Bullying at School: It's hard not to feel helpless

A sample of 422 students (212 males; 210 females) ranging in age from 5-15 years completed an interview regarding their experiences of victimisation at school. Conservatively, 6% were bullied ‘once a week or more’, while 91% of the sample had witnessed incidents of bullying at school. Nearly one fifth of the sample felt powerless to stop bullying. The findings also indicated a relationship between victimisation and external locus of control suggesting that one outcome of victimisation is a feeling of powerlessness or helplessness. The findings were discussed in terms of the mental health outcomes for victims of bullying.