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Journal of Social Studies Education Research

Sosyal Bilgiler Eğitimi Araştırmaları Dergisi

2017: 8(1), 1-34

An Investigation of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions on Bullying

Stewart Waters1 & Natalie Mashburn2

Abstract

The researchers in this study investigated rural middle school teachers’ perspectives regarding

bullying. The researchers gathered information about the teachers’ definitions of bullying, where bullying

occurs in their school, and how to prevent bullying. Peer-reviewed literature associated with this topic was

studied in order to achieve a broader understanding of bullying and to develop a self-administered survey

addressing these issues. A total of 21 teachers participated in the survey and the results of this study convey

the need to recognize bullying in many forms, appropriately address bullying when it occurs, and

incorporate preventive actions that will discourage bullying and encourage acceptance.

Keywords: Bullying; Middle School; Teacher Preparation.

Introduction

Middle school can be a transformative and exciting time for students. However, during

these important developmental years, bullying continues to be a persistent and serious issue. In

more recent years, national and international concerns relating to the harmful effects of bullying

have increased significantly (Thompson & Cohen, 2005). According to Frey and Fisher (2008),

bullying has become a part of life for countless students, and can take on many forms within

contemporary schools. As a result, bullying has placed a considerable amount of pressure on

administrators and teachers to effectively respond to bullying (Bush, 2011). Often, teachers and

administrators can be unaware of bullying, making it difficult to develop appropriate policies that

are proactive instead of reactive.

In 2003, Seals and Young stated that bullying is a persistent and insidious problem that

affects roughly one-fourth of the students in the United States. However, in 2011, eight years later,

the National Education Association (NEA), Nishioka et al., and the United States Department of

Education (USDE), stated that bullying affects one-third of students in schools in the United States.

1 Assist. Prof. Dr., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, kswaters@utk.edu
2 Lenoir City Intermediate School, nrmashburn@lenoircityschools.net

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

With the number of students affected by bullying growing each year, middle school teachers are

often bombarded with the realization that the development of cognitive skills is not the only

foundation for truly effective learning. Cognitive processes are also justly linked to students’

emotional, psychological, and physical health (Siris & Osterman, 2004). Davis and Nixon (2011,

p. 18) state, when “teachers, counselors, and administers strive to create emotionally safe and

respectful school environments, they are often confronted with conflicting ideas about what to do.”

Teachers’ often have differing views about how to respond to bullying behavior and what

exactly constitutes bullying, as there can be differences based on the regularity and gravity of a

bullying situation (Rigby, 2002). Nansel et al. (2001, p. 294) state that “given the concurrent

behavioral and emotional difficulties associated with bullying, as well as potential long-term

negative outcomes for [students], the issue of bullying merits serious attention.” The researchers

in this study seek to provide insights from current middle school teachers regarding bullying and

what can possibly be done to help prevent and reduce bullying in schools today.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to explore middle school teachers’ perceptions towards

bullying and the ramifications of different types of bullying within the school environment. This

study was thoughtfully designed after a thorough examination of relevant research literature, which

was then used to inform the construction of our research study and analysis of data collected from

a self-administered online survey instrument. We chose specifically to study the perceptions of

classroom teachers because they are often the most likely school employees to witness bullying of

and between students, thus, if and how they choose to respond to these incidents has a direct

correlation to the overall effectiveness of bullying prevention programs and the promotion of a

positive school climate. The researchers in this study collected data that focused on teachers’

perceptions of how the issue of bullying is currently addressed in a middle school setting, as well

as recommending future actions for bullying prevention in secondary schools.

Review of the Literature

Bullying is nothing new in society; the exploitation of the weak by the strong is a recurring

theme throughout recorded history (Rigby 2002). Many literary works depict children being

frequently and systematically bullied, and a copious amount of adults have childhood encounters

that haunt their memories. Even with the common-place familiarity of bullying in society, it was

never truly studied with any significance until the late 20th century, when Professor Dan Olweus

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

studied, defined, classified, and estimated frequency of bullying behavior (Rigby, 2002).

Consequently, the subsequent review of literature was established to present information

pertaining to a definition of bullying to be used throughout the course of this study, different types

of bullying, who bullying affects within educational environments, and different approaches to

preventing and reducing bullying, specifically in the middle grades.

What is Bullying?

Olweus (1993), a pioneer in bullying research, defines bullying as an imbalance of strength,

which must be a repeated action and occur regularly over time. There is a major emphasis on the

phrase, “imbalance of strength,” which simply means, the word bullying cannot be used when two

or more students of nearly the same size, physically or psychologically, are fighting or arguing

(Olweus, 1993). Distinguishing between direct-physical, direct-verbal, indirect, overt, and

relational forms of aggression can be difficult because bullying can take on multiple forms at one

time (Nishioka, Coe, Burke, Hanita, & Sprague, 2011; Psunder, 2010). Direct-verbal aggression

can be seen as “hurtful teasing, name calling and assigning unkind nicknames,” and is one of the

more common forms of aggression among young people (Psunder, 2010, p. 218). Verbally- and

physically-aggressive behaviors are two characteristics of overt aggression that are generally

intended to threaten or harm another student; whereas, harming a student’s relationship with others

is a form of relational aggression (Nishioka et al., 2011). In addition to the verbal and physical

forms of bullying, aggressive behavior can be demonstrated through electronic text, known as

cyberbullying (Diamanduros, Downs, & Jenkins, 2008). Cyberbullying most frequently occurs

through social media sites and allows bullying behaviors to continue beyond the traditional school

day and into the homes of students. The continual presence of cyberbullying in children’s lives

can have a devastating impact and should be taken seriously by students, parents, teachers, and

administrators.

