Sexual Harassment and Bullying Behaviors in Sixth-Graders

ABSTRACT

Sexual harassment is widely viewed as a form of bullying, but has received little attention in studies of middle school students. A survey of 109 6th grade students found that 29% of students reported at least one sexual harassment experience in the past 30 days, with 11% reporting harassment once per week or more. Although boys and girls reported similar rates of harassment, there were important gender differences-boys were more likely than girls to try to ignore sexual harassment, but girls were more likely to tell someone about their experience and to tell the perpetrator to stop. There was high concordance between sexual harassment and bullying for both boys and girls. These findings indicate the need to recognize the role of sexual harassment in bullying in middle school.     

Developing a University-Wide Institutional Response to Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence

SUMMARY

Students may be predisposed to benefit from mandatory service-learning programs based on their gender and upon whether their parents serve as models of helping. The role of each of these variables was examined in a survey of seventh grade students (n = 86) who were required to complete service during the school year. Results demonstrated that girls felt more positively about the specific program and were more likely to intend to help in the future than boys. Students with parental helping models were also more likely to intend to help in the future. Girls with parental models were more likely to have altruistic self-images than girls without parental models whereas the presence of parental helping models had no effect on boys' altruistic self-image. These results are discussed with regard to socialization of prosocial behavior in both boys and girls.     

Controlling Crime and Delinquency in the Schools

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of data on school security measures which were obtained from a survey administered to a sample of 230 high school students. The majority of students indicated that the school police officers and security officers help keep the schools safe and that the drug-sniffing dogs help reduce drugs in the schools, but there was no clear consensus among the students on the issues of whether the video surveillance cameras increase safety, whether the police and security officers should search students with metal detectors, or whether there should be more police and security officers in the schools. The only security measure which the majority of students disliked was the policy that all backpacks be translucent. An examination of gender differences in student perceptions of school security measures shows that males were significantly more likely than females to negatively evaluate the school police officers and to oppose the use of metal detectors in the schools. Finally, the data indicate that the aforementioned security strategies have little impact on the presence of drugs and weapons in the schools. The policy implications are discussed.     

Afrocultural Integrity and the Social Development of African-American Children

SUMMARY

In this paper the role of culture in the social development of African-American youth was explored, and an Afrocultural social ethos was advanced as a concept for investigating the social functioning. Study 1 found no significant gender differences on the social ethos variable in third and sixth graders (47 boys, 43 girls) ratings of self, family or friends. However, boys reported more delinquent behaviors than did girls, and friend's social ethos was predictive of fewer aggressive and delinquent behaviors. Although no significant gender differences on social ethos emerged among the sixth and seventh graders (54 boys, 47 girls) in Study 2, family ethos was predictive of empathic concern while the ethos of friends predicted greater perspective taking. Gender was the only significant predictor of peer-rated helping behavior, with girls judged to demonstrate such behaviors more than boys. Discussion focused on directions for basic and applied research, with an emphasis on African-American men and the importance of mobilizing indigenous community resources.     

社会性别公平促进决策支持系统研究——在生殖健康/计划生育优质服务领域的探索

本研究以西安交通大学人口与发展研究所开发的社会性别公平促进工具箱为基础,设计并初步实现了适用于中国县区级的生殖健康/计划生育优质服务领域的社会性别公平促进决策支持系统。该系统针对中国县区促进社会性别主流化的需求,将社会性别理念定量化、操作化、模型化、信息化,为县区级政府开展社会性别公平促进提供可供选择的决策咨询,促进决策科学化。     

"非典"心理意义的性别比较

本研究采用联想组合分析法,比较了“非典”一词在“非典”期间对男女大学生的心理意义,受试为京、沪、穗、港、台520名大学生。结果发现,男性的非典视角以“病”为中心,重“硬”信息,重群体控制和治疗;女性的非典视角以“人”为中心,重“软”信息,重个人预防。在主观反应中,男性的负面情绪联想高于女性;女性的负面判断联想高于男性。这些结果与以往应激反应中“脆弱性”的性别差异研究有所不同,可从社会性别视角加以解释。     

The interplay between bystanders’ intervention styles: An examination of the “bullying circle” approach

This study explores correlations between bystanders’ intervention styles by means of the bullying circle model. Three aims were examined in this study. First, we reevaluated the number and type of bystander intervention styles in aggressive school incidents. Second, we examined the association between reports of relational aggression and victimization and bystander intervention styles. Third, we estimated relationships between the different bystander intervention styles, by examining two directional paths. Participants were 1,518 adolescents (61.9% boys, 38.1% girls) from 15 Israeli religious and secular middle and high schools. The data analysis indicated two new intervention styles: help-seeker and passive bystander. Two structural models, illustrating the path leading to and from provictim and antivictim bystander intervention styles are presented. The distinction between the “participant-role approach” and the bullying circle is discussed in order to address the theoretical difference between social categorization of fixed bystander roles as opposed to rating bystander intervention styles on a continuum.     

