Peer victimization, the experience of being socially excluded, emotionally mistreated or physically abused by peers, is a serious social issue in schools. Past research suggests that whole school, multi-component programs which aim to change school contexts are most effective in reducing victimization. However, the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for program effectiveness are not well understood. The current study examined how protective contexts influence young children‟s reports of victimization in early elementary school. Participation in the WITS® peer victimization prevention program, as well as classroom and individual levels of social responsibility, were tested as protective factors associated with declines in victimization over time. In a sample of 830 children, trajectories of physical and relational victimization were examined across Grades 1 to 3 with the use of latent multiple-indicator growth modeling. Children in the WITS® program (n = 422) showed more rapid declines in peer victimization over time compared to children in control schools (n = 418). Classroom levels of social responsibility were associated with declines in relational victimization for program children. Individual levels of social responsibility were associated with declines in physical victimization for program children. Implications for changing classroom norms through promoting social responsibility in the context of intervention and prevention are discussed. / Graduate

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and practices of children, their parents, and their teachers with regards to bullying at the grade school level. Eight children were interviewed; three that were identified by their teachers as victims, two identified as bullies and three identified as regular peers. Three parents, each taken from the victim, bully, peer groups were also interviewed, as was four teachers taken from the fifth and sixth grade, within the English and French language stream program. The subjects were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview format. / Victim children were generally perceived negatively by the bullies, their peers and by some teachers. The school used in this study did not adopt a formal bullying program and teachers received no bullying training. Parents of victims and bullies were seen to have had similar childhood experiences. Victims felt they did not receive enough support by their teachers. / The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and practices of children, their parents, and their teachers with regards to bullying at the grade school level. Eight children were interviewed; three that were identified by their teachers as victims, two identified as bullies and three identified as regular peers. Three parents, each taken from the victim, bully, peer groups were also interviewed, as was four teachers taken from the fifth and sixth grade, within the English and French language stream program. The subjects were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview format. Victim children were generally perceived negatively by the bullies, their peers and by some teachers. The school used in this study did not adopt a formal bullying program and teachers received no bullying training. Parents of victims and bullies were seen to have had similar childhood experiences. Victims felt they did not receive enough support by their teachers.

Studies show that teachers lack training and confidence when it comes to intervening effectively in bullying situations. The goal of this study is to respond to the appeals of pre-service teachers for more formal training on bullying, including prevention and intervention strategies. A two-hour PREVNet workshop that provides information on bullying, bullying prevention and bullying intervention is offered in four Canadian Teacher Education classes. Two unique questionnaires, each consisting of simulated bullying incidents in a school context and a set of teacher interventions, were developed, piloted with a group of experienced teachers, and used to assess the effect of the workshop on teachers’ reported interventions in bullying situations. The results of a series of repeated measures ANOVAs reveal a marginally significant effect of the workshop on pre-service teachers’ reported interventions (N = 66), with the greatest improvements revealed in participants’ responses to children who bully.

Researchers have consistently shown that as a society, we have failed to protect a large number of Aboriginal children and youths from violence and aggression across multiple contexts. Aboriginal children and youth are at a disproportionate risk of being involved in violent victimization ranging from homicides, family violence, and physical and sexual abuse compared to the rest of Canadian children and youth. However, the extent to which Aboriginal children and youths are involved in bullying remain largely unknown. In the present study, data from a Canadian population-based study was used to examine ethnic and sex differences in children’s and youths’ involvement of different forms of bullying (general, physical, verbal, social). Participants were categorized into three broad ethnic groups: Aboriginal, Caucasian, and ethnic minority. Results indicated that across the forms of bullying, Aboriginal children and youths were more frequently involved than their non Aboriginal peers. Sex differences also emerged, such that, Aboriginal boys were more frequently physically victimized than their non Aboriginal, same sex peers while no ethnic group differences were found for girls. The results highlight the need for an Aboriginal-specific bullying policy and specialized programs and services at school to support this vulnerable group of Canadian school-aged children.

Thesis (MPsych(Org))--University of South Australia, 1999

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Dec. 5, 2007). PDF text: 189 p. : ill. ; 8 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3271907. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (MSD(Social Work and Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Australian National University, 2005.