NCJ Number
212489
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: 2005 Pages: 77-91
Date Published
2005
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article explored the underlying dimensions and construct validity of the Bullying Situations Identification Instrument (BSI).
Abstract
Over the last two decades, school bullying has been the focus of international research. The Bullying Situations Identification Instrument (BSI) was developed to explore the cognitive processes of school professionals related to the severity of bullying situations. In order to examine how school professionals cognitively perceive bullying severity, it is imperative to understand the underlying dimensions and construct validity of the BSI. The quality of the BSI instrument used in this study significantly impacted the quality of data gained and the interpretations that could be made from the results. The study sample consisted of 251 school professionals, ranging from age 20 to 67. The BSI was administered to participants at seven different sites in the Midwest. The underlying dimensions of the BSI were evaluated through a series of exploratory factor analyses to determine the optimal number of factors contained within the instrument. The results add support that cognitive difference does exist between experts and school professionals who work daily with peer abused students. The use of instruments, such as the BSI which contain fictional scenarios might prove to be good training tools to use with school personnel. References