With multiple genres of bullying comes a multitude of reasons behind bullying. Students

have reported that they were bullied due to “how they acted, what they said, who their friends

were, and their size” (Thornberg, 2010, p. 312). According to Thornberg (2010), teacher favoritism

along with academic and social success and shortcomings play a significant role in the totality of

bullying. The idea that bullies often act out due to an aggressive and impulsive nature, a strong

need to maintain power over others, and a family life full of aggression and/or neglectful parenting

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

are some other central issues in the reasoning for bullying tendencies (Liepe-Levinson & Levinson,

2005: Olweus, 1993; Thornberg, 2010).

In recent years, many studies have been organized around bullying, and data have been

accumulated to show a representative depiction of the affect of bullying in schools (Frey & Fisher,

2008; NEA, 2011; Nishioka et al., 2011; Novick & Isaacs, 2010; Petrosino, Guckenburg, DeVoe,

& Hanson, 2010; Psunder, 2010; USDE, 2011; Veenstra, Lindenberg, Munniksma, & Dijkstra,

2010). Bullying has developed into a routine, every-day occurrence in classrooms all across the

globe (Sherer & Nickerson, 2010). It can take on many forms and may be hard to recognize at

times. Humiliation, teasing, and physical aggression are just a few of the many ways students are

bullied in school (Psunder, 2010). According to Watson et al. (2010, p. 62), bullying is no longer

seen as a “traditional dyadic bully-victim relationship,” researchers now have to acknowledge the

“social arena in which bullying occurs.”

Who is affected by Bullying?

According to Frey and Fisher (2008), bullying has become a persistent part of school life

for countless students and can be very difficult to avoid. Several research projects have reported

that bullying hits a pinnacle in middle school (Hargrove, 2010, p. 40). According to an early

survey presented by the World Health Organization (WHO), 30% of a student sample of sixth

through tenth graders had been involved in bullying (as cited in Rimm, 2010, para. 2). The National

Education Association (NEA) reported that “bullying and violence cause 160,000 fearful children

to miss one or more school days each month” (as cited in Mental Health American [MHA], 2011,

para. 3). Specifically, the American Psychological Association (APA) and the NEA (as cited in

Frey & Fisher, 2008, p. 132) stated that “7% of eighth graders stay home from school at least once

a month to avoid a bullying situation.” Frey and Fisher (2008) also state that many middle school

students have reported altering their routes between classes to avoid meeting a bully in the hallway.

A number of studies (as cited in Watson et al., 2010, p. 62) have confirmed six chief roles

within the realm of bullying: the bully, the victim, the bully-aide, the bully-supporter, the protector,

and the spectator/bystander. The pure bully and pure victim are both the original characters in the

bully-victim scenario. The protector simply defends the victim in the bullying situation. The

spectator/bystander takes on the role of audience member. This character does nothing except

watch the bullying play out. Lastly, the bully-aide and bully-supporters are more specifically

defined within the context of the actual role played. As defined by Watson et al. (2010, p. 62), the

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

bully-aide is someone “who joins in with bullying, but does not initiate it.” Similarly, the bully-

supporter is someone “who provides positive feedback to the bully, but does not actively take part”

(Watson et al., 2010, p. 62). There are other roles that researchers have considered significant as

well, bully-victims. Based on a study by Wolke, Woods, Stanford, and Schulz (2001), a

bully/victim was also identified as a key role in the arena of bullying behavior. Within this

character, the main idea is that the player is both a victim of bullying and a perpetrator of bullying.

Because bullying has so many components it is often difficult to distinguish between victim and

bully.

Victims of bullying are affected in many ways by the oppressive actions of bullying

perpetrators. This can have a negative impact on academic success and the social/emotional

development of middle school students (Frey & Fisher, 2008; Nishioka et al., 2011). Additionally,

student bystanders and perpetrators of bullying can also experience social and emotional anxiety

(Nishioka et al., 2011). According to Veenstra et al. (2010, p. 481), bullying perpetrators, like most

students, “want to realize status and affection.” Bullying can have many affects on all the different

parties involved. Every day there are many students who are discouraged and disparaged from

social interactions due to bullying. Bullying also leads to absences, as kids wish to stay home and

avoid bullies at school, which can also contribute to poor academic performance.

Preventing Bullying in Schools

“Although it has always been around, bullying should never be accepted as normal

behavior” (MHA, 2011, para. 1). In more recent years it seems that bullying has increased

dramatically; however, there is no definitive evidence that this is true. According to education.com

(2011), there are several reasons bullying seems to be on the rise:

• “There is greater awareness of the seriousness of bullying, which could be due to higher

reporting rates by students.

• The addition of cyberbullying as a new, easy, and round-the-clock place to bully.

• There are a number of early childhood risk factors that have increased that might also

increase a child’s vulnerability to bully or be bullied, such as an insecure attachment to a

primary care giver or lack of parental supervision.” (2011, para. 3).

