Students' Perceptions of Bullying in Oklahoma Public Schools

Abstract

We studied perceptions of Oklahoma public school students (n = 7,848) regarding bullying. Specifically, we asked for their thoughts about the seriousness of bullying, the hurtfulness of bullying, their involvement in bullying (as victim or perpetrator), their responses to being bullied or seeing someone else being bullied, and what they wanted adults to do to make the situation better. Children who were bullied frequently worried more about bullying, thought bullying was more serious and hurtful, and wanted adults to do more to fix the situation. To improve the situation, children wanted adults to provide better supervision.

KEYWORDS:

• sexual bullying
• social bullying
• physical bullying
• and victimization

Funding for the study was provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant No. VF1/CCV619929-04 and administered through Oklahoma State Department of Health Injury Prevention Service.