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A study to identify middle school students' perceptions of bullying experiences

The purpose of this study was to identify middle school students' perceptions of bullying within their school. There were 168 students in a Midwestern school district surveyed in the fall of 2004. The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students were administered surveys in their homerooms and measures of central tendency were run to report statistical percentages relating to the problem of bullying within this middle school. This study provided an overview of the problem, how to recognize a victim or a bully, the overall effects bullying has on the victim and the bully, and preventions and interventions in which parents and schools can implement. Students in this particular school were asked various questions relating to how often they see or are involved in bullying incidents, how they are affected, and how they deal with bullying. It was found that bullying was an issue at this school that affected half of the student population in some way. Results about what bullying effects have on kids' school performance and how they respond to bullying is reported. Lastly, this study provided us with a discussion and conclusion. It provided recommendations of providing in-service training, establishing clear school rules, helping teachers set up individual plans to deal with bullying, and continuing research on this issue. These can be implemented not only within this school, but within other schools that are also dealing with the negative effects of bullying. Recommendations for future research were also provided. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my husband, Brian, for standing by me through this whole process of earning my master's degree and completing my thesis. Thank you for your support when a lot of plans were put on hold so I could attend weekend classes or work on papers and research. I appreciate all of the times you told me how proud you were of me because that helped me to continue on. And I'm so grateful that during this time, we had our first child together and you never discouraged me from trying to balance too much at one time. I am grateful for your love and commitment and am so blessed to be spending my life with you, enjoying each day. I am also thankful to my parents who have always encouraged me in all of my endeavors. Whenever I felt overwhelmed or unsure of myself, you were always there with encouraging words and complete support. You showed an interest in my schooling and helped me to believe I could do anything I put my mind to. Thanks for providing me with the foundation of stability and strength. I feel that because of the values in which you have instilled in me, of working hard and believing in myself, that I can succeed. Erica, my best friend also deserves a huge thank you as she continually encouraged me and gave me faith to keep going. Her enthusiasm, care, and kind words kept me motivated and I appreciate all of the times she told me she was proud of me. Her kind spirit helps me want to keep going and to do good things. Thank your for being an amazing friend. I would also like to thank my colleagues and administration for their support with this project. If it weren't for their help, guidance, care, and flexibility, I would never have been able to gather such great data. I really appreciate them helping me gather resources, interrupting their classes, and showing an interest in this topic. Finally, I would especially like to thank Barb Flom, my thesis advisor. Barb, you inspire me. I value your advice, insight, and most of all, your caring, gentle manner. You have been so amazing to me as I had many questions through this research process. You were very flexible in meeting with me and helping me accomplish this despite my distance from Stout. Your knowledge of research and your keen eye for detail amazed me and I always felt supported as you gently pointed out changes I could make. You have an amazing ability to encourage others as you critique them given your kind persona. Thank you so much for all of the time and energy that you have invested in this thesis with me. You helped me grow and learn a lot through your role modeling and have made a wonderful lasting impression.