Prevalence of peer bullying in secondary education and its relation with high school entrance scores

Prevalence of peer bullying in secondary education and its relation with high school entrance scores Objective: In this study, our aims are to investigate the prevalence of bullying and the relationship between high school entrance exam scores and the bullying cycle and to examine the risk factors of peer bullying in high schools. Method: High schools in one province were divided into three groups based on the entrance scores of their students (from a nationwide exam), and from each group, schools and classes were selected using simple random sampling. The data analyzed were obtained by administration of the Peer Bullying Questionnaire to 1,375 selected students. Results: The prevalence of bullying, victimization, and students’ participation in the bullying cycle were found to be 30.5%, 27.9%, and 42.0%, respectively. A statistically significant relationship between the bullying cycle status and school groups was observed. The risk factors of entering into the bullying cycle were identified as being a student of a school with a low entrance score, being male, being a student in lower grade levels, and being a student in a class with a low female-over-male ratio. Conclusion: The results of this study support the hypothesis that students in schools requiring a lower entrance score are more likely to be in the bullying cycle. This result may be useful in targeting bullying interventions more effectively.