Bullying Prevention in Schools

Isaac Karikari,Gifty Dede Ashirifi,James Storms,James R Brown

doi:10.18060/22928

Abstract

Since bullying is an ecological and systemic phenomenon that occurs in multiple contexts with multiple actors, it makes sense to consider the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and their relationships with one another and in relation to bullying prevention in schools. Using a non-probability, purposive sample, this study examined the perspectives of 45 school stakeholders, namely, principals, school social workers, bus drivers, and parents from an urban school district in the Midwest. The study unveils some of the implicit and explicit challenges associated with bullying prevention efforts. For example, bullying can be quite nebulous because people tend to look at the issue through the prism of their own experiences and positions, limiting their understanding of other stakeholders. Some stakeholders’ perspectives may be muted when bullying behaviors are discussed or reported. Overall, the findings support the use of multi-stakeholder approaches in developing a more holistic view of bullying. Recommendations include avoiding the reification of the views and voices of a select few and having a more open system of dialogue among stakeholders to create inclusion when addressing bullying.

Highlights

Since bullying is an ecological and systemic phenomenon that occurs in multiple contexts with multiple actors, it makes sense to consider the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and their relationships with one another and in relation to bullying prevention in schools
6% to 14.8% of the students experience cyber-bullying (NASEM, 2016). These estimates are based on nationally representative samples from the School Crime Supplement (SCS) of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the National School-Based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey, and the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) with data from the 2009 to 2013 school years
This research examined the perspectives of school principals, social workers, bus drivers /attendants, and parents on bullying

Summary

Introduction

Since bullying is an ecological and systemic phenomenon that occurs in multiple contexts with multiple actors, it makes sense to consider the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and their relationships with one another and in relation to bullying prevention in schools. People’s views of bullying are likely to be shaped by factors such as their social and cultural orientation as well as their perception of the world around them. Both personal and professional experiences serve as filters for how people may explain or interpret bullying behavior (Bourdieu, 1984; ReedDanahay, 2005). Research involving different stakeholders and the synthesis of multiple perspectives can aid in the critical examination of bullying to facilitate the development of viable solutions (Hong & Espelage, 2012; Hymel & Swearer, 2015; Kim, 2017). This study examined key stakeholders’ perceptions of school bullying and prevention efforts

Results

Discussion

Conclusion