Citation

Green VA, Johnston M, Mattioni L, Prior T, Harcourt S, Lynch T. Int. J. Sch. Educ. Psychol. 2017; 5(2): 100-114.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/21683603.2016.1194240

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study investigates responsibility for addressing cyberbullying and the extent to which specific training is needed. A total of 888 school staff completed an anonymous online survey and included two groups: (a) teachers, including heads of departments, and (b) principals, deputy principals, and deans (i.e., school managers). The majority viewed cyberbullying as less of a problem than other forms of bullying and suggested that it occurred mainly with girls. School managers were more likely than teachers to see 11-14-year-olds as being primarily responsible. A principal-components analysis revealed two subscales (Student Experiences and Teacher Responsibility). Respondents held high levels of concern for those involved in cyberbullying and less than 2% endorsed a normative or dismissive view. Teachers were likely to agree they should do more to prevent cyberbullying, while senior managers were more likely to agree that teachers were responsible for dealing with cyberbullying outside of school. Fewer than 50% had attended antibullying training. Those who endorsed the need for training were more likely to believe teachers were responsible for dealing with cyberbullying. The study highlights the importance of focusing on the attitudes of all school staff in order for the successful implementation and maintenance of whole school prevention and intervention programs.

Language: en

Keywords

cyberbullying; cybervictimization; principals; teacher attitudes; teacher beliefs