School Bullying Case Law: Frequency and Outcomes for School Level, Protected Status, and Bullying Actions

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M. Holben ◽  
Perry A. Zirkel
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
Gender Nonconformity ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Professional Literature ◽  
Status Classification ◽  
Gender Based

Purpose: During the past decade, concern with student bullying incidents has increased. When schools do not halt bullying, victims increasingly choose litigation as a remedy. Although the professional literature identifies the pertinent factors associated with bullying victimization, the available legal analyses have not kept pace. To identify focus areas for preventing bullying litigation, this study quantifies the frequency and outcomes for bullying cases disaggregated by the victims’ school level, protected status classification, and types of bullying actions. Methodology: We analyzed the 239 student bullying court decisions for the 20-year period 1995–2014, identifying the outcomes for each specific legal claim as well as each victim’s school level, protected status classification, and the types of bullying actions. Outcomes were conclusive if the plaintiff or defendant decisively prevailed and inconclusive if additional legal action was required for resolution. The analysis identified the most plaintiff-favorable outcome for each case and disaggregated by these three variables. Findings: The frequency of bullying cases was highest among middle school students, students asserting gender-based claims, and students experiencing both verbal and physical bullying actions. Conclusive outcomes strongly favored district defendants. Conversely, claims based on perceived sexual orientation resulted in the highest rates of inconclusive outcomes. Implications: The pro-district outcomes skew suggests that school administrators should focus on bullying prevention as a matter of educational effectiveness. To the extent that legal defensibility is a significant factor, education leaders should focus their efforts on reducing bullying of middle school students and students displaying gender nonconformity.

Low Self-control and School Bullying: Testing the GTC in Nigerian Sample of Middle School Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199128
Author(s):  
Omobolanle Atinuke Fenny
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
School Students ◽  
Bullying Perpetration ◽  
Low Self Control

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime’s (GTC) claim to explain crime, at all times, and in all places, has received considerable empirical support using Western, Scandinavian, and Asian samples. However, the theory is yet to be tested using a Nigerian sample. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of 1,192 junior secondary school (middle school) students in Nigeria, this study examines the explanatory power of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s GTC in predicting bullying perpetration and victimization in that context and culture. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the hypothesis that the bullying perpetration and victimization experiences of these students would be negatively related to self-control. Study provides support for the cross-cultural potency of the GTC as low self-control predicted the bullying and victimization experiences of these students regardless of gender. Students’ perception of a negative school environment was also a significant predictor of bullying. This is the first test of the GTC with a Nigerian sample and hopefully, will be a springboard for effective bullying prevention policy/programs in Nigerian schools. The public policy implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The Influence of School Loose-Tight Culture on Bullying of Middle School Students: The Mediating Role of Collective Moral Disengagement and Collective Efficacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1263-1272
Author(s):  
Yirui Song ◽  
Lei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Moral Disengagement ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Middle School Bullying ◽  
The Relationship

To explore the relationship and mechanism of school loose-tight culture to middle school bullying, a total of 808 students were selected from three middle schools in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province of China, to conduct a questionnaire survey. The study used the school loose-tight culture scale, the collective moral disengagement scale, the collective efficacy scale, and the bullying scale for middle school students. The results showed that (i) school loose-tight culture significantly predicted the occurrence of school bullying; (ii) school loose-tight culture was significantly negatively correlated with collective moral disengagement and school bullying but positively correlated with collective efficacy. Further, collective moral disengagement was significantly positively correlated with school bullying, but collective efficacy was significantly negatively correlated with school bullying; (iii) school loose-tight culture inhibited school bullying through the dual mediating effects of collective moral disengagement and collective efficacy at the same time.

scholarly journals Witnessing Cyberbullying and Internalizing Symptoms among Middle School Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 957-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. Doumas ◽  
Aida Midgett
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cyberbullying Victimization ◽  
The Impact

Cyberbullying is a significant problem among school-aged youth. Cyberbullying peaks in middle school with 33% of middle school students reporting cyberbullying victimization and more than 50% reporting witnessing cyberbullying as bystanders. Although the association between cyberbullying victimization and internalizing symptoms is well documented, there is limited research examining the impact of witnessing cyberbullying on bystanders. To assess differences in internalizing symptoms between cyberbullying bystanders and non-bystanders, a school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among middle school students (6th–8th grade) in the United States (N = 130; 57.4% female; 42.6% male). Questionnaire data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of co-variance (MANCOVA) with three outcome variables (depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms) and the between-subject factor bystander status (bystander, non-bystander). We controlled for witnessing school bullying to examine the unique effect of witnessing cyberbullying on internalizing symptoms. Results of the MANCOVA indicated a significant effect for cyberbullying bystander status (p < 0.04). Post hoc analyses demonstrated that bystanders reported significantly higher levels of depression (p < 0.05), anxiety (p < 0.02), and somatic symptoms (p < 0.01) than non-bystanders. Findings suggest that programs to support students who witness cyberbullying are needed to reduce the mental health risks associated with being a cyberbullying bystander.

