The Effect of Beliefs in a just World on Defending Behavior Against Bullying Among Upper Elementary Students and the Moderating Role of Classroom Climate

Objectives The purpose of the current study was to examine the influences of beliefs in a just world and classroom climate on defending behavior and investigate whether classroom climate moderated the relations between beliefs in a just world and defending behavior. Methods The participants were 194 children, 4th to 6th graders from 11 elementary schools. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and a hierarchical multiple regression. The moderating effects were explored using Johnson-Neyman technique. Results The outcomes of this study indicated that both belief in a just world for others and classroom climate had positive effects on defending behavior. The higher the level of belief in a just world for others, and the less likely to permit bullying the classroom, the more likely to show defending behavior the students. However, belief in a just world for self had no significant effect on depending behavior. In addition, classroom climate moderated the relation between belief in a just world for self and defending behavior; the effect of belief in a just world for self on defending behavior was greater when the level of classroom climate accepting bullying was low, compared to when it was high. Conclusion The result suggested that it could be an effective way to help students develop the belief that the world they live in is fair toward themselves and others. Also, it would be necessary to create classroom climates in which bullying is intolerable to encourage students' defending behavior. Keywords: elementary student, defending behavior, belief in a just world, classroom climate