Peer Victimization among Young Children in Jordan and their Coping Strategies

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-perceived peer victimization among early elementary school children in Jordan. The study also aimed at finding out the school settings where most victimization acts occur, the characteristics of the perpetrators, and the coping strategies of the victimized children. Methods: To achieve the study purposes, 242 students from first, second, and third grades were included in this study. For data collection purposes, an 18-item questionnaire was constructed to measure the prevalence of physical, verbal, and psychological victimization amongst the study participants. Collected data was then analyzed quantitatively using frequencies and percentages. Results: Results of the current study revealed that high percentages of students reported being cursed, hit, threatened, and prevented from playing with others. Psychological victimization was the most prevalent form (53.1%) followed by physical victimization (49.3 %) and verbal victimization (37.26 %). Furthermore, this study found that the classroom and the school yard are potential victimization settings, most forms of victimization were performed by boys of the same age group of the victims, and most victimized participants responded by complaining to their teachers or by doing nothing. Recommendations: In light of the findings, the study recommended that schools should adopt research-evident strategies and programs of victimization prevention in addition to conducting further research related to the topic of the study.