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Not Just Pushing and Shoving: School Bullying Among African American Adolescents
Author(s) -
Fitzpatrick Kevin M.,
Dulin Akilah J.,
Piko Bettina F.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00157.x
Subject(s) - odds , suicide prevention , intervention (counseling) , curriculum , poison control , injury prevention , psychology , human factors and ergonomics , african american , occupational safety and health , peer group , odds ratio , clinical psychology , medicine , developmental psychology , family medicine , environmental health , logistic regression , pedagogy , psychiatry , pathology , history , ethnology
Background: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of bullying among a sample of African American adolescents and the risk factors associated with odds that a student engages in bullying behavior. Methods: Using a self‐report school‐based survey, 1542 African American adolescents from a single school district (grades 5‐12) living in a midsized, Southern metropolitan region, were asked questions regarding bullying behavior and risk behaviors. A response rate of nearly 80% was obtained. Results: Our results indicate that bullying behavior was higher among this group of African American adolescents than reported for other general student populations (8‐12%). In addition, age, family violence, negative peer relationships, and behavioral risks all contributed to increased odds of students reporting bullying behavior. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of intervention at an early age. Whether the intervention is in a formal or nonformal setting, specialists along with teachers, parents, and siblings need to begin a multipronged approach (data collection, training/education of school personnel, curriculum development, etc) to address the causes and consequences of bullying among adolescents.