Ludwig Bilz

Cross-national trends in perceived school pressure by gender and age from 1994 to 2010

BACKGROUND Pressure within school can be a critical component in understanding how the school experience influences young peoples intellectual development, physical and mental health and future educational decisions. METHODS Data from five survey rounds (1993/1994, 1997/1998, 2001/2002, 2005/2006 and 2009/2010) were used to examine time-, age- and gender-related trends in the amounts of reported school pressure among 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds, in five different regions (North America, Great Britain, Eastern Europe, Nordic and Germanic countries). RESULTS Across the regions the reported perceptions of school pressure did not change between 1994 and 2010, despite a temporary increase in 2002 and 2006. With the exception of children at 11 years of age, girls reported higher levels of school pressure than boys (Cohens d from 0.12 to 0.58) and school pressure was higher in older age groups. These findings were consistent across countries. Regionally, children in North America reported the highest levels of school pressure, and students in the Germanic countries the lowest. CONCLUSION Factors associated with child development and differences in societal expectations and structures, along with the possible, albeit, differential impact of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), may partially explain the differences and trends found in school pressure. School pressure increases alongside the onset of adolescence and the shift from elementary school to the higher demanding expectations of secondary education. Time-related increases in school pressure occurred in the years following the release of the PISA results, and were larger in those regions in which results were less positive.

Do Emotional Components of Alexithymia Mediate the Interplay between Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration

A substantial amount of research has revealed that cyberbully-victims have more emotional and behavioral problems than either cyberbullying victims or perpetrators. However, until now, little research has been conducted into the factors that contribute to the interplay between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cyberbullying victimization, perpetration, and two emotional components of alexithymia, namely difficulties in identifying and describing one’s own feelings. Self-report questions were administered to 1549 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old (M = 14.51; SD = 1.68; 42.1% (n = 652) male) from Germany and Thailand. Results showed that cyberbullying victimization and alexithymia are associated with cyberbullying perpetration. Moreover, alexithymia mediated the associations between cyberbullying victimization and adolescents’ cyberbullying perpetration. Consequently, we suggest that the ability to describe and identify one’s own feelings might be important for understanding the link between cyberbullying, victimization, and perpetration. The results may help develop prevention and intervention programs focused on reducing cyberbullying.

Wie gesund sind deutsche Schulen? Entwicklungstrends von 2002 bis 2010

This study aims to analyse the time trends of several conditions of the school environment (satisfaction with school, school demands, quality of instruction, classmate support) in Germany that are known to affect the health of pupils.We used the national German data of the Health-Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) studies conducted in the years 2002, 2006 und 2010. The time trends of these four var-iables are described by using linear and logistic regression analyses considering survey year, age group (11, 13, 15 years), gender, and school track as independent variables.We found an increase of the perceived quality of instruction and of the students satisfaction with school from the year 2002 to the year 2010. Furthermore, pupils report slightly less support from their classmates in the present survey compared to 2002. There are no changes in the reported demands.These trend results are discussed in the light of the impact of the PISA study and the efforts to implement settings-based health promoting schools in Germany.

Ängste bei Schülerinnen und Schülern

Angst gehort zu den grundlegenden menschlichen Erfahrungen, sie ist – so John Bowlby – eine „naturliche Disposition des Menschen“ (Bowlby, 1976, S. 113). Die Emotion Angst hilft uns, Gefahrensituationen zu erkennen und sie bereitet den Organismus physiologisch, kognitiv und motivational auf eine adaquate Reaktion vor. Zu den schnell einsetzenden physiologischen Begleitprozessen der Angst gehort u.a. eine Beschleunigung der Herzfrequenz und der Atmung, eine erhohte Muskelanspannung und vermehrtes Schwitzen.

Die Genauigkeit des Lehrerurteils bei der Identifikation von an Mobbing beteiligten Schülerinnen und Schülern

Gegenstand der Studie ist die Gute des Lehrerurteils bei der Wahrnehmung von tater- und opferbezogenem Mobbing-Verhalten. Gepruft werden das Ausmas der Uber- sowie Unterschatzung des Anteils der beteiligten Schulerinnen und Schuler, die individuelle Ubereinstimmung des Fremdurteils mit den Selbstangaben und der Einfluss verschiedener Moderatoren auf die Genauigkeit des Urteils. Analysiert werden Befragungsdaten von n = 85 Klassenlehrkraften und n = 1401 Schulerinnen und Schulern. Die anteilige Verbreitung von Tater- und Opfererfahrungen pro Klasse wird durch die Lehrkrafte leicht uberschatzt, die Ubereinstimmung zwischen Lehrer- und Schulerurteil auf individueller Ebene fallt gering aus. Einfluss auf die Genauigkeit des Lehrerurteils zum Taterstatus haben die schulischen Leistungen der Schulerinnen und Schuler. Die Ergebnisse werden hinsichtlich ihrer Implikationen fur den Umgang mit dem Phanomen Mobbing an Schulen und fur die Lehreraus- und -fortbildung diskutiert.