Student Reports 

of Bullying

Results From the 2001

School Crime Supplement

to the National Crime

Victimization Survey

Statistical Analysis Report U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

NCES 2005–310

Student Reports 

of Bullying

Results From the 2001

School Crime Supplement

to the National Crime

Victimization Survey

Statistical Analysis Report

July 2005

Jill F. DeVoe

Sarah Kaffenberger

Education Statistics

Services Institute

American Institutes 

for Research

Kathryn Chandler

Project Officer

National Center for 

Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

NCES 2005–310
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences

Grover J. Whitehurst

Director

National Center for Education Statistics

Grover J. Whitehurst

Acting Commissioner

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing,

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July 2005

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Suggested Citation

DeVoe, J. F., and Kaffenberger, S. (2005). Student Reports of Bullying: Results From the 2001 School

Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCES 2005–310). U.S. Department of

Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

For ordering information on this report, write to

U.S. Department of Education

ED Pubs

P.O. Box 1398

Jessup, MD 20794–1398

or call toll free 1–877–4ED–Pubs or order online at http://www.edpubs.org

Content Contact

Kathryn Chandler, Project Officer

(202) 502–7423

kathryn.chandler@ed.gov
iii

Acknowledgments

The School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey would not be possible

without the continued support for data collection given by the U.S. Department of Education, Office

of Safe and Drug-free Schools under the sponsorship of Bill Modzeleski.

Staff from the National Center for Education Statistics provided valuable comments and suggestions

on drafts of this report, including Jeffrey Owings, Tai Phan, Marilyn Seastrom, Marilyn Binkley, and

Carl Schmitt. In addition, Ann Ricciuti of the Institute for Education Sciences gathered and mediated comments from two anonymous external reviewers that greatly improved this report.

The authors would like to acknowledge Mike Planty, Sally Ruddy, Amanda Miller, Margaret Noonan, and

Martin Hahn of the American Institutes for Research, Education Statistics Services Institute (ESSI), for their

comments and guidance. Finally, the authors are grateful to Elina Hartwell, also from ESSI, for the artful production and layout of this report. 

v

Executive Summary

Bullying in schools is an issue that continues to receive attention from researchers, educators, parents,

and students. Despite the common assumption that bullying is a normal part of childhood and encompasses minor teasing and harassment (Lawrence 1998), researchers increasingly find that bullying is a problem that can be detrimental to students’ well-being (Nansel et al. 2001, 2003; Haynie et al. 2001).

Bullying is commonly defined as being “exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the

part of one or more other students” (Olweus 1991). Olweus also suggests that bullying can be characterized by two distinct forms of negative actions: direct and indirect bullying behaviors. Direct bullying

takes the form of overt, physical contact in which the victim is openly attacked. Indirect bullying takes

the form of social isolation and intentional exclusion from activities. Both forms of bullying, occurring

separately or together, can be harmful to students’ well-being and development.

This report examines the prevalence and nature of bullying in relation to student characteristics, school characteristics, and victimization. In addition, the report explores other behaviors that were reported by the victim, such as fear, avoidance behavior, weapon carrying, and academic grades. This report examines student

reports of being bullied by direct means only, bullied by indirect means only, and bullied both directly

and indirectly. Readers are alerted to the limitations of the survey design and analysis approach with regard

to causality. Conclusions about causality can not be made due to the cross-sectional, nonexperimental

design of the survey used. And, while certain characteristics discussed in this report, such as school

control, gang presence, security guards, and hallway monitors, may be related to one another, this analysis does not control for such relationships. Therefore, no causal inferences should be made between

the variables of interest and bullying when reading these results.

As reported by public and private school students, ages 12 through 18, in the 2001 School Crime Supplement

(SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), major findings include the following:

• Fourteen percent of students reported being the victims of bullying. In 2001, 14 percent of

students ages 12 through 18 reported that they had been bullied at school in the 6 months prior

to the interview (appendix B, table 1). About 3 percent reported that they had been bullied only through

direct or physical means, almost 7 percent reported being bullied only indirectly through social

exclusion or rejection, and approximately 5 percent reported being bullied both directly and indirectly.1

• Sex differences were not detected in most types of bullying. No measurable differences were

detected between boys and girls in reports of being bullied, directly or indirectly, in the 6 months prior

to the survey (appendix B, table 1). However, differences did emerge between boys and girls who were

bullied both directly and indirectly. Specifically, boys were more likely than girls to report being the victims of both direct and indirect bullying (5 percent of boys vs. 4 percent of girls).

1

Youth ages 12 through 18 were first asked “Have you been bullied at school? That is, has anyone picked on you a lot or tried to make you

do things you did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. Students were also asked, “Have you felt

rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect

bullying. References to “bullying“ include youth who reported they were either directly or indirectly bullied. Categories are mutually exclusive.

Directly Only, Indirectly Only, and Both Directly and Indirectly are distinct categories. Students appearing in one category do not appear in other

categories.
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

vi

• White, non-Hispanic students were more likely than Black, non-Hispanic students and Other,

non-Hispanic students to report being bullied2 (15 percent of White students vs. 12 percent

and 11 percent of Other and Black students, respectively) (appendix B, table 1). When reports of

indirect bullying only were examined, White students’ and Black students’ reports exceeded those

of Hispanic students (7 percent, 7 percent, and 4 percent, respectively). White students (5 percent)

were more likely than Black students (3 percent) to report being bullied both directly and indirectly.

• Younger students were more likely than older students to report being bullied. Students’

reports of being bullied (either directly or indirectly) decreased as grade level increased from 6th

(24 percent) to 12th grade (7 percent) (appendix B, table 1).

• Differences were not detected between public and private school students’ reports of being

bullied at school. No measurable differences were detected in public and private school students’

reports of being bullied, directly or indirectly, or in both ways (appendix B, table 2).

• Students in schools where gangs were present were more likely to report being the victims of bullying. In 2001, students who reported the presence of street gangs at school were

more likely to report being bullied (21 percent) than those who reported no presence of street

gangs (13 percent) (appendix B, table 2).

• Fewer students reported bullying in schools with supervision by police officers, security officers, or staff hallway monitors. In schools where a security guard or assigned police officer was

present, fewer students (13 percent) reported being bullied compared to students in schools with

no such supervision (16 percent) (appendix B, table 2). Fewer students in schools with staff hallway

monitors reported being bullied than did students in schools without such hallway supervision (14 vs.

18 percent).

• Victims of bullying were more likely to experience a criminal victimization at school.

Bullied students were more likely to experience any type of victimization (13 percent), a serious violent victimization (2 percent), a violent victimization (7 percent), or a property victimization (8 percent)

at school when compared to those students who were not bullied (4 percent, 0.3 percent, 

1 percent, and 4 percent, respectively) (appendix B, table 3).3 Students who reported only direct

bullying were more likely to be violently victimized than students who reported only indirect bullying (11 percent vs. 3 percent).

• Victims of bullying were more afraid of being attacked at school and elsewhere. Bullied students were more likely to report being fearful of attack at school at least some of the time 

(18 percent), on the way to and from school (11 percent), and away from school (12 percent) than were

students who were not bullied (3 percent, 2 percent, and 3 percent, respectively) (appendix B, table 4).

• Victims of bullying were more likely to avoid certain areas of the school and certain activities

out of fear of an attack. Specifically, bullied students were more likely than nonbullied students to

report the following avoidance behaviors: avoiding the shortest route to school (6 percent of bullied

students vs. 2 percent of nonbullied students); the entrance to the school (4 percent vs. 1 percent); hallways or stairs (7 percent vs. 1 percent); and the school cafeteria (6 percent vs. 1 percent) (appendix

B, table 5). Bullied students were also more likely than nonbullied students to avoid restrooms 

(7 percent vs. 2 percent), the parking lot (5 percent vs. 1 percent), and other places inside the school

building (5 percent vs. 1 percent) or other places on school grounds (6 percent vs. 1 percent).

2

For ease of presentation, White, non-Hispanic, Black, non-Hispanic, and Other, non-Hispanic race/ethnicities will be described as White, Black,

and Other.

3

Serious violent crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes include serious violent crimes and simple assault. Any crimes include violent crimes and theft.
vii

• Victims of bullying were more likely to report that they carried weapons to school and were

engaged in physical fights. Specifically, students who were bullied were more likely to report

that they carried a weapon to school for protection (4 percent), as compared to students who were

not bullied (1 percent) (appendix B, table 6). Bullied students were also more likely to report being

involved in a physical fight (15 percent), compared to nonbullied students (4 percent).

• Of those students who reported lower grades, victims of bullying were more likely to report

receiving D's and F's than their nonbullied counterparts. Bullied students were more likely to

report receiving lower academic grades, or mostly D's and F's, than their nonbullied peers 

(8 percent vs. 3 percent) (appendix B, table 7). Victims of both forms of bullying were more likely

to report mostly D's and F's (12 percent) than those bullied either directly only or indirectly only 

(7 percent and 6 percent).

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT

ix

Contents

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x

List of Standard Error Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Prevalence of Bullying in Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Characteristics of Bullied Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Student Reports of School Characteristics Where Bullying Occurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Bullying and Victimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Bullying and Victim Outcomes/Behaviors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Appendix A: Technical Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Appendix B: Estimate Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Appendix C: Standard Error Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Appendix D: 2001 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey

Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

x

List of Figures

Figure 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied, bullied directly 

only, bullied indirectly only, and bullied in both ways: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Figure 2. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by grade level: 2001 . . . . . . . . . .6

Figure 3. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by security presence and hallway

supervision: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Figure 4. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being victimized at school 

during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly only, bullied 

indirectly only, or being bullied directly or indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Figure 5. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported skipping school, class, or 

extra-curricular activities during the previous 6 months, by reports of being 

bullied directly only, bullied indirectly only, or being bullied directly and indirectly 

at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Figure 6. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported carrying a weapon for protection 

or being involved in a physical fight at school during the previous 6 months, by

reports of being bullied directly only, indirectly only, or being bullied directly and 

indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Figure 7. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported receiving different academic 

grades during the school year, by reports of being bullied directly only, indirectly 

only, or being bullied directly and indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

List of Tables

Table 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by selected student 

characteristics: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Table 2. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by selected school 

characteristics: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Table 3. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being victimized at school 

during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly 

at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Table 4. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported fearing attack during the previous 

6 months at school, on the way to and from school, and away from school, 

by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
xi

Table 5. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported avoiding certain areas of school 

and skipping school, class, or extra-curricular activities during the previous 

6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . .25

Table 6. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported carrying a weapon for protection 

or being involved in a physical fight at school during the previous 6 months, by 

reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Table 7. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported receiving different academic 

grades during the school year, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly 

at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

List of Standard Error Tables

Table S1. Standard errors for Table 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being 

bullied directly and/or indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, 

by selected student characteristics: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Table S2. Standard errors for Table 2. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported 

being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, 

by selected school characteristics: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Table S3. Standard errors for Table 3. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported 

being victimized at school during the previous 6 months, by reports of being 

bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Table S4. Standard errors for Table 4. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported 

fearing attack during the previous 6 months at school, on the way to and from

school, and away from school, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly 

at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Table S5. Standard errors for Table 5. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported 

avoiding certain areas of school and skipping school, class, or extra-curricular 

activities during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Table S6. Standard errors for Table 6. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported 

carrying a weapon for protection or being involved in a physical fight at school 

during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly 

at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Table S7. Standard errors for Table 7. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported 

receiving different academic grades during the school year, by reports of being 

bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT

1

Introduction

Students are victims of a spectrum of problem behaviors at school, ranging from minor disciplinary problems to criminal victimization (DeVoe et al. 2004). Bullying is one form of these problem behaviors that concerns students, educators, and parents because of its potential detriment to the students’

well-being (Nansel et al. 2001, 2003; Haynie et al. 2001).

