The Role of Personal and Social Responsibility on Future Physical Education Teachers' Bullying Attitudes

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2025.180303

Keywords:

Bullying attitudes, bullying prevention, preservice teachers, responsibility, personal responsibility, social responsibility

Abstract

Although physical education provides significant opportunities to promote physical activity, the nature of movement-performance-based, multidimensional classroom dynamics can make students primary targets for bullying, particularly in areas such as gymnasiums or even changing rooms. Therefore, teachers' interventions and awareness are critical. To create effective anti-bullying programs for teacher candidates, this study examined the impact of personal responsibility (PR) and social responsibility (SR) on attitudes towards bullying. It also highlights the possible effects of gender, year of study, and teaching experience. A total of 164 Hungarian physical education teacher candidates (PETCS) studying in the 3rd to 5th years completed questionnaires. The majority of PETCs had a high level of positive bullying attitudes, PR, and SR. While there were significant differences in bullying attitudes at gender and year of study, no differences were found in teaching experience. A significantly strong relationship was found between SR and various attitude sub-dimensions. Analyses showed a predictive effect of SR, gender, and year of study on several bullying attitudes, while PR did not show any significant effect. Since attitudes are an important factor in creating a safe classroom environment, the focus of preventive and educational programs against bullying should include developing SR.

Author Biographies

Ceren Temiz, PhD student & Research Assistant

University & Department: Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest/Hungary

Program of Educational Science and Sports Pedagogy

István Soós, PhD, Research Professor

University & Department: Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest/Hungary

Department of Pedagogy

References

AHRC (2011) ‘What is bullying?’ Australia: The Australian Human Rights Commission. Available at: https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/commission-general/what-bullying (Accessed: 27 December 2024).

Amanaki, E. and Galanaki, E. P. (2014) Prospective teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about school bullying, Proceedings of the 16th European Conference on Developmental Psychology. Lausanne, Switzerland: Medimond International Publishers. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363520938_Prospective_teachers{textquoteright}_knowledge_attitudes_and_beliefs_about_school_bullying$#$fullTextFileContent.

Ball, L. et al. (2022) ‘Bullying in physical education of children and youth with visual impairments: A systematic review’, British Journal of Visual Impairment, 40(3), pp. 513–529. doi: 10.1177/02646196211009927.

Banas, J. R. (2015) ‘Preservice teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards different types of bullying and the likelihood they will intervene’, Northwest Journal of Teacher Education, 12(1). doi: 10.15760/nwjte.2015.12.1.2.

Begotti, T., Tirassa, M. and Acquadro Maran, D. (2017) ‘School bullying episodes: Attitudes and intervention in pre-service and in-service Italian teachers’, Research Papers in Education, 32(2), pp. 170–182. doi: 10.1080/02671522.2016.1158857.

Bejerot, S., Ståtenhag, L. and Glans, M. R. (2022) ‘Below average motor skills predict victimization from childhood bullies: A study of adults with ADHD’, Journal of Psychiatric Research, 153, pp. 269–275. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.019.

Benítez-Sillero, J. D. D. et al. (2021) ‘Relationship between amount, type, enjoyment of physical activity and physical education performance with cyberbullying in adolescents’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), p. 2038. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18042038.

Beran, T. (2005) ‘A new perspective on managing school bullying: Pre-service teachers’ attitudes’, Journal of Social Sciences, (Special Issue No. 8), pp. 43–49.

Borowiec, J. et al. (2022) ‘Victims and Perpetrators of Bullying in Physical Education Lessons: The Role of Peer Support, Weight Status, Gender, and Age in Polish Adolescents’, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(17–18), pp. NP15726–NP15749. doi: 10.1177/08862605211017257.

Boulton, M. J., Hardcastle, K., Down, J., Fowles, J., & Simmonds, J. A. (2014). A comparison of preservice teachers’ responses to cyber versus traditional bullying scenarios: Similarities and differences and implications for practice. Journal of Teacher Education, 65(2), 145–155. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487113511496

Burger, C. et al. (2015) ‘How teachers respond to school bullying: An examination of self-reported intervention strategy use, moderator effects, and concurrent use of multiple strategies’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 51, pp. 191–202. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2015.07.004.

