Preventing School Bullying: Should Schools Prioritize an Authoritative School Discipline Approach Over Security Measures?

A common response to school violence features the use of security measures to deter serious and violent incidents. However, a second approach, based on school climate theory, suggests that schools exhibiting authoritative school discipline (i.e., high structure and support) might more effectively reduce school disorder. We tested these approaches on less serious, but more frequent, incidents of student victimization—physical, verbal, and relational bullying—using a nationally representative sample of 12- to 18-year-olds. We found that students in schools with positive school climates, as based on authoritative discipline theory, were significantly less likely to report bullying victimization. The security measures approach had no association with physical and verbal bullying and only a marginal association on relational bullying.