Swedish teachers' perceptions and intended responses to bias-based bullying: variations across identity domains and school levels Show others and affiliations
2026 (English) In: Cogent Education, E-ISSN 2331-186X, Vol. 13, no 1, article id 2713847Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Drawing on Swedish data (N = 184) from an international vignette study, this study examines teachers' reported exposure to bias-based bullying as well as their perceptions and intended responses across four identity domains (ethnicity, academic ability, weight, and gender/sexuality) and school levels (elementary and secondary school). Across most outcomes, teachers' perceptions were largely consistent, with two exceptions. Victim blaming was higher for academic ability-related exclusion than for exclusion based on gender/sexuality, and elementary teachers reported higher self-efficacy to intervene in bias-based bullying. Furthermore, elementary teachers were more likely to endorse inclusion and victim support, whereas secondary teachers were more likely to endorse formal escalation and separation response strategies. These contrasts point to the need for professional development that accounts for both the specific nature of bias-based incidents and the structural conditions of different school levels. The findings add to the growing evidence that teachers' responses to bias-based bullying are shaped by educational context, but that many perceptions and intended responses are consistent across identity domains.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Taylor & Francis, 2026. Vol. 13, no 1, article id 2713847
Keywords [en]
Teachers, school bullying, bias-based bullying, teachers' bullying perceptions, teachers' bullying responses, Social Sciences, Education, Primary/Elementary Education
National Category
Educational Sciences
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-130616 DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2026.2713847 ISI: 001840359100001 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-130616 DiVA, id: diva2:2091470
Funder Åke Wiberg Foundation, H22-0102 2026-08-122026-08-122026-08-12 Bibliographically approved