Teachers' attachment style and their style of intervening with bullying
by Moshtael, Mojgan, Ph.D., ALLIANT INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES, 2008, 105 pages; 3368123

Abstract:

Researchers have implemented different large-scale school-based anti-bullying programs; however, they have achieved little success. Clearly, teachers play an important role in reducing bullying incidents in schools. Unfortunately, there are not many studies on teachers' attitudes toward bullying, and how those attitudes are related to the teachers' style of intervening with bullying behavior. It is believed that attachment style largely determines how individuals relate to others (Bartholomew & Shaver, 1998; Bretherton, 1992). Researchers have identified four types of attachment style ( secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing) (Bartholomew and Shaver, 1998). Since there is no information about teachers' attachment style and their style of intervention with bullying, this study reviewed some literature regarding adults' attachment style and their conflict management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' attachment style and how they choose to intervene with bullying, although this correlational study was not able to absolutely determine the direction of causality. Teachers with secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing attachment styles were expected to intervene with bullying differently, due to variations in how they perceive themselves and others. The goal of the study was to identify the relationship between teachers' attachment styles and their methods of intervening with bullying, and to identify factors, such as demographic characteristics, that may also be associated with teachers' methods of intervening with bullying. A multiple regression research design was used to explore relationships among the predictor and criterion variables. The predictor variable included scores on Anxiety and Avoidance subscales (dimensions) as assessed by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R). The criterion variables were teachers' methods of intervening with bullying including "Enlisting Other Adults", "Working with the Bully", "Working with Victim", "Ignoring the Incident", and "Discipline the Bully", as assessed by Educators Response to Bullying Scale (ERBS). Contrary to expectation, statistical analyses of the two dimensions of ECR-R and five subscales of ERBS did not yield any significant relationships. There was no significant relationship between teachers' attachment style (measured by ECR-R) and their style of intervening with bullying incidents (measured by ERBS). This result was surprisingly unexpected considering previous findings by other researchers.

 
Advisor
SchoolALLIANT INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES
SourceDAI/B 70-07, p. , Sep 2009
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsSocial psychology; Education; Clinical psychology
Publication Number3368123
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