Construct validity and reliability of Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire – Brazilian version

Abstract

The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) is among the few bullying assessment instruments with well-established psychometric properties in different countries. Nevertheless, the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version (Questionário de Bullying de Olweus -QBO) have not been determined. We aimed at verifying the construct validity and reliability of the bully and victim scales of the QBO. To achieve that goal, the victim and bully scales were assessed using polytomous item response theory (IRT). The best fit was obtained with a generalized partial credit model that is capable of measuring the specific discriminating power for each item in these scales. The QBO was administered to 703 public school students (mean age: 13 years; standard deviation = 1.58). Based on IRT analysis, the number of response categories in each item was reduced from four to three. Cronbach reliability scores were satisfactory: α = 0.85 (victim scale) and α = 0.87 (bully scale). In this study, hurtful comments, persecution, or threats had high power to discriminate victims and bullies. For both QBO scales, higher severity parameters were observed for direct bullying items. The results also show that the construct of both QBO scales measures the same construct proposed for the overall instrument. Thus, the QBO can be administered to different Brazilian populations to assess the main characteristics of bullying: repetition of behavior over time and intentionally acting to humiliate, threaten, or harm somebody.

Reliability and validity of the Japan Ijime Scale and estimated prevalence of bullying among fourth through ninth graders: A large‐scale school‐based survey

“…1d). This result was consistent with the studies of Breivik and Olweus 25 and Gonçalves et al 26 Similarly, we were able to confirm that the Witnessing subscale measures the construct of witnessing bullying with precision. The factor analysis of the Witnessing subscale showed that it has a single-factor structure like the Victimization subscale.…”

“…Similar to Breivik and Olweus and Gonçalves et al ., our scale's reliability and validity were confirmed using IRT models. In all items of the Victimization subscale, the values of the slope parameters were satisfactorily high and we thus confirmed that the Victimization subscale has sufficient discrimination power (i.e., the scale readily discriminates between students’ respective levels of bullying victimization).…”

“…Olweus also indicated that cyberbullying (a relatively new aspect of bullying that is treated separately in the literature) can be understood according to his definition . This was further supported by a Brazilian study and was suggested by Japanese studies, although these Japanese studies have not conducted a factor analysis to support unidimensionality.…”

“…The revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) is one of the most frequently used scales to measure school bullying. This scale was intended to incorporate Olweus's definition, with its reliability and validity established . In Japan, Morita translated and used the OBVQ to measure bullying victimization, perpetration, and witnessing, but did not test the reliability or validity of the translated scale.…”

“…This scale was intended to incorporate Olweus's definition, with its reliability and validity established. 25,26 In Japan, Morita 19 translated and used the OBVQ to measure bullying victimization, perpetration, and witnessing, but did not test the reliability or validity of the translated scale. Additionally, no other existing measures available in Japan have been tested for the psychometric property of the scale.…”