title: Bullying and middle school students with and without specific learning disabilities: an examination of social-ecological predictors.
abstract: The current study investigated demographic variables, sense of belonging, and social supports as predictors for involvement in bullying for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and students without disabilities. Although these student groups are characteristically different, results suggested involvement in bullying was invariant. However, gender, race, grade point average, and participation in extracurricular activities emerged as significant predictors for involvement in the bullying dynamic. In addition, increased peer social support was found to be the most significant predictor of decreased bullying, victimization, fighting, and anger for both students with SLD and students without disabilities. Educational implications include the suggestion that schools adopt multitiered antibullying programs that foster increased social supports and peer acceptance and incorporate targeted interventions for at-risk subpopulations of students.
authors.affiliation: Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA rosech@missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Chad Allen
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA.
authors.forename: Dorothy L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Espelage
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Monda-Amaya
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA.
authors.forename: Karrie A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Shogren
authors.affiliation: Texas State University, San Marcos, USA.
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Aragon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: behavior issues; peer relations; social-emotional