MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BULLYING AND

1

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF BULLYING AND THE EFFECTS OF AN ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

A thesis submitted by

Ann M. Jones

To The School of Education

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education In the field of Education

College of Professional Studies Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts March 201

2

Abstract The problem of bullying in schools is an issue of national importance. Research points to an abundance of negative impacts on students involved in bullying and require the attention of adults to address and resolve bullying incidents between students. This study, giving credence to the voices of eighth graders in one central Massachusetts middle school, sought to uncover not only student perspectives about bullying but also to determine what these perceptions revealed about the effectiveness of the school district's anti-bullying policy. This study used a mixed methods approach and employed both survey and focus group discussion methods. Data from the School Climate Bully Survey (Cornell, 2011) provided descriptive student-reported data on the nature and extent of bullying. Initial review of the survey results in the form of frequency statistics on each question provided baseline data from which focus group questions emerged. Statistical analysis of the survey data generated the quantitative portion of this study while focus group data generated the qualitative portion of this study. The survey revealed that about 33 percent of the students in the sample experienced some sort of bullying in the past month with verbal bullying as the most common type of bullying experienced. Themes that emerged from focus groups revolved around confusion regarding the definition of bullying, skepticism in the survey results, the notion that adults are too far removed from youth culture to be truly helpful, and that a teen's search for autonomy may actually prevent adults from making effective inroads into this pervasive problem. Finally, participants discussed specific ways adults could be more helpful to them in combating the problem of bullying.

Keywords: Bullying, middle school, student perceptions, anti-bullying policy

3

Acknowledgements I'd like to thank all those who helped me achieve this milestone. First, thank you to my advisor, Nena Stracuzzi, who tirelessly committed herself to seeing me through this process and put countless hours into reading and re-reading draft after draft of my writing and providing specific feedback regarding changes and improvements. Also, her guidance on the quantitative portion of this study is most notable. I could not have done any of it without her faith in my ability to learn statistical analysis quickly! Second, I'd like to thank my doctoral candidate partners Gina Kahn and Jane Lizotte. Our hours and hours of sitting around the conference table sharing drafts, questions, data analysis strategies, outlines, and just being there as a support was an invaluable to key to our collective success. To Jane, with whom I've walked this entire road from day one, your friendship and mentoring have enabled me complete this journey. Truly, I could not, would not, have done this without you. To my children and my parents, whose patience, understanding, love and constant encouragement have kept moving forward toward my goal. And lastly, to Steve, who never allowed me to give up, spent much too much time listening to my incessant talking about this project, and kept me laughing when things were difficult, I dedicate my work to you. You make me believe that I can do anything!

4

Table of Contents Acknowledgments.............................................................................................3 Chapter I: Introduction.......................................................................................8

Statement of Problem and Significance...........................................................8

Practical and Intellectual Goals...................................................................10 Summary of research Questions........................................................................11 Summary of Paper Contents and Organization..................................................12 Theoretical Framework.............................................................................13 Chapter II: Literature Review..............................................................................19 Conceptual Definition of Bullying................................................................19 Characteristics of Bullies...........................................................................21 Characteristics of Victims..........................................................................22 Characteristics of Bully-Victims..................................................................24 Role of Bystanders..................................................................................25 Prevalence and Types of Bullying................................................................28 School Climate.......................................................................................32 School Climate Factors.............................................................................32 Student Perceptions of School Climate...........................................................33 Safety and Disciplinary Factors...................................................................34 School Climates that Encourage/Inhibit Bullying..............................................35 School Climate and Bullying: The Teacher's Role.............................................36 Anti-Bullying Programs and Policies............................................................38 Gaps in Literature...................................................................................40

5

Chapter III: Research Design...............................................................................41 Research Questions..................................................................................41 Methodology.........................................................................................41 Site and Participants................................................................................44 Phase I Survey Data Collection...................................................................47 Phase II Survey Data Analysis....................................................................49 Phase III Focus Group Data Collection..........................................................50 Phase IV Focus Group Data Analysis.............................................................53 Validity and Credibility............................................................................55 Protection of Human Subjects.....................................................................59 Conclusion...........................................................................................61

Chapter IV: Research Findings.............................................................................63 Reporting of Research Findings and Analysis...................................................63 Study Context.......................................................................................63 Survey Participants.................................................................................64 Focus Group Participants...........................................................................65 Coding.................................................................................................66 Research Question 1................................................................................66 Research Questions 2 and 3........................................................................99 Research Questions 4..............................................................................112

Chapter V: Discussion.....................................................................................123 Summary of the Problem.........................................................................123 Review of Methodology..........................................................................125

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download