Defining bullying is a difficult task; however, most research agrees that bullying comprises physical,

verbal, and psychological behaviors such as hitting, teasing, taunting, and manipulating social relationships (Banks 1997; Ericson 2001). The investigation of bullying is further complicated by the complex

dynamics of bullying scenarios and the developmental context for social development in which bullying plays a role. Further, aggression among youth often serves varied purposes for children at different

stages of development.

Hawkins, Pepler, and Craig (2001) found that peers were present in 88 percent of bullying episodes. Thus,

bullying frequently involves the support of peers within the school community and is often not an isolated event between two individuals. In addition, aggressive behavior, such as bullying, is expressed

differently over time and may change in purpose, as children transition from middle to secondary school.

As Cairns et al. (1989) discuss, patterns of, and motivation for aggression change over the course of childhood and cannot be examined independently of the developmental context in which aggression occurs.

Cillessen and Mayeaux (2004) found that physical and relational aggression, peer approval, and popularity were intricately linked, but that the relationships between these variables vary with age, gender,

and by type of aggression. While resolution to these definitional, contextual, and developmental complexities are unable to be addressed in the current investigation, this report provides a broad summary of

bullying reported by student victims in 2001.

Olweus (1993) has produced an instructive definition of bullying that includes three essential elements

of bullying behavior: (1) the behavior is aggressive and negative; (2) the behavior is carried out repeatedly; and (3) the behavior occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power between the

parties involved. This tripartite definition of bullying is now used by many researchers (e.g., Smith et

al. 2002). In a further refinement of the variety of behaviors that encompass bullying, Olweus identifies two subtypes of bullying that are used as the basis of this report. The first subtype is direct, physical aggression, and the second is indirect behavior such as social exclusion or rejection. Direct bullying

often takes the form of overt, physical contact in which the victim is openly attacked. Indirect bullying

often takes the form of social isolation and intentional exclusion from activities. Research suggests

that indirect forms of bullying are more often employed by girls than boys (Ericson 2001; Banks 1997;

Carney and Merrell 2001; Crick and Grotpeter 1995). Researchers of aggression stress the importance

of the distinction between its physical and social forms. Underwood, Galen, and Paquette (2001)

more recently coined the term “social aggression“ to encompass the less physical and indirect forms

of hurtful behavior. These authors discourage the use of the term “indirect” because the term implies

that the behavior does not involve direct or overt interaction with the victim. They also favor the term

“social aggression” as it more aptly targets the purpose of the behavior as harmful. Finally, they

believe that this type of aggression can be conveyed through nonverbal means, such as social exclusion and the term “social aggression” is more accurate.
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

2

For the purposes of this report, the term “indirect“ will be retained to show the dichotomy of behaviors being discussed and to maintain the conceptualization proposed by Olweus, recognizing that

more current conceptualizations exist in the literature. The term “indirect bullying” includes both verbal and nonverbal behaviors, and does not imply that the victim was unaware of the activity.

This Statistical Analysis Report provides estimates of bullying at school as reported by students ages 12 through

18 who were enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in the 6 months prior to survey administration. School-related

data are drawn from the 2001 School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey (NCVS). Data about characteristics of the individual (including sex, race/ethnicity, household

income, and urbanicity) and victimization are drawn from NCVS variables appended to the SCS data.

The NCVS is the nation’s primary source of information on crime victimization and the victims of

crime. The NCVS collects detailed information on the frequency and nature of crimes experienced by

Americans and their households each year. The survey measures both crimes reported and not

reported to police. The NCVS collects data on all members of selected households and surveys all who

are age 12 and above, for a total of about 79,000 people, every 6 months.

The SCS is a supplement to the NCVS that was created to collect additional information about schoolrelated victimization on a national level. It is administered for a 6-month period from January through June

in all NCVS households. The SCS is a nationally representative sample of students ages 12 through 18 and

has been administered in 1989, 1995, 1999, 2001, and 2003, with plans for collection in 2005. This report

focuses on the 2001 collection. Respondents eligible for the supplement were those in the specified

age range who attended school during the 6 months prior to the interview and were enrolled in grades 6

through 12. A total of 8,374 students participated in the 2001 SCS.

The 2001 SCS questionnaire measures respondents’ perceptions of whether they have been bullied directly

and/or indirectly, and specifies the aggressive nature of the behavior and whether or not the behavior

happens “often” or “a lot.” Specifically, youth were first asked “Have you been bullied at school?

That is, has anyone picked on you a lot or tried to make you do things you did not want to do (e.g.,

give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. In a separate question, students were also asked

if they have often felt rejected by other students at school: “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This type of bullying

is referred to as indirect bullying.

This report focuses not only on the prevalence of bullying, but also on those subsets of students who

reported being the victims of direct bullying, indirect bullying, and both direct and indirect bullying.

Different types of bullying may affect different groups of students, occur in different types of schools, or

affect student behavior in different ways. These distinctions allow readers to differentiate between

students who were either physically (directly) or socially (indirectly) bullied, and also to identify those students who were bullied both physically and socially.4 Additional analysis describes the characteristics

of students affected by these types of behavior and the characteristics of schools in which these

behaviors occur. Because of prior research that suggests victims of bullying may resort to aggressive behaviors in response to being bullied (Nansel et al. 2003), the extent to which reports of bullying are

4Students who reported being the victims of both forms of bullying were not necessarily bullied more than students who reported either direct

or indirect bullying. Rather, these students simply reported that they were subject to a wider variety of bullying behaviors including both direct

and indirect means.
3

related to victim behaviors such as weapon carrying, physical fights, fear, and avoidance is explored.

Finally, for educators, the academic success of students is of paramount importance. For this reason, selfreported academic performance of bullied students is also examined.

Readers should note that estimates of bullying presented in this report are derived from victims' selfreports of bullying experiences. Limitations inherent to victimization surveys such as the SCS might impact

estimates of bullying (Cantor and Lynch 2000). First, the SCS includes unbounded interviews, or interviews that include victimizations that exceed the 6-month reference period asked of SCS respondents.

This may artificially increase reports of victimization since respondents may recall events outside of the

given reference period. Second, the SCS does not use a classification scheme for determining bullying

events. That is, the larger NCVS uses sets of characteristics to classify events as criminal whereas the SCS

often relies on the respondent to self-determine a condition. This allows for the victim to use his own

interpretation or conceptions to define a situation, when the same situation may not have been

labeled bullying by a bystander or the offender. Third, victim surveys emphasize crime events as incidents

at one point in time. Reality tells us that victims can often live in a state of victimization where they

are threatened or victimized regularly. While the NCVS does allow for these series to be flagged for criminal victimizations, reports of bullying behaviors are not collected in this way.

Additional caution is in order when examining bullying as well as the other variables used in this

report. Because all variables of interest on the SCS are self-reported, information about the respondent and his school may be inaccurate due to error in recall, falsification, or exaggeration. For example, a student either may not be forthright or artificially inflate his self-reported academic grades. In addition, the respondent may forget a bullying event entirely or recall the characteristics of the event inaccurately. This would lead to an underestimation of victimization. There is no independent or external verification of any of the SCS variables used in this report.

Finally, readers are alerted to the limitations of the survey design and analysis approach with regard to

causality. Conclusions about causality can not be made due to the cross-sectional, non-experimental

design of the SCS. And, while certain characteristics discussed in this report, such as school control, gang

presence, security guards and hallway monitors, may be related to one another, this analysis does not

control for such relationships. Therefore, no causal inferences should be made between the variables

of interest and bullying when reading these results.

Prevalence

of Bullying in Schools

In 2001, approximately 14 percent of students ages 12 through 18 were victims of bullying at school

in the 6 months prior to the survey administration (figure 1 and appendix B, table 1). For this report,

the total percentage of students bullied refers to those students who were either directly or indirectly

bullied. Three percent reported only direct bullying—that someone had picked on them a lot or tried

to make them do something they did not want to do. Seven percent of students reported only 

indirect bullying—that other students had rejected them or excluded them from activities. Five percent

reported being bullied both directly and indirectly.

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

4

Characteristics

of Bullied Students

When looking at the direct and indirect forms of bullying, prior research suggests, first, that boys

typically engage in more direct bullying methods than girls and are more often the victims of this type of

bullying (Nansel et al. 2001; Olweus 1997). Second, research suggests indirect bullying, such as social

exclusion and rejection, is the type of bullying used more frequently by girls than boys (Banks 1997;

Olweus 1997, 1999). In this analysis of the 2001 SCS, no measurable differences were detected between

boys and girls in their reports of direct or indirect bullying only, but when looking at students who

were bullied both directly and indirectly, measurable differences did emerge (appendix B, table 1). In

the 2001 SCS, boys were more likely than girls to report being both directly and indirectly bullied 

(5 percent of boys vs. 4 percent of girls) (appendix B, table 1).

White, non-Hispanic students were more likely than Other, non-Hispanic students and Black, non-Hispanic

students to report being bullied (15 percent of White, non-Hispanic students vs. 11 percent and 

12 percent of Other, non-Hispanic and Black, non-Hispanic students, respectively) (appendix B, table 1).5

When indirect bullying behavior was examined, White and Black students’ reports (7 percent each) were

higher than those of Hispanic students’ (4 percent). Those students who were bullied both directly

and indirectly were more likely to be White than Black (5 percent vs. 3 percent).6 No measurable -

5For the remainder of this report, White, non-Hispanic; Black, non-Hispanic; and Other, non-Hispanic race/ethnicities are described as

White, Black, and Other, respectively, for ease of presentation.

6While estimates among other race/ethnicity categories may appear to be different, these differences may not be statistically significant

due to large standard errors. Please refer to Appendix A for further discussion about standard errors and the design of the survey.

Total Bullied (14%)

Bullied

Directly 

Only

3%

Bullied

Indirectly

Only

7%

Bullied Both

Directly and

Indirectly

5%

Total Bullied Directly (8%) Total Bullied Indirectly (11%)

Figure 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied, bullied directly only,

bullied indirectly only, and bullied in both ways: 2001

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school.Youth ages 12

through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total includes

youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail may not sum to total

because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.
racial/ethnic differences in bullying were detected among victims of only direct bullying behavior.

