title: Bullying and victimization of primary school children in England and Germany: prevalence and school factors.
abstract: Differences in definitions and methodologies for assessing bullying in primary school children between countries have precluded direct comparisons of prevalence rates and school factors related to bullying. A total of 2377 children in England (6-year-olds/Year 2: 1072; 8-year-olds/Year 4: 1305) and 1538 in Germany (8-year-olds/Year 2) were questioned individually using an identical standard interview. In both countries the types of bullying to victimize others were similar: boys were most often perpetrators, most bullies were also victims (bully/victims), most bullying occurred in playgrounds and the classroom, and SES and ethnicity only showed weak associations with bullying behaviour. Major differences were found in victimization rates with 24% of English pupils becoming victims every week compared with only 8% in Germany. In contrast, fewer boys in England engaged every week in bullying (2.5-4.5%) than German boys (7.5%), while no differences were found between girls. In England, children in smaller classes were more often victimized. Further study of the group of bully/victims, schooling differences in England vs. Germany and implications for prevention of bullying are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, DWRU, UK. D.F.H.Wolke@herts.ac.uk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolke
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*