الفهرس 
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Abstract
Bullying is a global phenomenon that affects millions of children and adolescents each year across virtually all cultures. Bullying is widespread across many different contexts, such as homes, streets, and workplaces, but most commonly occurs within schools.
Bullying is a specific form of aggression characterized by repeated negative actions, an intent to cause harm, and an imbalance of power.
Bullying takes many forms, including physical acts, such as hitting and kicking, verbal acts, such as calling names or making threats, and more indirect means, such as excluding someone or spreading rumors as well as cyberbullying. There is substantial evidence that bullying contributes to numerous negative outcomes throughout the life span, including psychological difficulties, academic problems, social problems, physical health problems, criminal involvement, and socioeconomic hardship.
Prevention, early recognition, intervention and treatment of bullying are critical to the wellbeing and academic success of the students. Community health nurses are uniquely qualified to participate as members of interdisciplinary teams to collaborate with school personnel, community healthcare professionals, students and families in the prevention and management of bullying.
The aim of this studywas to determinate the relationship between bullying behavior and school climate among governmental preparatory school students in Alexandria.
Research question
- To what extent the governmental preparatory school students experience bullying in Alexandria?
- What is the relation between school climate and students’ bullying behaviors in governmental preparatory schools in Alexandria?
A cross-sectional descriptive design was adapted in this study, it was conducted in 20 governmental preparatory schools affiliated to the Ministry of Education in Alexandria Governorate. By using the proportional allocation method, 25% of the 8 educational zones in Alexandria, two zones were selected randomly namely East and El Montaza. By using the proportional allocation method, 20% of the total number of governmental preparatory schools affiliated to the selected two zones was selected randomly. It composes of 10 schools affiliated to each of El Montaza and East zone. The selected schools were (five schools for boys and five schools for girls in each zone). The study was conducted on 700 students (316 male students and 384 female students), 100 teachers, 20 schools.
Tools of the study: Eight tools were used in this study to collect the necessary data;
A. Students’ tools:
It includes four tools; the first tool was “Students’ basic data structured interview schedule”. It included four parts; socio- demographic characteristics of the students and their families, students’ health status, students’ social life and academic performance. The second tool was “The Swearer Bully Survey – Student version (BYS-S)”. Itqueries students about their involvement in bullying as a victim, bystander, and bully in three parts A (victim), B (bystander) and C (perpetrator) respectively. In addition to Part D which measure the students’ attitude toward bullying. The third tool was “What I Would Do” Scale (WIWD)” to assess the bullying victim and bystander coping strategies in response to peer victimization. The fourth tool was “Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS)—Short Form” to measure a student – teacher relationship as perceived by the respondents.
B. Teachers’ tools:
It includes three tools; the first tool was “Socio demographic data structured interview schedule” to assess socio demographic characteristics of the teachers and previous training and experience regarding management of students’ risky behaviors like violence and bullying. The second tool was “The Swearer Bully Survey – Teacher version (BYS-T)” to query teachers about their students’ involvement in bullying as a victim, and bully in two parts A and B respectively and part C for measuring the teachers’ attitude toward bullying. The third tool was “Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS)—Short Form” to measure a student – teacher relationship as perceived by the teacher.
C. School Climate Assessment check list, it consists of two parts; the first part includes characteristics of the studied schools, while the second part used to assess the school climate from students’ perspective.
The main findings obtained from the study were as follows:
The first section includes students’ socio-demographic characteristics related data.
Part (1):Socio demographic characteristics of the students and their families
- The students’ age ranged from 12 to 16 years with a mean of 13.76 ±0.721 years, more than half (53.4%) of them were females and the rest (46.6%) of them were males.
- More than two fifths (42.7%) of the students were the first child within their families and the vast majority (97.7%) of them were living in urban areas
- Concerning parents’ marital status, the majority (86.6%) of them were married.
- It was found that 17.9% of the students’ fathers had university education and the majority (89.9%) of them were working. While, 18.8% of the students’ mothers had university education and around one quarter (24.0%) of them were working.
- Less than half of the students (46.3%) reported income sufficiency.
Part II: Students’ health status:
- Around one tenth (10.4%) of the students were suffering from chronic health problems. While, less than one third (31.5%) of them mentioned nutritional problems such as anemia, obesity and underweight and less than half (49.3%) of them reported irregular follow up.
- Only (3.3%) of students were disabled either physically (65.2%) or intellectually (34.8%) of them.
