Janet Walsh

Defense Date

12-14-2004

Graduation Date

2004

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

EdD

Department

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program for Education Leaders (IDPEL)

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Connie M. Moss

Committee Member

Charles D. Hughey

Committee Member

Rick R. McCown

Keywords

Bullying, Victimization

Abstract

Bullying and victimization is a growing problem and a concern to students, parents, teachers, and administers, more research is needed in the areas of the general school environment. One aspect of the school environment is teacher perceptions or beliefs concerning bullying and victimization. These teacher perceptions can play a major role in decreasing bullying behaviors and increasing confidence in students that teachers will help them. The study investigated the perceptions of teachers in a Pennsylvania school district at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The study analysis explored existing data collected during an ongoing four years effort to heighten awareness of concerning bullying behaviors and victimization. The data set included completed surveys from 238 practicing teachers. The teacher responses from the survey were analyzed across demographic variables: gender, teaching grade levels, years of teaching experience, years teaching in current school, and teaching in an academic or non-academic setting with specific focus on perceptions indicated by items in the survey and, where appropriate, relations that exist between or among items. The initial analyses were non-parametric comparisons owing to non-normality (unequal N's) and lack of homogeneity of the responses. Initial analyses utilized chi square and where appropriate the chi square nulls were tested against expected values as predicted in the literature. Results found five emerging themes. 1) Recognition of serious bullying peaks at the middle school. 2) A loner rarely bullies; a loner is frequently a victim. 3) Bullying renders a bully to feel powerful and the victim helpless. 4) Bullying thrives on lack of structure and supervision. 5) Teachers perceive themselves as bystanders and perceive students as the source of prevention and intervention.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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