Prevalence of Direct Peer Bullying among Primary Schools’ Children in Holly Karbala Center

Abstract

Background: Bullying among schoolchildren is certainly a very old phenomenon. The fact that somechildren are frequently and systematically harassed and attacked by other children has been described inliterary works, and many adults have personal experience of it from their own school days.Subjects and Method: This cross-sectional study carried out on randomly selected 450 elementary schools’students in 5th and 6th classes 222 males, 228 females in holly Karbala city, province in academic year 2015- 2016. Data were collected by using a standardized questionnaire.Result: Overall prevalence rate of peer bullying was 33.8% and the prevalence of victims was 25.3%.Results of current study show that there is statistical significant association between bullying and gender, thebullying is more common in males students 38.7% than female 28.89%, while 19.8 % males, 30.7% femaleswere victims of this behavior, this difference is statically significant also the study revealed that bulling wasprevalent in poor families.Conclusion: Peerbulling is highly prevalent in primary schools in holly Karbala city, Iraq, compared tomany countries, there were positive association between bulling and male students,poverty, low schoolachievement.