While the research on race/ethnicity and bullying is scant, the findings by Nansel et al. (2001) found that

Black youth were less likely than their White and Hispanic peers to report being bullied.

As the grade levels of students in the 2001 SCS increased, from 6th through 12th grades, the total

percentage of students reporting that they were bullied decreased (figure 2 and appendix B, table 1).

Specifically, 24 percent of 6th-graders reported being bullied at school, compared to 7 percent of

12th-graders. Sixth-grade students were more likely than 12th-grade students to report both direct (5

percent vs. 1 percent) and indirect (10 percent vs. 5 percent) bullying. This finding is consistent with

previous research on bullying and grade level and is explained in terms of establishing social hierarchies. Specifically, prior researchers suggest that bullying may be used as a way to establish dominance in

social structures and that the transition to middle school (which traditionally occurs around the 6th grade)

should be accompanied by an increase in bullying and then follow an age-related decline as dominance hierarchies are solidified (Pellegrini and Long 2002; Pellegrini and Bartini 2001). Another possible reason for this finding comes from Olweus’ (1993) research, which suggests that younger and weaker

students are exposed more frequently to bullying and that a considerable part of bullying behavior is carried out by older students against these younger victims.

Olweus (1978, 1980) found no relationship between socioeconomic status of the family and being

the victim of bullying and suggests that there are similar proportions of bullies and victims across all socioeconomic levels. Interestingly, Olweus attributes this finding to the relative homogeneity in the Scandinavian

countries in which his studies were conducted. He speculates that in other countries, such as the

United States, stronger associations between bullying and socioeconomic indicators, such as income,

would be found. However, no pattern was detected between student reports of bullying and student

household income in the 2001 SCS, a nationally representative U.S. data set (appendix B, table 1).

Likewise, no measurable differences were detected in the total percentage of students who reported

bullying by students’ residential urbanicity (appendix B, table 1). Nansel and her colleagues (2001) found

no measurable differences among rural, suburban, and urban students’ reports of bullying in their 

investigation as well.

5

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

6

Student Reports

of School Characteristics Where Bullying Occurs7

About 14 percent of students in both public schools and private schools reported being bullied

(appendix B, table 2). Three percent of public and private school students reported direct bullying only,

and 7 percent of public and private school students reported indirect bullying only.

In 2001, students who reported the presence of street gangs at school were more likely to report

being bullied in any way (21 percent) than those who reported that street gangs were not present 

(13 percent) (appendix B, table 2). Similarly, those who reported street gangs at school were more

likely to report direct bullying only (5 percent), indirect bullying only (8 percent), and both direct and indirect bullying (8 percent) than those students who did not report a street gang presence (3 percent, 

6 percent, and 4 percent, respectively).

Schools take various measures to guard against criminal victimization and disciplinary problems. Increasing

supervision of students is one avenue toward decreasing bullying in schools (Olweus 1993). Supervision,

such as the employment of security personnel and the use of hallway monitors may deter bullies from

attacking or threatening other students, calling them names, or making fun of them. In 2001, fewer

students reported being bullied in schools with a security guard or an assigned police officer (13 percent),

7These data on school characteristics do not represent a sample of schools, rather they represent a sample of students. Thus, school characteristics are discussed in terms of student reports of school characteristics in this section.

Figure 2. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by grade level: 2001

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12

through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

1Categories are mutually exclusive. Directly Only, Indirectly Only and Both Directly and Indirectly are distinct categories. Students appearing

in one category do not appear in other categories.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.

6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th

Total Bullied Both Directly

and Indirectly1

Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

Bullied

24 22

16 14

10 10

7 9 8

5 4 2 3 15 5 4 5 3 1 1

10 9 7 5 6 5 5
7

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12

through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.

Security officers or police present Security not present Hallway supervision by staff No hallway supervision by staff

Total Bullied Both Directly 

and Indirectly1

Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

Bullied

13

16 14

18

4 6 4 6

333 4 6 7 6

9

Figure 3. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or 

indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by security presence and hallway

supervision: 2001

compared to students in schools with no such supervision (16 percent) (figure 3 and table 2). No measurable differences were detected (between schools with and without security officers) for either direct bullying or indirect bullying considered separately. More students were victims of both types of bullying in

schools with security personnel (6 percent) than in schools without security guards or assigned police officers (4 percent).

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT

Another common practice of supervision is hallway monitoring by school staff. Hall monitoring by school

staff was associated with fewer bullied students (14 percent of students were bullied in schools with staff

hallway monitors, vs. 18 percent of students being bullied in schools without such monitors).

However, no measurable differences were detected in students’ reports of direct bullying in schools with

and without hallway supervision (figure 3 and appendix B, table 2). Students were less likely to report

being indirectly bullied only in schools with hallway supervision (6 percent) than in schools without

such supervision (9 percent). No measurable differences were detected in both direct and indirect bullying in schools with and without hallway supervision. Readers should note that while school characteristics such as school control, gang presence, security guards, and hallway monitors may be related

to one another, the analysis does not control for such relationships. These data cannot address the question of whether having security guards or hallway monitors had an impact on bullying. Therefore, no

causal inferences should be made when reading these results.
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

8

Bullying

and Victimization

Elliott (1994) suggests that bullied students are at higher risk for criminal victimization at school,

especially violent victimization. The purpose of this section is to examine student reports of bullying

and their reports of serious violent, violent, and property victimization. Prior to presenting the results,

some explanation of the differences between these two constructs, bullying and criminal victimization, and how they are collected is necessary.

Information on criminal victimization is collected in the main NCVS, to which the SCS is a supplement. Victimization is collected using a classification scheme in which the respondent identifies the characteristics of an event and those characteristics are used to classify the event as criminal. (For more information on the construction of the NCVS victimization variables used in this report, see the Glossary in

appendix A). Readers may suspect that students who report direct bullying, or more overt physical attacks,

may be reporting many of the same instances in their reports of criminal victimization. However, these

two concepts are addressed quite differently during data collection for the SCS and therefore are reported

as distinct events in this report.

As stated, the larger NCVS uses sets of characteristics to classify events as criminal. This was the

approach taken for determining the serious violent, violent, and property victimizations reported here.

In contrast, the SCS relies on the respondent to self-determine if they are bullied. Specifically, respondents are asked if they are bullied and allowed to determine if they fall into the bullying category

based on the definition provided, rather than asked about characteristics of the situation and allowing

the analyst to determine if the respondent has been bullied. This allows for the victim to use his or her

own interpretation to define a situation, when the same situation may not have been labeled bullying by

a bystander or the offender.

Results show, in 2001, 6 percent of all students ages 12 through 18 reported any form of criminal

victimization at school (appendix B, table 3).8 Serious violent victimization at school (including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault), was reported by less than 1 percent of students, and

violent victimization at school (which includes those offenses in the serious violent category plus simple

assaults) was reported by 2 percent of all students. Property victimization, which includes theft of a student’s property at school, was reported by 4 percent of students (figure 4 and appendix B, table 3).

Students who report being bullied at school were at least twice as likely to report being the victims of

crime at school compared to nonbullied students. When focusing on the total sample of students

who reported being bullied at school (14 percent of the entire sample) (see appendix B, table 1), these

students were more likely to experience any victimization, a serious violent victimization, a violent victimization, or a property victimization at school when compared to those students who were not bullied (figure 4 and appendix B, table 3). Specifically, 13 percent of bullied students reported any victimization

at school compared to 4 percent of nonbullied students. About 2 percent of bullied students reported

a serious violent victimization, 7 percent reported a violent victimization, and 8 percent reported a -

property theft; 0.3 percent of nonbullied students reported a serious violent victimization, 1 percent

reported a violent victimization, and 4 percent reported a property theft.

8Any victimization includes those students who reported being the victim of a violent crime or a property crime. Students who reported being

the victim of both a property and a violent crime are counted once in the “any“ category.
9

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT

When looking at those students who were directly and/or indirectly bullied, interesting results

emerge. First, the findings show that 18 percent of directly, or physically bullied students reported

any victimization, and 7 percent of indirectly bullied students reported any victimization (figure 4 and

appendix B, table 3). About 17 percent of students who reported both direct and indirect bullying

reported any victimization. Second, the findings show that students who reported both types of bullying were more likely than students who reported only direct or indirect bullying to report being

seriously violently victimized. About 1 percent of only directly bullied students and 0.3 percent of

only indirectly bullied students reported a serious violent victimization, compared to larger percentage (4 percent) of students reporting both types of bullying. Third, directly bullied students were

more likely than indirectly bullied students to be violently victimized (11 percent vs. 3 percent).

Eleven percent of students reporting both forms of bullying also reported a violent victimization, a finding that is consistent with previous literature (Elliott 1994). Finally, victims of direct bullying only (9

percent) or both forms of bullying (10 percent) were more likely than those who reported only indirect bullying (5 percent) to be the victims of property victimization.

Figure 4. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being victimized at school during the

previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly only, bullied indirectly only, or

being bullied directly or indirectly at school: 2001

Not Bullied Total Bullied Both Directly and Indirectly1 Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1

Any Serious Violent2 Violent Property

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

Victimization

4

13

17 18

7

# 2 4

1 # 1

7

11 11

3 4

8 10 9

5

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

2Serious violent crimes are also included in violent crimes.

#Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Serious violent crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes include serious violent crimes

and simple assault.Any crimes include violent crimes and theft. “At school” includes inside the school building, on school property, or on

the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them

a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were

also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This

is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students

ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

10

Bullying

and Victim Outcomes/Behaviors

Psychological research suggests that passive victims of bullying are anxious and insecure (Olweus 1999;

Wilton, Craig, and Pepler 2000; and Dodge et al. 1990). Passive victims often react to provocation by crying, withdrawing, or becoming quiet. This signals that they will not react or retaliate if they are

attacked or insulted. Another type of victim, the “provocative” victim, is characterized by both anxious

and aggressive reaction patterns (Olweus 1999). Provocative victims are likely to counter attack and

have difficulty relating emotionally, whereas passive victims often avoid and acquiesce to their attackers

(Wilton, Craig, and Pepler 2000). In fact, some research has shown that socially “rejected” boys are more

likely to follow an act of aggression with another act of aggression than are boys who did not experience social rejection (Dodge et al. 1990). The purpose of this section is to investigate whether students

who report only direct bullying respond with different defensive mechanisms or reactive behaviors than

students who are bullied only indirectly or those who are bullied in both ways. While the SCS is a crosssectional survey that does not allow the reader to know which event occurred first, the data do show that

students who are victims of different types of bullying at school more often experience or engage in a variety of behaviors different from those of students not bullied. These behaviors include fear of attack; avoidance behaviors such as truancy from school; skipping classes, or not participating in extra-curricular activities; weapon carrying; involvement in physical fights; and varied academic performance. These data cannot address the question of whether bullying has an impact on these behaviors and outcomes,

whether these behaviors elicit bullying from others, or whether some other combination of factors

influences both bullying and these other behaviors

Fear is one by-product of threats and violence, and those students who are bullied at school may be afraid

to attend school (Ericson 2001; Berthhold and Hoover 2000). The 2001 SCS findings are consistent with

this research. Bullied students were more likely than nonbullied students to report being “sometimes

or most of the time” afraid of an attack at school (18 percent vs. 3 percent), on the way to and from

school (11 percent vs. 2 percent), and away from school (12 percent vs. 3 percent) (appendix B, table

4). Bullied students who were targeted both directly and indirectly were the most likely group of bullied students to sometimes or most of the time be afraid of an attack at school compared students

who were bullied only directly and only indirectly (31 percent, 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively). Similar results were found for fear on the way to and from school, with 17 percent of students

who were bullied both directly and indirectly reporting fear sometimes or most of the time, compared to 

10 percent of students who were bullied only directly and 7 percent who were bullied only indirectly.