- More than one quarter (26.9%) of the students reported family history for chronic diseases.
Part III: Students’ life style & social life:
- All students (100.0%) stated that they take shower regularly and more than three quarters (79.3%) of them brushed their teeth daily, while, 98.1% of them care about their external outfit/clothing. On the other hand, 6.0% of the students were smokers and 1.3% of them reported using substances such as hashish.
- Around three quarters (75.4%) of the students had good relations with mother and 52.9% of them had good relations with their fathers. While, 65.0% of them had good relations with their siblings.
Part IV: Students’ academic performance:
- More than half (56.9%) of the students reported excellent academic performance and 6.3% of the students had a previous history school failure.
- Less than one quarter (24.7%) of the students reported irregular school attendance.
The second section includes students’ bullying related data.
Part (1):Students’ experience of bullying
- More than half (55.4%) of the students were bullied (victims), and 82.0% of them were bystander. While, less than one third (31.6%) of them were bully or perpetrator of bullying.
Part (2):Bullied students
- More than half (55.4%) of the students were bullied (victims) on a daily base as reported by more than two fifths (44.3%) of them.
- Less than one third (31.4%) of the students reported exposure to bullying on the way to/from school, while, 40.5% of them exposed to bullying online
- Almost all bullied students (99.5%) reported school as the first place of exposure to bullying mainly at the classroom (78.8%). Moreover, 99.5% of them reported that the perpetrators of bullying were from their schools such as boys or girls in their grade (33.2% and 28.0% respectively).
- Around three quarters (74.0%) of students were able to defend against bullying.
- More than two thirds (67.0%) of them exposed to mild physical or verbal bullying, and less than one fifth (13.1%) of them suffered from severe consequences of bullying, while, a minority (5.7%) of them used healthy coping strategies to overcome these consequences.
- None of the bullied students had a positive attitude towards bullying and less than two thirds (61.9%) of them reported good student- teacher relationship, while, less than one third (32.7%) of them reported poor school climate.
Part (3):Bystander:
- The majority (82.0%) of the students reported being witness of bullying incidences (bystanders) and 47.7% of them viewed bullying incidents daily.
- The vast majority (98.4%) of them reported occurrence of bullying in the schools and by persons within the school environment mainly in the classroom as mentioned by less than three quarters (73.1%) of them.
- More than one third (34.3%) of them reported witness of mild physical or verbal bullying.
- None of the bystender students had a positive attitude towards bullying and less than two thirds (63.1%) of them reported good student- teacher relationship, while, less than one third (30.7%) of them reported poor school climate.
Part (4):Bully:
- Less than one third (31.6%) of them were bully or perpetrator of bullying and more than two fifths (47.1%) of them had perpetrated bullying daily.
- The vast majority (95.5%) of the bully students reported that the victims of bullying were from their schools.
- More than one third (33.9%) of bully students stated that the victims of the bullying defend against bullying.
- More than two thirds (66.1%) of them perpetrated mild physical or verbal bullying, and a minority of them (6.8%) of them suffered from severe consequences of bullying.
- None of the bully students had a positive attitude towards bullying and less than two thirds (63.3%) of them reported good student- teacher relationship, while, more than one third (35.3%) of them reported poor school climate.
The third section includes teachers’ related data.
Part (1):Socio demographic characteristics of the teachers
- The teachers’ age was ranged from 23 to 55 years and more with a mean of 43.76 ± 0.721 years.
- Less than two thirds (60.1%) of them were females, and the majority (85.0%) of the teachers were the class teacher.
- The majority (83.0%) of them were living in urban areas and 90.0% of them were married, while 80.0% of them reported income sufficiency.
- More than half (52.0%) of them had 25 years of experience and more, while, 50.0% of them reported experience towards proper management of adolescents’ risky behaviors.
Part (2): Teachers’ experience of witness perpetration/victimization of bullying among the school students
- The majority (89.0%) of the studied teachers reported being witness of bullying and the more than three quarters (77.5%) of them viewed it in the school in moderate level.
Part (3): Teachers’ perspectives of student- teacher relationship
- More than half (51.0%) of the teachers had good closeness relation with their students.
Part (4): Teachers’ attitude towards bullying
- A minority (2.0%) of them had a positive attitude towards bullying.
The fourth section includes schools’ related data.
Part (1):Generalcharacteristics of the studied schools
- Two fifths (40.0%) of the schools had from 3 to less than 5 floors with a mean of class rooms 22.50 ±6.387 classrooms. While, 55.0% of the schools had morning shift.
