Bullying is a pervasive problem for American schools and American adolescent boys and girls, affecting a substantial portion of the school population, particularly middle school students. Currently, there is an absence of research about the possible influence of the social context on bullying, and more specifically about characteristics of school and classroom experiences that affect bullying. Utilizing Connell and Wellborn's theory that we have basic fundamental needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and through a socio-cognitive perspective, we have come to understand that human behavior is reflective of individual experiences in a social context. Needs are domain specific and contexts differ in the extent to which they meet individual needs.
Following three middle school students, categorized, perceived as bullies, primary data collection involved observations in 16 exploratory and academic classes, for each student. The nature and tone of the students' interactions with teachers and peers and classwork were recorded during classroom observations. Report cards, informal conversations with teachers, behavior referrals, and a student journal that included a Likert assessment about the students' quality of their school day provided additional data.
Results of the study indicate the three students had few positive classroom experiences. Based on their interactions many of the teachers seemed to perceive these students as problematic students. These perceptions seemed to be reflected in teacher actions on two levels: (1) the frequency of their interactions; (2) the nature of these interactions, more specifically, academic engagement, behavioral management, and interpersonal involvement. There were four observable patterns of teacher-student interactions. In some classes teachers interacted infrequently with these students, other teachers had a high degree of negative interactions with them, also there were teachers who interacted frequently with students in a professional manner focusing primarily on academics, and least common, there were teachers who interacted frequently with the students, addressing academic and personal needs. With respect to peer interaction, the students frequently reached out to peers and peers frequently interacted in a neutral manner, often ignoring the students, sometimes in a negative manner, and very infrequently in a positive way. The students wanted to learn. However, their psychological needs for relatedness, autonomy, and competence were not generally met in the classrooms, and was reflected in declining engagement, lack of enthusiasm, and increased off task behaviors. Since students' psychological needs were not met in the classroom, observed incidents of bullying, which were relatively minor in this study, could be viewed as a behavioral response to their lack of classroom academic and social success and an attempt by the students to be recognized, noticed and included by teachers and peers. These students, perceived as bullies by teachers, peers and counselors, were themselves victims of indirect bullying, excluded and isolated.
It is critical that administrators assist teachers to understand that they must meet the needs of their learners, both cognitively and psychologically, which seems to be too often unrecognized. This study also suggests the need for additional research to continue to look "inside" the classroom to further explore the experiences of students who bully.
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