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Reported predictors of conflict behaviors among seventh-grade middle school students
Abstract
Violence in and around schools has increased sharply in the 1990's (Boothe, 1993; Curcio and First, 1993). Over 282,000 students in the United States were injured in physical confrontations at school during 1990. In addition, verbal conflicts (arguments, threats, and name-calling) cause stress for staff and students (Gavstad, 1991). It was the purpose of this study to assess how attitudes toward friends affect conflict behaviors of seventh grade middle school students. Three hundred and twenty-eight students were surveyed utilizing the Index of Peer Relations (Hudson, 1982) and a modified form of the Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979) adapted from the YWCA's Women Against Violence Program. Behavioral referrals were also categorized for a nineteen-week period beginning August 18, 1994. Race and to a lesser degree gender were major predictors of receiving a behavioral referral. Black males (57.5%) and black females (35.1%) were more likely to be referred for inappropriate behavior than white males (28.2%), white females (7.5%), other minority males (22.2%), or other minority females (3.2%). Gender was also related to conflict tactics used. Data showed that females used significantly more "not physically violent" techniques to resolve conflicts than males. The Index of Peer Relations was a weak predictor of the number of different techniques used by students to resolve conflicts. There was a significant but weak correlation (0.20) between the number of types of direct threats of violence utilized by students and their Index of Peer Relations scores. Students self-reported many more incidents of violent tactics used with their friends than expected. However, there was no relationship between the number of types of violent behaviors self-reported and the likelihood of receiving a behavioral referral at school.
Subject Area
Secondary education|Academic guidance counseling|Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
Frampton, Patricia Ann, "Reported predictors of conflict behaviors among seventh-grade middle school students" (1995). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9604412.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9604412