Perceptions of Teachers’ Interpersonal Styles and Well-Being and Ill-Being in Secondary School Physical Education Students: The Role of Need Satisfaction and Need Frustration

This study examined the associations among physical education students’ perceptions of their teachers’ autonomy-supportive and controlling interpersonal styles, need satisfaction and need frustration, and indices of psychological well-being (subjective vitality) and ill-being (negative affect). The results from 591 Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong indicated that the relationship between students’ perceptions of autonomy-supportive teaching behaviors and subjective vitality was primarily mediated by need satisfaction, whereas the relationship between perceived controlling teaching behaviors and negative affect was primarily mediated by need frustration. The results obtained from the multi-group structural equation model also suggested that these relationships were invariant across sex.     

The interplay of parental support,parental pressure and test anxiety – Gender differences in adolescents

This study examined gender-specific relationships between adolescents' perceptions of school-related support/pressure from their parents and test anxiety. A sample of German students (N = 845; M_age = 15.32; SD = .49) completed questionnaires that measured their perceived parental support/pressure (for mother and father separately) as well as the four main components of test anxiety (worry, interference, lack of confidence, and emotionality). Gender-specific relations were identified using multigroup structural equation modeling: For girls, perceived maternal pressure was positively associated with emotionality and interference; for boys, perceived father pressure and father support were positively associated with interference and worry, respectively. For both genders, perceived mother pressure and support were related to lack of confidence. Our findings suggest that adolescents' perceptions of maternal attitudes are associated with students' self-confidence irrespective of the child's gender, whereas the remaining facets of test anxiety follow same-sex trajectories between perceived parental attitudes and adolescents' test anxiety.     

Gender and other risk factors associated with risky behaviours among Nigerian adolescents

Risky behaviours in adolescents, apart from substance use, and their associate factors, have not been thoroughly investigated in Nigeria. Hence, there is a need to study the prevalence of risky behaviours and their relationship with gender and other potential risk factors. Data comprising socio-demographic, risky behaviours, personality traits, religious orientation and substance use were obtained from 300 randomly selected secondary school students. Two risk groups (low and high) based on the number of risky behaviours were determined. Male was a risk factor for theft (OR = 2.1; 95%CI = 1.17–3.95), bullying (OR = 2.76; 95%CI = 1.37–5.56) and fighting (OR = 2.14; 95%CI = 1.35–3.40). Fifty-two (17.3%) of the students were of high-risk behaviour group. Furthermore, private school (β = 1.05; P = 0.010), poor perceived relationship with teachers (β = 1.21; P = 0.002), polygamy (β = 1.20; P = 0.002) and lifetime cigarette use (β = 1.07; P = 0.027) were predictors of high-risk behaviour group. Substantial proportion of adolescents in Nigeria exhibit risky behaviours of which gender and other factors play a significant role.     

Perceived barriers that prevent high school students seeking help from teachers for bullying and their effects on disclosure intentions

Many adolescents choose not to tell teachers when they have been bullied. Three studies with 12–16 year-old English adolescents addressed possible reasons. In study 1, students (N = 411, 208 females/203 males) identified reasons with no prompting. Three perceived negative outcomes were common; peers would disapprove, disclosers would feel weak/undermined, and disclosers desired autonomy. In study 2, students (N = 297, 153 females/134 males/10 unspecified) indicated how much they believed that the perceived negative outcomes would happen to them, and a substantial proportion did so. Perceived negative outcomes significantly predicted intentions to disclose being bullied. Study 3 (N = 231, 100 females/131 males) tested if the perceived negative outcomes would be strong enough to stop participants from telling a teacher even though the teacher would stop the bullying. This was the case for many of them. Participants did not report disliking peers who disclosed bullying. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Getting angry matters: Going beyond perspective taking and empathic concern to understand bystanders' behavior in bullying

The present study examined the relations between different empathic dimensions and bystanders' behavior in bullying. Specifically, the indirect effects of empathic concern and perspective taking via empathic anger on defending and passive bystanding were tested in a sample of Italian young adolescents (N = 398; M_age = 12 years, 3 months, 47.2% girls). Path analysis confirmed the direct and indirect effects, via empathic anger, of empathic concern and perspective taking on bystanders' behavior, with the exception of the direct association between perspective taking and passive bystanding that was not significant. Our findings suggest that considering empathic anger together with empathic concern and perspective taking could help researchers to better understand the links between empathic dispositions and bystanders' behavior in bullying.     