Diamanduros et al. (2008) argue that bullying has greatly impacted the contemporary headlines

due to the recent eruption of school shootings and other forms of school-based violence. With this

escalation comes a challenge for students as well as teachers. According to Rimm (2008),

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

administrators, teachers, parents and students need to become more proactive in the prevention of

bullying in schools. Bullying has many different forms, and often times will take on multiple forms

at once. This can cause teachers and administrators to be oblivious to bullying, which in turn makes

it hard for any proactive steps to be taken (Psunder, 2010; Veenstra et al., 2010). Research suggests

bullying episodes are rarely reported to school officials, which can become an impediment to the

“ability to define the scope and frequency of bullying behavior” in educational environments

(Petrosino et al., 2010). Many school systems have developed an anonymous hotline reporting

system that hopefully has removed students’ fear of retaliation and in turn, encouraged them to

report any and all bullying situations (Petrosino et al., 2010).

Rather than involving adults, most middle school students tend to select other forms of

dealing with bullying situations (Novick & Isaacs, 2010). However, when students are left to their

own devices, they tend to choose approaches that are either highly unproductive or are likely to

cultivate further harassment. It has been said that students have a tendency to choose more effective

ways of coping with bullying as they get older; therefore, a promising avenue for bullying

prevention programs would be to prepare students with effective responses to bullying at an early

age (Watson et al., 2010). The ultimate goal is to reduce victimization through preparing students,

of all ages, to use an inner-dialogue approach in collaboration with any existing intervention and/or

prevention plans (Watson et al., 2010).

There are many steps that can be taken in order to help prevent bullying; for example, the

Olweus Bully Prevention Program, which incorporates four rules to be implemented school-wide

(Olweus, 1993). These rules consist of not bullying others, including those who are being

excluded, helping those being bullied, and telling an adult at school and home if there has been a

bullying incident (Olweus, 1993). Respect and regard for others should be taught from an early

age and continued throughout the schooling process (MHA, 2011). The students are not the only

ones in need of bullying education. Sherer and Nickerson (2010) reference several sources that say

teachers and administrators need to be trained and provided continuous support in order to enhance

their abilities to manage bullying dilemmas. In order to help prevent bullying in schools,

administrators and teachers need to help students learn to improve their behavior management

skills and foster social and emotional growth (Romain, 1997). Students should feel capable and

willing to help other students being bullied, and teachers need to help facilitate an understanding

of bullying so that all students can play a role in decreasing the frequency and intensity of all

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

bullying situations (Olweus, 1993). The research literature clearly demonstrates the importance of

teachers in helping students effectively deal with bullying and the vital role teachers’ play in

implementing anti-bullying policies. Essentially, anti-bullying policies cannot be effective if

teachers do not know how to identify different types of bullying behaviors and how to respond to

these situations when they occur. Thus, the present research study was designed to examine the

perceptions of teachers at a middle school with a designated anti-bullying program to provide

insights into how classroom teachers actually handle various aspects of bullying.

Method

This study took place in a middle school, grades six through eight, in the Southeastern

United States. The population of the school was approximately 605 students and 49 faculty, staff

and support services. The percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch was 43%. The

primary unit of analysis for this study was teachers, both in regular classrooms and related arts

classrooms (i.e. band, art, library, physical education, etc.). The emphasis for the study was placed

on teachers who interact with the students on a daily basis. This element helped to eliminate 13

members from the faculty, staff and support services, specifically, administrators, guidance

counselor, and all other support staff. There were 36 classroom teachers available to participate in

this study, and 21 of the teachers fully participated in completing the online survey. This made for

a response rate of 58%, which is higher than average for typical survey research.

The participants were first invited to take part in the survey by means of a formal letter

requesting the teachers’ participation in this voluntary study. This letter was placed in the teachers’

mailboxes the day before the survey was administered. The letter also notified participants that

their identity would remain confidential and that a report would be issued once the study was

complete. A second invitation, along with a link to the survey, was given via email to complete

the survey during the teachers’ own time, using an online program (www.surveymonkey.com).

The participants then responded to each question independently. Two days before the survey was

expected to be complete, the participants were sent an email reminder requesting their participation

to complete the survey on or before the due date.

The self-administered survey was used for several reasons. Due to the survey being self-

administered through an online program the researchers had easy access to the participants’

responses. Also, the self-administered surveys permitted the participants to complete the questions

at their own leisure. The latter of the two reasons was a major factor in deciding on self-

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

administered surveys. Teachers do not have a lot of leisure time due to the everyday time

constraints of grading, lesson planning, parent conferences, etc. Therefore, a short, self-

administered online survey was chosen as the data collection instrument. This was necessary in

order to gather the valuable insights of middle school teachers about bullying in their school, while

also being cognizant of their extremely busy schedules.

Instrument

The survey (see Appendix A) used for this study was based on a survey used in a similar

study on the concept of teachers’ bullying perceptions. Michael Bush created a comprehensive

survey that was “designed to examine the influence of individual and organizational level factors

towards teachers’ responses to bullying” (Bush, 2011, p. 41). The survey was based on Olweus’

(1993) definition of bullying, which was provided on the survey for the participants in order to

maintain consistency in data analysis. Bush (2011) took into account concerns for reliability, which

is associated with credibility of research findings or interpretations of findings, and validity, which

refers to the accuracy of measurement. Bush’s study tested the reliability and validity of each item

within the survey instrument and all items had a Cronbach’s alpha of .75 or higher, which has been

deemed an acceptable level of reliability among researchers (Dillman, 2007).

