Strengthening Bullying Prevention Through School Staff Connectedness

The growing concern about bullying and school violence has focused national attention on various aspects of school climate and school connectedness. The current study examined dimensions of staff connectedness (i.e., personal, student, staff, and administration) in relation to staff members' comfort intervening in bullying situations (e.g., physical, verbal, relational), as well as bullying situations involving special populations of students (e.g., gender-nonconforming, disability, overweight, sexism, racism, and religion). Data for this study were collected from a national sample of 5,064 members of the National Education Association (NEA), of whom 2,163 were teachers and 2,901 other school staff. Analyses with structural equation modeling indicated that increased staff connectedness was associated with greater comfort intervening with bullying. Similarly, having resources available regarding bullying, receiving training on the school's bullying policy, and being involved in bullying prevention efforts were significantly associated with comfort intervening. Implications for school-based prevention and school climate promoting efforts are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record