Bullying Victimization, Relational Support, and Student Perceptions of Safety in a Racially Diverse Suburban School District

Abstract

This study examined if differences in the experiences of student support co-occurred with differences in student perceptions of safety and the experience of bullying victimization as functions of race (Black/African American students; White/Caucasian students) and grade band (middle school students; high school students). Participants for this study included students in grades 6 - 12 from Clark School District (pseudonym), a racially diverse suburban school district located in the northeastern part of the United States. An ex post facto design was used to collect and examine student responses on the fall 2023 Pennsylvania School Climate Survey. Chi-square tests of homogeneity and proportions were used to analyze the data.

Despite similarities in mean scores, statistically significant differences were found in the distribution of ratings for student support and student perceptions of safety for Black/African American and White/Caucasian students. Cramer’s V calculations found these differences to be negligible in effect size. Standardized residuals were used to identify distinct patterns of responses between Black and White students. The researcher also found statistically significant differences in the domains of student support, student perceptions of safety, and bullying victimization between middle school and high school students. Cramer’s V calculations found effect sizes ranging from weak to moderate for these results. Results are interpreted with caution due to statistically significant differences in participation rates as functions of race and grade band. Implications for practice and areas for future research are also discussed.