Bullying is a universal phenomenon that exists worldwide and is seen as a harmful action due to the hurt and pain it can cause on its victims. This physical and psychology power trip comes in many forms from verbal abuse, physical aggression, and relational victimization (also known as peer exclusion). Thirty percent of school aged children are bullied at any given time during school hours, while 5-10 percent are bullied on the regular. Boys are more prone to become the victims and perpetrators of bullying, than girls.
Bullying was measured, the item used to determine the findings was a general question asking the participants how often did he or she experienced bullying during the school term. Later in the study another category of “never bullied” was added and the variable was recoded to obtain further results on bullying. Educational achievement was then measured a few years after the survey using a Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ). Symptoms of depression were measured using statements concerning the emotions and behavior of the respondent. Examples included statements such as, “I felt miserable or unhappy,” and “I didn’t enjoy anything at all.” The score was than summed to produce an array of symptoms with a score of 8 or more indicating that depression was present. According to the study, 27.3% of the sample had depressive symptoms.
The findings determined that bullying had a stronger impact on academic achievement for both male and female and that it negatively affected a male’s mental health. It also determined that males and females were likely to become victims of bullying, that it decreased with age and those with higher levels of social support from family and friends were less likely to have experienced bullying and school achievement wasn’t affected.
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