Adaptation and Validation of the Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents in Bangla

TL;DR

This study adapted and validated a bullying and cyberbullying scale for adolescents in Bangla, showing it is reliable and useful for identifying victims and perpetrators in Bangladesh.

Contribution

The first validated Bangla tool for assessing bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents in Bangladesh.

Findings

The Bangla BCS-A showed strong reliability with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.821 and 0.808 for victimization and perpetration subscales.

Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure for both subscales, consistent with prior research.

Victimization correlated with internalizing problems, while perpetration correlated with externalizing problems, indicating good validity.

Abstract

Adolescent bullying is a pressing global public health and educational issue, including in Bangladesh. The lack of valid, reliable assessment tools in clinical and school settings impedes the identification of victims and individuals involved in bullying and cyberbullying. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Bullying and Cyberbullying Scale for Adolescents (BCS‐A) in Bangla.

This cross‐sectional study followed a standard adaptation protocol to translate the BCS‐A into Bangla. The study included 210 randomly selected adolescents (12–17 years) from three Bangla‐medium schools in Dhaka. Participants completed the Bangla‐adapted BCS‐A, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

The mean score of the victimization subscale was 9.60 (SD: ±9.1) and the perpetration subscale was 5.15 (SD: ±6.55). The Cronbach's alpha values were 0.821 and 0.808 for the victimization and perpetration subscales, respectively, indicating robust reliability. For the majority of items, the item‐total correlation was above 0.30. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a four‐factor structure for each of the subscales, aligning with previous studies. Victims of bullying showed a positive correlation with internalizing problems on the SDQ, whereas perpetrators of bullying showed a positive correlation with externalizing problems, suggesting good convergent and divergent validity. A total victimization score of ≥ 5 and a total perpetration score of ≥ 4 demonstrated the ability to accurately identify victims and perpetrators, respectively, with over 80% sensitivity and specificity.

The BCS‐A Bangla has demonstrated strong reliability and validity, making it a useful tool for screening bullying and cyberbullying behaviors among adolescents.

This cross‐sectional validation study adapted and assessed the Bangla BCS‐A among adolescents, demonstrating strong reliability and validity. As the first validated tool in Bangladesh for comprehensive screening of bullying and cyberbullying in a single setting, it supports early identification of victims and perpetrators in clinical and educational contexts.

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