Recess: A Study of Belongingness, Affect, and Victimization on the Playground

Abstract

Although it is well understood that relationships are linked to healthy development and academic success, research on socialization during recess is limited. From the conceptual framework of belonging, an array of established measures was used to create an online anonymous survey specific to recess. This survey includes modified scales for belongingness, affect, and victimization and discrete items about the social and physical setting. The survey was completed by 520 students from grades 4 through 8. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed an excellent fit of the belongingness scale to the data. Victimization related inversely to belongingness and positive affect and predicted negative affect and low belongingness. The article concludes with implications and recommendations for researchers and school-based professionals.