Background to the Research

• Although the international literature on the nature, prevalence, and correlates of bully/victim problems is burgeoning, it is apparent that this work on a country and region basis is sporadic in nature. Considering that NI is emerging from almost four decades of ethno-political conflict, comparatively little is known about the nature, incidence and correlates of low-level aggression, such as bully/victim problems among NI school pupils.
  

Research Approach

• This study aimed to supplement previous research findings by examining the prevalence of self-reported experiences of bully/victim problems among a representative sample of 6,297 11 to 16 year olds in NI who participated in the 2000 'Young Persons' Behaviour and Attitude Survey'. Three questions within the survey enquired explicitly about victimization. Across other non-explicit questions, respondents volunteered salient information about personal experiences of bully/victim problems.
  

Main Findings

• In response to the question 'Have you ever been a victim of the following - Being Bullied?' 43.3% of respondents reported that they had been a victim of such behaviours.
• In response to the question 'In relation to your own personal safety, are you worried about being bullied? '43.5% reported in the affirmative.
• Regarding the question 'How likely or unlikely is it for you to be bullied?', whilst 48.5% of respondents reported that this was either 'Quite unlikely' (22%) or 'Very unlikely' (26.5%), 19.9% reported that it was either 'Quite likely' (13.5%) or 'Very likely' (6.4%). Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23.1%) reported that it was 'Neither likely nor unlikely'.
• In response to the question 'If you don't usually eat a school dinner/snack why not? 15.2% of respondents reported that it was due to 'Other.' Of the 26 different themes of 'Other', 1.2% chose 'Bullying/fighting in the queue'.
• When asked 'Why do you think some children do not take a free school meal when they are allowed to take one?' 36 themes were generated from the 6,717 responses. The theme 'Bullied/slagged/teased/made fun of' was reported by 5.7% of respondents as the reason for this.
• Respondents who did not enjoy playing sports or physical activity (13.5%), were asked 'Why don't you like it?' Of the 48 themes that emerged, 2% of respondents reported that they 'Get laughed at/bullied by other pupils'.
• Respondents who did not enjoy physical education classes (12.1%) were asked 'Why don't you like it?' Of the 51 different themes, 1.9% of respondents reported that they 'Get laughed at/bullied by other pupils'.
• With regard to 'Policing', 0.4% of respondents reported that they had either spoken to, or been spoken to by, a police officer in relation to 'Bullying'.
• With regard to 'Personal Safety', 5.9% of respondents reported that they had been a victim. When asked to expand upon the nature of the victimization (72 themes), 0.5% respondent reported 'False accusation of bullying'.
• In relation to the question 'Why are you worried about your safety going into your nearest town centre at night - Other?' of the 25 themes that emerged, 3.4% respondents highlighted the theme 'Being bullied'.
  

Conclusions

• The data clearly indicate that that the incidence of victimization among the sample was high, with nearly half of all respondents reporting that they had been the victim of bullying behaviours. Such a high incidence of victimization clearly warrants further research, especially that which utilizes appropriate psychometric instrumentation across large and representative samples of pupils in the region.
• In a similar manner to the data regarding self-reported 'actual' experience of victimization, almost half of all respondents reported being 'worried'