The survey was left in the original order of questioning; however, the actual presentation

of the survey was altered slightly. For ease of convenience, the survey was transferred to an online

service (www.surveymonkey.com). The questions were presented in the precise manner that Bush

(2011) fashioned in the original survey as to preserve the survey’s integrity. Also, there was no

reason to alter or make amendments to the questions being asked because they were composed in

this exact rhythm for flow and consistency. The researchers designed this study to build on the

work of Bush (2011) by adding to the literature on teachers perceptions of bullying, while also

offering a unique perspective by collecting data specifically from a group of teachers at a middle

school with a designated anti-bullying program.

Limitations

Before any generalizations can be made about this study, further research must be

completed due to the overwhelming development of bullying reports in educational settings today.

A major limitation stems from the population surveyed, as the participants were all from one

specific school. This convenience sample was chosen because the researchers had support from

the school administration, but also because the student population of this school closely aligned

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

with the overall demographic of most middle schools within the state. As a consequence of these

limitations, the results of this study cannot be generalized to a larger population. Reproduction of

this study among a larger variety of schools within the U.S. and abroad would certainly generate

useful data to the field of education. Another limitation of this study was the lack of diversity

among participating teachers. Due to this lack of diversity, the researchers were unable to examine

the differences in how teachers respond to bullying based on race/ethnicity, grade level taught, and

gender.

Results

Teacher Concerns

Teachers were asked to rank order the following five items: classroom resources/materials,

student assessment, bullying, curriculum/lesson plans, and teacher observations/evaluations.

Teachers were asked to use a scale of 1–5, where 1 indicated their highest concern and 5 indicated

their lowest concern. Table 1, displays the ranking of each item with the percentage of respondents.

Based on the Table 1, nine teachers (43%) ranked student assessment as the highest concern. This

was closely followed by curriculum/lesson plans, which was selected as the second largest concern

by 42% of participants. These two findings accurately reflect the current climate of education in

many areas of the U.S., where high stakes testing has a major impact on teachers’ job security and

pay increases. Interestingly, bullying was rated as the lowest two concerns by a majority of

participants, with 62% of teachers identifying it as a 4 or 5 on the rating scale. In the end, these

findings provide insights into the largest areas of concern for middle school teachers. Clearly,

participants in this study were mostly concerned about their professional responsibilities in relation

to classroom instruction and assessment. In addition, it appears that most teachers deem bullying

to be less of a concern compared to other professional responsibilities.

Table 1

Teacher Concerns Ranking

Answer Options 1 2 3 4 5 Rating

Average

Classroom

resources/materials

14% 10% 28% 24% 24% 3.33

Student Assessment 43% 19% 14% 14% 10% 2.29

Bullying 19% 10% 10% 34% 28% 3.43

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

Curriculum/Lesson

Plans

10% 42% 24% 14% 10% 2.71

Teacher

observations/evaluations

14% 19% 24% 14% 28% 3.24

Observation and Consideration of Behavior

The next section of the survey included information about different forms of bullying

behavior (physical, verbal, and relational) and whether or not teachers observed this type of

behavior within the last year. The teachers were also asked whether or not they considered the

aforementioned types of behavior as bullying. There were six descriptive statements, two for each

type of behavior, used to ask the participants about the different types of bullying (see Table 2).

The respondents were first given a statement, and then asked, “Have you seen this type of behavior

occur this academic year (2015-2016)?” Additionally, teachers were asked if they considered each

of the behaviors to be bullying and rate the severity of the bullying action on a scale of 1-10 (1

being least serious, 10 being very serious). Finally, teachers were asked to rate the likelihood of

them responding to bullying behaviors in question on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not respond in

any way, and 10 being definitely respond. The majority of the teachers participating in this study

witnessed each type of behavior during the last academic year and overall considered each type of

bullying to be very serious.

Based on the responses, teachers in this study witnessed a great deal of bullying over the

last year, as four of the six behaviors were reported by 85% of the teachers in this study. Verbal

bullying was the most common, with both descriptive statements (see Table 2) being observed by

85% and 86% of the teachers in this study. Teachers in this study rated the severity of each bullying

incident fairly high and the scores were quite consistent among participants, as all of the average

ratings were 8.5 or higher. Interestingly enough, there were two bullying statements, one verbal

and one relational, that teachers in this study indicated that they were not very likely to respond to

if witnessed. Both of these statements dealt with the common middle school situations of “teasing”

and “gossiping,” indicating that perhaps teachers in this study do not believe these behaviors to be

all that serious or harmful.

Table 2

Teachers observing bullying behavior

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

Type of

Bullying

Bullying Statement Percentage

of teachers

observing

behavior

Percentage of

teachers

considering

behavior as

bullying

Severity of

Action average

rating (1-10)

Likelihood

to Respond

average

rating (1-

10)

Physical

Bullying

A student hits, kicks,

pushes or shoves another

student.

86% 76% 8.5 9.5

Physical

Bullying

A student threatens another

student with physical harm.