As discussed above, bullying can coincide with fear. Student reaction to this fear may lead to avoidance behavior or truancy. Specifically, students may act upon their feelings of fear and actually start avoiding places in school or be truant from school, classes, or extracurricular activities. Bullied students

were more likely than nonbullied students to report avoidance behavior, such as avoiding the shortest

route to school (6 percent of bullied students vs. 2 percent of nonbullied students), the entrance to

the school (4 percent vs. 1 percent), hallways or stairs (7 percent vs. 1 percent), and the school cafeteria (6 percent vs. 1 percent) (appendix B, table 5). They were also more likely than nonbullied students to

avoid restrooms (7 percent vs. 2 percent), the parking lot (5 percent vs. 1 percent), and other places inside

the school building (5 percent vs. 1 percent) or on school grounds (6 percent vs. 1 percent). The SCS data

also show that victims of both forms of bullying were more likely than victims of only direct and indirect bullying to avoid the shortest route to school (9 percent vs. 3 and 5 percent, respectively), the entrance

to the school (7 percent vs. 3 and 2 percent), the school cafeteria (10 percent vs. 5 and 3 percent),

and school restrooms (10 percent vs. 6 and 5 percent).
11

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

#Rounds to zero.

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12

through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.

Not Bullied Total Bullied Both Directly and Indirectly1 Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1

Skipped school Skipped class Skipped extra-curricular activities

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

Skipped school, class, or extra-curriculars

1

4

7

4

1 #

3

7

3 1 1

4 6 4 2

Figure 5. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported skipping school, class, or extra-curricular activities during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly only,

bullied indirectly only, or being bullied directly and indirectly at school: 2001

Research suggests that being victimized by bullying may be an antecedent to aggressive behavior (Nansel

et al. 2003, Loeber and Stouthamer-Loeber 1998). As discussed above, bullied students may resort

to aggression in retaliation or be more inclined to respond to negative behaviors with antisocial responses.

In the 2001 SCS, about 2 percent of all students ages 12 through 18 reported carrying a weapon (gun,

knife, or some other weapon) to school for protection, and 5 percent reported being involved in a physical fight (figure 7 and appendix B, table 6). While the 2001 SCS cannot be used to establish causality, results show that more bullied students carried a weapon to school for protection (4 percent) in the

6 months prior to the survey than did nonbullied students (1 percent). Consistent with this finding,

Carney and Merrell (2001) also report that victims of bullying are more likely than their nonbullied

Taken to an extreme, this avoidance behavior may lead to truancy. Students who are bullied are at higher

risk for truancy and subsequent dropout (Carney and Merrell 2001). In the 2001 SCS, bullied students

were more likely than nonbullied students to skip school entirely because they thought someone

might attack or harm them (4 percent vs. 1 percent) (figure 5 and appendix B, table 5). Bullied students were more likely to skip classes than were nonbullied students (3 percent vs. 0.2 percent).

Bullied students were also more likely to skip extracurricular activities compared to nonbullied students (4 percent vs. 1 percent). Truancy was more likely to occur among students who were victims of

direct bullying than among victims of indirect bullying. Specifically, 4 percent of students who were directly

bullied skipped school compared to 1 percent of students who were indirectly bullied. Students who were

victims of both types of bullying were more likely to skip school (7 percent), class (7 percent), and extracurricular activities (6 percent) than were students who were only indirectly bullied (1 percent, 1 percent,

and 2 percent, respectively), and were also more likely than students who were only directly bullied to

skip class (3 percent).
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

12

counterparts to bring weapons to school in order to protect themselves. No measurable differences were

detected in the 2001 SCS in student reports of weapon carrying among victims of only direct, only indirect, and both forms of bullying.

Bullied students were also more likely to be involved in physical fights at school. About 15 percent of bullied students reported being involved in a physical fight, compared to 4 percent of nonbullied students (figure 6 and appendix B, table 6). Bullied students were more likely than nonbullied students 

(4 percent) to engage in fights regardless of whether they were bullied only directly (15 percent) or

only indirectly (10 percent). Victims of indirect bullying only were less likely to engage in fights than were

victims of both forms of bullying (10 percent vs. 21 percent). Lawrence (1998) suggests that victims of

bullying may become aggressive toward other students. In this case, regardless of the type of bullying—whether physical or social—bullied students may tend to react through physical confrontation.

Academic achievement is a focal concern for educators and schools across the nation. Past research

demonstrates that students who are targeted by bullies often have difficulty concentrating on their schoolwork, resulting in academic achievement that is marginal to poor (Batsche and Knoff 1994). Farrington

(1993) also suggests that the psychological consequences of bullying can include lack of concentration on schoolwork. The SCS 2001 allows for the examination of bullying behavior and self-reports of

academic grades. A few patterns emerged in the data, first, bullied students were less likely to report

getting mostly A’s than students who did not report or experience bullying at school (27 percent of

bullied students vs. 34 percent of non bullied students) (appendix B, table 7). However, bullied students were more likely to report receiving A's and B's than D's and F's (27 percent and 41 percent vs.

8 percent, respectively). Second, of those students who reported lower grades, bullied students were

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12

through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Students included as carrying weapons reported carrying a gun, knife

or other weapon to school in the 6 months prior to the survey. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.

Not Bullied Total Bullied Both Directly and Indirectly1 Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1

Carried a weapon Involved in a physical fight

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

Weapon Carrying and Fighting

1

4 4 3 3 4

15

21

15

10

Figure 6. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported carrying a weapon for protection or

being involved in a physical fight at school during the previous 6 months, by reports

of being bullied directly only, indirectly only, or being bullied directly and indirectly at

school: 2001
13

more likely to report receiving mostly D's and F's than their non-bullied counterparts (8 percent vs. 

3 percent). Victims of both forms of bullying were more likely to report getting D's and F's than those

who were bullied directly or indirectly (12 percent, 7 percent, and 6 percent, respectively).

Figure 7. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported receiving different academic grades

during the school year, by reports of being bullied directly only, indirectly only, or

being bullied directly and indirectly at school: 2001

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12

through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization

Survey, 2001.

Mostly A’s Mostly B’s Mostly C’s Mostly D’s and F’s

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percent

Academic grades

34

27

21

27

30

41 41 39 39

43

20

24

27 27

20

3

8

12

7 6

Not Bullied Total Bullied Both Directly and Indirectly1 Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

14

Summary

and Conclusions

The analyses in this report employ specific subtypes of bullying which may be useful when looking at bullying interactions. This report shows that 14 percent of students ages 12 through 18

reported they had been bullied at school in the previous 6 months. Three percent reported being the victims of direct or physical bullying only, 7 percent reported being the victims of indirect, or social bullying,

and 5 percent reported being the victims of both types of bullying. This report also shows that the

specific subtypes of bullying are often related to different individual-level and school-level characteristics.

Bullied students are generally younger students of either sex, and are more often White than Black.

No measurable differences were detected when comparing the prevalence of bullying by students’ household income or urbanicity. Bullied students report that their schools are more likely to have gangs and

less likely to have supervision in the form of police officers, security guards, or school staff in the hallways. Finally, student reports of attending public or private schools are not associated with student reports

of bullying.

The findings also suggest that students who are victims of bullying at school more often are victimized in

other ways. When compared to nonbullied students, bullied students are more likely to fear attack at

school, on the way to and from school, and away from school. Bullied students engage in a variety of

avoidance behaviors and are more likely to be truant from school, classes, or extracurricular activities than

their nonbullied peers. A highlight of this report is the finding that victims of bullying are more likely to

exhibit negative outcome behaviors, such as weapon carrying or being involved in physical fights, compared to students who are not bullied. In fact, more students who were bullied reported carrying a weapon

to school for protection (4 percent), compared to nonbullied students (1 percent). In addition, more

bullied students were involved in a physical fight than were nonbullied students (15 percent vs. 4 percent). One prior research investigation suggests that victims of bullying are more likely to engage in

violent behaviors (Nansel et al. 2003), and those findings are confirmed in this national analysis.

Of final import to educators, parents, and practitioners, the findings show that bullied students were less

likely to report receiving A’s than nonbullied students, but were more likely to report receiving A’s and B’s

than D’s and F’s. When focusing on poorly performing students, bullied students were more likely to

report getting mostly D’s or F’s than their nonbullied counterparts.
15

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Development, 9: 226–245.
17

Appendix A:

Technical Notes

Survey. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the School Crime Supplement (SCS)

to the NCVS were used to provide estimates in this report. The NCVS, administered for the U.S. Bureau of

Justice Statistics by the Census Bureau, is the nation’s primary source of information on crime victimization and the victims of crime. Initiated in 1972 and redesigned in 1992, the NCVS collects detailed

information on the frequency and nature of the crimes of rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and

simple assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft experienced by Americans and their

households each year. The survey measures crimes reported as well as those not reported to police.

The 2001 NCVS sample consists of about 53,730 households selected using a stratified, multistage cluster design. In the first stage, the primary sampling units (PSUs), consisting of counties or groups of counties, were selected. In the second stage, smaller areas, called Enumeration Districts (EDs), were

selected from each sampled PSU. Finally, from selected EDs, clusters of four households, called segments,

were selected for interview. At each stage, the selection was done proportionate to population size in

order to create a self-weighting sample. The final sample was augmented to account for housing

units constructed after the 1990 Decennial Census. Within each sampled household, Census Bureau personnel interviewed all household members ages 12 and older to determine whether they had been

victimized according to the measured crimes during the 6 months preceding the interview. About 79,360

persons ages 12 and older are interviewed each 6 months. Households remain in the sample for 3

years and are interviewed 7 times at 6-month intervals.

Created as a supplement to the NCVS and codesigned by the National Center for Education Statistics

(NCES) and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the SCS survey was conducted in 1989, 1995, 1999,

2001, and 2003 to collect additional information about school-related victimizations on a national level.

