Prevalence and correlates of school bullying victimization in Xi'an, China

This study used the data from a representative sample to estimate the prevalence of child bullying victimization in Xi'an, China. Data on social demographic information and the experiences of different types of bullying victimization were collected from a randomly selected sample with 3,175 middle school students aged 15-17 years by self-administrated questionnaires. t Test, χ² test, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to test group differences and examine the correlates of bullying victimization. Results show that 54.9% and 44.6% of Chinese children have been bullied in a lifetime and in the preceding year, respectively. Correlates for direct and relational bullying victimization includes male participants, father's lower education level, father's unemployment, having one or more siblings, smoking, depression, borderline personality trait, posttraumatic stress disorder, and from rural schools. Overall, the prevalence of child bullying victimization in China is substantial. The multiple correlates suggest prevention and intervention of bullying victimization in a holistic and comprehensive way.