62% 76% 10.0 10.0

Verbal

Bullying

A student is being teased by

another student.

86% 71% 9.0 5.0

Verbal

Bullying

A student is being called

hurtful names.

85% 80% 9.5 10.0

Relation

Bullying

A student is deliberately

being left out of a group of

other students.

79% 68% 8.5 9.0

Relation

Bullying

A student is having rumors

or gossip spread about him

or her.

84% 84% 9.5 6.0

Bullying Response Training

Next on the survey was a section that asked about teacher training in response to bullying.

The teachers were asked if they had received any training for responding to bullying since being

hired at their school. Out of the sample, 79% indicated they had received training from the school

in question; however, 21% indicated they had not received any training pertaining to responding

to bullying. Secondly, the teachers who had received training were asked how many hours were

received during the 2015-2016 academic year. There was a range of responses from 0 – 4 hours.

The third and final question in this section asked, “Using the scale below, respond to the statement,

‘I would like more training for responding to bullying.’” The respondents then recorded their score

on an interval scale ranging from 0% - 100%, where 0% was related to the Strongly Disagree, 50%

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

was related to Neither Agree nor Disagree, and 100% was related to Strongly Agree. The average

response for all teachers was 66%, meaning. The average teacher in this study agreed with the idea

that more training is needed in their school.

Anti-Bullying Policy

With respect to policy, the teachers were asked if their school has a formal anti-bullying

policy. Within the sample, 95% indicated their school did have an anti-bullying policy in place.

The teachers that responded “yes” were then asked to answer several questions regarding

familiarity, satisfaction, effectiveness, consistency, and involvement in the development of the

anti-bullying policy for their school. The respondents then recorded their score on an interval scale

ranging from 0-10, where 0 was related to the Not at all, 5 was related to Moderately, and 10 was

related to Very Familiar. Table 3, shown below, displays the average rating for each policy

question.

Table 3

Anti-Bullying Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy Question Average Rating

How familiar are you with the school's anti-bullying policy?
7.0

How satisfied are you with your school's anti-bullying policy?
7.0

How effective is your school's anti-bullying policy?
6.0

How consistent are you in enforcing your school's anti-bullying

policy?

8.5

How involved were you in developing your school's anti-bullying

policy?

2.5

Discussion

Bush (2011) discusses several studies about bullying that use physical aggression as the

main focus; however, this study includes physical, verbal, and relational aggression. Also, much

of the previous research on bullying focuses on the students’ perspectives. This study was solely

focused on teachers and their perspectives of bullying frequency and intensity. These are some of

the key factors that have helped to develop a clearer understanding of what teachers need and want

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

in order to minimize and eliminate bullying behavior. This study, while small in sample size, does

offer valuable insights into how middle school teachers identify bullying behavior and how

seriously they consider these behaviors to be in the school setting. Based on the results of this

study, there is clearly a great deal of bullying taking place in middle schools and teachers and

administrators should strongly consider how these behaviors can impact the social, emotional, and

intellectual development of middle school students.

Teacher Concerns

Teachers’ professional responsibilities run a wide gamut of activities, from instructor to

role model to cheerleader to drill sergeant. Due to this wide array of challenges, certain items were

included within the survey to provide an essential skeleton in which to base the larger results.

These specific items measured teachers’ perceptions of their responsibilities, observation of

behavior, whether they actually consider the behaviors to be classified as bullying, and lastly, these

items also provided some non-specific information about response training and anti-bullying

programs within the teachers’ school. Teachers in the U.S. are professionally responsible for

students’ achievements on standardized tests and this accountability directly impacts the teachers’

job security and pay (Bush, 2011). With new evaluation systems in place and teachers being

intensely critiqued based on their students’ test scores, teachers are more and more concerned with

what occurs academically in their classrooms. With this in mind, it is no surprise that one of the

top ranked concerns for this specific sample of teachers was student assessment and

curriculum/lesson plans. However, bullying was also a legitimate concern, as several respondents

added additional comments in the survey highlighting how distinguishing between childish

behaviors and bullying is an essential part of working with middle school kids. This goes to show

that bullying, while certainly a concern, continues to be difficult for teachers to routinely address

on top of all their professional responsibilities as classroom teachers.

Observation and Consideration of Behavior

There is still a substantial portion of undiscovered bullying in schools, making it hard to

gauge teachers’ perceptions about the amount of bullying behaviors in their school (Olweus, 1993).

In order to overcome this barrier, the teachers were asked if they had observed any aggressive

behavior within this academic year (2015-2016). As displayed in table 2, the majority of teachers

in this sample observed all of the descriptive behaviors used within the survey. Verbal bullying

was the most observed among the respondents; however, this is ironic because relational and verbal

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

aggressions are usually less visible than physical aggression (Liepe-Levinson, 2005). Generally

speaking, it is easier to catch sight of a student hitting, kicking, pushing, or shoving another

student, rather than a student spreading rumors or gossip about another student. Trevor Romain

(1997) discusses the idea that most bullies seem to operate undercover, which simply means that

bullies tend to only use aggressive behavior in small groups and usually not in the presence of an

adult or authority figure. This makes it difficult for teachers to be able to prevent or even intervene

in a bullying situation.

Another important aspect to consider is teachers’ consideration of bullying behavior.

