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ABSTRACT
With the growing recognition of the serious problem of bullying in schools, attention is drawn to the gap between what is known through research about school-based bullying and what is being applied in schools. This article seeks to identify areas in which the beliefs of teachers about school bullying agree with, or diverge from, what has been claimed through research. To do so, a 40-item assessment questionnaire was devised based on a selection of published research findings and administered online to Australian teachers (N = 451). Results indicate substantial consensus (over 75% considered “correct”) among teachers on answers to just over half the questions; on other questions, however, there were marked divisions, with many teachers endorsing beliefs that were at variance with claims made in research. Differences in overall knowledge of bullying were found to be significantly related to the sources of information being accessed. Implications for further research and teacher education are discussed.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments are due to Mr. Greg Cox, with whom the study was planned, and to Mr. Alex Stretton, who assisted in managing the data obtained online from the participating schools.
Funding
The research described in this study was part of a study funded by the Australian Department of Education and Training, Canberra, Australia, and undertaken under the aegis of the School of Education at the University of South Australia,
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ken Rigby
Dr. Ken Rigby is an adjunct professor of social psychology in the School of Education and the Hawke Research Institute. His research interest is in bullying in schools. He is the author of several books and numerous articles in this field.