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Authoritative classroom climate and its relations to bullying victimization and bystander behaviors

Thornberg, Robert ; Wänström, Linda and Jungert, Tomas LU (2018) In School Psychology International 39(6). p.663-680
Abstract

Authoritative school climates have been associated with less school bullying and other antisocial behaviors. However, studies focusing on the classroom level, as well as on bystander behaviors, are lacking. The aim of the current study was to examine whether authoritative classroom climates were associated with bullying victimization and various bystander behaviors (reinforcer, outsider, and defender behaviors) in school bullying. We included gender as a covariate at the individual and classroom levels. Participants were 1540 5th-grade students (824 girls) from 104 classrooms in Sweden who completed a questionnaire. The findings revealed that girls and students in classes with greater authoritative classroom climates were more inclined... (More)

Authoritative school climates have been associated with less school bullying and other antisocial behaviors. However, studies focusing on the classroom level, as well as on bystander behaviors, are lacking. The aim of the current study was to examine whether authoritative classroom climates were associated with bullying victimization and various bystander behaviors (reinforcer, outsider, and defender behaviors) in school bullying. We included gender as a covariate at the individual and classroom levels. Participants were 1540 5th-grade students (824 girls) from 104 classrooms in Sweden who completed a questionnaire. The findings revealed that girls and students in classes with greater authoritative classroom climates were more inclined to defend. Boys reinforced more as did students in classes with more boys and more authoritative classroom climates. Boys showed more outsider behaviors as did students in classes with less authoritative classroom climates. Students in classrooms with less authoritative climates were victimized to a higher degree. Thus, the current findings suggest that a warm, caring, supportive, controlled, demanding, and cohesive classroom climate should be considered a vital protective factor against bullying victimization and negative bystander responses, and a facilitator of defending and supporting victims.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
authoritative, bullying, bystander, classroom climate, defending, school climate, victimization
in
School Psychology International
volume
39
issue
6
pages
18 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85057450692
ISSN
0143-0343
DOI
10.1177/0143034318809762
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b8f0f035-2a16-4033-b294-ecdeb0e1b912
date added to LUP
2018-12-07 12:43:17
date last changed
2022-04-10 04:26:41
@article{b8f0f035-2a16-4033-b294-ecdeb0e1b912,
  abstract     = {{<p>Authoritative school climates have been associated with less school bullying and other antisocial behaviors. However, studies focusing on the classroom level, as well as on bystander behaviors, are lacking. The aim of the current study was to examine whether authoritative classroom climates were associated with bullying victimization and various bystander behaviors (reinforcer, outsider, and defender behaviors) in school bullying. We included gender as a covariate at the individual and classroom levels. Participants were 1540 5th-grade students (824 girls) from 104 classrooms in Sweden who completed a questionnaire. The findings revealed that girls and students in classes with greater authoritative classroom climates were more inclined to defend. Boys reinforced more as did students in classes with more boys and more authoritative classroom climates. Boys showed more outsider behaviors as did students in classes with less authoritative classroom climates. Students in classrooms with less authoritative climates were victimized to a higher degree. Thus, the current findings suggest that a warm, caring, supportive, controlled, demanding, and cohesive classroom climate should be considered a vital protective factor against bullying victimization and negative bystander responses, and a facilitator of defending and supporting victims.</p>}},
  author       = {{Thornberg, Robert and Wänström, Linda and Jungert, Tomas}},
  issn         = {{0143-0343}},
  keywords     = {{authoritative; bullying; bystander; classroom climate; defending; school climate; victimization}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{663--680}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{School Psychology International}},
  title        = {{Authoritative classroom climate and its relations to bullying victimization and bystander behaviors}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0143034318809762}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0143034318809762}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}