Several respondents added comments at the end of the survey that provided a more detailed

description of their perceptions of bullying behavior within their school. One teacher stated, “Close

attention must be paid to whether a situation is recurring and also how both sets of students

perceive the behaviors.” Multiple other teachers commented with similar sentiments stating that it

is essential for teachers to distinguish between childish behavior and bullying. According to Bush

(2011, p. 118), “the challenge in distinguishing bullying behavior from non-bullying behavior adds

to its elusive nature.” This is not only a challenge for the teachers, but the students as well. One

respondent commented, “Often, I am having to teach students that repeatedly teasing, calling

someone names, or touching others can be considered an act of bullying.” Many times, students

may not be aware of their bullying tendencies, which one teacher noted in the comments section.

The respondent said, “Many times bullying students graduate and move on with their lives without

ever realizing they had bullying tendencies in school.” In many cases, adolescents use rough play,

or horseplay, and teasing as a function to determine friendships and even flirtatious relationships

(Bush, 2011).

The definition of bullying used for this study emphasizes the imbalance of power between

the bully and the victim. Due to the different types of bullying, this can be difficult to recognize.

With physical bullying the power refers to the bodily shape and size of the bully. In verbal and

relational bullying, power refers to emotional and mental fortitude. The key issue to remember is

there must be an imbalance of power, whatever kind of power that may be in each bullying

situation.

Bullying Response Training

As indicated by Rigby (2002), teachers feel a responsibility to prevent bullying within

educational environments, but on the other hand, they do not feel well equipped in appropriate and

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

effective ways to respond to bullying. Teachers also, for the most part, felt as though situations not

being handled appropriately would further exacerbate the conditions. A few teachers stated they

had not received any training at their school for responding to bullying within the last academic

year (2015-2016). However, there were several teachers who responded that they had received at

least one hour of training within this academic year (2015-2016). When asked if they would like

to receive more training in responding to bullying, the majority of teachers agreed.

Several teachers commented on inconsistency within bullying responses among teachers;

however, one similarity in response technique was to defer the situation to the guidance counselor.

Within the comments section, there were multiple answers, with no real consistency, which was

shown through the different response techniques chosen for each descriptive behavioral statement.

More often than not, the teachers would inform the school guidance counselor; some chose to do

this right away, and others would talk to the students first and then inform the guidance counselor.

Anti-Bullying Policy

According to Rigby (2002), teachers and other school personnel commonly believe that an

anti-bullying policy can help reduce any level of bullying. Majority of the teachers responded

“yes” when asked, “Does your school have an anti-bullying policy?” The significantly low number

of respondents who said “no” shows some inconsistencies within the school anti-bullying strategy.

The teachers that responded “no” may have been absent for the training, or there may not have

been any training at all. However, all teachers within a school need to be aware of and

knowledgeable in the school’s anti-bullying guidelines. This will not only help with structure for

responding to bullying, but will provide continuity pertaining to liability concerns as well.

Conclusion

Bullying is undoubtedly a highly difficult concept to evaluate; however, within this study

it was determined that anti-bullying programs are beneficial and would be helpful in reducing and

potentially, preventing bullying incidences. Bullying prevention programs are widely used in

middle schools throughout the United States and these programs can add consistency to a school

climate when responding to bullying. According to the National Middle School

Association/Association for Middle Level Educators (NMSA/AMLE, 2010, para. 17), a top

priority for all schools is to provide an environment that is “inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive

of all.” By implementing a bullying-specific policy, students, teachers, administrators, and even

parents can become involved in helping to intervene and prevent bullying within educational

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

environments. Furthermore, NMSA/AMLE (2010, para. 7) states, “Effective middle grades

educators make a conscious choice to work with young adolescents and advocate for them. They

understand the developmental uniqueness of this age group, the appropriate curriculum, effective

learning and assessment strategies, and their importance as models.” Due to middle grades

educators unique qualifications, it is imperative that the teachers and administrators work together

in creating an anti-bullying program to ensure the proper guidelines are implemented and everyone

is comfortable and familiar with the guidelines. Unfortunately, as the findings in this study

indicate, many teachers are not involved in the planning of anti-bullying programs, which could

contribute to a lack of understanding regarding expectations, responses, and importance of the

initiatives.

Teachers usually have little control over school discipline policies, but they do have a

significant amount of autonomy within their own classroom. In order to create a cohesive and

consistent anti-bullying program, teachers and administrators need to work together for the

betterment of their students and school. The NMSA/AMLE (2010) includes empowering students

as one of the essential attributes of an education for young adolescents. The NMSA/AMLE goes

on to state that “providing all students with the knowledge and skills they need to take

responsibility for their lives, to address life's challenges, to function successfully at all levels of

society, and to be creators of knowledge” are also important factors of empowering young

adolescents. In order to help students conquer bullying situations, no matter what part they play

(bully, victim, bystander, etc.), teachers, administrators, parents and students need to ban together

and create a network of support and encouragement. No child should ever have a fear of going to

school due to constant harassment and bullying. While some teachers and adults may write off

some of these situations as simply “part of growing up,” the severity, frequency, and consistency

of bullying behavior, both in person and online, can have a devastating impact on the lives of

middle school children. Educators and researchers should seriously consider the impact that

bullying has on students lives, both in the classroom and beyond, and systematically make a

conscious effort to address the problem proactively instead of reactively.

