Inter-Ethnic bullying among children, moral cognition, and closeness with the teacher

• In Event: Peers' and Teachers' Responses to Inter-Ethnic Bullying: Attitudes, Contact, and School Climate

Abstract

Introduction. Inter-ethnic bullying refers to a type of aggression perpetrated towards peers who are considered as culturally different and who are victimized because of their belonging to a specific group (Camodeca et al., 2019; Killen et al., 2013). It is a serious phenomenon that threats social coexistence within multiethnic schools. Although the literature has identified several individual and contextual factors incentivizing this kind of bias-based bullying (Xu et al., 2020), the researchers still have little understanding of the unique and combined influence of moral disengagement and ethnic prejudice on inter-ethnic bullying. In addition, the role of possible protective factors in preventing this specific type of bullying remains unclear. In particular, there is a dearth of studies examining if the quality of student-teacher relationship might attenuate the association between moral disengagement and inter-ethnic bullying.
Hypotheses. In order to fill these gaps, the current work has investigated whether moral disengagement is associated with inter-ethnic bullying directly and through ethnic prejudice, and whether the closeness to the teacher moderates the link between moral disengagement and inter-ethnic bullying.
Study population. Data were collected from 646 Italian primary school children (52.1% males, 24.7% with migratory background, mean age = 9.07 years; SD = 7.05 months), and from their main classroom teachers (N = 40).
Methods. Self-report questionnaires were employed to assess moral disengagement towards an immigrant peer (Caravita et al., 2019), ethnic prejudice (Buccoliero & Maggi, 2008), and perpetration of inter-ethnic bullying (Palladino et al., 2016). Teachers evaluated their closeness with each student by completing the Italian version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS; Pianta 1994; Fraire et al., 2008).
Results. The mediation analysis indicated that moral disengagement was positively associated with ethnic prejudice (B = .31***). Moreover, moral disengagement and inter-ethnic prejudice were positively associated with ethnic bullying (B = .04*, and B = .04**, respectively) and the indirect effect of moral disengagement on inter-ethnic bullying through ethnic prejudice was significant as well (95% CI: .001, .025). Finally, the interaction between moral disengagement and closeness with the teacher was associated with inter-ethnic bullying (B = -.05*), revealing that a warm relationship with the teacher prevented students with high moral disengagement from engaging in inter-ethnic bullying behavior.
Discussion. These findings suggest that moral disengagement is a key factor in explaining children’s proneness to bully peers belonging to other ethnic groups or perceived as culturally different. However, its effect was partially mediated by ethnic prejudice. This result seems to point out that moral disengagement mechanisms are likely to reinforce negative attitudes towards out-group members which, in turn, seem to encourage inter-ethnic bullying. Furthermore, our results suggest that the children can benefit from a close relationship with their teacher, which is likely to discourage them from enacting aggressive behaviors towards peers from different ethnic background. Implications for research and practice, in relation to educational interventions aimed at both reducing discrimination and decreasing moral disengagement mechanisms, are discussed.

Authors

• Nicolò Maria Iannello
  Presenting Author

• Marina Camodeca, University of Udine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carmen Gelati, University of Milano – Bicocca; Milan
  Non-Presenting Author