Abstract

Though bullying was once considered a "rite of passage," in recent years experts have begun to re-conceptualize bullying as an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim and to recognize the deleterious mental health outcomes that are often the result of having experienced or having participated in bullying. This phenomenon is also coming to be viewed more broadly as a human rights violation as it creates and perpetuates barriers for specific student populations to equal access to education. Historically, teachers have been among the most outspoken advocates of social justice issues and are on the front lines of addressing social inequality. However, those in the field of psychology have also taken steps to advocate for human rights and members of its professional organization have adopted the aspirational goal of acting as agents of social change. Nevertheless, there continues to be a dearth of research into the relationship between the promotion of social justice and bullying prevention, particularly as it relates to the role of psychologists within the school system who serve in a consultative capacity to teachers. Inspired by an existing bullying prevention module for teachers, the goal of the present study was to develop bullying prevention recommendations for educators that incorporate academic literature-informed social justice considerations.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Bullying in schools -- Prevention; Social justice -- Education; Teachers -- Training of

Date of Award

2021

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Psychology

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Anat Cohen

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