Generally, peer victimisation is defined as the experience among children of being a target of

Question

aggressive behaviour of other children, who are not siblings and not necessarily age-mates
(Hawker and Boulton, 2000). Smith (1991) described the act as an unprovoked attack that causes
hurt of a psychological, social, or physical nature. According to Olweus (1994), peer victimisation
occurs when a student is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one
or more other students. These negative actions are not necessarily provoked by the victim and for
such actions to be regarded as peer victimisation; an imbalance in real or perceived power must
exist between the victim and the person who victimises him or her (Coloroso, 2002).
Peer victimisation takes two major forms. Sometimes it may be physical, as in fighting, punching,
pushing, kicking, hitting, strangling, beating, physical assault and direct vandalism (Hanish and
Guerra, 2000; Hawker and Boulton, 2000). More often, peer victimisation takes a non-physical
form. Non-physical victimisation includes a wide range of behaviour such as verbal abuse (Rigby,
1996), hurtful name-calling, emotional intimidation, persistent teasing, gossip and racist remarks
as well as social exclusion (Mishna, 2003). Many European researchers have studied the effects of
peer victimisation on the social and psychological well-being of its victims. In summary, the
studies showed that students who are victims of peer victimisation are at the risk of developing
severe psycho-social adjustment and emotional problems, which may persist into adulthood
(Olweus, 1978, 1993; Rigby, 1996; Pellegrini, 1998; Kumpulainen, Raesaenen and Puura, 2001).
Apart from developing psycho-social adjustment problems, research findings also suggest that
many aspects of victimised children’s lives may be affected. In a meta-analytic review of cross
sectional studies on peer victimisation and psychosocial maladjustment over a period of 20 years,
Hawker and Boulton (2000) concluded that students who are victimised by peers suffer a variety
of feelings of psychosocial distress. They feel more anxious, depressed, lonely and worse about
themselves than do non-victims.
On the demographic correlates of peer victimisation, gender and age factors are given prominence
by researchers. Most research findings on the relationship between age and peer victimisation tend
to conclude that bullying behaviour is more prevalent among younger children than older ones
(Nansel et al., 2001; Crick, Casas and Ku, 1999; Sourander et al., 2000). However, research
findings appear to be inconclusive on the peer-victimising experiences peculiar to different age
categories of school children.
Research findings have not been consistent on the relationship between gender and peer
victimisation. While researchers such as Olweus (1994), Nansel et al. (2001) and Crick and
Grotpeter (1996) found that boys report significantly more overt victimisation than do girls,
evidence from others such as Crick and Grotpeter (1995) and Crick, Casas, and Ku (1999)
suggested that girls report significantly more relational victimisation or socially hurtful behaviors
than do boys. However, Bjorkqvist et al. (1994) presented a theory according to which the sex
difference among adults in regard to victimisation appears to diminish or almost disappear with
the males ‘catching up’ with the female advantage.
In Nigeria, there is currently no reliable data on the prevalence of peer victimisation among
secondary school students. This study is therefore a pioneering attempt to investigate the
prevalence of the problem with a view to sensitising Nigerian researchers to the need for more
research in this area.

Brief summary of the relevant information in the source above

Answer 1

Peer victimization refers to aggressive behavior directed at children by their peers, which can include both physical and non-physical forms. Smith (1991) characterizes it as unprovoked attacks causing psychological, social, or physical harm. Olweus (1994) emphasizes the repetitive nature of these negative actions and the presence of a power imbalance between the victim and the aggressor (Coloroso, 2002). Peer victimization can manifest physically through acts like fighting or assault, or non-physically through verbal abuse, emotional intimidation, and social exclusion (Hanish and Guerra, 2000; Mishna, 2003).

Research has indicated that victims of peer victimization are at risk for serious psychosocial issues, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, with potential implications extending into adulthood (Olweus, 1978, 1993; Hawker and Boulton, 2000). Studies suggest that bullying is more common in younger children, although findings related to age and victimization experiences remain inconsistent (Nansel et al., 2001; Sourander et al., 2000). Gender differences in peer victimization are similarly complex; while some studies report higher rates of overt victimization among boys, others find that girls experience more relational victimization (Olweus, 1994; Crick and Grotpeter, 1995).

In Nigeria, there is a lack of reliable data on peer victimization among secondary school students, highlighting the need for further research in this field. This study aims to explore the prevalence of peer victimization in Nigeria to raise awareness among researchers about this important issue.