Evaluation of a Program Designed to Reduce Relational Aggression in Middle School Girls

Abstract

Physical and verbal aggression is an increasing problem inboth middle and high schools across the United States. While physical forms of aggression are targeted in traditional “bullying” programs, relational aggression (RA), or the use of relationships to hurt another, is often not detected or addressed. For girls in the stage of identity formation, RA can impact negatively on self-concept, peer relationships, school performance, and mental and physical health. An innovative program designed specifically to help middle school girls confront and cope with issues related to RA was developed, implemented, and evaluated in two school systems. Attitudes and self-reported behaviors were measured before and after the program. Results show an improvement in relationship skills after participation in the program. Most noticeable improvements were in a girl's stated willingness to become involved when witnessing another girl being hurt and girls benefiting from the mentoring they received from high school juniors and seniors.     

干得好不如嫁得好?--关于当代中国女大学生社会性别观的若干思考

面对当今中国数以千万计的女性仍然无法完成基础教育的现状,许多女大学生们是自豪地满怀对未来的美好憧憬跨入大学校门的。然而,近年来,在大学女生中间,“学得好不如嫁得好”的说法却不胫而走。本文通过整理、比较、解读以女大学生为主体进行调查的系列数据,希望透过经济发展的繁荣表象,去认知与时俱进的健康的社会性别观建构对于当代中国社会全面发展的迫切必要性。     

生命健康领域性别平等与妇女发展指标研究与应用

本文对生命健康领域的生命安全、保健服务和疾病威胁等方面的重点指标进行性别分析,并选取其中一些可操作的指标对生命健康领域性别平等与妇女发展状况进行评估。结果既显示了中国在健康水平和保健服务公平性方面取得的进展,也发现了其中值得关注的问题。     

The Tennis Ball Bomb Incident or the Safety Plan as “Shelf Document”

Abstract

This article presents a case study of a single incident involving a high school student who brought a “tennis ball” bomb to school. Although the district had recently created a safety plan, with a specific protocol for the discovery of a bomb in the building, the principal and the crises team ignored it. The principal did not refer to the safety plan because the incident did not take on the dimensions of a crisis until relatively late in its course. The crisis response team did not use the safety plan because they felt that they already knew from experience how best to deal with the situation. Both felt a lack of ownership in the safety plan because they had not been involved in drafting it. The article examines these and other problems of safety plan implementation and suggests remedies.     

Gendered Pathways to Bullying Perpetration via Social Achievement Goals – Mediating Effects of Sense of Belonging and Non-inclusive Group Norms

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the gender-specific effects of social achievement goals – i.e., social development goals, social demonstration approach goals, and social demonstration avoid goals – on bullying perpetration in a sample of 788 adolescents (53.3% girls), taking into account the mediating role of sense of belonging and non-inclusive group norms. Two-group structural equation modeling results indicated that social demonstration approach goals positively predicted bullying perpetration for both genders. For girls, higher social development goals and for boys, higher social avoidance goals decreased bullying perpetration. Gender-specific effects of belonging and non-inclusive group norms on bullying perpetration occurred. For boys, non-inclusive group norms mediated the relation between all social achievement goals and bullying perpetration. Implications for future research and (gender-sensitive) bullying interventions are discussed.     

Aggressive,Delinquent, and Violent Outcomes of School Bullying: Do Family and Individual Factors Have a Protective Function?