Relationship of Mental Stress of Middle School Students and Campus Safety Atmosphere with Psychosocial Safety Behaviors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinchang YANG ◽  
Wei YAN
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
Campus Safety ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Safety Behaviors ◽  
School Students ◽  
Unsafe Behaviors ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Incidents of violence, such as school bullying, are mainly caused by excessive mental stress of students, which will also lead to all kinds of psychologically unsafe behaviors. The emotion regulation ability of students and the safety atmosphere level of campus will be considerably conducive to relieving the mental stress of students. This study aims to analyze the relationships of mental stress and regulatory emotional selfefficacy (RES) among students and campus safety atmosphere with their psychosocial safety behaviors (PSB). Methods: A total of 120 class teachers and 365 students from three junior high schools in Henan Province, China were selected as the study objects in 2019. Then, middle school students and RES, campus safety atmosphere, and PSB scales were assessed through a mental stress scale. Results: Mental stress (r=–0.8) of middle school students and campus safety atmosphere (r=0.86) had a significant negative and positive influence on their PSB, respectively. RES played a mediating role in the negative correlation between the mental stress of middle school students and their PSB (r=–0.57). Campus safety atmosphere could moderate the relationship between mental stress and RES (r=0.12). Campus safety atmosphere could moderate the mediating effect on the relationship between mental stress of middle school students and their PSB. Conclusion: Mental stress of middle school students will give rise to the occurrence of their psychologically unsafe behaviors. The improvement of the campus safety atmosphere level can effectively mitigate the mental stress of students to reduce the occurrence of unsafe behaviors.

scholarly journals The level of bullying school and its relation to the pattern of personality (A-B) in middle school students In Baghdad

2019 ◽  
pp. 55-73
Author(s):  
Amal Khaliq
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
School Students ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Personality Pattern ◽  
High Level

The aim of the study was identifying the level of bullying, its relation to the personality pattern of middle school students. In order to verify the objective of the study, the researcher constructed a measure to measure the level of school bullying, which consists of (43) paragraphs , found that students have a high level of bullying school , the level of bullying school in males higher , there was a significant positive correlation between school bullying , personality pattern (A), as well as a negative correlation between school bullying , personality pattern (B).

scholarly journals Technology in action: Ascertaining the impact of cell phone calls on middle school students placed at risk of drop out

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (40) ◽  
pp. 4224-4233
Author(s):  
Naseem Hyder Rajput
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
School Level ◽  
Control Group ◽  
School Students ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
The Impact

Background/Objectives: Regular attendance at school is essential for allround development of students. The fundamental objective of this study was to utilize low-cost technology of cell phones to report to parents/guardians about the attendance of their children at schools and ascertain the impacts of cell phone calls on the attendance of Middle School students placed at risk of Drop out. Methods/Statistical analysis: This study was Experimental with a PretestPosttest Control Group by design and descriptive by purpose. The participants were 30 eight graders belonging to a Public Middle School of District Shaheed Benazirabad in Pakistan. These participants were then randomly assigned to Control and Experimental Groups (15 each). For intervention of making cell phone calls to parents/guardians to inform and ask them about the reason for the absence of their child, a teacher in each participating school was assigned this responsibility. The intervention lasted for 3 months. The data was analyzed using SPSS repeated measure t-test to calculate the significance of the impact of intervention. Findings: Results of the present study indicated that the attendance of Experimental Group on Posttest (75.07 %) was significantly higher than that on Pretest (62.87%). Novelty : This study utilizes existing technology available to almost everyone and bridges the parents and school administration to get the best outcome quickly; mobile-based intervention is simple and docile to regulate students’ performance at school level; it also improves the safety of the students.

Birthdays and the Binary System: A Magical Mixture

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Karen S. Karp ◽  
Robert N. Ronau
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Binary System ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
School Level ◽  
Birth Date ◽  
School Students ◽  
Evaluation Standards ◽  
System A ◽  
Middle School Level

Middle school students rank their birthday as being the most important day of the year for them and one that they eagerly anticipate, according to an informal poll. Teachers can capitalize on this interest by engaging them in the mathematical birth-date activities described in this article. Applications and tasks that are relevant to students' lives have been shown to motivate students at the middle school level, according to the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989).

scholarly journals Understanding the Meaning of the Equal Sign: A Case Study of Middle School Students in the United Arab Emirates

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1505-1514
Author(s):  
Yousef WardatAdeeb ◽  
Adeeb M. ◽  
George Stoica
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Set Theory ◽  
School Level ◽  
Equal Sign ◽  
School Students ◽  
Primary School Level

<p style="text-align: justify;">The equal symbol has been used in diverse mathematical frameworks, such as arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, set theory, and so on. In mathematical terms, the equal sign has been used in fixed command of standings. The study reports on the students meaning and interpretations of the equal sign. The study involved Grade 6, 7, and 8 students in a secondary school in Alain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Much of the earlier research done on the equal sign has focused on the primary school level, but this one focuses on middle school students. The study shows that the maximum foremost understanding of the equal sign amongst Grade 6, 7, and 8 students is a do-something, unidirectional symbol. Students realize the equal sign as an instrument for marking the response moderately than as an interpersonal symbol to associate extents.</p>

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