Social-Ecological Factors Related to the Involvement of Students with Learning Disabilities in the Bullying Dynamic

Rose, Chad A.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/16754 Copy

Description

Title

Social-Ecological Factors Related to the Involvement of Students with Learning Disabilities in the Bullying Dynamic

Author(s)

Rose, Chad A.

Issue Date

2010-08-20T17:56:56Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Monda-Amaya, Lisa E.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Monda-Amaya, Lisa

Committee Member(s)

• Espelage, Dorothy L.
• Aragon, Steven R.
• Shogren, Karrie A.

Department of Study

Special Education

Discipline

Special Education

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Special education
• Bullying
• Learning disabilities
• Social-Ecological factors
• Social support
• Structural equation modeling

Abstract

Bullying has emerged as one of the most fundamental problems facing school-aged youth to date. While bullying is generally considered a problem that involves the entire student body, research suggests that students with learning disabilities are overrepresented in the bullying dynamic. Additionally, existing literature suggests that involvement in bullying is based on complex interactions between an individual and social-ecological factors. Few empirical studies have examined the interplay between these social-ecological factors and disability status. Therefore, the current study investigated demographic variables, sense of belonging, and social supports as predictors for involvement in the bullying dynamic for students with learning disabilities (n = 83) and students without disabilities (n = 360). While the two groups of students are characteristically different, results of the current study suggested involvement in bullying was invariant between students with learning disabilities and students without disabilities. However, gender, race, grade point average, and participation in extracurricular activities emerged as significant predictors for involvement in the bullying dynamic. Additionally, increased peer social support was found to be the most significant predictor of decreased bullying, victimization, fighting, and anger for both students with learning disabilities and students without disabilities. Educational implications from the current study suggests that schools should consider adopting multi-tiered anti-bullying programs that foster increased social supports and incorporate targeted interventions for at-risk subpopulations of students.

Graduation Semester

2010-8

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/16754

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2010 Chad A. Rose

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