- More than two fifths (45.0%) of the schools had from 600 to less than 1000 students. While the mean number of school personnel was 97.55 ±27.63 personnel.
- Three quarters (75.0%) of schools had safe traffics movement around school.
- The vast majority (95.0%) of schools had enough ventilation in classrooms as well intact windows.
- Three quarters (75.0%) of the schools have canteen and one quarter (25.0%) of schools have enough toilets.
- All (100.0%) schools have science and computer laboratories, libraries and the vast majority (90.0%) of them had enough teachers’ rooms.
- The majority (80.0%) of schools had two emergency exits and 40.0% of them had emergency alarm system.
- All the schools (100.0%) had emergency plan in school, emergency and crisis management committee and continuous training of the school personnel and students about emergency plan.
- All schools (100.0%) had e health services and school clinic including first aid sets, trained health emergency’s team.
- Moreover, the study found that less than two thirds of the studied schools had a good level of safety.
In light of the findings of the present study, represent that:
Based on the results of the current study, it can be concluded that the more than half of the studied students were bullied or victims of bullying, while the majority of them were bystander and less than one third of them were bully or perpetrators of bullying.
Additionally, the majority of the studied teachers reported being witness of bullying and the more than three quarters of them viewed it in the school in moderate level. Furthermore, a minority them had a positive attitude towards bullying. Moreover, the study found that less than two thirds of the studied schools had a good level of safety.
It is apparent from the study that there are several risk factors for the occurrence of bullying whether related to the demographic characteristics of the students and their families or related to the school.
It’s highlighted by the present study that there were significant association between adolescents’ exposure to bullying and their attitude towards bullying and school climate as well as the level of school safety.
In light of the findings of the present study, the following recommendations are proposed:
Recommendation directed to different Ministries
Ministry of Education:
• Establish a bullying prevention committee at schools is highly recommended where all school personnel are involved, as well as parents of the school students and their family physicians.
• Develop and implement effective data system to determine the magnitude of bullying in schools. In addition to, analyzing the contributing factors of bullying to develop effective strategies for its reversal.
• Strengthen role of the teacher and other school staff as the first line of protection of the students against aggression and violent behaviors. It is also necessary to pay more attention to increase the quality of teacher–students’ relationship.
• Ensure continuous scheduled supervision in the schools especially at certain times and places in which there are more liability for violence and bullying and provide more penalties on the perpetrators of such acts.
• Strengthen role of school health nurses and social worker with respect to bullying prevention. Support for bullying victims’ counseling and referral.
Ministry of social solidarity non- Governmental Organization (NGOS):
• Raise community awareness toward bullying and enhance the reporting mechanism.
• Collaboration and enforcement in working with NGOS who are concerned with adolescent’s health and welfare to provide quality services in schools. Emphasize should be directed to combat bullying behaviors.
Recommendations to political and legislation sector:
• Enforce implementation of legislation and policies for the protection of students and the prosecution of perpetrators.
• Translate the child rights convention into national laws and make the police and judicial systems properly able to enforce these laws
• Establish a centralized mechanism to record, report and monitor violence in schools.
Recommendations directed to Ministry of Health and Population:
• Enforce and support children/ adolescents’ hotlines services in all governorates to assist them in case of emergency. This hotline should invite professional health teams in order to be able to respond to all students/ adolescents’ needs, questions and concern and provide counselling especially in case in bullying and violence exposure.
• Preventive awareness programs should be developed through primary health care services targeting children and adolescent and their families about bullying prevention and management.
Ministry of the Youth and Sports:
• Intensifying the positive impact of social activities as a very important step in helping adolescents improve and maintain social relationships.
• Providing affordable and low cost public spaces (clubs, gardens, playgrounds) to help adolescents and their families increase their social activities.
• Provide health education programs to orient children and adolescents on how to protect themselves from bullying and how to deal with it.
• Ensure continuous scheduled supervision in the youth clubs to prevent violence inside it and provide more penalties on the perpetrators of such acts.
Recommendations directed to families, and children:
• Raise family awareness toward prevention and proper management of bullying as well as the reporting mechanism.
• Maintain positive parenting controlling practices, responsive parenting style and mutual communication between parents and their children.
Future researches:
• Consequences of bullying on the students.
• Coping strategies of the bullied students.
• Effect of nursing interventions on prevention and proper management of bullying.