Castillo-Retamal, F. et al. (2023) ‘Violencia en el territorio escolar: percepción del profesorado chileno de Educación Física en formación respecto a su preparación académica (Violence in the school territory: perception of Chilean Physical Education teachers in training regarding their academic preparation)’, Retos, 51, pp. 1510–1517. doi: 10.47197/retos.v51.101507.

Çetin, G. and Eren, A. (2022) ‘Pre-service teachers’ achievement goal orientations, teacher identity, and sense of personal responsibility: The moderated mediating effects of emotions about teaching’, Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 21(2), pp. 245–283. doi: 10.1007/s10671-021-09303-y.

Chen, L.-M., Chang, L. Y. C. and Cheng, Y.-Y. (2016) ‘Choosing to be a defender or an outsider in a school bullying incident: Determining factors and the defending process’, School Psychology International, 37(3), pp. 289–302. doi: 10.1177/0143034316632282.

Copeland, W. E., Wolke, D., Angold, A., & Costello, E. J. (2013). Adult psychiatric outcomes of bullying and being bullied by peers in childhood and adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry, 70(4), 419–426. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.504

Craig, K., Bell, D. and Leschied, A. (2011) ‘Pre-service teachers’ knowledge and attitudes regarding school-based bullying’, Anadian Journal of Education, 34(2), pp. 21–33.

Craig, W., Pepler, D. and Atlas, R. (2000) ‘Observations of bullying in the playground and in the classroom’, School Psychology International, 21(1), pp. 22–36. doi: 10.1177/0143034300211002.

Dawes, M. et al. (2023) ‘Preservice teachers’ knowledge and attitudes toward bullying: A systematic review’, Review of Educational Research, 93(2), pp. 195–235. doi: 10.3102/00346543221094081.

Dawes, M. and Lohrbach, E. (2025) ‘How do preservice teachers plan to respond to perpetrators and victims of bullying? A qualitative investigation’, International Journal of Bullying Prevention. doi: 10.1007/s42380-024-00274-1.

Dawes, M., Starrett, A. and Irvin, M. J. (2024) ‘Preservice teachers’ bullying attitudes and intervention likelihood: Differences by form of bullying’, International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 6(3), pp. 189–204. doi: 10.1007/s42380-022-00153-7.

De Luca, L., Nocentini, A. and Menesini, E. (2019) ‘The teacher’s role in preventing bullying’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, p. 1830. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01830.

Demol, K. et al. (2021) ‘Student attitudes and perceptions of teacher responses to bullying: An experimental vignette study’, European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18(6), pp. 814–830. doi: 10.1080/17405629.2021.1896492.

Eijigu, T. D. (2021) ‘Teachers reactions to children’s misbehaviours in North Western Ethiopia: A ground theory based analysis’, Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 31(5), pp. 557–570. doi: 10.1002/casp.2550.

Ellis, A. A. and Shute, R. (2007) ‘Teacher responses to bullying in relation to moral orientation and seriousness of bullying’, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(3), pp. 649–663. doi: 10.1348/000709906X163405.

Ellis, B. J. et al. (2016) ‘The meaningful roles intervention: An evolutionary approach to reducing bullying and increasing prosocial behavior’, Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26(4), pp. 622–637. doi: 10.1111/jora.12243.

Eren, A. (2014) ‘Uncovering the links between prospective teachers’ personal responsibility, academic optimism, hope, and emotions about teaching: a mediation analysis’, Social Psychology of Education, 17(1), pp. 73–104. doi: 10.1007/s11218-013-9243-5.

Eren, A. and Çetin, G. (2019) ‘Pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the teaching profession, curriculum orientations, and personal responsibility’, Curriculum Perspectives, 39(1), pp. 19–32. doi: 10.1007/s41297-018-00061-1.

