Self-identified and peer nominated school bullying: Relationship with psychotherapy
Objectives: School bullying, the most common type of school violence and peer rejection, is associated with various behavioral, emotional and social problems. This study aims to examine: 1) properties of self-report and peer nomination in bullying; 2) properties of self, teacher and parents reports in psychopathology; and 3) compare the differences in psychopathological consequences of experiencing bullying by multiple informants, using a 10 month prospective study design.
Methods: Study Subject Sixteen hundred and fifty four out of 1756, 7th and 8th students (94.5% follow-up rate) participated in this prospective study. Measurement Study subjects completed Korean Peer Nominating Inventory, Self-report on school bullying, Korean Youth Self Report, and the demographic information. Additionally, parents and teachers of the selected sub-sample (N=330) completed Korean-Child Behavior Checklist and Korean-Teacher Report Form. Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis and Pearson Chi-Square test were performed.
Result: Correlation between self-report and peer nomination of bullying was minimal, only in victimization scores. All three informants reported significantly higher psychopathologies in multiple areas in self only victims and self only victim-perpetrators, compared to other groups 10 months later. In perpetrators, adolescents and parents reported higher aggression, conduct problems and externalizing behavior problems in peer and self perpetrators 10 months later.
CONCLUSION: Current results suggest that self-report and peer nomination do not converge in measuring school bullying. Students who consider themselves as victims or victim-perpetrators regardless of the actual occurrence of the bullying are at the greatest risk for multiple psychopathologies, thus this group warrants careful clinical attention.