The Relationship between School Bullying and Self-Esteem among Middle School Students

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between school bullying and self-esteem among middle school students. It aimed to investigate the association between the level of peer bullying experienced by students and their self-esteem, as well as to identify the effects of gender, age, and school year on both bullying and self-esteem. The study sample consisted of 165 students selected from several middle schools in the Wilaya of Djelfa, Algeria, including 75 males and 90 females. The study employed the Githaus Peer Bullying Scale and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, both of which demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability. The findings revealed a negative correlation between bullying and self-esteem. No significant differences were found between males and females in either bullying or self-esteem. However, significant differences in bullying were associated with age and school year, whereas self-esteem differed according to school year but not age.