Assessment of bully/victim problems in 8 to 11 year-olds

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to develop two six-item self-report scales (the Bullying-Behaviour Scale and the Peer-Victimisation Scale) to assess bully-victim problems at school. These scales were designed so that they could be immersed within the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC: Harter, 1985) thus reducing the saliency of the items. Internal reliability of both scales was found to be satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83 and 0.82 respectively). Data are reported on the association between scores on both scales and scores on the SPPC and the Birleson Depression Inventory (Birleson, 1981) with 425 children (204 boys and 221 girls) ranging from 8 to 11 years (mean = 9.2 years). Forty-six per cent of the children were classified as bullies, victims, or both: 22 per cent were classified as victims only, 15 per cent as bully/victims, and 9 per cent as bullies only.