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Middle school students' perceptions of school climate, bullying prevalence, and social support and coping

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Abstract

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine middle school students’ (N = 88) perceptions of bullying, school climate and social support and coping. Data were collected using online surveys (n = 80) and face-to-face interviews (n = 8). Quantitative analyses revealed that prevalence of teasing, victimization, and bullying experiences significantly predicted perceptions of school climate. Qualitative findings provided further insight into student perceptions of bullying indicating several overlapping themes, when examining victimization, verbal and social bullying, causes of bullying, coping, and frustration with school resources dealing with aggressive behavior. Recommendations for addressing potential detrimental outcomes of bullying behavior and for improving perceptions of school climate are provided.

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Correspondence to Jenny Mischel.

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Mischel, J., Kitsantas, A. Middle school students' perceptions of school climate, bullying prevalence, and social support and coping. Soc Psychol Educ 23, 51–72 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-019-09522-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-019-09522-5

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