Inter-Peer Group Status and School Bullying: The Case of Middle-School Students in Japan

The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between school bullying and inter-peer group status among Japanese middle-school students. A total of 2294, 7th–9th grade Japanese middle-school students participated in this study. Using a self-report questionnaire, we measured their inter- and intra-peer group status, bullying behavior, victimization, coping strategy, and current victimization status. The results showed that, compared to those in the higher-status groups, students in lower-status peer groups tended to be bullied and experienced prolonged victimization. These findings suggest that a lower peer-group status predisposes students to victimization.