Student Reports of Peer Bullying Victimization in a Rural School

Abstract

Three rural schools located in Appalachia, United States, were the site for this research study that examined the prevalence of bullying among children. A convenience sample of students in grades 3 through 8 completed the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Results found that of the 192 students included in this study, 158 children (82.3%) reported experiencing some form of bullying at least once in the past three months. This prevalence rate is substantially higher than the figures reported in other U.S. studies. Such a significant finding may confirm that school bullying is a bigger problem in rural communities than in urban areas. Given variations in the definition of bullying and measures of frequency, comparisons to other studies should be made cautiously. Instead, this finding should be viewed as a validation for further research rather than as a definitive conclusion.