The survey was designed to assist policymakers as well as academic researchers and practitioners at

the federal, state, and local levels in making informed decisions concerning crime in schools. The SCS

asks students a number of key questions about their experiences with and perceptions of crime and violence that occurred inside their school, on school grounds, on a school bus, or on the way to or from

school. Additional questions not included in the NCVS were also added to the SCS, such as the presence

of weapons and street gangs in school, whether students were bullied or rejected at school, attitudinal questions relating to fear of victimization and avoidance behavior at school, preventive measures used

by the school, participation in afterschool activities, perceptions of school rules, the presence of haterelated words and graffiti in school, as well as the availability of drugs and alcohol in school.

In all SCS survey years, the SCS was conducted for a 6-month period from January through June in all

households selected for the NCVS. Within these households, the eligible respondents for the SCS

were those household members ages 12 through 18 who had attended school at any time during the

6 months preceding the interview, and were enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in a school that would help

them advance toward a high school diploma. Eligible respondents were asked the supplemental questions in the SCS only after completing their entire NCVS interview.
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

18

In 2001, the definition for “at school” pertaining to victimizations included those that occurred on school

property, going to and from school, or while attending school. The NCVS variables appended to the SCS

data file asking where the incident happened and what the victim was doing when it happened were

used to ascertain whether the incident happened at school.

The NCVS “type of crime” variable appended to the SCS data file was used to classify victimizations

of students in the SCS as violent or property victimization. Any victimization is a combination of violent victimization and property. If the student reported an incident of either violent or property victimization or both, he or she is counted in the any victimization measure. Violent crimes include serious violent

crimes—rape, sexual assault, and aggravated assault —and simple assault. See the Glossary for more

detailed information about the construction of these and other variables.

Readers should note that several limitations inherent to victimization surveys, such as the NCVS SCS,

might impact estimates of bullying (Cantor and Lynch 2000). First, the SCS includes unbounded interviews, or interviews that include victimizations that exceed the 6-month reference period asked of

SCS respondents. This may artificially increase reports of victimization since respondents may recall events

outside of the given reference period. For example, a respondent may mistakenly report an event that

happened 1 year ago and not within the requested past 6 months. Second, the SCS does not use a classification scheme for determining bullying events. That is, the larger NCVS uses sets of characteristics

to classify events as criminal whereas the SCS often relies on the respondent to self-determine a condition. For example, respondents are asked if they are bullied and allowed to determine if they fall

into the bullying category based on the definition provided, rather than asked about characteristics of

the situation and allowing the analyst to determine if the respondent has been bullied. This allows for

the victim to use his own interpretation or conceptions to define a situation, when the same situation

may not have been labeled bullying by a bystander or the offender. Third, victim surveys emphasize crime

events as incidents at one point in time. Reality tells us that victims can often live in a state of victimization where they are threatened or victimized regularly. While the NCVS does allow for these series

to be flagged for criminal victimizations, reports of bullying behaviors are not collected in this way. Finally,

respondent recall of bullying events may be inaccurate. People may forget the event entirely or recall the

characteristics of the event inaccurately. This would lead to an underestimation of victimization.

Unit and item response rates. Unit response rates indicate how many sampled units have completed

interviews. Because interviews with students could only be completed after households had responded

to the NCVS, the unit completion rate for the SCS reflects both the household interview completion rate

and the student interview completion rate. A total of 8,374 students participated in the SCS 2001.

The household completion rate was 93 percent, and the student completion rate was 77 percent.

Thus, the overall SCS response rate (calculated by multiplying the household completion rate by the student completion rate) was 72 percent in 2001.

The rate at which the respondents provide a valid response to a given item is referred to as its item response

rate. Item response rates for items used in this report were generally high. Most items were answered by

over 95 percent of all eligible respondents. The only exception was the household income question, which

was answered by approximately 84 percent of all households in 2001 and approximately 86 percent

of all households in the 1999 administration of the survey. Income and income-related questions typically have relatively low response rates compared to other items due to their sensitive nature. No explicit

imputation procedure was used to correct for item nonresponse. However, restricting the analysis to those

responses that were provided and ignoring the missing responses is an implicit form of imputation.

The assumption is that the missing responses are completely random, and represent a subsample of

the full sample.
19

Weights were developed to compensate for differential probabilities of selection and nonresponse.

The weighted data permit inferences about the 12- to 18-year-old student population enrolled in schools

in 2001. The weight used with the 2001 SCS datafile is V297 (SCS person weight).

Survey standard errors. As a result of the complex sampling design of the SCS and the NCVS, the resulting statistics are more variable than they would have been had they been based on data from a simple

random sample of the same size. Several procedures and statistical software packages are available

for calculating precise estimates of sampling errors for complex samples. The analyses carried out in

this report used the Taylor Series procedure to calculate standard errors and was done through the

AM statistical software package that is available for free downloading at http://am.air.org.

The sample of students selected for each SCS is just one of many possible samples that could have

been selected. It is possible that estimates from a given SCS student sample may differ from estimates

that would have been produced from other student samples. This type of variability is called sampling

error, or the standard error, because it arises from using a sample of students rather than all students.

The standard error is a measure of the variability of a parameter estimate. It indicates how much variation there is in the population of possible estimates of a parameter for a given sample size. The probability that a complete census count would differ from the sample estimate by less than 1 standard

error is about 68 percent. The chance that the difference would be less than 1.65 standard errors is about

90 percent, and that the difference would be less than 1.96 standard errors, about 95 percent. Standard

errors for the percentage estimates are presented in the appendix tables.

Standard errors are typically developed assuming that the sample is drawn purely at random. The

sample for the SCS was not a simple random sample, however. Calculation of the standard errors requires

procedures that are markedly different from the ones used when the data are from a simple random sample. To estimate the statistics and standard errors, this report used the Taylor series

Statistical tests. Comparisons that have been drawn in the text of this report have been tested for

statistical significance to ensure that the differences are larger than those that might be expected due to

sampling variation. The statistical comparisons in this report were based on the t statistic. Whether the

statistical test is considered significant or not is determined by calculating a t value for the difference

between a pair of means or proportions and comparing this value to published tables of values, called

critical values (cv). The alpha level is an a priori statement of the probability that a difference exists in fact

rather than by chance.

The t statistic between estimates from various subgroups presented in the tables can be computed by

using the following formula:

where x1 and x2 are the estimates to be compared (e.g., the means of sample members in two groups)

and SE1 and SE2 are their corresponding standard errors.

While many descriptive comparisons in this report were tested using a t statistic, some comparisons among

categories of an ordered variable with three or more levels involved a test for a linear trend across all categories, rather than a series of tests between pairs of categories. In this report, when differences among

percentages were examined relative to a variable with ordered categories, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

was used to test for a linear relationship between the two variables. To do this, ANOVA models included

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

20

orthogonal linear contrasts corresponding to successive levels of the independent variable. These were

used to create mean squares for the within- and between-group variance components and their corresponding F statistics, which were then compared with published values of F for a significance level

of 0.05. Significant values of both the overall F and the F associated with the linear contrast term

were required as evidence of a linear relationship between the two variables.

Glossary—Definitions of Variables Used

Each row (student and school characteristics) and column variable used in the analyses for this report

is described below. All variables are constructed from the 2001 SCS data file. The data file contains all

variables collected by the SCS as well as select variables collected in the 2001 NCVS-1 Basic Screen

Questionnaire and the NCVS-2 Crime Incident Report that have been appended to the SCS. The data are

available for download from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research via NCES’

Crime and Safety Surveys portal web site located at: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime/surveys.asp.

Prior to analysis, the 2001 SCS data file was filtered to include only students who were ages 12

through 18 (using v212 [RESPONDENT AGE]), were enrolled in primary or secondary education programs

(using v217 [GRADE LEVEL IN SCHOOL]), were enrolled in school in the past 6 months (using v215

[DID YOU ATTEND SCHOOL DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS?]), and were not home-schooled during that

time (using v3958 [HOME SCHOOLED DURING LAST 6 MONTHS?]). Students who did not fulfill these

characteristics were deleted from the analysis. The final unweighted sample size was 8,374.

Student Characteristics

SEX (v140): This variable was taken directly from v140 for the sex of the respondent: Male or Female.

This variable was collected in the NCVS-1 Basic Screen Questionnaire and appended to the SCS data file.

RACE/ETHNICITY (v145 and v146): This variable was taken directly from v145 for the race of the respondent and v146 for the Hispanic origin of the respondent. If the respondent identified themselves as

Hispanic in v146, they were categorized as Hispanic, regardless of their response to v145. Non-Hispanics

in v145 were classified as White, Black, or Other. Those individuals included in the “Other” category identified themselves as Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians (including Alaska Native). The

resulting categories were: 1) White, non-Hispanic; 2) Black, non-Hispanic; 4) Hispanic; and 5) Other. Race

categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specified. Variables v145 and v156 were collected in the NCVS1 Basic Screen Questionnaire and appended to the SCS data file.

GRADE (v217): This variable was taken directly from v217. Response options included “Fifth and under”,

“Sixth” through “Twelfth” grades, “Other”, and “College/GED/Post-graduate/Other non-eligible” All

respondents not in grades six through twelve were excluded from the analysis. This variable was collected

in item 2a of the SCS instrument (located in appendix D).

HOUSEHOLD INCOME (v22): This variable was taken directly from v22 for the household income of

the respondent and collapsed into the following categories: 1) Less than $7,500; 2) $7,500–14,999;

3) $15,000–24,999; 4) $25,000–34,999; 5) $35,000–49,999; 6) $50,000–74,999; and 7) $75,000 or

more. This variable was collected in the NCVS-1 Basic Screen Questionnaire and appended to the SCS

data file.

PLACE OF RESIDENCE (v119): This variable was taken directly from v119 for the Metropolitan

Statistical Area (MSA) Status of the respondent’s household as defined by the 1990 U.S. Bureau of the

Census. Categories include: Central city of an (S)MSA (Urban) ; In (S)MSA but not in central city (Suburban);

and Not (S)MSA (Rural). This variable was appended to the SCS data file by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
21

BULLIED (v272 and v3971): This variable was constructed using v272 and v3971. If respondents’ answered

affirmatively to either v272 and v3971 they were categorized as “Bullied.” v272 asks, “During the last

6 months, have you been bullied at school? That is, has anyone picked on you a lot or tried to make

you do things you didn’t want to do like give them money?” v3971 asks, “During the last 6 months, have

you often felt rejected by other students at school? For example, have you ever felt rejected because other

students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” Variables v272

and v3971 were collected in items 19 and 20a of the SCS instrument.

BOTH DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY (v272 and v3971): This variable was constructed using v272 and v3971.

If respondents’ answered affirmatively to both v272 and v3971 they were categorized as “Bullied

Both Directly and Indirectly.” Variables v272 and v3971 were collected in items 19 and 20a of the SCS

instrument.

DIRECTLY ONLY (v272): This variable was constructed using v272. If respondents’ answered affirmatively

to v272 they were categorized as “Bullied Directly.” This variable was collected in item 19 of the SCS

instrument.

INDIRECTLY ONLY (v3971): This variable was constructed using v3971. If respondents’ answered affirmatively to v3971 they were categorized as “Bullied Indirectly.” This variable was collected in item 20a of

the SCS instrument.

