School Bullying Among Hong Kong Chinese Primary Schoolchildren

Abstract

The first comprehensive survey of 7,025 Chinese primary schoolchildren found that 24% of respondents reported that they had sometimes physically bullied another child. When children observed school bullying, 56% said they immediately reported it to their teachers. Another 20% tried to stop the bullying by approaching the bullies. The study also identified factors associated with bullying. These included coming from an adverse psychosocial background and having more contact with violent values through association with deviant peers and exposure to the mass media. On the basis of the research findings, potential methods of bullying intervention are discussed.

Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying in Chinese societies: Prevalence and a review of the whole-school intervention approach

“…In Hong Kong, the prevalence rate of self-reported school bullying victimization ranged from 20% to 62% (Wong, 2004;Wong, Lok, Lo, & Ma, 2008); while bullying perpetration at school was found to range between 19% and 56% for different types of peer victimization (Ng & Tsang, 2008;Wong, Cheng, Ngan, & Ma, 2011;Wong et al, 2008a). Among others, verbal bullying was reported to be the most prevalent type of bullying behaviors in Ng and Tsang's (2008) sample of 366 secondary school students.…”

Differential influences of affective factors and contextual factors on high-proficiency readers and low-proficiency readers: a multilevel analysis of PIRLS data from Hong Kong

“…This finding may reflect the lesser prevalence of student misconduct and school violence in Chinese societies in the East than in societies in the West (Greenberger et al 2000;Stewart et al 1998;Wong et al 2008).…”

Where there is disrespect, you will find violence: The Demography of Child-on-Child Disrespect in Egyptian

“…In some schools, support from the management has led to a reduction in bullying. Chinese people are usually concerned with shame and humiliation, and shaming includes a lot of disapproving behaviors that comprise stigmatization (Wong, Lok, Lo and Ma, 2008).…”

“…Disrespect is considered to be a minor offence. Research by Wong, Lok, Lo and Ma (2008) has shown that among respondents in the 10-14 years age group, 88% find physical bullying unacceptable, 66% find social exclusion unacceptable, while only 46% find verbal bullying unacceptable. Usually child disrespect is a part of verbal bullying, and sometimes it is evoked for the purpose of social exclusion.…”