We examined the connections between attitudes, group norms, and students’
behaviour in bullying situations (bullying others, assisting the bully, reinforcing
the bully, defending the victim, or staying outside bullying situations). The
participants were 1220 elementary school children (600 girls and 620 boys) from 48
school classes from Grades four, five, and six, i.e., 9–10,
10–11, and 11–12 years of age. Whereas attitudes did predict
behaviour at the student level in most cases (although the effects were moderate
after controlling for gender), the group norms could be used in explaining variance
at the classroom level, especially in the upper grades. The class context (even if
not classroom norms specifically) had more effect on girls’ than on
boys’ bullying-related behaviours.
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