Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Janet Kistner, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 13, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 76 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis -- Departmental honors in Psychology. / Spine title: Study of the interplay between empathy & aggression in preschoolers. Includes bibliographical references.

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Ph.D. (Education) / The purpose of the study was to develop the educational strategies for the management of a culture of aggression in a Grade 10 class constructively in a secondary school in the Sedibeng District of the Gauteng Department of Education. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to explore and describe a culture of aggression in a Grade 10 class in the secondary school in the Sedibeng District of the Gauteng Department of Education. In order to achieve the study objectives and coherence, this study was organised into three phases. Phase one focused on the first objective namely: to explore and describe a culture of aggression in a Grade 10 class in the secondary school in the Sedibeng District in the Gauteng Department of Education. Phase two focused on the development of a conceptual framework. Phase three focused on the second objective namely: to develop the strategies for the management of a culture of aggression in a Grade 10 class in the Sedibeng District of the Gauteng Department of Education. In the first phase an ethnographic approach was followed. Purposive sampling was utilized to select participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using group and individual interviews. Tesch’s method of qualitative data analysis was utilized to identify themes. From the findings of the study the researcher and the independent coder identified the following patterns from the individual and group interviews with participants.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education of the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2007. / This study investigated educators' perception of bullying in schools. Literature on bullying, were reviewed. The sample consisted of 200 educators. The descriptive method of research was used to collect data with regard to educators' perceptions of bullying. An empirical survey comprising a structured questionnaire was completed by educators in the Umbumbulu Circuit of the Umlazi District in the Ethekwini Region of Kwazulu Natal. The data that was collected reflected the perceptions of the target group of educators: ~ Bullying should not be tolerated at school. ~ Respect for human dignity should prevail among all learners at school. ~ The school should be a place that promotes a safe environment. ~ Every learner's unique personality and value should be respected. ~ Support programmes should be provided for learners that bully and victims of bullying. ~ A Provincial bullying policy will ensure uniform address on this escalating violence in schools. The research revealed that bullying can occur in any group of learners whatever age or size of the members and that about two thirds of the learners have been/are bullied during their schooling years. There are many forms of bullying. The spectrum varies from relatively harmless teasing and extends to serious assault or harassment. Verbal and psychological bullying can be just as harmful and hurtful as physical violence. Sexual and racial harassment are particularly serious forms of bullying. It becomes clear from the research that there is no simple solution to bullying. It is a complex and variable problem so each school must develop its own policy. Of course this would be easier if there was a national climate of concern similar to that in Norway. Bullying has been ignored for too long. Individuals are powerless before its insidiousness but schools can adopt collective remedies which will not only help the victims but also strengthen the relationship between parents, educators and learners. The perceptions of educators' cast an illuminating light on an appalling problem that is prevalent at schools.

Treating aggressive behavior has been of interest to psychologists, sociologists, and law enforcement agencies for many years. Eron (1983) concluded that research should be directed towards understanding the early determinants of aggression before it escalates out of control. The purpose of the present study was to code aversive stimuli that precede aggressive behavior in boys. The following classes were used: Physically Aversive Stimuli, Verbally Aversive Stimuli, Socially Aversive Stimuli, Frustrating Stimuli, Neutral or No Stimuli, and Arguments. It was believed that particular stimuli would facilitate a greater frequency of aggressive behavior in the subjects. Observation revealed that physically aversive stimuli preceded twice the amount of aggression than all other stimuli. Verbally aversive stimuli preceded less aggression; however, the aggressive responses that did occur were more verbal than physical. Frustrating stimuli were not recorded during the study.

Bullying can be defined as repeatedly harming others verbally, emotionally, or physically. There has been past research on the relationship between bullying and aggression; this prior research has concluded that bullies have high levels of aggression and are more likely to be aggressive adults. It has also been reported that victims have lower aggression levels than bullies in young adulthood (Olweus, 1993). It is because of events such as the Columbine high school shooting that this study is being conducted. The purpose of this research is to reevaluate aggression levels in both bullies and their victims. It seems that the attitudes of today's bullies and their victims have changed, specifically the victim's aggression patterns. This study will reevaluate bully and victim aggression levels and compare them to past data as well as show the comparison of the results between the groups within the study. The results of this research may redirect the attention of bullying intervention and prevention to a new group of individuals, the victims.

Bullying incorporates a range of behaviours such as name-calling, physical assaults, social exclusion and verbal and physical intimidation. Engaging in and being the target of bullying is a significant risk factor for future criminal behaviour and poor mental health, making bullying a significant threat to an individual’s long-term psychological and personal development. The present investigation had three aims: (1) to create robust psychometric instruments to reliably measure bullying, bystander roles, and related constructs in adolescents: (2) to explicate the psychosocial determinants of bullying, identify characteristics which differentiate bullies and their targets, and investigate the role of other motivators in the incidence/maintenance of bullying and being bullied: and (3) to assess the effectiveness of a new whole-school anti-bullying intervention on reducing bullying incidents and enhancing pro-social attitudes and behaviour. Participants were a total of 5204 secondary school students (2277 males and 2929 females) in Years 7 to 11 and 256 teachers from six secondary non-government schools in NSW, Australia. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), reliability analysis and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) of factorial invariance were conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments used in this study. Results demonstrated that the measures developed had sound psychometric properties. Boys were found to bully and be bullied more than girls across verbal, social and physical forms of bullying. The findings have important implications for theory, research and practice. This study has yielded several measures to further advance theory and research in bullying: the identification of a reciprocal effects model that explains the relation between psychological traits such as self-concept, bullying and being bullied advanced understandings about the casual effect of bullying on negative psychological outcomes, thus highlighting the importance of intervention: and an effective anti-bullying intervention for secondary school students. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Southern California, 2007. / Adviser: David Schwartz. Includes bibliographical references.