Behavior Management, Bullying Victimization, and Weapon Carrying: An Exploratory Structural Equation Model

Presenter Information

Diana MindrilaFollow

Location

Measurement and Statistics - Boston 1

Proposal Track

Research Project

Session Format

Presentation

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between behavior management, bullying victimization, engagement in physical fights, and weapon carrying in the school setting. Data were collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics using the 2015 School Crime Supplement of the National Crime Victimization Survey. The sample was selected using a stratified, multistage cluster design and included 2,307 adolescents ages 12-18. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) with mean and variance adjusted weighted least squares estimation showed that engagement in physical fights (estimate=.402,t=2.117, p=.034) and bullying victimization (estimate=.326,t=4.857, pestimate=-.243, t=-7.855,pestimate=.034,t=6.056, pchi²=239.518,df=101, pchi²/df=2.37, RMSEA=.024, CFI=.988, TLI=0.986, WRMR=1.293). Results showed that teachers’ respect for students and behavior management strategies such as having fair and strictly reinforced school rules, student awareness of the consequences for breaking the school rules, and the consistent and unbiased application of these consequences can significantly reduce bullying victimization and consequent risky behaviors such as engagement in physical fights and weapon carrying.

Keywords

Behavior management, bullying, victimization, weapon carrying, exploratory structural equation modeling, ESEM

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Mindrila, Diana, "Behavior Management, Bullying Victimization, and Weapon Carrying: An Exploratory Structural Equation Model" (2019). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 46.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2019/2019/46