Inconsistencies of within-country prevalence rates of (cyber)bullying and (cyber)victimization in large scale cross-national datasets: Which role do different bullying definitions play?

Abstract

To protect children from bullying, it’s crucial to understand its prevalence rates in both in-person and online environments. Previous research documented substantial within-country discrepancies in prevalence rates of (cyber)bullying victimization when comparing the results of different cross national large-scale surveys. One explanation for these discrepancies is the use of different measurement approaches across these surveys. This study examines whether the type of bullying definition can shed light on the observed within-country discrepancies. Data gathered from 19 overlapping countries in two large scale datasets: EUKO (EU Kids Online) and HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) will be used. EUKO and HBSC differ in their definitions of bullying. The sample sizes are approximately 19.000 students aged 9-17 in EUKO and 85.500 students aged 11, 13, and 15 in HBSC. This study is pre-registered, and the multi-level analyses of the data is currently ongoing. By controlling for as many variables as possible that systematically varied between surveys, this study will elucidate the effect of the definition. The conclusions will help researchers recognize how different approaches of measurement influence the reported rates of (cyber)bullying and (cyber)victimization and aid policies and programs in getting an accurate understanding of the prevalence across various countries.