Escartí, A. et al. (2010) ‘Application of hellison’s teaching personal and social responsibility model in physical education to improve self-efficacy for adolescents at risk of dropping-out of school’, The Spanish journal of psychology, 13(2), pp. 667–676. doi: 10.1017/S113874160000233X.

Fischer, S. M. et al. (2020) ‘Traditional bullying and cyberbullying among children and adolescents in Germany – Cross-sectional results of the 2017/18 HBSC study and trends’. doi: 10.25646/6902.

Fry, D. et al. (2020) ‘“They are teaching us to deliver lessons and that is not all that teaching is …”: Exploring teacher trainees’ language for peer victimisation in schools’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 89, p. 102988. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2019.102988.

Gizzarelli, E., Burns, S. and Francis, J. (2023) ‘Exploring primary school staff responses to student reports of bullying in australia: A qualitative study’, International Journal of Bullying Prevention. doi: 10.1007/s42380-023-00190-w.

Gladden, M., Vivolo-Kantor, A. M., Hamburger, M. E., & Lumpkin, C. D. (2014). Bullying surveillance among youths: Uniform definitions for public health and recommended data elements, version 1.0 [Report]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/21596

Goryl, O., Neilsen-Hewett, C. and Sweller, N. (2013) ‘Teacher education, teaching experience and bullying policies: Links with early childhood teachers’ perceptions and attitudes to bullying’, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), pp. 32–40. doi: 10.1177/183693911303800205.

Hendricks, E. A. and Tanga, P. T. (2019) ‘Effects of bullying on the psychological functioning of victims’, Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development, 31(1). doi: 10.25159/2415-5829/3939.

de las Heras, M. et al. (2022) ‘The relationship between personal variables and perceived appropriateness of coping strategies against cybervictimisation among pre-service teachers’, Sustainability, 14(9), p. 5575. doi: 10.3390/su14095575.

Horzum, M. B. and Ayas, T. (2013) ‘Exploring guidance counselors’ cyber bullying awareness level in terms of various variables’, H. U. Journal of Education, 28(4).

Huang, H., Liu, Y. and Chen, Y. (2018) ‘Preservice preschool teachers’ responses to bullying scenarios: The roles of years of study and empathy’, Frontiers in Psychology, 9, p. 175. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00175.

Ioannis, D. (2024) ‘Investigating the positive impact of physical education and sports programs: a mini review on bullying prevention, social responsibility development, academic performance, and prosocial behavior in adolescent students’, Journal of School and University Medicine, 11(02), pp. 12–20. doi: 10.51546/JSUM.2024.11202.

Jachyra, P. (2016) ‘Boys, bodies, and bullying in health and physical education class: implications for participation and well-being’, Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education, 7(2), pp. 121–138. doi: 10.1080/18377122.2016.1196112.

Jiménez-Barbero, J. A. et al. (2020) ‘Physical education and school bullying: a systematic review’, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 25(1), pp. 79–100. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2019.1688775.

Kahn, J. H., Jones, J. L. and Wieland, A. L. (2012) ‘Preservice teachers’ coping styles and their responses to bullying’, Psychology in the Schools, 49(8), pp. 784–793. doi: 10.1002/pits.21632.

Kallman, J., Han, J. and Vanderbilt, D. L. (2021) ‘What is bullying?’, Clinics in Integrated Care, 5, p. 100046. doi: 10.1016/j.intcar.2021.100046.

Kilicaslan, F. et al. (2023) ‘The prevalence of peer bullying and psychiatric symptoms among high school students in southeast Turkey’, Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 77(1), pp. 83–90. doi: 10.1080/08039488.2022.2134450.

Kovač, V. B. and Cameron, D. L. (2024) ‘Are we talking about the same thing? a survey of preschool workers’ attitudes and beliefs about bullying’, Child Care in Practice, 30(2), pp. 141–155. doi: 10.1080/13575279.2021.1951167.

Latané, B. and Darley, J. M. (1970) The unresponsive bystander : why doesn’t he help? New York: Appleton-Century Crofts (Century psychology series).

