Date of Conferral

1-1-2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Kimberly McCann

Abstract

School bullying is a global issue. Many countries have antibullying programs to help students and teachers during situations that arise in classrooms. Antibullying programs provide a safe and supportive environment for students to learn and grow and teachers play a critical role in this process. Teachers’ perspective on the implementation process of antibullying programs in the classroom is limited in the literature. The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine what barriers or challenges teachers face when implementing the school’s antibullying program using the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory of development. Two semi structured focus groups consisting of eight middle school teachers were conducted to determine their perceptions, experiences, and factors of the implementation process of antibullying programs in their classroom. Four key themes emerged from the data collected with findings of building strong relationships with students, the need for training and professional development, the lack of awareness of current programs, and lack of consistency from the administration. Teachers also provided recommendations to improve antibullying programs in the school setting. The implementation of teacher recommendations can result in positive social change by developing better methods of handling and preventing cases of bullying in middle schools.

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