OBJECTIVE: Determining the prevalence and type of bullying in 13 to 17 year-old Brazilian schoolchildren and analyzing the associated factors. METHODS: Simple random sampling was used for selecting 525 schoolchildren. Data was collected by a single researcher using the Training and Mobility on Research (TMR) model questionnaire on bullying. Students who admitted suffering this kind of violence three or more times during the year the data was collected were considered as victims of bullying. The data was stored in SPSS and analysed using the Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests (p<0.05). RESULTS: The students' average age was 14.2 years old (±1.1); 54.1 % of the sample was female. 23.6 % of those surveyed were characterized as victims of bullying; most were aged 14 years old (27.3 %), male (31.5 %), in the 7th year of school (25.3 %) and no difference was found regarding when they attended school (i.e. morning or afternoon sessions). However, an association was found between gender and bullying at school (p<0.001). The most prevalent form of bullying was verbal (87.7 %) followed by relational (37.7 %) and physical bullying (19.7 %). CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of bullying, boys being the main victims; the predominant type of bullying was verbal.
OBJECTIVE: Determining the prevalence and type of bullying in 13 to 17 year-old Brazilian schoolchildren and analyzing the associated factors. METHODS: Simple random sampling was used for selecting 525 schoolchildren. Data was collected by a single researcher using the Training and Mobility on Research (TMR) model questionnaire on bullying. Students who admitted suffering this kind of violence three or more times during the year the data was collected were considered as victims of bullying. The data was stored in SPSS and analysed using the Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests (p<0.05). RESULTS: The students' average age was 14.2 years old (±1.1); 54.1 % of the sample was female. 23.6 % of those surveyed were characterized as victims of bullying; most were aged 14 years old (27.3 %), male (31.5 %), in the 7th year of school (25.3 %) and no difference was found regarding when they attended school (i.e. morning or afternoon sessions). However, an association was found between gender and bullying at school (p<0.001). The most prevalent form of bullying was verbal (87.7 %) followed by relational (37.7 %) and physical bullying (19.7 %). CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of bullying, boys being the main victims; the predominant type of bullying was verbal.