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

References

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Bradshaw, C. P., Waasdorp, T. E., O’Brennan, L. M., & Gulemetova, M. (2011). Findings from

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Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2008). The under-appreciated role of humiliation in the middle school. In

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Kert, A. S., Codding, R. S., Tyron, G. S., & Schyko, M. (2010). Impact of the word “bully” on

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Liepe-Levinson, K., & Levinson, M. H. (2005). A general semantics approach to school-age

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285(16), 2094-2100.

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National Middle School Association/Association for Middle Level Educators. (2010). This we

believe:

Essential attributes of successful schools. Retrieved from http://www.amle.org/About

AMLE/ ThisWeBelieve/The14Characteristics/tabid/1274/Default.aspx

Nishioka, V., Coe, M., Burke, A., Hanita, M., & Sprague, J. (2011). Student-reported overt and

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Novick, R. M., & Isaacs, J. (2010). Telling is compelling: The impact of students reports of

bullying on teacher intervention. Educational Psychology, 30(3), 283-296.

Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

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surveymonkey.com

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Wright, J. (2004). Preventing classroom bullying: What teachers can do. Retrieved from http://

www.interventioncentral.org

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______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Serious Serious

APPENDIX A

Thank you for agreeing to complete this survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated and will

undoubtedly provide useful information about issues that teachers face in schools. The survey is

divided up into six parts. Please read the directions for each part carefully. The survey will take

approximately 15 – 20 minutes to complete.

PART I: Teachers have multiple concerns related to their work. Listed below are some of these

concerns. Rank the following items from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates your highest concern and 5

indicates your lowest concern.

Classroom resources/materials __________

Student assessment __________

Bullying __________

Curriculum/lesson plans __________

Teacher observations/evaluations __________

PART II: There are varying perspectives about student conflict situations and how to respond

to them. Please read the definitional phrases provided below and answer the questions that

follow each of the phrases. To answer the questions, either place an “X” in the space to the left

of your answer choice or circle the percentage underneath the line provided.

1. A student hits, kicks, pushes, or shoves another student.

A. Have you seen this type of behavior occur this academic year? _____ Yes _____

B. Using the scale below, how seriously do you rate this behavior?

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Somewhat Very

at all Likely Likely

C. Using the scale below, how likely are you to respond to this type of behavior?

D. Based on your experience, how would you typically respond to this type of behavior?

Please choose only one answer.

_____ do not respond to this type of behavior

_____ discuss behavior with the student who hit, kicked, pushed, or shoved

_____ have students who are involved in the situation talk to one another

_____ discuss the situation with the entire class

_____ call the parents of the student who hit, kicked, pushed, or shoved the other

student

_____ send the student who hit, kicked, pushed, or shoved to detention

_____ send the student who hit, kicked, pushed, or shoved to the office

_____ other (please specify):

______________________________________________________

E. Do you consider this type of behavior bullying? _____ Yes _____ No

2. A student threatens another student with physical harm.

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Serious Serious

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Somewhat Very

at all Likely Likely

A. Have you seen this type of behavior occur this academic year? _____ Yes _____

B. Using the scale below, how seriously do you rate this behavior?

C. Using the scale below, how likely are you to respond to this type of behavior?

D. Based on your experience, how would you typically respond to this type of behavior?

Please choose only one answer.

_____ do not respond to this type of behavior

_____ discuss behavior with the student who threatened another student

_____ have students who are involved in the situation talk to one another

_____ discuss the situation with the entire class

_____ call the parents of the student who threatened another student

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Serious Serious

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Somewhat Very

at all Likely Likely

_____ send the student who threatened another student to detention

_____ send the student who threatened another student to the office

_____ other (please specify):

______________________________________________________

E. Do you consider this type of behavior bullying? _____ Yes _____ No

3. A student is being teased by another student.

A. Have you seen this type of behavior occur this academic year? _____ Yes _____

B. Using the scale below, how seriously do you rate this behavior?

C. Using the scale below, how likely are you to respond to this type of behavior?

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Serious Serious

D. Based on your experience, how would you typically respond to this type of behavior?

Please choose only one answer.

_____ do not respond to this type of behavior

_____ discuss behavior with the student who teased another student

_____ have students who are involved in the situation talk to one another

_____ discuss the situation with the entire class

_____ call the parents of the student who teased another student

_____ send the student who teased another student to detention

_____ send the student who teased another student to the office

_____ other (please specify):

______________________________________________________

E. Do you consider this type of behavior bullying? _____ Yes _____ No

4. A student is being called hurtful names.

A. Have you seen this type of behavior occur this academic year? _____ Yes _____

B. Using the scale below, how seriously do you rate this behavior?

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Somewhat Very

at all Likely Likely

C. Using the scale below, how likely are you to respond to this type of behavior?

D. Based on your experience, how would you typically respond to this type of behavior?

Please choose only one answer.

