Supporting the Chronically Bullied Child: A Competency-Based Framework for Elementary School Teachers

ABSTRACT

Described is an effort to develop and gather feedback on a competency-based framework designed to assist elementary school teachers in their support of children who are chronically bullied. Drawing from extant research, we identified 25 potential competencies to construct a guiding framework organized by knowledge, attitudes, and skills. In Study 1, we gathered feedback on the clarity, comprehensiveness, and usability of the framework from focus groups of elementary school teachers (N = 26). In Study 2, we gathered feedback from subject-matter experts who study school bullying (N = 14) to assess the degree to which identified competencies reflected the current state of the science. Both teachers and experts viewed the framework positively and agreed it offers a potentially useful guide for practicing teachers. Feedback was also used to refine the competency framework. Discussed are the potential implications this framework has for school staff seeking to support persistently bullied children.

KEYWORDS:

• Peer victimization
• school bullying
• children
• teachers
• competencies
• training

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Marie Wilson Howells Endowment in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of Arkansas. The authors wish to acknowledge Ally Birkett Wagner for her assistance in the data collection of this project. We thank the Springdale School District and its staff for their cooperation and participation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Marie Wilson Howells Endowment.

Notes on contributors

Samantha Gregus

Samantha Gregus, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Wichita State University in the Community-Clinical Ph.D. program. She received her doctorate from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating school-based interventions for children experiencing peer victimization. In addition, Dr. Gregus studies how teacher attitudes and responses to bullying influence children’s peer victimization experiences. Orcid Id: 0000-0001-8225-9646

Sarah L. Smith

Sarah L. Smith, M.A., is a graduate student in the Community-Clinical Ph.D. program at Wichita State University. Her research interests are related to developing and evaluating interventions for at-risk youth. In particular, she is interested in how supportive adult mentors can help mitigate risk for previously institutionalized youth re-integrating into their communities. Orcid Id: 0000-0003-3748-2528

Timothy A. Cavell

Timothy A. Cavell, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Arkansas. His research focuses on the role of parents, teachers, and mentors in selective interventions for children who are highly aggressive or chronically bullied. He also examines school-based strategies to support military-connected students. He has published three books (Working with Parents of Aggressive Children: A Practitioner’s Guide, Anger, Aggression, and Interventions for Interpersonal Violence, and Good Enough Parenting). Dr. Cavell is a former Chair of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology Programs. He is a member of APA’s Board of Educational Affairs. Orcid Id: 0000-0001-5576-1622