School Characteristics

SCHOOL TYPE (v221): This variable was taken directly from v221 that asks the type of school for each

student: Pubic or Private. This variable was collected in item 7a of the SCS instrument.

GANG PRESENCE (v263): This variable is taken directly from v263 that asks students whether there

are street gangs present at their school. Instructions for defining street gangs were as follows: “You may

know these as street gangs, fighting gangs, crews, or something else. Gangs may use common

names, signs, symbols, or colors. For this survey, we are interested in all gangs, whether or not they

are involved in violent or illegal activity.” Response options included “Yes”, “No”, and “Don’t Know.”

This variable was collected in item 30 of the SCS instrument.

PRESENCE OF SECURITY OFFICERS OR ASSIGNED POLICE (v233): This variable was taken directly from

v233 that asked students whether there are security guards and/or assigned police officers present at

their school to ensure the safety of students. Response options included “Yes”, “No”, and “Don’t Know.”

This variable was collected in item 14a of the SCS instrument.

HALLWAY SUPERVISION BY SCHOOL STAFF (v234): This variable was taken directly from v234 that asked

students whether there is hallway supervision by other school staff or other adults to ensure the safety

of students. Response options included “Yes”, “No”, and “Don’t Know.” This variable was collected

in item 14b the SCS instrument.

Column Variables

VICTIMIZATION (v819, v1341, v1863, v2385, v2907, v3429, and v3951): Each SCS respondent represents a student who may have reported at least one and as many as 7 incident(s) of victimization on

the NCVS-1. For each incident of victimization reported, a Crime Incident Report NCVS-2 was completed.

These (up to 7) Crime Incident Reports were appended to the SCS data file for each respondent who

reported at least one incidence of victimization. The victimization categories used in this report for

each of these incidents of victimization were determined using the Type of Crime (TOC) code reported

in the Crime Incident Reports for each incident. The TOC codes used to determine the type of 

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

22

victimization were taken directly from variables v819 (first incident), v1341 (second incident), v1863 (third

incident), v2385 (fourth incident), v2907 (fifth incident), v3429 (sixth incident), and v3951 (seventh incident). Each TOC variable contains several types of crime that have been categorized into “serious violent,” “violent,” “property,” and “any” for the purposes of this report. “Serious violent crime” includes:

completed and attempted rapes, all sexual attacks, all completed and attempted robberies, all aggravated assaults, all verbal threats and threats with weapons, sexual assault without injury and unwanted

sexual contact without force. “Violent crime” includes: serious violent crimes listed above, simple assault

with injury, assault without a weapon and without injury, and verbal threat of assault. “Property

crime” includes: purse snatching, pick pocketing, all burglaries, attempted forcible entry, completed and

attempted motor vehicle theft, and completed thefts valuing less than $10 or greater. “Any crime”

includes one or more reports of any of the crimes listed above. Each of these measure the prevalence

of victimization, that is, if a respondent reported one or more incidents in one of these types of victimizations, they were included as a victim only once under the specified category.

AFRAID OF ATTACK AT SCHOOL, ON THE WAY TO OR FROM SCHOOL AND AWAY FROM SCHOOL (v284,

v285, and v286): These variables were taken directly from v284, v285 and v286 that asked students if

they were afraid someone would attack or threaten to attack them at school, on the way to or from

school, and away from school, respectively. Response options were collapsed into the following categories: “Never,” “Almost Never,” and “Sometimes/Most of the time.” These variables were collected

in items 24, 25, and 26 of the SCS instrument.

AVOIDING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE SCHOOL AND SKIPPING SCHOOL, CLASS OR EXTRA-CURRICULAR

ACTIVITIES (v273, v274, v275, v276, v277, v278, v279, v280, v281, v282, and v283): Student reports of

avoiding certain areas in school were taken directly from the following variables: v273 (avoided shortest route to school), v274 (avoided entrance to school), v275 (avoided hallways or stairs), v276

(avoided school cafeteria), v277 (avoided restrooms), v278 (avoided other places in school building), v279

(avoided parking lot), v280 (avoided other places on school grounds), v281 (avoided extra-curricular activities), v282 (avoided class), and v283 (stayed home from school). Response options included “Yes” or

“No.” These variables were collected in items 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d of the SCS instrument.

CARRIED A WEAPON (v287, v288, and v289): This variable was constructed from three separate variables that asked the student if they had carried a gun (v287) or knife (v288) intended as a weapon or any

other weapon (v289) to school or on to school grounds during the last 6 months. If a respondent answered

“Yes” to any of these items, they were included in the derived variable. These variables were collected

in items 27a, 27b, and 27c of the SCS instrument.

INVOLVED IN A PHYISICAL FIGHT (v3969): This variable was taken directly from v3969 that asked students whether they had been involved in one or more physical fights at school in the last 6 months.

Response options included “Yes” and “No”. This variable was collected in item 18a of the SCS instrument.

SELF-REPORTS OF GRADES (v3982): This variable was taken directly from v3982 that asked students what

grades they mostly received across all subjects in the past school year. Response options included

“A’s,” “B’s,” “C’s,” “D’s,” “F’s,” and “School does not give grades/no alphabetic grade equivalent.” This

variable was collected in item 34 of the SCS instrument.

For further information. NCES has collected and published data on school crime and safety through

a number of publications. Readers who are interested in further information about these studies and

downloading available data files, including the SCS data file used in this report, should contact

Kathryn Chandler at kathryn.chandler@ed.gov or visit the Crime and Safety Surveys web site at

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime/.
23

Table 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school

during the previous 6 months, by selected student characteristics: 2001

Number Both Directly

Student characteristics of students Total and Indirectly1 Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1

Total 24,315,000 14.4 4.5 3.4 6.5

Student sex

Male 12,591,000 15.0 5.0 3.6 6.4

Female 11,724,000 13.7 3.9 3.1 6.7

Student race/ethnicity2

White, non-Hispanic 15,784,000 15.4 4.9 3.5 6.9

Black, non-Hispanic 3,793,000 12.3 3.2 2.6 6.6

Hispanic 3,446,000 13.0 4.3 2.9 4.2

Other, non-Hispanic 1,063,000 10.8 3.7 3.3 5.3

Student grade

Sixth 2,113,000 24.3 9.3 4.8 10.1

Seventh 3,848,000 21.6 8.0 5.0 8.6

Eighth 3,947,000 16.0 5.3 3.9 6.8

Ninth 4,093,000 13.9 3.9 4.6 5.3

Tenth 3,774,000 10.4 2.1 2.5 5.8

Eleventh 3,581,000 9.5 3.1 1.2 5.2

Twelfth 2,960,000 7.4 1.0 1.4 4.9

Student household income

Less than $7,500 836,000 15.0 3.8 4.0 7.1

$7,500–14,999 993,000 13.3 4.9 3.1 5.4

$15,000–24,999 2,524,000 17.5 5.9 4.2 7.3

$25,000–34,999 2,874,000 15.0 5.4 4.1 5.5

$35,000–49,999 4,074,000 14.8 4.7 2.8 7.4

$50,000–74,999 4,279,000 13.2 4.2 2.5 6.5

$75,000 or more 4,861,000 12.9 3.5 2.6 6.8

Student place of residence

Urban 6,574,000 13.2 4.1 2.7 6.4

Suburban 12,812,000 14.9 4.5 3.6 6.8

Rural 4,929,000 14.7 5.0 3.7 6.0

1Categories are mutually exclusive. Directly Only, Indirectly Only, and Both Directly and Indirectly are distinct categories. Students appearing in one category do not appear in other categories.

2Other includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians (including Alaska Natives). Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless

specified.

NOTE: “At school“ was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages

12 through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail

may not sum to totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Appendix B:

Estimate Tables
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

24

Table 3. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being victimized at school during the previous 6

months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001

Number Serious

of students Any Violent1 Violent Property

Total 24,315,000 5.5 0.4 1.8 4.2

Not Bullied 20,680,000 4.2 0.3 0.8 3.6

Bullied 3,494,000 13.0 1.5 7.3 7.6

Both Directly and Indirectly2 1,095,000 17.4 3.7 10.9 9.9

Directly Only2 816,000 18.3 0.7 10.8 9.2

Indirectly Only2 1,583,000 7.3 0.3 2.9 5.3

1Serious violent crimes are also included in violent crimes.

2Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: Serious violent crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes include serious violent crimes

and simple assault. Any crimes include violent crimes and theft. “At school“ includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the

way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on

them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. They were

also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“

This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail may not sum to totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Table 2. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school

during the previous 6 months, by selected school characteristics: 2001

Number Both Directly

School characteristics of students Total and Indirectly1 Directly Only1 Indirectly Only1

Total 24,315,000 14.4 4.5 3.4 6.5

School type

Public 22,176,000 14.4 4.6 3.4 6.5

Private 2,098,000 14.0 4.5 2.7 6.7

Gang presence

Yes 4,896,000 21.1 8.1 4.9 8.1

No 15,993,000 13.0 3.7 3.1 6.2

Presence of security officers

or assigned police

Yes 15,475,000 13.3 3.8 3.4 6.1

No 8,840,000 16.2 5.7 3.4 7.1

Hallway supervision by

school staff

Yes 21,479,000 13.9 4.4 3.3 6.2

No 2,836,000 17.9 5.6 3.7 8.5

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school“ includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18

were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did

not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail

may not sum to totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Bullied

Victimization
25

Table 5. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported avoiding certain areas of school and skipping school, class, or extracurricular activities during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001

Avoided Avoided

other other Skipped

Number Avoided Avoided Avoided Avoided places in Avoided places extraVictim of shortest entrance hallways school Avoided school parking on school Skipped Skipped curricular

behaviors students route to school or stairs cafeteria restrooms building lot grounds school class activities

Total 24,315,000 2.5 1.2 2.1 1.4 2.2 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.1 0.6 1.1

Not Bullied 20,680,000 1.9 0.8 1.3 0.7 1.5 0.8 1.1 1.1 0.7 0.2 0.6

Bullied 3,494,000 5.9 3.6 7.1 5.8 6.9 5.3 5.0 5.5 3.8 3.0 3.8

Both Directly

and Indirectly1 1,095,000 9.3 6.6 12.2 9.8 10.4 9.4 7.5 9.4 7.2 6.5 6.0

Directly Only1 816,000 3.4 2.7 7.5 5.0 6.2 4.8 4.7 5.3 4.3 2.5 4.2

Indirectly Only1 1,583,000 4.9 2.0 3.4 3.4 4.8 2.8 3.4 2.8 1.3 0.8 2.1

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school“ was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first

asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“

This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you

from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students

ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail may not sum to totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001.

