Author: Hani Alsihli
Alsihli, Hani, 2019 Responses to school bullying in Saudi Arabia and how these responses are reflective of educational policy, Flinders University, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
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Introduction: This research examines policies relating to school bullying in Saudi Arabia and how existing policies have been understood and applied.
Research Methods: An interpretivist theoretical perspective was used to qualitatively investigate school bullying. Four male schools and three female schools were approached and a total of 39 staff were interviewed. These staff members included teachers, social workers, principals and deputy principals. In addition, three policy officers from the Education Department were interviewed.
Results: Findings indicated that there was a general lack of understanding about school bullying, even though educators were aware of the existence of an official policy. Schools responded to situations of school bullying, when they occurred, by drawing on traditional methods of assessment and response rather than using more evidence-based practices.
Discussion and Conclusion: The outcome from the research has led to recommendations for improving the knowledge and training of educators to better equip them to respond to school bullying. These include educational sessions for teachers and students, training for school educators and an Education Department review of bullying policies.
Key words: bullying, school bullying, educators, policies around bullying
Keywords: Key words: bullying, school bullying, educators, policies around bullying
Subject: Education thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2019
School: College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Supervisor: Dr. Keith Miller