Experiences of school bullying, psychological well-being and stress in Northern Ireland: data from the 2004 Young Life and Times Survey

Conor McGuckin, Christopher Alan Lewis, Pauline K. Cummins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Little is known about the levels and psychological consequences of bully/victim behaviours in schools in Northern Ireland. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of self-reported experiences of school bullying, and the relationship between such experiences, stress and general psychological health. A random sample of 824 twelve- to seventeenyear-olds living throughout Northern Ireland completed a questionnaire booklet as part of the 2004 "Young Life and Times" survey. Respondents completed a bullying-related question, two stress-related items, and the GHQ-12. The data indicate that bully/victim problems are pervasive in Northern Ireland's schools, with 13% reporting being bullied "sometimes", "often", or "always". Also, involvement in bully/victim problems was associated with impaired psychological health in terms of increased stress and lower general psychological well-being. These findings are discussed within the context of the wider international literature on bullying.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)53-61
Number of pages9
JournalThe Irish Journal of Psychology
Volume31
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2010
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Aggression
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Northern Ireland
  • Organizational Policy
  • Schools/organization & administration
  • Social Control, Formal
  • Students/psychology

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