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT

Table 4. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported fearing attack during the previous 6 months at school, on the way to

and from school, and away from school, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001

Number Sometimes/ Sometimes/ Sometimes/

Victim of Almost Most of Almost Most of Almost Most of

behaviors students Never Never the Time Never Never the Time Never Never the Time

Total 24,315,000 80.7 13.9 4.7 87.5 8.2 3.6 80.9 13.7 4.6

Not Bullied 20,680,000 85.2 11.9 2.5 90.1 7.2 2.4 83.9 12.3 3.4

Bullied 3,494,000 55.9 26.1 17.9 74.4 14.7 10.7 65.3 22.3 12.2

Both Directly

and Indirectly1 1,095,000 42.0 26.4 31.2 64.1 18.3 16.9 60.1 23.8 15.5

Directly Only1 816,000 52.5 33.4 14.1 76.0 13.7 10.3 62.8 26.8 10.4

Indirectly Only1 1,583,000 67.3 22.0 10.6 80.6 12.7 6.6 70.2 18.9 11.0

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school“ was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first

asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“

This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you

from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students

ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail may not sum to totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001.

Afraid of attack on the way

to or from school

Afraid of attack

away from school1 Afraid of attack at school
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

26

Table 7. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported receiving different academic grades during the

school year, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001

Number Mostly

of students Mostly A’s Mostly B’s Mostly C’s D’s and F’s

Total 24,315,000 32.6 40.8 20.8 3.9

Not Bullied 20,680,000 33.7 41.0 20.4 3.2

Bullied 3,494,000 26.6 40.6 23.7 8.3

Both Directly and Indirectly1 1,095,000 21.2 38.6 26.7 12.1

Directly Only1 816,000 26.5 39.4 26.7 7.1

Indirectly Only1 1,583,000 30.3 42.5 20.1 6.3

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: “At school“ includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18

were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did

not want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail

may not sum to totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Self-reports of grades

Table 6. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported carrying a weapon for protection or being

involved in a physical fight at school during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied

directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001

Victim behaviors Number of students Carried a weapon Involved in a physical fight

Total 24,315,000 1.8 5.2

Not Bullied 20,680,000 1.4 3.6

Bullied 3,494,000 3.7 14.6

Both Directly and Indirectly1 1,095,000 4.4 21.1

Directly Only1 816,000 3.3 15.0

Indirectly Only1 1,583,000 3.4 9.8

1Categories are mutually exclusive.

NOTE: Students included as carrying weapons reported carrying a gun, knife or other weapon to school in the 6 months prior to the survey. “At school“ includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were

first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not

want to do (e.g., give them money)?“ This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other

students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?“ This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes

youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000. Detail may not sum to

totals due to missing data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.
27

Appendix C:

Standard Error Tables

Table S1. Standard errors Table 1. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly

and/or indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by selected student characteristics: 2001

Both Directly

Student characteristics Total and Indirectly Directly Only Indirectly Only

Total 0.54 0.23 0.22 0.37

Student sex

Male 0.72 0.35 0.36 0.45

Female 0.62 0.32 0.28 0.43

Student race/ethnicity

White, non-Hispanic 0.63 0.31 0.27 0.45

Black, non-Hispanic 1.32 0.54 0.60 0.86

Hispanic 1.16 0.68 0.42 0.70

Other, non-Hispanic 1.72 0.86 0.84 1.08

Student grade

Sixth 1.59 0.98 0.90 1.23

Seventh 1.33 0.75 0.58 1.01

Eighth 1.12 0.60 0.53 0.73

Ninth 1.02 0.55 0.71 0.65

Tenth 0.90 0.42 0.45 0.78

Eleventh 0.80 0.53 0.28 0.70

Twelfth 0.99 0.32 0.43 0.83

Student household income

Less than $7,500 2.29 1.13 1.12 1.73

$7,500–14,999 2.33 1.20 1.08 1.61

$15,000–24,999 1.73 1.00 0.76 1.13

$25,000–34,999 1.29 0.74 0.77 0.74

$35,000–49,999 1.11 0.55 0.49 0.84

$50,000–74,999 0.94 0.56 0.41 0.68

$75,000 or more 0.91 0.50 0.39 0.63

Student place of residence

Urban 0.82 0.44 0.37 0.54

Suburban 0.65 0.32 0.26 0.45

Rural 1.63 0.57 0.69 1.01

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages

12 through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things

they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Bullied
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

28

Table S2. Standard errors for Table 2. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being bullied directly

and/or indirectly at school during the previous 6 months, by selected school characteristics: 2001

Both Directly

School characteristics Total and Indirectly Directly Only Indirectly Only

Total 0.54 0.23 0.22 0.37

School type

Public 0.56 0.89 0.23 0.39

Private 1.18 0.23 0.68 0.87

Gang presence

Yes 1.13 0.70 0.52 0.73

No 0.57 0.26 0.28 0.42

Presence of security officers

or assigned police

Yes 0.60 0.27 0.30 0.41

No 0.86 0.45 0.33 0.64

Hallway supervision by

school staff

Yes 0.53 0.23 0.23 0.36

No 1.31 0.82 0.57 1.01

NOTE: “At school” includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18

were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did

not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Bullied

Table S3. Standard Errors for Table 3. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported being victimized at

school during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at

school: 2001

Serious

Any Violent Violent Property

Total 0.31 0.08 0.19 0.24

Not Bullied 0.27 0.06 0.10 0.24

Bullied 1.13 0.41 0.94 0.78

Both Directly and Indirectly 2.19 1.20 2.03 1.63

Directly Only 2.47 0.46 2.01 1.64

Indirectly Only 1.26 0.23 0.89 1.09

NOTE: Serious violent crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes include serious violent crimes

and simple assault. Any crimes include violent crimes and theft. “At school” includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the

way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on

them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were

also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?”

This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Victimization
29

Table S4. Standard errors for Table 4. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported fearing attack during the previous 6

months at school, on the way to and from school, and away from school, by reports of being bullied directly and/or

indirectly at school: 2001

Sometimes/ Sometimes/ Sometimes/

Almost Most of Almost Most of Almost Most of

Victim behaviors Never Never the Time Never Never the Time Never Never the Time

Total 0.62 0.55 0.29 0.44 0.35 0.24 0.60 0.52 0.28

Not Bullied 0.53 0.48 0.23 0.44 0.38 0.23 0.62 0.53 0.26

Bullied 1.84 1.82 1.35 1.30 1.15 0.94 1.52 1.34 1.08

Both Directly and Indirectly 2.77 2.39 2.63 2.61 2.13 2.09 2.34 2.19 1.90

Directly Only 3.53 3.55 2.28 2.83 2.39 1.83 3.57 3.70 2.02

Indirectly Only 2.69 2.57 1.56 1.76 1.51 1.00 2.10 1.63 1.65

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first

asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?”

This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you

from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students

ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001.

Afraid of attack on the way

to or from school

Afraid of attack

Afraid of attack at school away from school

Table S5. Standard errors for Table 5. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported avoiding certain areas of school and skipping school, class, or extra-curricular activities during the previous 6 months, by reports of being bullied directly and/or

indirectly at school: 2001

Avoided Avoided

other other Skipped

Avoided Avoided Avoided Avoided places in Avoided places on extraVictim shortest entrance hallways school Avoided school parking school Skipped Skipped curricular

behaviors route to school or stairs cafeteria restrooms building lot grounds school class activities

Total 0.20 0.11 0.18 0.16 0.19 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.13 0.09 0.12

Not Bullied 0.17 0.11 0.15 0.11 0.16 0.11 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.06 0.10

Bullied 0.82 0.56 0.81 0.75 0.74 0.71 0.57 0.70 0.66 0.53 0.48

Both Directly

and Indirectly 1.61 1.28 1.80 1.78 1.59 1.64 1.31 1.56 1.59 1.42 1.18

Directly Only 1.11 1.05 1.63 1.35 1.38 1.27 1.28 1.47 1.00 0.84 1.00

Indirectly Only 1.17 0.57 0.82 0.82 0.98 0.76 0.75 0.68 0.60 0.46 0.66

NOTE: “At school” was defined as in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were first

asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not want to do (e.g., give them money)?”

This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you

from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students

ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001.

2001 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
STUDENT REPORTS OF BULLYING

30

Table S7. Standard errors for Table 7. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported receiving different

academic grades during the school year, by reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at

school: 2001

Mostly A’s Mostly B’s Mostly C’s Mostly D’s and F’s

Total 0.69 0.64 0.55 0.26

Not Bullied 0.72 0.68 0.59 0.24

Bullied 1.35 1.50 1.41 0.93

Both Directly and Indirectly 2.35 2.66 2.53 1.66

Directly Only 3.36 2.95 3.18 1.53

Indirectly Only 2.19 2.39 1.82 1.35

NOTE: “At school” includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18

were first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did

not want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because

other students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.

Self-reports of grades

Table S6. Standard errors for Table 6. Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported carrying a weapon

for protection or being involved in a physical fight at school during the previous 6 months, by

reports of being bullied directly and/or indirectly at school: 2001

Victim behaviors Carried a weapon Involved in a physical fight

Total 0.19 0.26

Not Bullied 0.18 0.22

Bullied 0.69 1.12

Both Directly and Indirectly 1.08 2.06

Directly Only 1.18 2.38

Indirectly Only 0.96 1.44

NOTE: Students included as carrying weapons reported carrying a gun, knife or other weapon to school in the 6 months prior to the survey. “At school” includes inside the school building, on school property, or on the way to or from school. Youth ages 12 through 18 were

first asked if “they had been bullied at school. That is, had anyone picked on them a lot or tried to make them do things they did not

want to do (e.g., give them money)?” This is referred to as direct bullying. They were also asked, “Have you felt rejected because other

students have made fun of you, called you names, or excluded you from activities?” This is referred to as indirect bullying. Total bullied includes

youth who reported they were bullied directly or indirectly. Population size for students ages 12–18 is 24,315,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey,

2001.
31

Appendix D:

2001 School Crime Supplement 

to the National Crime Victimization 

Survey Instrument

SCS-1, Page 1 Black ink Page 1, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

Now I have some additional questions about your school. These answers will b

confidential, by law.

J_____

PSU

A. FR code B. Respondent

Line No.

C. Type of SCS Interview

1

2

3

4

Personal – Self

Telephone – Self

Personal – Proxy 

Telephone – Proxy 

SKIP to INTRO 1

D. Reason for SCS noninterview

Type Z noninterview on NCVS

SCS noninterview

Refused

Not available

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE –Read introduction.

INTRO 1 –

E. SCREEN QUESTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENT

1a.

Segment CK Serial

004

002 003

Age

001

Name

005 1

2

3

4 Physically or mentally unable 

proxy available

006 1

2

Yes

No – END INTERVIEW

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2001

007

1

2

092

5 Noninterview – FILL ITEM D

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE – Complete an SCS-1 form for all

persons 12-18 in all interviewed households even when

that person is a Type Z noninterview. Do NOT complete an

SCS-1 form for persons 12-18 if the household is a Type A.

Did you attend school at any time during the

last 6 months, that is, any time since

During that time, were you ever homeschooled? That is, did you receive ANY

of that schooling at home, rather than in

a public or private school?

