Aggression In Schools Research Articles

SCHOOL PROBLEMS WITH SLEEP HABITS AND BULLYING OPPORTUNITY: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING ANALYSIS

In a setting where the school has become a larger stage with regard to bullying practices (traditional and online) and victimization, it is important to understand the predictive and mediating factors of these disruptive behaviours within the school and considering the different schedules of teenage students. Extracurricular activities (outside school), enrichment activities (in school) and chronotype (sleep habits) should be analysed considering these behavioural problems inside and outside the classroom, maintaining the terminological line of the school aggression phenomenon. Thus, firstly, 117 Portuguese adolescents were aleatory recruited from the 5th to 9th grade and examined regarding chronotype and bullying/cyberbullying behaviours (in two dimensions of victimization and perpetration). The data collection was supported by the schools’ board directors and teachers where the study took place. Afterwards, different models of structural equations were developed in order to examine how the responses determined the structural relationship between factors and, above all, to identify predictors and mediators of bullying, in its two opposite dimensions. The results of the multilevel structures revealed that adolescents with more aggressive behaviour had the following characteristics: they are more the evening type attend more curricular enrichment activities, spend more hours in the same school space, conduct fewer out-of-school activities, and have the average period of sleep altered during school days. Contrary to expectations, no expressive and significant relationships were found between gender and perpetration or victimization. Attending those results, schools should start with the review of schedules, school activities and family and student monitoring regarding perceived bullying behaviours.

The association between self-esteem and physical aggression in elementary school students in Türkiye: the role of being a victim as mediator

Childhood and early adolescence play a crucial role in shaping individuals’ attitudes and behaviours through the cultivation of self-esteem. While this dynamic may differ among various age groups, self-esteem is anticipated to serve as a protective factor against peer bullying and aggression, particularly within the school setting. The present study aimed to explore the associations between self-esteem, experiences of victimisation, and engagement in physical aggression. This research, structured as a cross-sectional quantitative inquiry, involved administering an online survey to 445 primary and middle school students in Türkiye. Descriptive and correlation analysis was performed with the SPSS 22.0 program, and mediation analysis was performed with the IBM AMOS 24 program. Being a victim was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between self-esteem and physical aggression. Self-esteem reduces physical aggression by reducing being a victim. In this context, educators and policymakers need to focus their efforts to increase self-esteem while developing programs to prevent peer bullying and aggression in schools.

Socioeducational Observation in Impact of the Workshop the Wounds of Childhood in the Modulation of School Violence in High School Pupils for Rhochrematic

Socioeducational observation in the problem of school violence is becoming more frequent, which leads to the proposal to moderate its effects mainly in the elementary school environment (secondary school). In this research, the main triggers and ways to reduce it are addressed, with an intervention called Action Research, from which good results were obtained, since it decreased school aggression in the school where it was applied, and even resulted in its possible application in other educational levels, considering its respective variants.

Social Ostracism in School: Retrospective View of Emerging Adults and Implications for the School Team

ABSTRACT Social ostracism is a severe form of aggression in school, yet it is not well understood, for lack of evidence-based information. A retrospective study with the participation of 504 emerging adults (aged 18–25), who clearly remember a case of social ostracism during their school years, was designed to expand knowledge. The participants completed a quantitative questionnaire that included various aspects of ostracism such as its characteristics and implications. They were divided into two groups: those who had experienced ostracism and those who had not. Findings revealed that ostracism is more prevalent in grades 4–6, that the characteristics of ostracized children are wide-ranging, and that ostracism impacts all children – ostracized and non-ostracized. The ostracized children experience depression and perceptual change in their ability to trust others. Applicational implications for the school team on how to prevent ostracism, or intervene when they encounter it, are detailed.

Sexual Aggression and Victimization Among Adolescents in School: Using a MixIRT Analysis to Examine Measurement Equivalence.

Studies examining the frequency of sexual aggression and victimization in schools have compared different groups of respondents based on age, gender, or involvement in other types of school aggression. Between-group comparisons assume measurement equality. We examine this assumption of measurement equality using a MixIRT analysis, which combines a latent profile analysis with a Rating Scale Model Item Response Theory analysis to determine whether sexual aggressors and victims can be divided into latent classes and whether the latent traits of sexual aggression or victimization have configural, metric and scalar equivalence and through an examination of differential item functioning (DIF). This is a secondary analysis of 3746 Israeli adolescents responding to a self-report questionnaire regarding sexual aggression and victimization. Data analyses proceeded in five steps, and the unit of analysis was each respondent's responses to the aggressor and victim scales. We conducted a series of exploratory and confirmatory analyses of the aggression/victimization scale to examine configural equivalence, followed by a series of Latent Profile Analyses to determine metric and scalar equivalence. Finally, we examined DIF and Wright Maps using a Rating Scale IRT model. Four latent classes were identified. All items showed configural equivalence and most exhibited metric and scalar equivalence. An examination of DIF and Wright Maps showed that the structures of the latent traits for each latent class were fairly similar. However, for all latent classes, measures of sexual aggression and victimization failed to sample the full range of item difficulty (or endorseability).

