Contemporary society is undergoing rapid social change, during which increasing levels of aggression have become a growing concern. Education plays a crucial role in equipping individuals with the skills needed for peaceful coexistence, positive interpersonal relationships, and social solidarity. Although bullying has long existed within society, it often receives inadequate attention. In many educational settings, bullying remains a sensitive or avoided issue, as acknowledging its presence may be perceived as damaging to the reputation of schools and institutions where it commonly occurs.[1] UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has defined bullying as “School bullying is a damaging social process that is characterized by an imbalance of power driven by social (societal) and institutional norms. It is often repeated and manifests as unwanted interpersonal behaviour among students or school personnel that causes physical, social, and emotional harm to the targeted individuals or groups, and the wider school community.” [2] Bullying is a pervasive and harmful behaviour that manifests in multiple forms, such as verbal abuse, physical aggression, psychological intimidation, and cyberbullying facilitated through digital and social media platforms. Attempts to address and reduce bullying have been implemented across diverse settings, including educational institutions, workplaces, and broader social contexts.[3] Bullying during the secondary school years plays a significant role in shaping adolescents’ behavioural, emotional, and social development. Experiences of bullying—whether as a victim, perpetrator, or bystander—can influence self-esteem, peer relationships, academic engagement, and long-term behavioural patterns. Understanding the role of bullying in this critical developmental stage is essential for designing effective school-based prevention and intervention strategies. Survey findings suggest that bullying among school-aged children is a widespread issue across different countries. In the Indian context, approximately one in four children report experiencing repeated bullying, while about 43% of students have been affected by cyberbullying. Furthermore, a multinational survey conducted by Microsoft in 2012, encompassing 25 countries, placed India third in terms of reported incidents of online bullying.[4] A survey conducted in Siliguri revealed that nearly 75.5% of school children were bullied (sometimes or always) indicating high frequency of occurrence of bullying among school children.[5] This article aims to highlight the current situation of aggression and bullying in school environments. Recognizing the significance of aggression prevention is particularly important for secondary school teachers, as early identification and timely intervention are essential for effective action. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim to determine the prevalence of bully involvement among school children in Jabalpur city.

This cross-sectional survey-based study included school children from class 6th to class 10th across 3 government schools of Jabalpur, M.P., India. This study was conducted after receiving approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. The school authorities (Principal) were contacted and an explanation of the purpose and utility of the study was given. Before initiating the study, the parents of the school children were contacted to obtain their permission as most of the children were minors. Sample size and sampling technique The sample size was calculated using the following formula: Sample size = Z1-α/2 2 x P (1-P) d2 where, Z1 α/2 = Is standard normal variate, at 5% type 1 error (P<.05), it is 1.96. P= Proportion of the population having the disease. For this study, P was taken as 70.0% (prevalence of bully involvement) based on previous research by Patel V et al., 2020.[6] d = Absolute error or precision, assumed to be 5%. Sample size = (1.96)2 X 0.70 (1-0.7)/ (0.5)2 = 322 The minimum required sample size was 322. Therefore, 450 school children (more than minimum required) were included in the study. The selection of schools was done using random sampling. Three schools were randomly selected from the list of the government schools of Jabalpur city. Among the students from 6th to 10th grade, equal number of children were selected using stratified random sampling (considering each class as a strata) such that 150 children from each school and 50 children from each class were randomly selected. The assessment of bullying was done using Bullying Prevalence Questionnaire (BPQ) which is a self-report instrument developed by Ken Rigby and Phillip Slee in 1993.[7] The BPQ was translated into Hindi to ensure linguistic and cultural appropriateness for use among Hindi-speaking school children. The translation process followed a standardized forward–backward translation methodology. Initially, the original English version was independently translated into Hindi by bilingual experts familiar with psychological and educational terminology. This was followed by back-translation into English by separate translators who were blinded to the original version, allowing for comparison and identification of discrepancies. Necessary modifications were made to achieve semantic, conceptual, and cultural equivalence. The finalized Hindi version was pilot-tested for clarity and comprehension, ensuring that the items were easily understood by the target population while retaining the original meaning and intent of the questionnaire. The responses of the children were recorded in excel sheet and analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 30.0 version, IBM, Chicago.