Yes 

No –SKIP to 2b

Was ALL or SOME of that home schooling? All –END INTERVIEW 

Some

During the last 6 months, that is, any time

since ____________________ 1st, if you were in a

public or private school, what grade would

you be in?

Fifth or under – END INTERV

Sixth 

Seventh 

Eighth 

Ninth 

Tenth 

Eleventh 

Twelfth 

Other –Specify 

College/GED/Post-graduate/ 

Other noneligible – END IN

During the last 6 months, that is, any time

since ____________________ 1st, what grade 

were you in school?

1st?

1b.

1c.

2a.

2b.

1

2

093

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Fifth or under – END INTERV

Sixth 

Seventh 

Eighth 

Ninth 

Tenth 

Eleventh 

Twelfth 

Other –Specify 

College/GED/Post-graduate/ 

Other noneligible – END IN

008
SCS-1, Page 2 Black ink Page 2, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

Pre-K or Kindergarten 00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12 H.S. Senior

20 All ungraded

30 All Special Education

Grades:

020

TO

021

Page 2

(lowest)

(highest)

13 Post-graduate

F. ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS

Office Use Only

Office Use Only

012

014

015

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE –Probe, if necessary.

013

What is the complete name of your school?

In what city, county, and state is your school

located?

Is your school public or private?

Is this your regularly assigned school or a

school that you or your family chose?

Is your school church-related?

Is your school Catholic?

Public –ASK 7b 

Private –SKIP to 7c

Yes –ASK 7d 

No –SKIP to 8 

Don’t know –ASK 7d

Yes, Catholic 

No, other religion

What grades are taught in your school?

How many months were you in school during

the last 6 months? One month 

Two months 

Three months 

Four months 

Five months

011

5. 1

2

3

4

5

016

017

1

2

1

2

3

018 1

2

3

019 1

2

6a.

6b.

7a.

7b.

7c.

7d.

8.

How do you get to school most of the time? 022

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE – If multiple modes are

used, code the mode in which the student spends

the most time.

Walk 

School bus 

Public bus, subway, train 

Car 

Bicycle, motorbike, or motorc

Some other way –Specify

9. 1

2

3

4

5

6

Assigned 

Chosen 

Assigned school is school of 

Office Use 
SCS-1, Page 3 Black ink Page 3, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

FORM SCS-1 (10-31-2000)

Yes No DK

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

If the student volunteers that he or she does not go

directly home after school, record the mode that

the student uses to get to his or her first

destination after school.

During the last 6 months, have you

participated in any extra-curricular activities

sponsored by your school?

How often do you leave school grounds at

lunch time?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

Yes 

No

Never 

Once or twice a year 

Once or twice a month 

Once or twice a week 

Almost every day

Does your school take any measures to

ensure the safety of students?

For example, does the school have:

Security guards and/or assigned police

officers?

Other school staff or other adults

supervising the hallway?

Metal detectors?

Locked entrance or exit doors during the

day?

Locker checks?

A requirement that students wear badges

or picture identification?

One or more security cameras to monitor

the school?

A code of student conduct, that is, a set of

written rules or guidelines that the school

provides you?

Some other way – Specify

6

027 1

2

026

13.

12b. 1

2

3

4

5

14.

1 2 3

028

029

030

031

032

033

094

095

096

I am going to read a list of statements that

could describe a school. Thinking about your

school over the last 6 months, would you

strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly

disagree with the following...

Everyone knows what the school rules

are

The school rules are fair

The punishment for breaking school rules 

is the same no matter who you are

The school rules are strictly enforced

If a school rule is broken, students know

what kind of punishment will follow

During the last 6 months, that is, since

_______________ 1st, have you attended any

drug education classes in your school?

039 1

2

3

15.

Yes

No

Don’t know

Strongly

Agree Agree Disagree StroDisa

034 1 2 3 4

038

036

037

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

035

16.

A requirement that visitors sign in?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

i.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Are most students at your school allowed to

leave the school grounds to eat lunch?

Yes

No

Don’t know

025 1

2

3

12a.
SCS-1, Page 4 Black ink Page 4, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

Page 4 

Is it possible to get _________________________ 

at your school?

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE –Refer to Drug Slang Cards

(SCS-2a and SCS-2b). Reclassify the "other illegal

drug(s)" to one of the categories a-i if possible. If

able to reclassify the drug(s) mentioned, mark the

"No" box in category j, otherwise, mark the "Yes"

box in category j and enter the "other illegal drug(s)"

mentioned in the Specify space.

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE –For each YES response in

17a ask the drug, otherwise mark NA for each

category not marked YES in 17a.

Would you say _______________________ (is/are)

easy, fairly easy, fairly hard, or hard to get at

your school?

During the last 6 months, did you know for

sure that any students were on drugs or

alcohol while they were at school?

During the last 6 months, did anyone offer, or

try to sell or give you an illegal drug other

than alcohol or tobacco at your school?

Yes No DK DK 

Alcoholic beverages

Marijuana

Crack

Other forms of cocaine

Uppers such as ecstasy, crystal meth, or

other illegal stimulants

Downers such as GHB or sleeping pills

040 123 4

123 4

123 4

123 4

123 4

123 4

PCP or angel dust 123 4

Other illegal drugs –

123 4

123 4

Easy

Fairly

Easy

Fairly

Hard Ha

Alcoholic beverages

Marijuana

Crack

Other forms of cocaine

Uppers such as ecstasy, crystal meth, or

other illegal stimulants

Downers such as GHB or sleeping pills

PCP or angel dust

049 123 4 

123 4 

123 4 

123 4 

123 4 

123 4 

123 4 

Heroin or smack

Other illegal drugs

123 4 

123 4 

Specify

(Exclude tobacco products.) 048

101 1

2

Yes

No

102 1

2

Yes

No

G. FIGHTING, BULLYING AND HATE BEHAVIORS

18a.

18b.

During the last 6 months, have you been in

one or more physical fights at school?

During the last 6 months, how many times

have you been in a physical fight at school?

103 1

2

Yes

No –SKIP to 19

104 (Number of times)

041

042

043

097

045

046

047

050

051

052

100

054

055

056

057

17b.

17c.

17d.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

h.

j.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

h.

i.

j.

g. LSD or acid

i. Heroin or smack

If "Yes" is marked, ASK –What drugs?

123 4

098

g. LSD or acid

099 123 4 
SCS-1, Page 5 Black ink Page 5, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

FORM SCS-1 (10-31-2000)

106

Yes No DK

107 1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

During the last 6 months, how often have you

been made fun of, called names, or excluded

from activities?

Were any of the hate-related words related

to ...

Your race?

Your religion?

Your ethnic background or national origin

(for example people of Hispanic origin)?

Any disability (by this I mean physical,

mental, or developmental disabilities) you

may have?

Your gender?

Your sexual orientation?

If "Yes," SAY –(by this I mean homosexual,

bisexual, or heterosexual)

During the last 6 months, has anyone called

you a derogatory or bad name at school

having to do with your race, religion, ethnic

background or national origin, disability,

gender, or sexual orientation? We call these

hate-related words.

H. AVOIDANCE

During the last 6 months, that is, since

____________________ 1st, did you STAY AWAY

from any of the following places because you

thought someone might attack or threaten to

attack you there?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

The shortest route to school?

The entrance into the school?

Any hallways or stairs in school?

Parts of the school cafeteria?

Any school restrooms?

Other places inside the school building?

School parking lot?

Other places on school grounds?

068 1

Yes

2

No

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

21a.

20b. 1

2

3

4

Once or twice in the last 6 

Once or twice a month 

Once or twice a week, or 

Almost every day

1

2

Yes 

No–SKIP to 22

110

111

112

108

109

Did you AVOID any extra-curricular activities

at your school because you thought someone

might attack or threaten to attack you?

076 1

2

Yes

No

23a.

069

070

071

072

073

074

075

065

23b.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

(READ CATEGORIES.)

During the last 6 months, have you seen any

hate-related words or symbols written in

school classrooms, school bathrooms, school

hallways, or on the outside of your school

building?

22. 066 1

2

Yes

No

21b.
I. WEAPONS

Yes

No

Don’t know

SCS-1, Page 6 Black ink Page 6, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

Page 6 

J. GANGS

080

1

2

3

4

090 1

2

3

(READ CATEGORIES.)

Never

Almost never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Besides the times you are at school, or going

to or from school, how often are you afraid

that someone will attack or threaten to attack

you?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

Never

Almost never

Sometimes

Most of the time

26. 1

2

3

4

Some people bring guns, knives or objects

that can be used as weapons to school for

protection. During the last 6 months, that is,

since __________________ 1st, did you ever bring

a gun to school or onto school grounds?

During the last 6 months, did you ever bring a

knife to school or onto school grounds?

Include only knives brought as weapons.

During the last 6 months, did you ever bring

some other weapon to school or onto school

grounds?

Do you know any (other) students who have

brought a gun to your school in the last 6

months?

Have you actually seen another student with a

gun at school in the last 6 months?

During the last 6 months, could you have

gotten a loaded gun without adult

supervision, either at school or away from

school?

We’d like to know about gangs at your school. You may know these as street g

gangs, crews, or something else. Gangs may use common names, signs, symbo

For this survey, we are interested in all gangs, whether or not they are involved 

illegal activity.

Are there any gangs at your school?

During the last 6 months, that is, since 

____________________ 1st, how often have gangs

been involved in fights, attacks, or other

violence at your school?

(READ CATEGORIES 1–5.)

Never 

Once or twice in the last 6 

Once or twice a month 

Once or twice a week, or 

Almost every day 

Don’t know

Have gangs been involved in the sale of drugs

at your school in the last 6 months?

27a.

27b.

27c.

28a.

28b.

29.

081

083

084

085

086

113

1

2

3

Yes

No

Don’t know

1

2

Yes

No

1

2

Yes

No

1

2

Yes

No

1

2

Yes

No

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE –Read introduction.

INTRO 4 –

058 1

2

3

Yes

No

Don’t know

089 1

2

3

4

5

6

30.

31.

32.

25. How often are you afraid that someone will

attack or threaten to attack you on the way to

and from school?

1

2

Yes

No

082
SCS-1, Page 7 Black ink Page 7, 60% Pantone 182 Pink

FORM SCS-1 (10-31-2000)

35.Thinking about the future, do you think you

will....

a. Attend school after high school?

b. Graduate from a 4-year college?

CHECK

ITEM A Were the supplement questions

asked in private, or was an adult

member of the household or family

present during at least part of the

questions?

If not sure or if a telephone interview,

ask –

Was an adult member of the

household or family present

during at least part of these

questions?

School does not give grades/no 

grade equivalent

CHECK

ITEM B

Yes – END SUPPLEMENT 

No – Interview next househol

No 

1 2 

118 1 2 

–SKIP to 

CHECK ITEM A

117

091 1

2

3

4

5

Personal interview – No ad

Personal interview – Adult 

Telephone interview – No a

Telephone interview – Adu

Telephone interview – Don

Is this the last household member to

be interviewed?

6

Yes