Raising Voices in the Face of Challenges: Self-Advocacy Among School-Age Ukrainian Young Migrants in Poznań

Based on preliminary results from ethnographic interviews, group discussions and participant observation, this article aims to examine how Ukrainian children and adolescents attending schools in Poznań develop their self-advocacy skills through linguistic practices, including storytelling and creative social media projects. Rooted in children’s rights, self-advocacy is defined as the ability to actively express one’s needs, opinions and rights. This concept frames children as active agents in social processes, vital for their development and for counteracting peer-violence, including hate speech and bullying. Key research questions include: How do children with migration background construct their identity and present themselves in a new social context? How does this process affect the dynamics of relationships between children and adults in schools? Data from the ethnographic research are analysed within the framework of social identity. The study findings provide key insights into the challenges faced by migrant children in their efforts to integrate into the school community and provide information on educational strategies to support an inclusive environment in educational settings. Enhancing self-advocacy skills among children, especially those with a migration background, boosts their self-esteem, promotes conflict resolution and serves as a tool to mitigate aggression in schools.

FOSTERING VALUES THROUGH EDUCATION: PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES FOR A NONAGGRESSIVE UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT

Approaches to strengthening educational values, such as human dignity, equality, and respect for human rights, are increasingly common in modern pedagogy and are reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all. In this regard, we aimed to examine the psychological and value-based dimensions of education and behaviours manifested in interpersonal relationships, focusing on the issue of (non)aggression. We administered a questionnaire to 427 students to identify intervention models in education. The questionnaire assessed emotional and attitudinal characteristics related to experiences within the educational system, including students’ approaches to vulnerable situations and their suggestions for implementing best practices in education. To examine more deeply the psychological resources of students – such as hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism, which are essential for understanding their responses and attitudes towards nonaggression – we used the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ). The majority of participants consider aggression in educational institutions to be a significant issue that negatively affects both the victims and the community as a whole. The analysis of the questionnaire results confirmed the significative contribution of the psychological capital to the formation of a constructive educational environment, important in the development of educational values. Proposed suggestions from the participants mentioned the need for monitoring and reporting incidents, implementing an educational program for aggression prevention and an active involvement of school counsellors, parents, teachers, and authorities in preventing and combating school aggression.

Analiza povezanosti vršnjačkog nasilja i dosade kod učenika u školama u Srbiji

This paper examines the relationship between forms of experiencing peer bullying and the presence of boredom in students in the school environment in the Republic of Serbia, based on data obtained from the PISA 2022 survey. The consequences of experienced peer bullying are highly negative and long-lasting, affecting all aspects of students' lives, including academic, psychological, health, and social domains. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the factors associated with bullying in order to mitigate and prevent all forms of aggression in schools, including peer violence. Recent research has shown a positive association between the feeling of boredom and peer bullying. This study utilizes data from the PISA survey conducted in the Republic of Serbia, with a sample of 6,413 students from 181 schools. Two groups of statements were selected from the student questionnaire: one measuring the frequency of experiencing bullying and the other assessing the feeling of boredom. Through factor analysis, two factors of bullying were identified: relational bullying and physical bullying combined with verbal abuse. Similarly, two factors related to boredom were identified: distraction and disengagement from tasks and interests. Further analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between these factors, particularly between boredom and physical/verbal bullying. These findings suggest that the educational system should recognize students exhibiting higher levels of boredom, as they may be at an increased risk of peer victimization. Additionally, it is advisable apply various methods and approaches that have proven effective in reducing boredom and victimization among students and integrate them into educational strategies.

