Bullying is a known behavior with associated with a range of negative outcomes. This study is attempting to find what factors predict involvement in traditional or cyberbullying and whether there are similarities or differences among them. Data were collected from over 4,000 students in 3rd through 12th grade in a rural, southern, US public school district. Survey data was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Potential predictors of involvement in bullying included students’ perceptions of student involvement at school, school safety, school rules, self-esteem, liking school, gender, number of friends, and perceived teacher intervention in bullying. For both traditional and cyberbullying, students were then grouped into categories of "no involvement", "only bullied others", "only been bullied", "both bullied others and been bullied". Higher self-esteem predicted lower odds of all types of involvement in both cyber and traditional bullying. Higher perception of school safety predicted lower odds of being in the “only been bullied” and “both” categories for both cyber and traditional bullying. Liking school predicted significantly lower odds of traditionally bullying others. Finally, male gender and a higher number of friends predicted lower odds of being traditionally bullied. Results from this study indicate that predictors of cyberbullying also predict traditional bullying, but that there are additional significant predictors for traditional bullying. Prevention and intervention efforts should address these predictors. Particular emphasis should be placed on increasing students’ perceptions of school safety and building student self-esteem.

Authors:
Emily Schafer, University of South Carolina, United States
Matt Flege, Furman University, United States
Sue Limber, Clemson University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Emily Smith Schafer, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina, studies childhood trauma, resilience, and trauma-informed care. She teaches child development, intimate relationships, and international child advocacy.

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