The School as a Factor in Bullying

Abstract

The school violence literature points to the fact that school staff can create conditions that foster and support negative behaviors (Dill, 1998). Baker (1998) feels that the violence which occurs in some schools is associated with a weak sense of community. The more aggressive students do not form the relationships with others or with staff that might deter their behavior. These students arrive at school with a history of poor attachment which makes them less trusting, more anxious, and likely to expect that others will reject them. They are less connected to the school than their peers. This can be identified as early as the third to fifth grades.