Bullying perpetration at school is a long-term predictor of aggression, delinquency, and violence. Most research concentrates on risk factors for such developments, whereas protective factors have been rarely addressed. Therefore, the present study investigates potentially protective effects of family and child characteristics in a prospective longitudinal design. The sample contained 519 youngsters (253 boys and 266 girls) from the Erlangen-Nuremberg Development and Prevention Study. Bullying perpetration was measured at age 9.0 years, mothers’ and children's reports on family and individual characteristics were collected at age 10.6, and outcomes in self-reported aggressive/violent offending and mother-reported aggressive and delinquent behavior were collected at age 13.7. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed main effects and interactions. The latter suggest buffering protective effects of consistent discipline in parenting and children's intelligence, positive attitude to school, prosocial behavior skills, low hyperactivity/inattention, and an anxious/depressive mood. The findings varied across the two outcome measures and with regard to gender. Implications for further research and prevention practice are discussed.     

论艾滋病预防和控制中的性别歧视——以异性性交往传播的防控为例

艾滋病蔓延已成为中国大陆的一大社会问题。为此,政府采取了一系列的措施,努力进行预防和控制,并取得了显著的成效。但从社会性别视角看,艾滋病的预防和控制中也存在着种种性别歧视,尤其在异性性交往传播的防控方面更为突出。因此,应从性别公正和性别平等出发改善有关艾滋病预防和控制的法律、政策和国家行动,进一步提高艾滋病预防和控制工作的成效。     

Using Office Referral Records in School Violence Research

SUMMARY

Perhaps the most “naturally occurring” data on school misbehavior and aggression are school discipline data, including office referrals, suspensions, and expulsion data. These data constitute the most common markers of school discipline status available on school campuses. There is, however, very little information available in professional or research literature about the reliability and validity of office referrals. This article examines the sources of error that enter into the collection and use of office referrals. Despite these sources of errors, this article documents the importance of considering how office referral data provide information about how discipline systems are functioning on a school campus. Guidelines are provided for utilizing disciplinary data for school safety and school policy planning.     

An Examination of School Violence and Safety in South Florida Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study examined conditions of safety and violence in South Florida elementary schools. Although conditions were generally considered safe in these schools, approximately one-half of the elementary school students in the study did express some concerns about their safety, especially in school bathrooms and the area outside of their school building. Students who do not have positive relationships with other students at school and do not feel safe in their community generally feel less safe at school. In addition, students who are experiencing academic difficulty in school and do not expect to attain an education beyond high school feel less safe at school. In this study, those students who felt less safe also tended to be male and from lower SES back grounds.     

中国农村留守女童状况研究

目前,农村留守儿童问题已经引起了政府和社会的高度关注,但农村留守女童作为一个更加需要关注的群体,却始终没有得到足够的重视,与农村留守女童有关的各项基础信息也十分缺乏。本文利用2005年全国1%人口抽样调查数据估算了全国农村留守女童的规模、结构、地域分布等基本情况,重点阐述了农村留守女童的受教育状况、照料状况和大龄留守女童的就业状况等热点问题。本文还从性别视角出发,分别比较了留守男童和女童的各项指标。     

Same- and Cross-Gender Sexual Harassment Victimization in Middle School: A Developmental-Contextual Perspective

Using a developmental-contextual framework, the present study investigated risk factors for same- and cross-gender sexual harassment victimization in 986 middle school students. Participants completed questionnaires in the fall and spring of the same school year so risk factors could be explored longitudinally. Results revealed that gender differences existed for same- and cross-gender forms of harassment. While girls reported more instances of receiving same- and cross-gender unwanted sexual attention, boys were more likely to report being victims of same-gender gender harassment. Important differences in risk factors also existed. Being bullied in the fall and feeling disconnected from school were risk factors for same-gender victimization but not for cross-gender victimization. Romantic relationship status, which was a significant risk factor for both same- and cross-gender victimization, was qualified by significant gender interactions. Results are explained through a developmental-contextual lens and implications for intervention are discussed.     

Sociodemographic variations in the linkage between emotion regulation and peer victimization

Sociodemographic variables may have important implications for understanding the role of global and discrete-level emotion regulation ability in the prediction of elementary school children’s peer victimization. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 109 elementary school children from economically and racially diverse backgrounds. There was a positive relation between sadness regulation and overt victimization for children in early elementary grades, but not for children in later grades. In addition, there was a positive relation between sadness regulation and relational victimization for boys and a negative association between the two variables for girls. Girls were rated higher than boys on global emotion regulation ability. In addition, economically disadvantaged children reported more relational victimization than their more affluent peers. Affluent children also received higher ratings on global emotion regulation as well as sadness regulation. Anger regulation was also positively associated with overt victimization.