Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence and effect
of bullying in a secondary school. Six hundred and fifty-nine student volunteers
completed a survey which included a quantitative component of 40 questions and
3 questions which required a written response.
The results suggest that approximately 1 student in 10 was involved in
a bullying situation either as a bully or a victim. As age increased, physical
bullying decreased whereas psychological remained high in the senior years of
high school. Boys were involved more in bullying than girls, especially in the
junior years. The effects of bullying could be devastating to the point of school
avoidance or early school leaving. The results also indicate that much of the
bullying was not being reported.
The implication for the education system is that more needs to be done to
prevent bullying, to encourage the reporting of bullying, and to deal with the
aftermath of a bullying situation.