Rage, revenge, reward, and recreation: Validating short-form measures of adolescents’ aggression across offline and online contexts

The quadripartite violence typology categorizes aggression into rage, revenge, reward, and recreational aggression. Furthermore, the general aggression model highlights the interaction between personal and contextual factors in shaping aggressive behavior. Whereas the four types of aggression are considered as personal factors, a contextual distinction can be made between offline and online contexts. To date, only the Cyber-Aggression Typology Questionnaire (CATQ) and its offline counterpart, the Face-to-Face Aggression Typology Questionnaire (FATQ), operationalize each aggression type specifically for offline and online settings. However, this questionnaire set presents limitations in its applicability due to its item count and exclusive validation in university students. In this two-study article, we developed and validated short versions (CATQ-S/FATQ-S) utilizing Graf et al.’s original dataset ( N = 587 university students, Study 1) and revalidated them in a new sample of secondary school students ( N = 1,064, Study 2). In Study 1, structural validity of the CATQ-S/FATQ-S could be confirmed. All scales of the CATQ-S showed acceptable to good reliabilities. Whereas the revenge and recreational aggression scales of the FATQ-S showed acceptable to good reliabilities, the reliabilities of its rage and reward scales were slightly below the threshold of .70. All short scales showed substantial correlations with their corresponding full scales. Similar correlational patterns for the short and full scales with external criteria could be found. In Study 2, structural validity of the CATQ-S/FATQ-S could be confirmed. All scales of the CATQ-S/FATQ-S showed acceptable to good reliabilities and criterion validity was largely observed. This research supports the four-factor model of aggression in both offline and online contexts and provides a practical instrument designed for the efficient measurement of four-factor aggression in secondary schools.

An innovative storytelling intervention to reduce school aggression among schoolchildren with reactive and proactive aggression.

It is a pioneering study to reduce reactive and proactive aggression in high-risk children aged 6-10 through an innovative intervention through storytelling. The original storytelling group intervention was based on the social information processing model, specifically tailor-made for the distinctive functions and motives of reactive and proactive aggression. Eighty-seven elementary schools in Hong Kong were recruited through open recruitment, and 15 schools were randomly selected. Four thousand eighty-six children (2,292 boys and 1,794 girls) from Grades 1 to 4 completed the screening, and 371 high-risk students (280 boys and 91 girls) with reactive and proactive aggression were recruited based on the inclusion criteria. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with a longitudinal design. Participants were then randomly assigned to the storytelling intervention, placebo, or control group. The group intervention consisted of 10 weekly 1-hr sessions. The participants were assessed at the baseline, after treatment, and 6 months after treatment by self-report and parent report. Longitudinal data were analyzed by linear mixed models. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the storytelling group intervention in reducing aggression. Compared with the placebo and control, the storytelling intervention further reduced self-reported aggressive behaviors but not parent-reported externalizing and internalizing problems. This storytelling intervention could be adopted in schools and other settings to treat high-risk children with aggressive behaviors without stigmatization. It can positively impact schools and society by reducing bullying and delinquency. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Violence and aggression against educators and school personnel, retention, stress, and training needs: National survey results.

Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel have raised public health concerns that require attention from researchers, policymakers, and training providers in U.S. schools. School aggression and violence have negative effects on school personnel health and retention and on student achievement and development. In partnership with several national organizations, the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel administered two national, multi-informant, cross-sectional surveys. Time 1 data were collected in 2020-2021 from 14,966 respondents; participants reflected on their experiences of violence and aggression before COVID-19 and during COVID-19 restrictions in this survey. One year later, in 2022, 11,814 respondents completed the Time 2 survey after COVID-19 restrictions ended. Participants included teachers, school psychologists, social workers, counselors, staff members, and administrators from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Rates of violence and aggression directed against educators by students, parents, colleagues, and administrators were substantial before COVID-19, were lower during COVID-19 restrictions, and returned to prepandemic levels or higher after COVID-19 restrictions. After COVID-19 restrictions, 22%-80% of respondents reported verbal or threatening aggression, and 2%-56% of respondents reported physical violence at least once during the year, varying by stakeholder role and aggressor. Rates of intentions to quit the profession ranged from 21% to 43% during COVID-19 restrictions (2020-2021) and from 23% to 57% after COVID-19 restrictions (2021-2022), varying by stakeholder role. Participants across roles reported substantial rates of anxiety and stress, especially during and after COVID-19 restrictions, and identified specific training needs. Implications for theory, research, training, and policy are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological climate of class – factor for prevention and reduction of school aggressiveness

Current research and studies demonstrate that the problem of bullying-type aggressiveness in school is worsening internationally as well as nationally. Various factors that lead to aggressiveness and violence among students are extensively analyzed, including non-vulnerable factors. In recent decades, the focus has been on addressing the problem of bullying in school that is becoming complex and difficult to realize. In the given article, an attempt is made to address the issue of reducing and preventing student aggression by valorizing the values and functions of the students’ class and, above all, the healthy psychological climate. Namely the psychological climate creates a favorable environment for learning and education that strongly influences the behavior of students. The characteristics of psychological climate, the ways of forming a healthy psychological climate, principles and ways of valorizing the classroom climate in preventing and reducing aggressiveness and bullying-type aggressiveness in school are analyzed. Some forms and methods of carrying out this process were also described. The proposed concept opens up new perspectives for preventing and reducing aggressiveness, including bullying in educational institutions.