Relations between harsh discipline from teachers,perceived teacher support,and bullying victimization among high school students

This study examined how the experience of harsh discipline from teachers is related to students' experience of bullying victimization in a Philippine high school. Respondents were 401 first- to fourth-year high school students of an urban public school in the Philippines. Using structural equation modeling, a hypothesized model with direct associations between harsh discipline and bullying victimization, and an indirect path via students' perception of teacher support, was tested. The data adequately fit the model and showed that experiences of harsh teacher discipline predicted higher bullying victimization and students' negative perception of teacher support. There were no significant indirect effects. The findings suggest that school discipline strategies may have repercussions on students' behaviors and relationships, highlighting the teacher's role in modeling and setting norms for acceptable behaviors. Future studies can examine further how teachers' harsh or positive discipline behaviors relate to bullying.     

The importance of teacher support: Differential impacts by gender and sexuality

Teachers play an important role in shaping the experiences of high school students with regard to patterns of heteronormativity and binary gender norms, particularly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. A climate survey of high school students (n = 953) in the United States examined the association between students' well-being and their relationships with teachers. The sample was majority white (65.8%) and multiracial (14.1%). Cisgender (cis)-girls (49.6%), cis-boys (41.2%), and trans students (9.2%), as well as heterosexual (78.4%) and LGBQ students (21.6%) were represented. Regression models indicate teachers' use of oppressive language and their intervention in situations of bias and students' trust and comfort with teachers were significantly associated with students' self-esteem. Teachers' use of biased language was directly associated with student self-reported grades. Moderation tests indicate teacher relationships are strongly associated with heterosexual and cisgender students' wellbeing. Recommendations for teacher education and future research are discussed.     

The contribution of school safety to weight-related health behaviors for transgender youth

IntroductionThe aim of the present study is to examine gender identity disparities in different kinds of weight-related health behaviors, including physical activity, participation in physical education at school, and healthy and unhealthy eating habits, and to investigate the relationship between school safety and such behaviors in a sample of transgender and non-transgender students.MethodWe analyzed a statewide sample of 31,609 students (M_age = 14.04, SD = 1.70; 1.1% transgender). We used multilevel regression models to examine the interactive effects of gender identity and perceptions of school safety on the 4 different outcome variables (physical activity, physical education, healthy and unhealthy eating habits). All models included student- and school-level characteristics as controls.ResultsFindings indicated that transgender students, when compared to non-transgender students, reported (a) feeling less safe at school; (b) more physical activity, but less participation in physical education at school; and (c) both more healthy as well as unhealthy eating behaviors. Adjusted regression models showed a significant interaction between gender identity and perceived school safety on healthy eating behaviors; simple slopes indicated that transgender students have healthier eating behaviors when the school context is perceived as safe compared to those who perceived the school as less safe.ConclusionsSchool interventions are needed to improve school safety for transgender youth and to reduce gender identity-related disparities in healthy eating and physical activity. Research implications and limitations are discussed.     

Do juveniles bully more than young offenders?

This study compares bullying behaviour among juvenile and young offenders and incorporates two different methods to measure bullying. Ninety-five male juvenile and 196 male young offenders completed two questionnaires, one that measured bullying directly and one that measured behaviours indicative of "being bullied" or of "bullying others". Juveniles perceived a higher extent of bullying than young offenders. Juveniles reported significantly more physical, psychological or verbal and overall direct forms of bullying behaviour than young offenders. A number of differences were found between juveniles and young offenders with regard to the types of prisoners likely to become victims, who they would advise a victim to speak to and how bullying could be prevented. The results are discussed in relation to developmental theories of aggression and how bullying behaviour can be defined and measured among prisoners.     

