Influences of Teachers, Students and School Climate on Bullying Victimization: Evidence from China

Abstract

Given the common occurrence of school bullying incidents and high prevalence rates of victimization in China, this study aims to explore the association between multiple school-related predictors and Chinese adolescents’ overall experiences with bullying victimization. Guided by the social-ecological framework for violence prevention, this study integrated different factors involving teachers, students, and school climate into one single research to detect the bullying problem more systematically and holistically. Further, the study applied the data from the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment while utilizing binary logistic regression analyses to perceive anti-bullying variables and their relationships with bullying victimization. The study revealed that teachers’ emotional, instrumental, and informational support other than appraisal support were negatively associated with students’ experiences of being bullied and victimized. The research also indicated that students’ sense of belonging, a cooperative school environment, and classroom disciplinary climate played a buffering role in bullying victimization while competition in school settings adversely increased overall bullying exposure. The results have highlighted the integration of various predictors in influencing multiple social relations and school environments to battle against in-person bullying. The results also have implications for stopping cyberbullying to achieve inclusive school education for all in the post-COVID-19 era.