Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived school climate, self-reported psychosomatic symptoms, visits to the school nurse for reported psychosomatic symptoms and reports of bullying behaviors among students' grades 3-12. In the study self-reported bullying behaviors were proposed to predict psychosomatic complaints at the school health office. Negatively perceived school climate was proposed to predict bullying behaviors. Lastly, the combination of bullying and negative school climate were proposed to predict psychosomatic complaints. The final convenience sample of 222 students, ages 8-18 years, was obtained from one elementary school, one middle school and one high school in a suburban community in central New Jersey. Participants completed the demographic sheet and three questionnaires measuring the study variables during health or physical education classes. Reports of bullying behaviors were found to significantly predict reports of psychosomatic complaints in school age children (β = .35, t = 5.5, p < .001). Bullying behaviors significantly predicted visits to the school health office for psychosomatic symptoms (β = .24, t = 3.7, p < .001). Negatively perceived school climate significantly predicted reports of bullying behaviors (β = .16, t = 2.3, p < .02). Negative perceived school climate significantly predicts reports of psychosomatic symptoms related to bullying (β = .35, t = 5.5, p < .001). Results indicated there were significant differences between boys' (x¯ = -32.9) and girls' (x¯ = -26.6) perceptions of school climate (p < .001). There are no differences between boys' (x¯ = 8.34) and girls' (x¯ = 7.78) perceived bullying behaviors (p < .06). There are differences between boys' ( x¯ = 8.48) and girls' (x¯ = 8.04) visits to the school health office with psychosomatic complaints ( p < .02). These findings have many implications for school nurses. School nurses can monitor the visits of students to the school health office for bullying related symptoms and advise administrative officials accordingly. School nurses are in a position to identify children who they suspect are victims of bullying and council them. The school nurse can collaborate with teachers, guidance counselors and law enforcement officials to combat bullying.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Tau
Type
Dissertation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
School Nursing, Student Symptoms, Effects of Bullying
Advisors
D'Alonzo, Karen
Advisor
Karen D'Alonzo
Degree
PhD
Degree Grantor
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Degree Year
2013
Recommended Citation
Perron, Tracy J., "Factors associated with peer violence among elementary, middle and high school students" (2020). Dissertations. 698.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dissertations/698
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2020-02-20
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3600637; ProQuest document ID: 1441723857. The author still retains copyright.