Peer victimization in Northern Ontario: the search for protective factors to combat reported health concerns

Abstract

This master’s thesis study looked to expand on the current body of literature regarding the potential role of social support for individuals who have been exposed to bullying. More specifically, the study examined how connected social support is to the concept of resilience, and compared levels of social support, levels of resilience, and health concerns between victims of bullying and those not involved in incidents of victimization. Questionnaires were completed by 112 students in grades seven and eight from two school boards in Northern Ontario. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire booklet consisting of four separate questionnaires. The Behaviour Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Child and Youth Resilience Measure, and a modified version of the Revised Olweus Bullying Victim Questionnaire were used in this study. The questionnaires were completed after a brief presentation on the definition of bullying, forms of bullying, and how students may be involved. Analyses showed that overall social support did not act as a buffer for total health concerns based on one’s bully status (victim versus not-involved). Social support and resilience were found to be moderately and positively correlated to one another based on selfreports. Lastly, similar to previous literature, victims had higher mean scores for health concerns, and lower mean scores for social support and resilience compared to the non-victim group. Therefore, all students may benefit from perceiving strong social support systems, not just victims of bullying. Prevention and intervention programs should include training for school personnel to expand support networks that are currently perceived as lacking by victims of bullying, especially with the results of this study indicating results surrounding negative health outcomes, lower levels of perceived social support and low levels of resilience for victims.