Students’ SEL skills, disciplinary practices and bullying: Relevance for positive youth development

Abstract

The extent to which SEL (socio-emotional learning) techniques were provided in schools as well as the level of students’ SEL skills is frequently examined in relation to different aspects of negative aspects of school climate (e.g. school bullying). Students (N=860, 40.4% male students) completed Delaware School Climate Survey scales at a single time point. The aim of this paper is to identify use of positive, punitive, and social-emotional disciplinary techniques, students’ SEL skills and its’ effects on school bullying. Additionally, mediation of disciplinary techniques in relation of students’ SEL skills and school bullying is explored. Research results are summarized as follows. Female students scored higher for Student SEL Skills (F [211.87] = 8.36, p = .004, η2 =.01), SEL techniques (F [156.30] = 4.35, p = .037, η2 =.005) and Bullying at School (F [106.59] =9.05, p < .003, η2 =.01). Age, gender, SEL Punitive and Positive Techniques explained 33% variance in Bullying at School. Teachers’ punitive disciplinary practice (β = .55, p <.001) positively predicted bullying at school, while SEL teaching practice negatively predicted bullying at school (β = - .24, p <.001). Full mediation of the link between students’ SEL skills and school bullying by all three teachers’ disciplinary practice is found (total indirect effect z = - 4.315, p < .001). Positive youth development (PYD) perspective supports minimizing punitive disciplinary practice at school, and maximizing SEL techniques in order to develop students’ SEL skills and prevent bullying.