Investigation of the bullying observed at elementary schools in view of the perception of class variables and atmosphere

This research aims to investigate the bullying observed at elementary schools in view of the perception of class variables and atmosphere. For that purpose, prevalence and types of the bullying observed in classes is precised, victim and bully students are evaluated in view of the class variables and perception types of the class atmosphere are determined. The research is conducted upon 488 fourth and fifth graders, 239 girls and 249 boys, who attend to elementary schools during 2007-2008 academic year affiliated to Avcılar district Ministry of Education in Istanbul. In order to determine the prevalence and types of the bullying that students practice and are exposed to, inventories that are developed by the researcher, Bullying Attitudes Survey, half-structured Student Interview Form, Personal Information Form, Class Atmosphere Scale (Şeker 2000), Who Is This and Who I Am According To Whom, are used. When the research findings are evaluated as a whole, it strikes that the prevalence rate of the bullying observed among students and the number of students involved in bullying is quite high. The bullying types that students are exposed most is found out to be as follows: ?pushing? under the physical bullying classification, ?nicknaming? under the oral bullying classification, ?not accepting to participate in groups and plays? under the emotional bullying classification, ?hearing/saying sexuality contented words? under the sexual bullying classification. It is determined that male students are exposed to bullying and practice bullying more than female students do. It is observed that bullying and victim students from the ones involved in bullying have lower level of academic success, class atmosphere perception, and more pessimistic interaction between themselves and teachers and friends in view of what the students do not involve in bullying do. Key Words: Bullying, Class Atmosphere, Bully, Victim