Classroom matters: The incidence of classroom climate on perceptions of peer intimidation and victimization [La sala de clases sí importa: Incidencia del clima de aula sobre la percepción de intimidación y victimización entre escolares]

Research on peer aggression (bullying) places emphasis on individual characteristics of aggressors and victims, and scarcely on context variables. This article provides evidence of classroom climate acting as predictor of perceived peer aggression. 444 students enrolled in sixth, seventh, and eight grade were administered instruments measuring self-reported and peer-reported intimidation and victimization. We analyzed the effect of classroom climate on these indicators. For intimidation, the regression model proved significant even after controlling for socioeconomic status, and explained 40.1 % of variance; and for victimization, 33.5 % of variance. Specifically, the dimensions of classroom climate associated with peer aggression were friction, satisfaction, and competitiveness. These results are discussed within the framework of research on peer aggression from a social-ecological perspective.