NCJ Number
220202
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 51 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 495-509
Date Published
October 2007
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This research study looked at whether or not the predisposition for school bullying was directly related to conditions at home rather than to conditions at school.
Abstract
This research study found that the best method of changing bullying behavior would be to alter the way the child is treated at home. The findings showed that bullying was linked to treatment at home during early childhood and there was a significant link to bullying if the child experienced Physical Child Harm (PCH) at the hands of the parents. Because previous studies had inferred that early childhood victimization in the home could be linked to bullying, the researcher was prompted to look at the family and collect data about the relationships between PCH and bullying. The researcher surveyed a sample of 852 university students in Japan, South Africa, and the United States. A 50-question survey was created and 361 Japanese, 270 South Africans, and 221 American students submitted responses. The primary assumption was that students that had experienced physical harm by a family member would likely be involved with bullying behaviors as offenders and/or victims and that students that experienced physical harm by a family member would likely be involved in different types of bullying methods, especially physical methods, so survey questions were designed around these central beliefs. Limitations of the study are discussed. Figures, tables, references