NCJ Number
234999
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: April-June 2011 Pages: 133-149
Date Published
April 2011
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Using data from a survey of 1,838 students in 21 Boston public high schools, this study used multilevel modeling techniques to estimate the level of variation across schools in student reports of nonphysical bully victimization and identify school-level predictors of bullying.
Abstract
Although researchers have identified individual-level predictors of nonphysical bullying among children and youth, school-level predictors (i.e., characteristics of the school environment that influence bullying exposure) remain largely unstudied. The study found significant between-school variation in youth reports of nonphysical bullying, with estimates ranging from 25-58 percent. The authors tested school-level indicators of academic performance, emotional well-being, and school safety. After controlling for individual-level covariates and demographic controls, the percentage of students in the school who met with a mental health counselor was significantly associated with bullying (OR = 1.03, 95 percent CI = 1.01, 1.06). There was no significant association between school-level academic performance and perceptions of school safety on individual reports of bullying. Findings suggest that prevention and intervention programs may benefit from attending to the emotional well-being of students and support the importance of understanding the role of the school environment in shaping student experiences with bullying. (Published Abstract)