School climate, peer victimization, and academic achievement: Results from a multi-informant study.

Abstract

School-level school climate was examined in relation to self-reported peer victimization and teacher-rated academic achievement (grade point average; GPA). Participants included a sample of 1,023 fifth-grade children nested within 50 schools. Associations between peer victimization, school climate, and GPA were examined using multilevel modeling, with school climate as a contextual variable. Boys and girls reported no differences in victimization by their peers, although boys had lower GPAs than girls. Peer victimization was related to lower GPA and to a poorer perception of school climate (individual-level), which was also associated with lower GPA. Results of multilevel analyses revealed that peer victimization was again negatively associated with GPA, and that lower school-level climate was associated with lower GPA. Although no moderating effects of school-level school climate or sex were observed, the relation between peer victimization and GPA remained significant after taking into account (a) school-level climate scores, (b) individual variability in school-climate scores, and (c) several covariates--ethnicity, absenteeism, household income, parental education, percentage of minority students, type of school, and bullying perpetration. These findings underscore the importance of a positive school climate for academic success and viewing school climate as a fundamental collective school outcome. Results also speak to the importance of viewing peer victimization as being harmfully linked to students' academic performance.

“Am I at risk of cyberbullying”? A narrative review and conceptual framework for research on risk of cyberbullying and cybervictimization: The risk and needs assessment approach

“…As the Kowalski et al (2014) review highlights, youngsters' perception of school climate is a risk factor for cyber victimization, that is, a perceived negative school climate is associated with cyber victimization. This result is supported by Wang et al (2014) in a study of 1023, 5 grade American students, who found a relationship between cyber victimization and a negative school climate. School safety: Kowalski et al (2014) found that cyber victimization is related to a low perception.…”

“…Similarly, Wang et al (2014) in their study with 1.023 5 th grade students and in the review of 25 studies conducted by Tokunaga (2010) it was found that cybervictimization is associated with students' low academic achievement. This risk factor can be considered dynamic, since can change over time.…”

Parent, Child, and Teacher Reports of School Climate as Predictors of Peer Victimization, Internalizing and Externalizing in Elementary School

“…There is a need to expand this ecological view of school climate to clarify targets for improving the safety of our schools (Manvell, 2012) and the impact of positive school climate on child outcomes. Consistent with a growing body of research (Espelage et al, 2014;Leadbeater et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2014), our findings suggest that working to improve school relationships between students and teacher and students themselves, and to enhance students' experiences of fairness and equity in sharing resources may be key to improving children's social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Active responses on the part of school staff that support victimized children and their families are crucial to stop the escalating negative school climate perceptions that can preoccupy withdrawn children who may feel marginalized from school activities.…”

Adaptación transcultural y validación del contenido del Delaware School Climate Survey-Student (DSCS-S) en Brasil

“…climate is seen in research showing that poor school climate is associated with low academic performance (Brand et al, 2003, Wang et al, 2014, school avoidance (Brand et al, 2003;Welsh, 2000), youth delinquency (Welsh, 2000), substance abuse (Brand et al, 2003), victimization (Welsh, 2000, depression and low self-esteem (Brand et al, 2003;Way, Reddy, & Rhodes, 2007, Gendron, Williams, & Guerra, 2011, bullying (Nansel et al, 2001, Gendron et al, 2011, Wang et al, 2014, and greater behavior problems and risk behaviors in general (Bear, Gaskins, Blank, & Chen, 2011;Hopson & Lee, 2011;Klein et al, 2012).…”