Citation

Crowley BZ, Cornell D. Psychol. Violence 2020; 10(6): 615-625.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/vio0000345

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Although both school bullying and sexual harassment have been widely studied, there is little research comparing their prevalence and impact within a single sample. The present study investigated three research questions: (a) What is the prevalence of bullying compared with sexual harassment in high school, and how does prevalence differ across gender, grade, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status? (b) How is bullying associated with student well-being indicators, as compared with sexual harassment? (c) What is the association of just a single experience of sexual harassment with student distress? Method: A statewide survey of 85,750 students (Grades 9-12) in 322 high schools reported how many times in the past school year they had experienced different types of bullying and sexual harassment. Participants also reported about mental health, risk behaviors, academic achievement, student engagement, and feelings of safety.

RESULTS: Sexual harassment was slightly more prevalent than bullying, but both demonstrated meaningful associations with student well-being indicators. Even a single experience of sexual harassment was associated with higher student distress, with experiences of sexual rumors being the most distressing.

CONCLUSIONS: Researchers should be aware that bullying and sexual harassment are prevalent in schools and associated with negative well-being indicators. Attention to either alone would not yield an adequate assessment of adolescent victimization experiences, and prevention efforts should consider both forms of aggression to provide safer, healthier learning environments for students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Language: en