An exploratory study on the perceived effectiveness of teacher interventions in bullying: Insights from the students' perspective.

Background: Bullying remains a significant problem in schools, affecting student well-being. Teachers, as primary responders, are crucial in mitigating these effects. However, the impact of different teacher intervention strategies - as perceived by students - and the roles of teacher-student relationship quality and student involvement in bullying require further investigation.

Aims: This study explored how students perceive the effectiveness of teacher interventions in bullying situations and identified factors influencing these perceptions.

Sample: Data were gathered from 419 students (53.7% boys) aged 9-16 years (M = 11.66, SD = 1.71) across 66 classes in southern Spain.

Methods: Using latent profile analysis, students were categorized into three profiles based on their perceptions of teacher interventions: non-intervention, intermittent intervention, and consistent intervention. Multilevel multinomial regression assessed the associations between these profiles and perceived intervention success, considering student-level factors and classroom-level factors.

Results: Nearly, 70% of students viewed teacher interventions as effective, while 30% experienced ineffective outcomes, sometimes noting worsened bullying. The non-intervention profile correlated with ongoing or increased bullying, the intermittent profile with partial reduction, and the consistent profile with a higher likelihood of completely halting bullying. A positive teacher-student relationship emerged as protective, whereas bully-victim status heightened the risk of negative intervention outcomes.

Conclusions: Consistent, visible teacher interventions are key to curbing bullying. Although most students report positive outcomes, some experience unresolved or worsened incidents when interventions are intermittent or absent. These findings underscore the need for strong teacher-student relationships and tailored strategies for vulnerable groups.