Main Article Content
Psychopathology of bullying and emotional abuse among school children
Abstract
The study was carried out to investigate the psychological effects of bullying on victims of bullying acts using self report method. Negative Act
Scale was designed and validated to assess experience of bullying among students. Also, Symptom Distress Checklist (SCL-90) was used to
assess manifestations of emotional distress among the respondents. The study was anchored on Social-Information-Processing Theory. Participants
for the study were obtained from both private and public schools in Lagos, including boarders and non-boarders aged between 12 and 19 with mean
age of 11. It was hypothesized that bullying behaviour will be more prevalent among boys than girls in both private and public schools. Also,
hypothesized was that bully victims were more likely to report more psychopathologic tendencies. The result showed higher incidence of bullying among boys than girls. It also shows significant correlations between bullying and all the 10 symptoms of distress investigated. The implication of the study is that there is need for proper monitoring of relationships and activities that occur among secondary school students, to prevent lasting emotional damage that can result from bullying.
Scale was designed and validated to assess experience of bullying among students. Also, Symptom Distress Checklist (SCL-90) was used to
assess manifestations of emotional distress among the respondents. The study was anchored on Social-Information-Processing Theory. Participants
for the study were obtained from both private and public schools in Lagos, including boarders and non-boarders aged between 12 and 19 with mean
age of 11. It was hypothesized that bullying behaviour will be more prevalent among boys than girls in both private and public schools. Also,
hypothesized was that bully victims were more likely to report more psychopathologic tendencies. The result showed higher incidence of bullying among boys than girls. It also shows significant correlations between bullying and all the 10 symptoms of distress investigated. The implication of the study is that there is need for proper monitoring of relationships and activities that occur among secondary school students, to prevent lasting emotional damage that can result from bullying.