Results of the study showed that the mean age of the participants was 13.18 years. More than half of the children (56.66%) reported sometimes engaging in bullying, while 32.88% stated that they never bullied others. A smaller proportion reported mostly bullying behaviour (10.46%), and none reported bullying consistently. With regard to victimization, the majority of children (66.66%) reported being victims of bullying sometimes, followed by 23.84% who experienced victimization mostly. Only 7.5% reported never being victims, while 2.0% indicated being victims consistently. In terms of prosocial behaviour, most children demonstrated positive social behaviours, with 59.7% reporting mostly prosocial behaviour and 19.11% reporting always engaging in prosocial actions. Only a small proportion of children reported never (3.0%) or sometimes (18.19%) displaying prosocial behaviour. [Table 1] The median (inter-quartile range) scores were as follows: bullying score= 8.0 (6.0- 10.0); victim score= 8.0 (7.0- 10.0); social score= 10.0 (9.0- 12.0). Table 1. Distribution of study participants based on bullying involvement. Number of children Percentage Bully Never bully 148 32.88% Sometimes bully 255 56.66% Mostly bully 47 10.46% Always bully 0 0.00% Victim Never victim 34 7.5% Sometimes victim 297 66.66% Mostly victim 107 23.84% Always victim 9 2.0% Prosocial Never prosocial 14 3.0% Sometimes prosocial 82 18.19% Mostly prosocial 268 59.7% Always prosocial 86 19.11%

Bullying has a significant and lasting influence on the behavioural development of children. Exposure to bullying, whether as a victim, perpetrator, or bystander, can disrupt healthy emotional and social development. Victimized children often exhibit behavioural changes such as social withdrawal, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and difficulties in peer interactions, while persistent exposure may lead to depressive symptoms and maladaptive coping strategies. Children who engage in bullying behaviours are more likely to display aggression, impulsivity, and poor emotional regulation, which may persist into adolescence and adulthood. Furthermore, bullying can negatively affect academic engagement, classroom behaviour, and the development of prosocial skills. These behavioural consequences highlight the importance of early identification and school-based interventions to promote healthy behavioural development and prevent long-term adverse outcomes. The findings of the present study are largely consistent with existing literature on bullying and related behaviours among school-aged children. In the present study, overall, the prevalence of bullying was 67.12%. In an earlier Indian study, Kshirsagar VY and colleagues reported that bullying was present among 31.4% of schoolchildren. Teasing and name-calling were identified as the most common forms of bullying. Physical harm was reported by 25 students (16%). Parental awareness of bullying was notably low, with only 24 parents (24%) recognizing that their children were being bullied. The study also observed that emotional and behavioural manifestations such as persistent sadness, a preference for social isolation, and frequent tearing of clothes were predominantly seen among bullied children. Furthermore, bullied children were more likely to report associated symptoms including school phobia, vomiting, and sleep disturbances.[8] Similarly, in the study by Ramya SG et al., bullying was reported by 60.4% of the 500 children surveyed. The prevalence of bullying was higher among boys than girls, with name-calling and mocking of physical appearance being the most frequently reported forms. Physical abuse was reported by 38 students. Parental awareness was limited, with only 39% aware that their children were experiencing bullying. Children who were bullied were more likely to report physical and psychological symptoms, including headaches, loose motions, fever, and depressive symptoms. Additionally, teachers were found to have limited awareness of bullying-related issues.[9] Mahat A found that 64.31% of schoolchildren reported being bullied occasionally, while 24.41% stated that they had never experienced bullying and 11.26% reported being bullied consistently. In terms of perpetration, 48.35% of children reported sometimes bullying others, whereas 30% indicated that they had never engaged in bullying behaviour and 21.59% reported doing so regularly.[5] In the present study, the median victimization score was 8.0, and bully score was 8.0. In the study by Mahat A, the mean, median, and standard deviation of the victimization scores were 12.23, 13.02, and 16, respectively. For bullying others, the corresponding mean, median, and standard deviation scores were 5.24, 5.58, and 9.54, respectively.[5]

The findings indicate that bullying and victimization are common experiences among early adolescents, with most children reporting occasional involvement rather than persistent patterns.

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