Bullying Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Trinidad & Tobago

Abstract

There is a dearth of existing research on the phenomenon of bullying among children in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region. This study used a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling to examine the frequency of various types of bullying (verbal, physical, relational, homophobic) among 489 adolescents (11-16 years of age) in seven secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. It was hypothesized that Trinidad and Tobago adolescents experienced more bullying than the global average (as so defined by the Global Bullying Database), and that verbal bullying was more prevalent than physical aggression. It was also hypothesized that participants would demonstrate low compassionate empathy for bully victims, that female participants would report more relational victimization than males, and that there would be a significant relationship between peer victimization, anxiety, and depression. Findings revealed that bullying rates in Trinidad and Tobago were lower than the global average, but within the expected range for the Caribbean region. Participants reported significantly more verbal bullying than physical bullying, with boys experiencing more homophobic teasing than girls. Girls reported significantly more relational victimization than boys. Low compassionate empathy attitudes towards victims of bullying were more prevalent, with a majority of participants sharing the belief that victims needed to learn to stand up for themselves. This study also found a strong relationship between bullying, anxiety, and depression, with male and female participants being at similar risk for poor mental health outcomes.