Lauermann, F. and Karabenick, S. A. (2013) ‘The meaning and measure of teachers’ sense of responsibility for educational outcomes’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 30, pp. 13–26. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2012.10.001.

Lavay, B. (2019) ‘Behavior Management: What I Have Learned’, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 90(3), pp. 5–9. doi: 10.1080/07303084.2019.1559646.

Lester, L., Waters, S., Pearce, N., Spears, B., & Falcone, S. (2018). Pre-service teachers: Knowledge, attitudes and their perceived skills in addressing student bullying. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(8), 30–45. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n8.3

Li, W., Wright, P. and Rukavina, P. B. (2008) ‘Measuring students’ perceptions of personal and social responsibility and its relationship to enjoyment in urban physical education’, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, (27), pp. 167–178.

Macaulay, P. J. R., Boulton, M. J. and Betts, L. R. (2019) ‘Comparing early adolescents’ positive bystander responses to cyberbullying and traditional bullying: The impact of severity and gender’, Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 4(3), pp. 253–261. doi: 10.1007/s41347-018-0082-2.

Mahon, J., Packman, J. and Liles, E. (2023) ‘Preservice teachers’ knowledge about bullying: Implications for teacher education’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 36(4), pp. 642–654. doi: 10.1080/09518398.2020.1852483.

Montero-Carretero, C. and Cervelló, E. (2019) ‘Teaching Styles in Physical Education: A New Approach to Predicting Resilience and Bullying’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), p. 76. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17010076.

Nickerson, A. B. et al. (2024) ‘Individual and contextual‐level predictors of progression in the bystander intervention model’, Aggressive Behavior, 50(4), p. e22159. doi: 10.1002/ab.22159.

O’Connor, J. A. and Graber, K. C. (2014) ‘Sixth-Grade Physical Education: An Acculturation of Bullying and Fear’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 85(3), pp. 398–408. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2014.930403.

Özbilen, F. M. and Canbulat, T. (2017) ‘Evaluation of the attitudes of the teachers towards school bullying and ıntraclass undesired student behaviours’, Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal, 7(57), pp. 1–5.

Pérez Ordás, R., Pozo, P. and Cruces, A. G. (2020) ‘Effects on aggression and social responsibility by teaching personal and social responsibility during physical education’, Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 20(04), pp. 1832–1838.

Peterson, J. L., Puhl, R. M. and Luedicke, J. (2012) ‘An experimental investigation of physical education teachers’ and coaches’ reactions to weight-based victimization in youth’, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(2), pp. 177–185. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.10.009.

Pozzoli, T. and Gini, G. (2013a) ‘Friend similarity in attitudes toward bullying and sense of responsibility to intervene’, Social Influence, 8(2–3), pp. 161–176. doi: 10.1080/15534510.2012.716372.

Pozzoli, T. and Gini, G. (2013b) ‘Why Do Bystanders of Bullying Help or Not? A Multidimensional Model’, The Journal of Early Adolescence, 33(3), pp. 315–340. doi: 10.1177/0272431612440172.

Richardson, J. T. E. (2011) ‘Eta squared and partial eta squared as measures of effect size in educational research’, Educational Research Review, 6(2), pp. 135–147. doi: 10.1016/j.edurev.2010.12.001.

Rigby, K. (2014) ‘How teachers address cases of bullying in schools: a comparison of five reactive approaches’, Educational Psychology in Practice, 30(4), pp. 409–419. doi: 10.1080/02667363.2014.949629.

Ríos, X., Ventura, C. and Prat, M. (2023) ‘“We’ve never studied bullying at university:” bullying-related beliefs, training, and strategies among physical education preservice teachers’, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 42(3), pp. 556–562. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2022-0124.

Roman, C. G. and Taylor, C. J. (2013) ‘A multilevel assessment of school climate, bullying victimization, and physical activity’, Journal of School Health, 83(6), pp. 400–407. doi: 10.1111/josh.12043.

Sağin, A. E., Uğraş, S. and Güllü, M. (2022) ‘Bullying in Physical Education: Awareness of Physical Education Teachers’, Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, 95(1), pp. 40–53. doi: 10.2478/pcssr-2022-0010.

