Publication Date

Fall 12-4-2024

Document Type

Student Project

First Advisor

Demaray, Michelle

Degree Name

B.S. (Bachelor of Science)

Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

Bullying is a serious issue in schools worldwide that plays a vital role in students’ mental health and perception of safety at school (Man et al., 2022). The current study explored how a student’s involvement in various bullying participant roles (Bully, Assistant, Victim, Defender, and Outsider) is associated with a student’s perception of safety at school. This study additionally explored if these associations varied by gender. It was hypothesized that bullying and assisting scores would be positively associated with feeling safe at school; victimization scores would be negatively associated with feeling safe at school; no predictions were made for defending and outsider scores. Data were collected from a middle school in a Midwestern state. The study had a sample size of 1371 students in grades 6th-8th. Participants completed self-report scales including the Bullying Participant Behaviors Questionnaire (BPBQ; Demaray et al., 2016), and the Safe and Responsive Schools (SRS) Safe Schools Survey (Skiba et al., 2006). The current study found that experiencing victimization in school was associated with feeling unsafe at school. Additionally, it was found that defending others in bullying situations at school was found to be associated with feeling safer at school. Notably, the results showed no significant gender differences in these associations. The current study’s findings show the importance of addressing bullying, focusing not only on victim support, but also the promotion of defending behaviors among peers to enhance overall perceptions of safety in schools.

Suggested Citation

Tanasa, N. & Demaray, M (2024) Perceptions of Safety at School: Associations with Bullying Participant Roles and Gender

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