Prosocial Classroom Climate as a Moderator of the Link between Psychopathic Traits and Bullying

Abstract

The present study examines the effects of a prosocial classroom climate on the bullying behavior of students with psychopathic traits. Additionally the effects of age and gender on this connection were assessed. The study used a sample of 892 students, between 12-18 years of age (M = 13.852 years, SD = 1.524, 51% males), from four secondary schools in central Sweden. The variables were assessed using self-report questionnaires that were administered at two different time points, one year apart. Results showed that as the amount of reported psychopathic traits increased so did the reported bullying incidences. A prosocial classroom climate did not have any effect on the amount of bullying incidences reported by students with psychopathic traits, regardless of their age and gender. Age did seem to have an effect regarding the bullying behavior in the younger students with psychopathic traits, who reported more bullying than older students with psychopathic traits. Results, their implications, as well as the limitations of the study are discussed.