_____ do not respond to this type of behavior

_____ discuss behavior with the student who was name calling

_____ have students who are involved in the situation talk to one another

_____ discuss the situation with the entire class

_____ call the parents of the student who was name-calling

_____ send the student who was name-calling to detention

_____ send the student who was name-calling to the office

_____ other (please specify):

______________________________________________________

E. Do you consider this type of behavior bullying? _____ Yes _____ No

5. A student is deliberately being left out of a group of other students.

A. Have you seen this type of behavior occur this academic year? _____ Yes _____

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Serious Serious

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Somewhat Very

at all Likely Likely

B. Using the scale below, how seriously do you rate this behavior?

C. Using the scale below, how likely are you to respond to this type of behavior?

D. Based on your experience, how would you typically respond to this type of behavior?

Please choose only one answer.

_____ do not respond to this type of behavior

_____ discuss behavior with the students who were leaving others out

_____ have students who are involved in the situation talk to one another

_____ discuss the situation with the entire class

_____ call the parents of the students who were leaving others out

_____ send the students who were leaving others out to detention

_____ send the students who were leaving others out to the office

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Serious Serious

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Somewhat Very

at all Likely Likely

_____ other (please specify):

____________________________________________________

E. Do you consider this type of behavior bullying? _____ Yes _____ No

6. A student is having rumors or gossip spread about him or her.

A. Have you seen this type of behavior occur this academic year? _____ Yes _____

B. Using the scale below, how seriously do you rate this behavior?

C. Using the scale below, how likely are you to respond to this type of behavior?

D. Based on your experience, how would you typically respond to this type of behavior?

Please choose only one answer.

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

_____ do not respond to this type of behavior

_____ discuss behavior with the students who were spreading rumors or gossip

_____ have students who are involved in the situation talk to one another

_____ discuss the situation with the entire class

_____ call the parents of the students who were spreading rumors or gossip

_____ send the students who were spreading rumors or gossip out to detention

_____ send the students who were spreading rumors or gossip to the office

_____ other (please specify):

______________________________________________________

E. Do you consider this type of behavior bullying? _____ Yes _____ No

For parts III, IV, and V, please read the following definition for bullying and answer the

questions in each section according to the definition provided.

-A student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed repeatedly

and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students.

-Negative actions are defined as when someone intentionally inflicts,

or attempts to inflict, injury or discomfort upon another.

PART III: Please answer the questions below by either placing an “X” in one of the blanks

provided, writing your answer in the blank provided, or by circling the number that corresponds

to how strongly you agree or disagree with the given statement.

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Neither agree Strongly

Disagree nor disagree Agree

1. Have you received any training for responding to bullying since being hired at your school?

_____ Yes _____ No

If you answered Yes to the question above, then please answer question 1A.below. If you

answered No, then please move ahead to Question 2 and continue the survey.

A. In the last academic year, how many hours have you spent being trained at your school

for responding to bullying? _____ hours

2. Using the scale below, respond to the following statement, “I would like more training for

responding to bullying.”

PART IV: Please answer the questions below by either placing an “X” in one of the blanks

provided or by circling the number that corresponds to how strongly you agree or disagree with

the given statement.

1. Does your school have a formal anti-bullying policy? _____ Yes _____ No

If you answered Yes to the question above, then please answer the questions below. If you

answered No, then please move ahead to Part V and continue the survey.

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Familiar Familiar

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Satisfied Satisfied

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Effective Effective

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Consistent Consistent

A. Using the scale below, how familiar are you with the school’s anti-bullying policy?

B. Using the scale below, how satisfied are you with your school’s anti-bullying policy?

C. Using the scale below, how effective is your school’s anti-bullying policy?

D. Using the scale below, how consistent are you in enforcing your school’s anti-bullying

policy?

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Moderately Very

at all Involved Involved

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Neither agree Strongly

Disagree nor disagree Agree

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Neither agree Strongly

Disagree nor disagree Agree

E. Using the scale below, how involved were you in developing your school’s anti-bullying

policy?

PART V: Please answer the questions below by circling the number that corresponds to how

strongly you agree or disagree with the given statement.

1. When responding to bullying, other teachers support my response.

2. When responding to bullying, the principal/vice-principal supports my response.

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Neither agree Strongly

Disagree nor disagree Agree

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Neither agree Strongly

Disagree nor disagree Agree

______________________________________________________________________________

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Neither agree Strongly

Disagree nor disagree Agree

3. When responding to bullying, the school board/school district supports my response.

4. When responding to bullying, students support my response.

5. When responding to bullying, parents support my response.

Stewart WATERS & Natalie MASHBURN

PART VI: Personal and Professional Characteristics

Please answer the following questions about your personal and professional characteristics

either by writing your response on the line provided or by placing an “X” on the appropriate line

provided.

1. What is your current age? _____ years old

2. What is your gender? _____ Male _____ Female

3. What race/ethnicity do you most identify with?

_____ Asian/Pacific Islander

_____ African American

_____ Hispanic/Latino

_____ Native American

_____ Caucasian (White)

_____ Other (please specify)

__________________________________________________

4. What subject do you teach?

_____ Language Arts

_____ Mathematics

_____ Reading

_____ Related Arts

_____ Science

_____ Social Studies

5. What grade(s) do you currently teach? ____________________ grade (s)

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2017: 8(1), 1-34

6. How many consecutive years have you been teaching? ____________________ years

THANK YOU for taking the time to complete this survey. Your assistance in providing

this information is very much appreciated. If there is anything else you would like to say about

this survey or bullying, please do so in the space provided below.