Sánchez-Alcaráz, B., Gómez-Mármol, A. and Valero-Valenzuela, A. (2019) ‘Achieving greater sportsmanship and decreasing school violence through responsibility and sport practice’, Journal of Sport Psychology, 28(2), pp. 151–160.

Şen, Z. and Doğan, A. (2021) ‘An Examination of teachers’ attitudes towards bullying, their coping strategies for handling bullying, and perceived school climate’, TED EĞİTİM VE BİLİM. doi: 10.15390/EB.2021.8942.

Shahrour, G. et al. (2023) ‘The role of teacher-student relationship on teachers’ attitudes toward school bullying: a study from jordan’, International Journal of Bullying Prevention. doi: 10.1007/s42380-023-00194-6.

Soos, I. et al. (2025) ‘The role of motivation to promote personal and social responsibility through pe and sport: a comparative exploratory investigation of prospective pe teachers and sports leaders in Hungary and Spain’, Physical Activity and Health, 9(1), pp. 1–15. doi: 10.5334/paah.403.

Taber, K. S. (2018) ‘The Use of cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education’, Research in Science Education, 48(6), pp. 1273–1296. doi: 10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2.

Thornberg, R., Landgren, L. and Wiman, E. (2018) ‘“It Depends”: A qualitative study on how adolescent students explain bystander intervention and non-intervention in bullying situations’, School Psychology International, 39(4), pp. 400–415. doi: 10.1177/0143034318779225.

Twardowska-Staszek, E., Zych, I. and Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2018) ‘Bullying and cyberbullying in Polish elementary and middle schools: Validation of questionnaires and nature of the phenomena’, Children and Youth Services Review, 95, pp. 217–225. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.10.045.

Wachs, S., Bilz, L., Niproschke, S., & Schubarth, W. (2019). Bullying intervention in schools: A multilevel analysis of teachers’ success in handling bullying from the students’ perspective. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 39(5), 642–668. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431618780423

Watson, D. L., Newton, M. and Kim, M.-S. (2003) ‘Recognition of values-based constructs in a summer physical activity program’, The Urban Review, 35(3), pp. 217–232. doi: 10.1023/A:1025781603097.

Wei, M. et al. (2023) ‘Influence of a summer wellness program on bullying reduction among school-age children’, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 42(4), pp. 710–720. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2022-0111.

Wei, M. and Graber, K. C. (2023) ‘Bullying and physical education: A scoping review’, Kinesiology Review, pp. 1–18. doi: 10.1123/kr.2022-0031.

Wei, M., Richards ,Kevin Andrew and and Graber, K. C. (2024) ‘Physical education teachers’ perceptions of and strategies for managing bullying: The influence of socialization’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 95(3), pp. 625–634. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2023.2294088.

Wray-Lake, L., Syvertsen, A. K. and Flanagan, C. A. (2016) ‘Developmental change in social responsibility during adolescence: An ecological perspective.’, Developmental Psychology, 52(1), pp. 130–142. doi: 10.1037/dev0000067.

Yeşilyaprak, B. and Dursun Balanuye, I. (2012) ‘A scale for teacher attitudes toward school bullying’, Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal, 4(37), pp. 38–48.

Yoon, J., Sulkowski, M. L. and Bauman, S. A. (2016a) ‘Teachers’ responses to bullying incidents: Effects of teacher characteristics and contexts’, Journal of School Violence, 15(1), pp. 91–113. doi: 10.1080/15388220.2014.963592.

Yot-Domínguez, C., Guzmán Franco, M. D. and Duarte Hueros, A. (2019) ‘Trainee teachers’ perceptions on cyberbullying in educational contexts’, Social Sciences, 8(1), p. 21. doi: 10.3390/socsci8010021.

 

Additional Files

Published

2025-09-30

How to Cite

Temiz, C. and Soós, I. . (2025) ’The Role of Personal and Social Responsibility on Future Physical Education Teachers’ Bullying Attitudes’, Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 176–187. https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2025.180303

Issue

Section

Research Paper