Bullying and victimization: prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression

Adolescence. 2003 Winter;38(152):735-47.

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of bullying and victimization among students in grades 7 and 8. It also explored the relationship of bullying and victimization to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression. Three survey instruments were used to obtain data from a convenience sample of 454 public school students. Twenty-four percent reported bullying involvement. Chi-square tests indicated significantly more male than female bullying involvement, seventh graders reported more involvement than did eighth graders, and there were no statistically significant differences in involvement based on ethnicity. Both bullies and victims manifested higher levels of depression than did students who were neither bullies nor victims. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of self-esteem.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Agonistic Behavior*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Black or African American / psychology
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Child Behavior Disorders / ethnology
  • Crime Victims / psychology
  • Crime Victims / statistics & numerical data
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / ethnology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mississippi / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Schools*
  • Self Concept*
  • Self-Assessment
  • Sex Factors
  • Students / psychology*
  • Violence / ethnology
  • Violence / psychology*
  • White People / psychology