Please contact Ken Rigby on 08 83021371 for further infotmation or email ken.rigby@unisa.edu.au
Questionnaires serve a useful purpose in providing information about the nature and prevalence of bullying in schools. I can recommend the following:
This was devised by Drs Rigby and Slee in 1993. It is a comprehensive research questionnaire suitable for students aged 8 to 18 years, takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, and focuses mainly on bullying. Over 80 Australian schools have used it and have provided data from over 38,000 students. Because of its length and complexity, computer based analyses are needed to obtain comprehensive results. A critical review of the PRQ was undertaken in 1995 by Independent Education, July Edition, page 5. It concludes:
Given that awareness of the nature and extent of bullying is fundamental to countering such behaviour and in developing a positive, peaceful school climate, the PRQ survey and manual appear to be a worthwhile investment for a school community.
A manual is available for the PRQ providing a comprehensive analysis of results obtained for Australian students, cross-tabulated according to age, gender and type of school. The manual also contains information based upon psychometric analyses supporting the validity of the key measures. An article drawing upon the results was published in 1997 in Children Australia entitled: What children tell us about bullying in schools (Rigby, K., 1997, 22, 2, pp 28-34)
Link to content of the PRQ
These questionnaires are shorter and of more practical value for schools wishing to examine the nature of students’ peer relations in their school. The package includes questionnaires for students, teachers and parents.
1. Questionnaire for Students. There are two versions. One is for older students (over 8 years containing printed questions. The other is for younger students (8 years and younger) and includes visual images and simpler questions, together with instructions on how administrators can help. Examples of illustrations from Questionnaires.
2. Questionnaire for Teachers. This is to enable the staff of a school to provide information anonymously about their perceptions and judgments regarding bullying at their school and their preferred ways of dealing with it.3. Questionnaire for Parents. This provides the opportunity for parents of students to report on their children's experiences of school bullying and express their views on how they think bullying should be countered.
The PRAQs for students cover much the same ground as the PRQ, but are much shorter and involve much less work in summarising the results. With an appropriate division of labour in a school, the results can be obtained without the use of a computer; then presented to meetings and used in the development of a school's anti-bullying policy. Background information and aids to facilitate summarising results are also provided The addition of parent and teacher questionnaires enables a school to gain a wider perspective on the issue. The additional information from these sources is particularly useful in examining policy issues.
Evaluation
The PRAQs have been used by over 1000 schools in Australia, as well as by schools overseas, as a preliminary step towards developing appropriate and effective anti-bullying policies and practices. In 2003, principals at 40 Australian schools that had used the questionnaire were interviewed and questioned about its value to them. The results were published in Rigby, K and Thomas, E.B (2003): ”How schools counter bullying: policies and procedures in selected Australian schools.”
The results were a real 'eye opener.'
The PRAQ had a huge impetus. It made the staff realise that bullying was a major issue in the minds of children
Results from the PRAQ produced an overall desire to face the problem in a unified way.'
It was an excellent way to get things going.
Use the PRAQ - it prompts reflection and pressures you along. The survey is recommended because it is illuminating.
Obtaining the questionnaires Please contact Ken rigby on 08 83021371 or ken.rigby@unisa.edu.au/bullying/ for further information
This is a short 20-item questionnaire, developed by Rigby and Slee (1993) assesses the prevalence of different forms of bullying in schools. It was first published in 1993 and has been used in later research projects around the world. Access the PRQ (Short Version) (PDF). If used further, please acknowledge the authors)
This measure was developed initially by Rigby and Slee (1991) and subsequently revised to produce a shortened version by Rigby (1997). Access Attitude to Victims Scale (PDF). If used further, please acknowledge the authors
A version of this measure was first
produced by Rigby (2003 ) and later modified by Rigby and Bauman and made available
through the NET. It has been used extensively in a number of countries including
USA, Canada, Australia and Germany. Access the Questionnaire at http://www.ed.arizona.edu/bullying.
A password - ‘ijime’ - is required.