Types and experiences of bullying in adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder

Being victimized by one's peers is a major problem in adolescence, and research has suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may experience higher rates of bullying than their typically-developing (TD) peers. However, it is currently unclear whether adolescents with ASD are victimized more by their peers simply because they are ‘different’. This study was designed to examine percentage rates across different types of bullying behaviour in adolescents with an ASD (n = 24), in comparison to a group of special-needs adolescents without an ASD (n = 22), and a group of typically developing peers (n = 24), to determine whether simply being ‘different’ leads to higher rates of victimization. We also examined the agreement between parental and self-reports of bullying behaviour experienced by these groups. Overall, more adolescents with ASD reported victimization than adolescents in the other two groups. In addition, those with ASD reported more social bullying in comparison to the other two groups and more physical bullying than the TD group. No difference was found between parental and self-reports for the bullying experienced by the adolescents with ASD or special needs; however, TD adolescents reported higher levels of victimization than their parents reported for them. Contributing factors for the victimization experienced by adolescents with an ASD are discussed.     

Relationships among grit,academic performance,perceived academic failure,and stress in associate degree students

The present study examined the relationships among grit, academic performance, perceived academic failure, and stress levels of Hong Kong associate degree students using path analysis. Three hundred and forty-five students from a community college in Hong Kong voluntarily participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire that measured their grit (operationalized as interest and perseverance) and stress levels. The students also provided their actual academic performance and evaluated their perception of their academic performance as a success or a failure. The results of the path analysis showed that interest and perseverance were negatively associated with stress, and only perceived academic failure was positively associated with stress. These findings suggest that psychological appraisal and resources are more important antecedents of stress than objective negative events. Therefore, fostering students' psychological resilience may alleviate the stress experienced by associate degree students or college students in general.     

When parents' affection depends on child's achievement: parental conditional positive regard, self-aggrandizement, shame and coping in adolescents

We examined the idea that adolescents' perceptions of their mothers as using parental conditional positive regard (PCPR) to promote academic achievement are associated with maladaptive self feelings and coping. A study of 153 adolescents supported the hypothesis that PCPR predicts self-aggrandizement following success and self devaluation and shame following failure, which then predict compulsive over-investment. PCPR functioned as a unique predictor of maladaptive self feelings and coping also when the effects of perceived parental conditional negative regard or psychological control were controlled for. The findings suggest that the experience of one's mother as using conditional positive regard to promote achievement leads to a non-optimal self-esteem dynamics, in which people vacillate between feelings of grandiosity following success and self-derogation and shame following failure, which in turn promote a rigid and stressful mode of coping. Thus, the practice of PCPR, although seemingly benign, appears to carry significant emotional and coping costs for adolescents.     

上海市中学生心理健康状况与生活事件之间关系的横断面研究(英文)

