A minority of 13-year-olds who experience bullying-type behaviour tell someone about it

New research, published by the ESRI and produced in partnership with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE), uses Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) data to look at the experience of bullying among 9- and 13-year-olds both in and outside school. Only four-in-ten 13-year-olds who have experienced bullying-type behaviour (like name-calling or being excluded) tell an adult about it. 

Key findings:

How prevalent is bullying? 

• The findings show that the level of bullying reported reflects how children and young people are asked about their experiences.
• Four-in-ten 9-year-olds said a child or adult had picked on them in the past year.
• Asked directly about being ‘bullied’, 8 per cent of 13-year-olds indicated they had been bullied in the previous three months.
• When given a list of bullying experiences (such as being hit, being called names or excluded), most 13-year-olds (62 per cent) had experienced at least one of these behaviours on one or more occasion in the past three months, while 37 per cent experienced at least one type of behaviour repeatedly.
• Certain types of behaviour, especially online or name-calling, are more likely to be labelled as bullying by young people than other types, particularly being excluded by others.
• Those who were ‘picked on’ at age 9 are more likely to be bullied at age 13, highlighting the importance of early prevention and response.

Who is bullied? 

• Thirteen-year-olds with a disability, those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning and those who are overweight are more likely to have been bullied.
• Those with a disability, who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning, and who are overweight are the focus of more social kinds of bullying, including exclusion and name-calling, rather than physical bullying.
• Girls are less likely to be hit but more likely to experience being socially excluded or called names than boys. Girls are also more likely to have had nasty things said to or about them online or by text.

Who tells an adult? 

• Seventy per cent of those who feel they have been ‘bullied’ tell a parent, teacher or other adult, while this is the case for only 42 per cent of those who experienced bullying behaviour (such as name-calling or being excluded by others).
• Telling an adult is more common if the behaviour is interpreted as bullying and if it involves greater harm, particularly upset.
• Girls, those with a disability and those who are overweight are more likely to tell someone than other groups.

• Young people are more likely to tell someone about hurtful material posted online than other types of behaviour.

Bullying and adolescent outcomes

• Most young people who experience bullying behaviour report feelings of anger and upset, with between one-in-six and one-in-five indicating a lot of impact. Girls are more likely to say they felt anger, upset and/or afraid than boys.
• Those who were picked on at age 9 are found to have poorer wellbeing and higher depression scores at age 13.
• Poorer wellbeing and higher depression at age 13 are found among those who have experienced more frequent bullying behaviour and behaviour that involves the same person. Being excluded by peers is linked to both poorer wellbeing and greater depression. However, these patterns must be interpreted with caution, as wellbeing and depression are measured at the same time as the bullying experience.

Emer Smyth, co-author of the report, said: ‘Perhaps the most striking finding is the difference between how bullying is defined by many young people and by schools and other organisations. A significant proportion of young people experience bullying-type behaviour that causes them to feel upset or anger,  but do not define it as bullying and so are less likely to tell an adult about it. It is important that the language used within school and in out-of-school activities is sufficiently inclusive to encompass behaviours like social exclusion that young people find particularly upsetting.’

Merike Darmody, co-author of the report, said: ‘The findings point to ongoing challenges to the inclusion of children and young people with a disability who report higher rates of social exclusion and name calling. The more negative experiences of 13-year-olds who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning point to the importance of specifically targeting homophobic behaviour at school and out-of-school activities.’

Notes for the editor

1. Experience of bullying and bullying behaviours in childhood and adolescence by Emer Smyth and Merike Darmody is published by the ESRI (www.esri.ie).
2. At age 13, two sets of measures were collected: a direct question about having been ‘bullied’ in the previous three months; and for all adolescents, questions about their experience of bullying-type behaviour, including having been pushed, shoved or slapped; name-calling, hurtful slagging; had something hurtful posted online; and exclusion (being left out).
3. The wording in the questionnaire for 13-year-olds refers to being attracted to the same gender, both genders or no-one. The term lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning (LGBQ) is used throughout the report for ease of discussion and it is noted that this term may not reflect young people’s own identities.
4. Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) is the national longitudinal study of children, funded by Government. The project is managed and delivered through a collaboration between the DCDE and the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Contact

Emer Smyth, Research Professor, emer.smyth@esri.ie, 086 407 1851

Merike Darmody, Research Officer, merike.darmody@esri.ie, 087 279 0403