Bullying among Jordanian schoolchildren, its effects on school performance, and the contribution of general physical and dentofacial features

Introduction The aims of this study were to investigate the experience of bullying in a representative sample of Jordanian schoolchildren in Amman, to look at its effect on school attendance and perception of academic performance, and to look at the contribution of general physical and dentofacial features to this phenomenon. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which a representative sample of sixth-grade students (11-12 years of age) from randomly selected schools was asked to complete questionnaires distributed in the classroom in the presence of the researchers. The final sample size was 920 children (470 girls, 450 boys). Results The prevalence of bullying was 47% (n = 433); significantly more boys reported being bullied than girls ( P