Bullying Prevention and School Climate: Correlation between Teacher Bullying Prevention Efforts and their Perceived School Climate

Abstract

This study investigates the correlation between teachers’ efforts to prevent bullying and their perceptions of school climate. The quantitative data were collected from 82 teachers (76.8%females, respondents’ mean age = 44.91 years [SD = 9.91]) from 13 Norwegian schools running the Olweus Bully Prevention Program (OBPP). Descriptive analysis of the teachers’ efforts within OBPP at the school, classroom, and individual levels, and simple linear as well as multiple regression analyses were applied. The current study revealed that teachers acted differently within OBPP at the school, classroom, and individual levels, and that their perceptions of school climate differed. A significant positive correlation was found between the teachers’ efforts within OBPP at the all-level variable and the general school climate variable. Implications for the teachers’ efforts to prevent school bullying through OBPP and the significance of the study results for the whole school community are discussed, and limitations of the current study are pointed out.