BULLYING AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

Abstract

Introduction: Bullying is a form of violence that endangers well-being of children,youth and adults. It results from the interaction of multiple factors related to individualcharacteristics, relationships with peers, adults, and school or community expectations.Bullying in schools is a major public health concern which recently gained considerableinterest in the Arab world. The most serious consequence of school bullying is reductionin academic performance due to the perception and avoidance of school as an insecureenvironment. Aim of work: This study was performed in order (1) To determine theprevalence of school bullying behavior among governmental primary school studentsin Egypt, (2) To evaluate whether parental involvement is associated with peervictimization among students, (3) To understand how primary school teachers perceivebullying and how they act in response to it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectionalstudy of an Egyptian nationally representative sample of governmental primary schoolstudents was done (809 students). Main teachers of the classes were also included (83teachers). Different types of questionnaire were used including: socio-demographiccharacteristics, the Arabic version of The Peer Interactions in Primary SchoolQuestionnaire (PIPSQ) to collect information on both direct and indirect bullying,parental involvement assessment in the students’ lives by using the Arabic version ofGlobal School Student Health Survey tool and finally, teachers’ perception of schoolbullying. Results: Most of the students were in the age group 11 years old or over. Morethan half of them were both bullies and bullied others. Parental involvement was linkedto decreased likelihood of victimization. Most teachers agreed that the school playsan important role in reducing the occurrence of bullying and agreed that topics aboutbullying prevention must be part of the elementary school curriculum. Conclusion:  Involvement of the parents is associated with a decreased risk of victimization. Mostteachers had misperceptions about identification of bullying and its parameters.