Bullying and social exclusion in Spanish secondary schools: National trends from 1999 to 2006

Abstract

Despite the interest in determining the severity of peer victimization in schools, resulting in many survey studies, few have explored the issue through representative samples in a country, and even fewer longitudinal studies have been carried out. In 1999, the first survey at a national-scale on school bullying was developed in Spain. The results provided detailed data of the forms of victimization experienced, done or witnessed by students, and their different incidence among boys and girls; along the different grade-years azand the type of school (state/private). A second study was carried out in 2006 in order to explore the possible changes in the incidence of bullying. The results presented here point to a decrease in the percentage of self-recognised victims and aggressors of certain types of bullying, while others remain in similar percentages after seven years. Immigrant students identify themselves more as victims compared to their autochthon schoolmates. Results are discussed in relation to the efforts to improve relationships in educational settings.