背景 在国内,学生的人口学特征及负性生活事件与其心理健康的关系尚未得到充分的研究。目的 评估中学生中各种生活应激事件的发生率,确定与中学生自我感知的心理健康问题密切相关的人口学特征和生活事件的类型。方法 采用分层随机抽样的方法进行横断面调查,抽取上海市2个区4所中学共1818名学生,应用2种自评问卷进行评估:长处与困难问卷(Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire,SDQ)学生版和用于评估11项负性生活事件的简易版青少年生活事件量表(Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist,ASLEC)。结果 中学生报告的常见负性生活事件为学习压力(74%),受到批评(66%),家庭冲突(29%)以及受人欺负、歧视或人际关系紧张(26%),但是这些事件的发生率因学生的性别、学校类型以及所处城郊位置不同而有所差异。同样,不同组别的学生其生活事件所致心理应激水平、心理困难总分以及社会行为水平亦有所不同。多因素线性回归分析表明,评估前6个月内心理困难的独立预测因素依次为(按照重要性先后顺序):过去一年内负性生活事件所致的应激总评分高,受人欺负、歧视或人际关系紧张,没有发生亲人死亡,男性,学校位于郊区,以及未患重病或残疾。社会行为水平的独立预测因素依次为负性生活事件所致的应激总评分高,学校位于城区,女性,普通中学(与重点中学比),受人欺负、歧视或人际关系紧张,没有发生亲人死亡,初中(与高中比)。结论 与中学生的应激和社会行为相关的众多因素之一是负性生活事件。进一步需要开展前瞻性研究以阐明中学生应激与负性生活事件的因果关系,开展并验证人群特异性的干预方法以减轻应激、增加适应性社会行为。     

Perceptions of intimidation in the psychiatric educational environment in Edmonton, Alberta.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the perceptions of intimidation in the psychiatric educational environment in Edmonton, Alberta. METHODS: We distributed a 7-point modified Likert scale questionnaire that included questions with respect to intimidation perceptions and experience in psychiatry during a 1-week period to all student interns on psychiatry rotations, residents, and teaching faculty in the 5 teaching hospitals in Edmonton. RESULTS: A total of 92 individuals responded, with response rates of 81% for faculty, 82% for residents, and 84% for students. Response rates did not differ among sites. While there were differences between site and group with respect to comparing the perceived intimidation in psychiatry with other specialties, respondents did not view psychiatry as worse than other specialties. Although, overall, women perceived intimidation as more prevalent at their sites than did men, the overall means reflect sites that are relatively free from intimidation. Faculty and student interns within sites, except for the university hospital, tended to disagree on management's approach to perceived intimidation. All groups, however, reported little personal experience and felt their sites had little tolerance for intimidators. CONCLUSIONS: Reported perceptions and personal experiences of intimidation within the psychiatric learning environment in Edmonton are low.     

Influences of peers,teachers, and climate on students' willingness to intervene when witnessing anti-transgender harassment

Transgender young people are at increased risk for bullying, harassment, and negative mental health and academic outcomes compared to the general population as well as compared to other members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and similarly identified (LGBTQQ) communities. To inform interventions to support transgender students, the present study investigates students' willingness to intervene when witnessing anti-transgender harassment, using data collected from a participatory action research project investigating school climate. Multi-step linear regression was used to test the impacts of hearing transphobic language and witnessing teachers and others students intervene, while controlling for demographics and school. Hostile climate negatively predicted intervention intentions while witnessing peer intervention positively predicted likelihood to intervene. Witnessing teacher intervention did not significantly predict the outcome. These findings suggest that youth-led interventions in peer networks might be effective in diminishing transphobic bullying and supporting the healthy development of transgender young people.     

Enhancing Student Attitudes via a Brief, Universal-Level Bullying Prevention Curriculum

Bullying is a salient challenge for children and schools around the world, appearing to be especially prevalent at the middle-school level. Contemporary research reveals an exigent need for systematic programing that aims to reduce and prevent bullying via promoting awareness, attitudes, and skills that facilitate the development of positive peer relationships and positive school climates. Considering this need, the present quasi-experimental study examined the effects of a relatively new, brief, universal-level bullying prevention curriculum on middle-school students’ general attitudes toward bullying and perceptions of their school bullying supports. Results indicated statistically significant enhancement of prosocial attitudes for intervention-group students compared to control-group students, with small effect sizes. Feasibility and social validity outcomes indicated that the intervention was implemented with adequate fidelity and that its goals, procedures, and outcomes were perceived as appropriate. The interpretation, limitations, and implications of these results for practice are discussed herein.     

