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

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.

School Principals Putting Bullying Policy to Practice

School principals must rely on state statutes and district policies to navigate reports of school bullying. Investigating reports to determine the outcomes may vary depending upon the districts definition of bullying, the investigation process, and follow through to reporting the findings of the investigation to the involved children and youth’s parents. However, investigating reports can be challenging due to the confusion of what constitutes bullying. This confusion can be especially troubling for parents who believe their child is being bullied. In order to understand principals' perspectives on bullying, two focus groups were conducted with nine urban school principals. Researchers examined principals’ perceptions of how state- and district-level policies were used within their bully investigation practices. These principals suggest that a clear, specific district wide definition of bullying and step by step procedures to investigate reports, along with the state anti-bullying statute, provide a valuable guide for follow-through and back up in determining cases of school bullying. In addition, they identified how policies and district mandates affected parents, particularly when reporting their investigation findings. Implications for bully prevention policies are discussed.