Swedish students aged between 13 and 15 years. Our main finding was that students’ perception of efforts by school staff to counteract bullying is an important factor in relation to their self-reported psychosomatic problems. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of having a higher degree of psychosomatic problems compared to lower degree of psychosomatic problems were about 2.5 times higher among students who reported that school staff members do little to counteract bullying. Analysis of interaction effects revealed that the strength of the association between students’ perception of staff efforts to counteract bullying and the students’ psychosomatic problems was not affected by different types of bullying experienced, nor was the strength of the association modified by the students’ personal characteristics or contextual situation. We conclude that social support from school staff is important in relation to students’ self-reported psychosomatic problems, irrespective of the students’ own experience of bullying. The results underline the importance of promoting a school climate and school culture that support staff members’ opportunities, abilities, and willingness to prevent bullying.