School Bullying Perpetration in the Context of Rural-to-Urban Migration in China: Developing and Testing Three Theoretical Models

• Main Author: Cui, Kunjie
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2020
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Educational sociology; Learning; Social exclusion; Social support; Suicides & suicide attempts
• ISBN: 9798505585030

Despite the growing number of studies on school bullying, certain gaps still remain in literature on the topic, especially in the context of rural-to-urban migration in China. For one, previous research on school bullying in China has remained scattered due to their lacking of theoretical bases. For another, only a few of those models verified or partially verified in Western countries have been applied to the Chinese social context. Beyond that, theoretical models of school bullying have rarely been examined across different groups (e.g., migrant and non-migrant groups). Thus, to fill part of those gaps, this doctoral study developed and tested three theoretical models to examine school bullying perpetration across migrant and non-migrant children. Three independent but inter-related academic papers were compiled in this thesis based on three specific theories, each responding to particular research questions.Drawing from stress process theory, Paper 1 addresses two research questions: (1) How does migrant status influence children’s bullying perpetration, and (2) how do family support and community support mediate the effects of migrant status on bullying perpetration? Next, applying the social structure and social learning theory, Paper 2 addresses another two questions: (3) How do bystanders’ pro-bullying and defending behaviors mediate the effects of teacher–student relationships, student–student relationships, and school safety on children’s bullying perpetration, and (4) how does migrant status moderate the inter-relationships between teacher–student relationships, student–student relationships, school safety, bystanders’ pro-bullying behavior, bystanders’ defending behavior, and bullying perpetration? Last, adopting an integrated general strain theory, Paper 3 addresses a final pair of questions: (5) How do negative emotions, attitudes toward bullying, and attachment to school mediate the effects of low grades, unpopularity among peers, and bullying victimization on children’s bullying perpetration, and (6) how does migrant status moderate the inter-relationships between low grades, unpopularity among peers, bullying victimization, negative emotions, attitudes toward bullying, attachment to school, and bullying perpetration?Using a quantitative method and drawing from a sample of 1,747 children living in Guangzhou and Nanjing, China, the research for Paper 1 revealed that migrant children were more likely than non-migrant children to engage in bullying perpetration. Also, compared with non-migrant children, migrant children were likely to perceive less support from their families and communities, both of which predicted more bullying perpetration. In addition, the research for Paper 2 demonstrated that bystanders’ pro-bullying behavior, not their defending behavior, mediated associations between student–student relationships, school safety, and bullying perpetration. Teacher– student relationships directly related to bullying perpetration without the mediating effects of bystanders’ responses. Last, the research for Paper 3 showed that attitudes toward bullying (i.e., a variable of social learning) and attachment to school (i.e., a variable of social control), not negative emotions, mediated associations between low grades, unpopularity among peers, and bullying perpetration. Bullying victimization was confirmed to be directly related to bullying perpetration without the mediating effects of negative emotions, attitudes toward bullying, or attachment to school. Both those results and the results in Paper 2 also indicate the theoretical framework’s applicability across migrant status, with certain paths differing significantly.In the context of Chinese rural-to-urban migration, the thesis develops and tests three theoretical models with reference to the stress process theory, the social structure and social learning theory, and the integrated general strain theory, to examine how out-of-school resources, in-school situations, and individual adjustment may contribute to children’s bullying perpetration, which can enrich current understandings of the causes, patterns, and underlying mechanisms of bullying perpetration. Moreover, the thesis extends the three theories to new subjects, populations, and cultures, thereby potentially fortifying their interdisciplinary and inter-racial applicability. It also encourages a concerted effort in social work practice and social policy toward preventing or intervening school bullying from multiple angles, including the community, the family, the school, the peers, and the individual. Also, such strategies should be deployed differently among migrant children. The thesis closes by suggesting a few directions for future research on school bullying.