Citation

Flaspohler PD, Elfstrom JL, Vanderzee KL, Sink HE, Birchmeier Z. Psychol. Sch. 2009; 46(7): 636-649.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/pits.20404

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Bullying is one of the most common forms of school violence. Engagement in bullying has been shown to have adverse effects on perpetrators and victims of bullying. In this study, the impact of bullying on well-being (quality of life/life satisfaction) was explored in a sample of elementary and middle school children (N = 4,331). Results suggest that students who bully and/or are bullied experience reduced life satisfaction and support from peers and teachers compared to “bystanders” (children who are neither victims nor perpetrators of bullying). Mediational analyses demonstrate that peer and teacher support might mitigate the impact of bullying on the quality of life of victims. This study underscores the value of efforts to promote social support from peers and teachers in both universal bullying prevention programs and school climate initiatives. Furthermore, results support further investigation into the possible contributions of bystanders in supporting school-wide bullying prevention/school climate strategies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.