Emotional intelligence as a mechanism for the prevention of school aggression

This paper evaluated an emotional intelligence program applied to primary school children. The study was conducted with an experimental group and a control group, allowing for a comparison between the program and traditional methods. During the experiment, manifestations of aggression, such as anger, and foul language, among others, were observed, and these behaviors progressively improved until favorable results in the post-test. These results indicate that incorporating programs to develop emotional intelligence can markedly improve student behavior, strengthen peer and teacher relationships, and equip students with vital skills for their future professional and social lives.

Bullying Behaviors of Adolescents: The Role of Attachment to Teachers and Memories of Childhood Care

Bullying is a social phenomenon that involves the repetition of aggressive, intentional and harmful behaviors directed at a specific person. Currently, one in three children is a victim of bullying. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between the quality of the relationship with teachers, memories of childhood care and bullying in adolescents. The sample consisted of 416 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years old. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cuestionario de Evaluación de la Violencia entre Iguales en la Escuela y en el Ocio, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale. The results demonstrated that bullying behaviors are more often perpetrated by males and with higher levels of aggression in private schools. They also revealed that students who perceive higher levels of support, understanding, trust and openness from teachers tend to be less likely to be targets of bullying. The results also demonstrated a relationship between positive memories of childhood care and students’ perceptions of greater support, understanding, trust and openness from their teachers. An analysis of the results was discussed considering attachment theory due to the implications of memories of primary care and the quality of teacher–student relationships regarding bullying.

Teacher Responsiveness and Instruction for Verbal Aggression Victimization: Survey Results of Secondary Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students identified with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) often have difficulty with social adjustment and academic achievement, engaging in problem behaviors such as defiance, rule-breaking, and truancy, yet one particularly challenging behavior is aggression. Researchers assert that verbal aggression (VA) is the most frequent form of aggression in schools; however, little is known about student perceptions of VA among students with EBD. We surveyed 144 U.S. secondary students with EBD finding infrequent reporting to teachers about VA victimization. According to students, the most effective teacher responses to a report of VA victimization were moving the victim away from the perpetrator, providing advice, and punishing the aggressor. Students reported that the content of teacher instruction about VA most often included reporting victimization to a teacher, avoiding the aggressor, and ignoring the verbally aggressive behavior. We discuss implications for teacher education and practice including what strategies deter VA and effective teacher responses to victimization. We conclude with recommendations for future research such as examining risk and protective factors for VA involvement, assessing whether students’ attitudes and beliefs contribute to VA, and conducting longitudinal studies.

Preschool Aggression and Victimization: A Short-Term Longitudinal Analysis of the Immediate Social Environment

IntroductionPreschool aggression, a significant concern, requires an in-depth examination beyond individual factors. This study explored the link between individual characteristics, immediate social environment variables, and the likelihood of preschoolers being nominated as aggressors or victims. The novelty of the study lies in its comprehensive longitudinal examination, using a multi-informant approach, of how family dynamics, peer relations, teacher-child interactions, and community factors are related to preschool aggression within the context of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory.MethodsData was collected at two points, four months apart, to investigate the interplay among sociodemographic, individual, family, and school factors and subsequent child aggression. The study included 394 children (184 girls, 210 boys), aged 3 to 6 years (M = 4.36, SD = 0.87). Caregivers completed questionnaires on socioeconomic status, community relationships, children’s emotional regulation, and family functioning. Teachers rated closeness with each child, while children nominated liked and disliked peers, as well as those exhibiting aggressive or victimized behaviour.ResultsLogistic regression models revealed stronger associations between peer aggression and victimization and individual factors over microsystems. Surprisingly, community cohesion showed a robust positive link with an increased likelihood of children being nominated as victims, challenging the assumption that positive parenting practices and strong community cohesion always leads to positive outcomes for individuals.DiscussionThe study advances theoretical understanding by examining how factors within preschoolers’ microsystems influence aggressive behaviors, contributing to more holistic models for addressing preschool aggression and victimization in schools. The findings highlight the significance of targeted interventions, emphasizing early identification of aggression or victimization signs and customized programs for social and emotional skill development. Addressing parental stress and interparental conflict is crucial. Additionally, community-based initiatives, like strengthening support networks, play a pivotal role in fostering healthier social dynamics among preschoolers.

