Early Adolescent Peer Ecologies in Rural Communities: Bullying in Schools That Do and Do not Have a Transition During the Middle Grades

Abstract

The transition to middle school is considered to be a heightened period for involvement in bullying because the lack of a defined dominance hierarchy is thought to promote jockeying for social positions among students. Accordingly, this study examined bullying in peer ecologies at the beginning of the middle grade years in rural schools that did and did not have a transition to middle school. Thirty-six schools (20 with transitions, 16 without transitions) participated in this research with a sample of 1,800 participants (52% female) who were in sixth grade during the second year of data collection. Overall, 67% were White, 19% African American, 7% Latino, 2% Native American, and 5% other (multi-racial, Asian, unknown). Compared to schools without a transition, schools with a transition had fewer bullies following the move from fifth to sixth grade and the social dynamics in schools with a transition appeared to be less supportive of bullying. Further, students in schools with a transition reported being bullied less frequently in sixth grade and they perceived the sixth grade peer ecology as being more protective against bullying than did students in schools without a transition. In addition, proportionally more youth had controversial sociometric status in schools without a transition during sixth grade than in schools with a transition. Collectively, these findings suggest that risk for involvement in bullying may be elevated in schools that do not have a transition to middle school. They also bring into question the conventional view of the small K-8 or K-12 rural school as a peaceful and supportive peer community.

Classroom‐ and School‐Level Contributions to Bullying and Victimization: A Review

“…Along similar lines, Farmer, Hamm, Leung, Lambert, and Gravelle () showed that the risk of bullying involvement may be elevated where there is no transition from one school to another as children move from elementary to middle school grades: Compared with students in schools with a transition, students in schools without one were more likely to bully and be bullied and perceived the peer ecology as less protective against bullying, after entering the middle school grades. The authors suggested that breaking up existing dominance structures in adolescent peer groups might buffer against bullying.…”

“…In fact, some studies suggest the opposite (Dulmus, Theriot, Sowers, & Blackburn, ; Klein & Cornell, ). It has been suggested that in rural schools—many of which are small and do not have a transition, which may result in a rather static social community and consolidation of social reputations—bullying may be a byproduct of students' efforts to maintain the existing dominance structure (Farmer et al, ).…”

Transition Between Primary and Secondary School: Why it is Important and How it can be Supported

“…Students in schools with formal transition programs are less frequently bullied in the move from 5th to 6th grade as the social dynamics are less supportive of bullying than schools without transition programs. The risk of involvement in bullying is higher in schools that do not have a transition to middle school, which questions the conventional view of K-8 or K-12 rural schools as peaceful and supportive peer communities (Farmer, Hamm, Leung, Lambert & Gravelle, 2011).…”

Improving the School Context of Early Adolescence Through Teacher Attunement to Victimization

“…By being attuned to the social dynamics of their students, teachers are in a better position to structure their classrooms in ways that reduce conflict among youth, promote engagement of all students, and create opportunities for victimized students to gain status among their peers (Farmer et al, 2011; Rodkin & Hodges, 2003). Attunement to victimization may help teachers anticipate and prevent or intervene in bullying situations; in turn, by modeling effective strategies for intervening in bullying, students may feel more confident that they themselves can effectively come to the aid of their victimized peers.…”