The Link Between Bullying and Class Climate

Abstract

News reports of school violence or bullying are a daily occurrence. As in numerous other countries, Hungary has been struggling with this problem for decades. However, while international research on school harassment has been carried out since the 1970s, surveys have only been conducted in Hungary since 2003. The results of domestic studies (Buda, 2009; Figula, 2004) indicate that approximately 14-15% of children are victims of school bullying in Hungary; i.e. in a class of 20 about 3 children per day must face some sort of attack or insult. The consequences of harassment suffered could be severe; for example, it may affect personality development and life beyond school. For those who experience chronic harassment, this effect is even more noteworthy. School bullying can be restrained most effectively through cooperation between teacher and school psychologist because, while the form master is most familiar with her or his own pupils, it is the psychologist who possesses the tools and techniques that can aid in screening victims of bullying and mitigate the negative consequences. This study investigates the frequency of school bullying among schoolchildren in Years 6, 7, and 8 and changes in class climate based on ratings by pupils with different participation roles in the bullying situation. In this paper, we introduce the phenomenon of school bullying, types, roles (victim, bully, bully-victim, bystander), and prevalence. Beyond the possible consequences of bullying and potential solutions, we discuss the class climate which may have an impact on bullying levels in school. Finally, we discuss our research on the link between bullying and school climate.