Recalled Bullying: Development of a Measure to Identify Childhood Victims and Perpetrators by Adults

The purpose of the study was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of recalled childhood bullying by adults who were either victims or perpetrators of this behavior. In order to accomplish this, a measure of childhood bullying, the Peer Interactions in Primary School (PIPS) Questionnaire, was modified into a retrospective measure in order to quantify recollections of childhood bullying by adults. Specifically, the modified PIPS (PIPS-R) was created to identify adults who identified themselves as bullies, victims, or bully-victims during their childhood or who do not recall having been a bully or a victim. Eight hundred and twelve undergraduate college students were recruited for participation. Participants completed a series of surveys via a secure, online host. The reliability of this measure was established using Cronbach’s alpha, which ranged from good to excellent. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the modified questionnaire was a three-factor scale. Implications for use of the measure and possibilities for further research were also discussed