The associations between body dissatisfaction,body figure,self-esteem,and depressed mood in adolescents in the United States and Korea: A moderated mediation analysis

The perception of one's body image becomes particularly important in adolescence. Body dissatisfaction has been associated with negative psychological functioning, such as self-esteem and depression. Previous findings showed that the decreased self-esteem due to body dissatisfaction explained the association between negative attitude toward body and psychological well-being in different cultural contexts. The present study examined adolescents from the US (N = 1002) and Korea (N = 3993) and replicated and extended the previous findings regarding body dissatisfaction and associated psychological outcomes. The results showed that body dissatisfaction predicted higher depressed mood and that self-esteem mediated this association for both American and Korean adolescents. Notably, the indirect effect of body dissatisfaction and perceived body image on depressed mood via self-esteem was greater for American adolescents than for Korean adolescents. The implications of the cultural difference in the significance of self-esteem in mediating the body dissatisfaction and depressed mood are discussed.     

Brief report: Physical health of adolescent perpetrators of sibling aggression

We describe adolescents' perpetration of sibling aggression and its link to physical health two years later. In-school surveys at Time 1 (N = 331) and Time 2 (two-years later, N = 283) were administered to adolescents (at Time 1, M_age = 15.71 years, SD = .63; 52% female) living in the United States querying about perpetration of aggression toward a sibling closest in age and perceived physical health. The majority of adolescents perpetrated aggression towards their sibling (74%). Adolescents who were part of brother–brother pairs reported the most aggression. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that perpetrating sibling aggression more often at Time 1 was predictive of lower physical health at Time 2 controlling for Time 1 physical health and demographic characteristics. Perpetration of aggression toward a sibling is common and has negative health consequences in late adolescence suggesting this issue should be targeted to improve adolescents' sibling dynamics and physical health.     

Influence of family therapy on bullying behaviour, cortisol secretion, anger, and quality of life in bullying male adolescents: A randomized, prospective, controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) on salivary cortisol, anger, and health-related quality of life (QoL) in adolescent boys with bullying behaviour. METHOD: We selected a sample of 72 boys demonstrating bullying behaviour from the general population and treated 36 with BSFT for 12 weeks. The other 36 boys formed the control group. Primary outcome measures were salivary cortisol concentration 15 to 30 minutes after awakening and changes on the subscales of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and the Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: After 12 weeks' treatment, we observed a significant reduction in bullying behaviour in the BSFT group (P = 0.017) and in the mean values (according to the intent-to-treat principle) for salivary cortisol concentration (P < 0.001). The BSFT group also showed significantly greater change on the STAXI subscales State-Anger (P < 0.001), Trait-Anger (P < 0.001), Anger-Out (P < 0.001), and Anger-Control (P < 0.001). Treatment with BSFT also resulted in significant improvement on the SF-36 subscales for Vitality (P < 0.001), Social Functioning (P < 0.001), Role-Emotional (P < 0.001), and Mental Health (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BSFT effectively influenced bullying behaviour, salivary cortisol concentration, anger, and health-related QoL in adolescent bullying boys.     

Bullying and peer victimisation in adolescent girls with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Emerging evidence suggests that adolescent girls with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more socially impaired compared with their peers; however, research has yet to elucidate the nature of this impairment. We investigated overt (e.g., physical, such as hitting or kicking or verbal, such as teasing and taunting) and relational (e.g., social manipulation, such as social exclusion) bullying and victimisation in adolescent girls with and without ADHD. Adolescent girls (mean age = 15.11) with (n = 22) and without (n = 20) ADHD and their primary caregivers completed measures of overt/relational bullying and victimisation and social impairment. Adolescent girls with ADHD experienced more social problems and more relational and overt victimisation than adolescent girls without ADHD. Although adolescent girls with ADHD engaged in more overt and relational bullying than adolescent girls without ADHD, this difference was not statistically significant. Oppositional Defiant Disorder symptoms appeared to be more strongly related to bullying behaviour, while victimisation appeared to be more strongly related to ADHD.