Observations of Bullying in the Playground and in the Classroom

The present study employed naturalistic observations to compare bullying and victimization in the playground and in the classroom. The results indicated that there were more opportunities to observe aggression and receive and initiate aggression in the playground than in the classroom. The frequency...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:School psychology international 2000-02, Vol.21 (1), p.22-36
Main Authors: Craig, Wendy M., Pepler, Debra, Atlas, Rona
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggression
Bullying
Canada
Characteristics
Children
Classroom Environment
Classrooms
Comparison
Elementary Education
Elementary School Students
Elementary schools
Foreign Countries
Naturalistic Observation
Playgrounds
Student Behavior
Student Characteristics
Victimization
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Summary:The present study employed naturalistic observations to compare bullying and victimization in the playground and in the classroom. The results indicated that there were more opportunities to observe aggression and receive and initiate aggression in the playground than in the classroom. The frequency of bullying was higher in the playground (4.5 episodes per hour) than in the classroom (2.4 episodes per hour). The nature of bullying reflected the constraints of the context (i.e. direct bullying was more prevalent in the playground and indirect bullying was more prevalent in the classroom). Being at the receiving end of aggression was more likely to occur in the playground as compared to the classroom. Nonaggressive children were more likely to bully in the playground, whereas aggressive children were more likely to bully in the classroom. There was no difference across context in the proportion of episodes of reinforcement with peers present or in the rate of peer and teacher intervention. The results highlight the necessity of a systemic intervention programme that addresses not only the individual characteristics of bullies and victims, but also the roles of the peer group, teachers and the school.
ISSN:0143-0343
1461-7374
DOI:10.1177/0143034300211002