Race, Bullying, and Public Perceptions of School and University Safety

Abstract

Bullying and school crime are important social problems that are receiving increased attention by scholars and policy makers. However, several critical questions remain unaddressed. First, does the public perceive bullying as a serious problem and judge schools-primary, secondary, and postsecondary-as safe or unsafe? Second, does the public use a "bullying lens" to judge school safety-that is, do citizens understand bullying as a serious threat to students' well-being? Third, are there racial differences in these perceptions? Prior research identifies racial differences in the prevalence of bullying, as well as in students' views of school safety and citizens' fear of crime. Similar racial gaps may characterize public perceptions of bullying and school safety. This study begins to illuminate answers to these questions by analyzing data from a representative sample of Virginians. Multivariate regression analyses produce several notable findings. First, we find that members of the public believe bullying in schools is an increasingly serious problem, and their perceptions of bullying influence their judgments of whether schools and colleges/universities are safe. Second, Black members of the public are more likely than persons from other racial and ethnic backgrounds to perceive that bullying is increasing and is a serious problem in schools, and, in turn, to judge that schools and universities are less safe. Our results indicate that members of the public see bullying as a principal threat to student safety. They suggest there is a strong reservoir of public support for antibullying initiatives and, more broadly, efforts to increase student safety.

Harassment and Bullying among Students in Higher Education Institutions: Manifestation of Single Cases of Harassment and Bullying in Aspects of Demographic Variables

“…Bullying is a strong source of stress (Hoel, Zapf and Cooper, 2002) and very negatively affects victim's physical and mental health, it is related to induced depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness and hopelessness, which might lead to suicide attempts (Hong, Kral and Sterzing, 2014). Harassment and bullying also negatively affect study process, and influence a decision to choose one or another university, taking into account public responses -it is determined that selections of future students depend on how an education institution guaranties safety (Shelley et al, 2017).…”

Early work-environmental indicators of bullying in an academic setting: a longitudinal study of staff in a medical university

“…As this study and others show, bullying is a serious workplace issue in academic settings (Shelley et al 2017) and there is an urgent need to manage the problem at an organizational level (Hauge, Skogstad, and Einarsen 2010). It is an ethical and moral obligation of managers and supervisors to protect employees from an unfriendly environment (Pheko 2018).…”

Racial discrimination and ethnic racial identity in adolescence as modulators of HPA axis activity

“…Examining racial discrimination according to the dimensions of adversity outlined by McLaughlin et al (2014), we argue that for individuals of color, racial discrimination contains moderate to high levels of threat. For example, physical threats associated with racial discrimination for individuals of color involve increased rates of police-related violence resulting in injury or death and, for adolescents, perceived lack of safety both at school and while traveling between home and school (Lacoe, 2015; Shelley et al, 2017). Racial discrimination can also result in moderate levels of deprivation, including reduced access to resources such as high-quality neighborhoods, housing, and educational and job opportunities (Pager et al, 2009; Pager & Shepherd, 2008) that can contribute to lower socioeconomic conditions for people of color.…”