Strategies for Controlling Aggression among Secondary School Students in Bayelsa State

The study evaluated the strategies for controlling aggression among secondary school students in Bayelsa State. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Three research questions and corresponding hypotheses were raised to guide the study. The population of the study was all students and teachers in the 192 public secondary schools in Bayelsa state. A sample of 567 comprising of 100 teachers and 467 SS3 students were randomly selected from the population. The instrument for data collection was a “Strategies for Controlling Students’ Aggression Questionnaire (SCSAQ)” developed by the researcher and validated by experts. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha formula and a coefficient of 0.87 was obtained which was considered appropriate for the study. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic at 0.05 level of significance. It was revealed that the extent of implementation of strategies for controlling students aggression in secondary schools was low. It was recommended amongst others that the school management should be encouraged to implement the strategies for controlling students’ aggression in secondary schools in Bayelsa state.

Development of early intervention program based on cognitive- behavioral theory for divorced children with emotional- behavioral disorders and its effectiveness in aggression of divorced children

Introduction: Divorce is one of the most important causes of tension and pressure on children. Aim: The research aimed to develop of early intervention program based on cognitive-behavioral theory for divorced children with emotional-behavioral disorders and its effectiveness in aggression of divorced children. Method: The research scheme was mixed (qualitative-quantitative). The statistical population in qualitative part consisted of articles and documents related to divorced children and all the professors and specialists in children’s psychological disorders and quantitative part consists of all the girls of divorced families of Astaneh-ashrafiyeh in 2022. Moreever 30 people were selected by purposive sampling and randomly replaced in experimental and control groups. The intervention program was performed in 12 sessions of 90 minutes, two session per week for experimental group. Instruments included Achenbach’s Children Behavioral Check list (2001) and Shahim’s Primary School Aggression Questionnaire (2006). The data in the qualitative part were analyzed by thematic analysis and in the quantitative part by multivariate analysis of covariance. Result: The results showed the content validity of the intervention program was equal to 0.75 up to 1 and there is significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the groups in aggression (P<0.01). In general, the early intervention program based on cognitive-behavioral theory for divorced children with emotional-behavioral disorders is effective on aggression in divorced children (P<0.01). Conclusion: Based on findings developed intervention program was effective in aggression of divorced children. Therefore, this intervention program can be used as an effective intervention to reduce aggression of divorced children.

The Role of Family and Media Environment on Aggressive Behaviour in Bulgarian Schools

The article examines the influence of two of the main social environments on students’ aggressive behaviours. On the one hand, attention is paid to the general socio-psychological climate in the family environment and the attitude of the parents towards the child; and on the other hand, a less frequently studied aspect related to aggressive manifestations of the children and adolescents towards the parents is addressed. The study explores how watching TV shows and movies, as well as video games, in which aggression and violence predominate, is connected to the frequency and degree of manifestation of types of aggression in adolescents. The survey was conducted at the end of 2017 among 992 students in 18 primary schools, secondary schools, and vocational schools/high schools in six different cities in different regions of Bulgaria. A structured questionnaire for the study of aggression in school was designed and was intended for students. The results of the study generally show that the verbal aggression towards parents (insulting and shouting) is mostly associated with verbal aggression towards both teachers and classmates. Regarding the influence of TV shows and movies containing aggression, it was found that students who watched movies with military, fighting and bloody scenes demonstrated more frequent manifestations of verbal aggression, but the TV contents did not significantly influence the manifestations of indirect aggression and physical aggression. However, the frequency of playing video games with aggressive content has a significant effect on all investigated forms of aggression, with the strongest effect on physical aggression. Aggression in social networks is a significant factor that affects the frequency of manifestation of various forms of aggression. Students who bully others on social networks stand out as the most aggressive (verbally, physically, and indirectly).

AGGRESSIVENESS X VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Faced with the latest events shown in the media and many times witnessed by ourselves in the schools where we work, we observed the need to go deeper into this subject in order to carry out a project that could be useful in the current school. The objective of this project is to draw the attention of professionals to the problem of school aggression and violence and to present suggestions for improving coexistence within the school. As Oliveira and Martins (2006) well mentions, “what happens is that this violence has a lot to do with the discourse of refusal, or even, the lack of finding the right words to give an exact meaning to a wide range of of feelings”. Violence is all kinds of physical and psychological damage caused to others, young people are pointed out as the cause of this violence, but this issue is much more complex. Because to combat this violence that is so common among our youth, we have to research the origin, since young people apply in their school conviviality or those who live at home. Currently schools deal with fights and other aggressive acts through internal norms such as: verbal or formal warning, suspensions, transfers and expulsion of the student. I suggest more dynamic classes with the participation and opinion of the students to organize a field class, formalize an agreement between both on how the school rules will be applied in case of non-compliance with the school's discipline rule.