Author(s)

Amanda Brady

Date Approved

6-12-2015

Embargo Period

3-3-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. School Psychology-Professional School Psychology

Department

Educational Services, Administration, and Higher Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Allen, Terri

Subject(s)

Bullying in schools; School psychologists

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Abstract

Within education, bullying has been a prominent topic of discussion with regard to its effects on students and schools. In order to investigate the specific role of school psychologists in Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) initiatives, this study (a) analyzes the HIB roles of school psychologists and (b) the factors that influence their involvement in advocating HIB initiatives after the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act was passed in 2010. A survey was distributed to about 1,000 school psychologists in New Jersey and asked about demographics, specific roles regarding HIB initiatives, factors that affect their involvement, and satisfaction with their current role. It was predicted that the majority of school psychologists would hold a leadership role, while expertise, time, and administrative support would be influential factors. Results indicated that although more participants were involved in HIB initiatives, many were still not and the majority was not involved in leadership roles. In addition, expertise, time, and satisfaction did not differ across involvement groups, while administrative support did differ between groups. Overall, understanding the factors that affect school psychologists' role in HIB initiatives will assist in the effort to understand how to better utilize their skills in anti-bullying interventions.

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