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The Relationship of Life Skills and Classroom Climate to Self-Reported Levels of Victimization

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Abstract

School programs to prevent aggression vary; some emphasize skills training while others focus on social climate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between life skills, classroom climate and self-reported levels of victimization. The study, conducted in Israel, included 97 schools, 261 fifth and sixth classrooms, and close to 9,000 students. Results of hierarchical regression showed a significant relation between lower levels of self-reported victimization and some of the life skills and with two of the three classroom climate components: relationship, and personal growth; system maintenance was not related to classroom aggression. Moreover, classroom climate was far more related to the level of victimization than life skills. Several demographic variables (i.e., SES, gender) were also found to be related to levels of victimization.

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Correspondence to Zipora Shechtman.

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The study was supported by a grant from the Israeli Ministry of Education.

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Shechtman, Z. The Relationship of Life Skills and Classroom Climate to Self-Reported Levels of Victimization. Int J Adv Counselling 28, 359–373 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-006-9020-7

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