The Role of the Classroom Teacher in the Lives of Children Victimized by Peers

Abstract

Until recently, teachers have been largely overlooked in studies of peer victimization. Teachers are in a unique position to understand the peer dynamics of children's victimization, cultivate a classroom environment that fosters positive interpersonal relationships, and intervene directly to prevent continued victimization and corresponding risk to children's emotional and school adjustment. In this article, I synthesize research on how teachers can influence peer victimization processes and outcomes. This review is organized around: (a) characteristics of teachers, (b) teachers' interactions and relationship with children experiencing peer victimization, (c) teachers' interactions and relationship with children perpetrating aggression, (d) teachers' management of the relationship between the children involved in the victimization, and (e) teachers' influences on the peer social ecology of the classroom. I conclude with implications for teacher training and suggestions for research.