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

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Special Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2010

Author dc:creator

• Rose, Chad A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Monda-Amaya, Lisa E.
• Monda-Amaya, Lisa
• Espelage, Dorothy L.
• Aragon, Steven R.
• Shogren, Karrie A.

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

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2010 Chad A. Rose

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

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

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/16754