Middle School Students’ Perceptions of Bullying

Abstract

Abstract This descriptive study explored middle school band students’ (N = 291) perceptions of bullying behavior. Research questions were designed to generate data regarding the frequency of physical, verbal, and socially aggressive acts self-reported by middle school students enrolled in the band class while in the band classroom, during band-related activities, as well as within the school setting. Using a researcher-modified version of Parada’s (2000) Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument (Cronbach’s alpha = .95 Perpetrator Scale / .95 Victimization Scale) with a response rate of 88%, adolescents in 6th–8th grade were asked to report the frequency of aggressive behaviors. Participants reported experiencing peer victimization more frequently outside of the band classroom than inside the band classroom. Male participants reported slightly higher frequencies of physical victimization than females and Minoritized band students reported slightly higher frequencies of social aggression than White band students. Results suggest that band students’ experiences with bullying behaviors differ depending on biological sex and self-reported race. Suggestions for future research and implications for the profession are discussed.