TY - JOUR
T1 - Socially responsible children
T2 - A link between school climate and aggression and victimization
AU - da Cunha, Josafá M.
AU - Thomas, Kendra J.
AU - Sukhawathanakul, Paweena
AU - Santo, Jonathan B.
AU - Leadbeater, Bonnie
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) declared receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation [grant number 0354].
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Positive perceptions of school climate are associated with lower frequency of peer victimization and aggression in children. Understanding how school climate influences aggression and victimization is essential to guiding school-level interventions to enhance character strengths such as social responsibility. In this short-term longitudinal study, we test a theoretical model arguing that children’s social responsibility mediates the links between their positive perceptions of school climate (comprised of authoritative disciplinary classroom structure, classroom support, and teachers’ use of social–emotional learning [SEL] strategies) and changes in their reports of victimization and aggression, in a sample of Brazilian students in Grades 4 and 5 (N = 1,850). Findings gave some support to our model, particularly in the prediction of aggression. Children’s perceived social responsibility mediated the effects of positive school climate in predicting declines in aggressive behaviors. Specifically, teachers’ use of SEL strategies and classrooms with more structure and support predicted lower levels of aggression through increases in students’ social responsibility. In addition, social responsibility mediated the association between teachers’ use of social emotional strategies and declines in victimization. The direct effect of classroom support on victimization was also significant.
AB - Positive perceptions of school climate are associated with lower frequency of peer victimization and aggression in children. Understanding how school climate influences aggression and victimization is essential to guiding school-level interventions to enhance character strengths such as social responsibility. In this short-term longitudinal study, we test a theoretical model arguing that children’s social responsibility mediates the links between their positive perceptions of school climate (comprised of authoritative disciplinary classroom structure, classroom support, and teachers’ use of social–emotional learning [SEL] strategies) and changes in their reports of victimization and aggression, in a sample of Brazilian students in Grades 4 and 5 (N = 1,850). Findings gave some support to our model, particularly in the prediction of aggression. Children’s perceived social responsibility mediated the effects of positive school climate in predicting declines in aggressive behaviors. Specifically, teachers’ use of SEL strategies and classrooms with more structure and support predicted lower levels of aggression through increases in students’ social responsibility. In addition, social responsibility mediated the association between teachers’ use of social emotional strategies and declines in victimization. The direct effect of classroom support on victimization was also significant.
KW - peer victimization
KW - school climate
KW - Social responsibility
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U2 - 10.1177/01650254211020133
DO - 10.1177/01650254211020133
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107541989
SN - 0165-0254
JO - International Journal of Behavioral Development
JF - International Journal of Behavioral Development
ER -