Bullying Widespread in Middle School, Say Three Studies

VOLUME 30 , NUMBER 9 October 1999

Bullying widespread in middle school, say three studies

As many as 80 percent of middle school students engage in bullying behaviors, say researchers, who also point to an increase in such incidents when children move from elementary to middle schools. Three different studies on bullying were presented at APA's 1999 Annual Convention, Aug. 20-24 in Boston.

One study, led by Dorothy Espelage, PhD, Christine S. Asidao, and Shontelle Vion, of the University of Illinois at Urbaba-Champaign found that:

Many students tease their peers to go along with the crowd, but feel uncomfortable with their own behavior.

Students who are physically different (i.e., in race, body size, clothing) are more likely to be victimized, as are those who "are not good at things that everybody else is."

Those who report bullying other often state that they are bullied themselves. Another study examined the accuracy of teacher, peer and self-ratings of bullies and victims. Diana L. Paulk, Susan M. Swearer, PhD, Sam Song and pauleete Tam Cary of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln questioned 83 sixth-graders and six sixth-grade teachers about bully and victim behavior. They reported:

About 75 percent of students had been bullied, victimized or both bullied and victimized during th e1998-99 school year.

Students, more than teachers, overidentified other students as bully-victims rather than just bullies or just victims.

In a third study, A.D. Pelligrini, PhD, of the University of Minnesota and Maria Bartini of the University of Georgia used a longitudinal approach. They assessed bullying attitudes of 154 fifth-grade students, following up with them a year later when they had entered middle school. Measurements included self-ratings on bullying behavior and victimization; ratings on their own and each other's popularity, friendships and feeling of isolation; teachers' ratings of the students' behavior; and student diaries.

"Our findings do support that early adolescence witnesses an increase in aggression while youngsters look for new friendsips," said the researchers. "As soon as peer groups are formed, many of the aggressive behaviors subside."

- S. Kass

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