Are some children more likely to be bullied than others?

According to a 1989 Scottish study of bullying, it seemed that children living with their father only or with someone other than their parents, could be more likely to be victims of bullying. Only children were slightly less likely to be bullied and children with two siblings were least likely. Social class did not seem to make a child more or less likely to be bullied, although children of parents with professional and managerial jobs were less likely and those with parents who were skilled manual workers were more likely.
.........................................

Comment

The small numbers in this study mean that these findings are very tentative. It may well be that families can have an influence on the likelihood of a child becoming a victim or a bully, but the quality of parenting may be more important than the number of parents or siblings a child has.
(Andrew Mellor)
.........................................

Article details

A Mellor (1997) 'Bullying in Scottish Secondary Schools', SCRE Spotlight Number, 23. Available from the Anti-bullying Network and to download online here.
.........................................

Author details

At the time of the study, Andrew Mellor was a practising teacher who had received funding from the Scottish Education Department to carry out this project. He has been actively involved in anti-bullying work in Scotland for almost 15 years, speaking at conferences, writing for academic and non-academic audiences and running in-service courses for teachers. He is now manager of the Anti-Bullying Network, which is funded by the Scottish Executive and based at The University of Edinburgh.
.........................................