[To what extent do school and class-specific factors contribute to aggression in schools?].
In a representative study conducted in Vienna and Lower Austria, 14-year-old students from one class each in 79 different schools (N = 1594) answered a questionnaire about their experiences at school, the main focus being on aggressive acts that occurred at school. In a parallel investigation, the students' teachers (N = 554) completed a similar questionnaire. The reports on the frequency of aggressive behavior differed widely among the classes. A comparison of classes with different levels of aggressive behavior showed that solidarity within the classroom and the relationship between teachers and students were closely associated with the frequency of aggressive behavior. In classrooms with frequent aggressive acts there was a negative attitude towards outsiders and the students were less inclined to intervene in an unfair fight. Furthermore, they were more critical of discussions with their teachers. Even after social and familial factors were controlled for, the influence of school-specific factors on the frequency of aggressive behavior at school was quite large, explaining about 25% of the variance. The consequences for counseling of schools and for teacher education are discussed.
Klicpera
C
C
Abteilung für angewandte und klinische Psychologie, Psychologisches Institut der Universität Wien.
Gasteiger Klicpera
B
B
Schabmann
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001317:Austria; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010553:Personality Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012951:Socialization
Wieweit tragen schul- bzw. klassenspezifische Faktoren zur Aggression an den Schulen bei?