2017 SCS Attachments

2017 SCS OMB Supporting Statement Attachments_FINAL.pdf

2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey

2017 SCS Attachments

OMB: 1121-0184

Document [pdf]
Download: pdf | pdf
Supporting Statement Attachments – 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime 
Victimization Survey 
 
Attachment 1:  

BJS Authorizing Statute; Title 42, United States Code, Section 3732………………… 2 

Attachment 2:  

2017 SCS questionnaire…………………………………………………………………………………… 7 

Attachment 3: 

2015 SCS questionnaire…………………………………………………………………………………… 21 

Attachment 4:  

Cognitive Pretesting of the 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime 
Victimization Survey Final Report……………………………………………………………………. 35 

Attachment 5:  

2017 SCS item description and rationale…………………………………………………………. 85 

Attachment 6: 

Nonfederal publications citing data from the NCVS SCS…………………………………… 100 

Attachment 7: 

Incoming introductory letter from Census (NCVS‐572(L))………………………………… 108 

Attachment 8:  

Continuing household introductory letter from Census (NCVS‐573(L))……………. 111 

Attachment 9:  

SCS brochure for parents in English…………………………………………………………………. 114 

Attachment 10:  SCS brochure for students in English……………………………………………………………….. 117 
Attachment 11:  SCS brochure for parents in Spanish………………………………………………………………… 120 
Attachment 12:  SCS brochure for students in Spanish………………………………………………………………. 123 
Attachment 13:   Nonresponse Bias Report for the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the National 
Crime Victimization Survey……………………………………………………………………………… 126 
Attachment 14:   2017 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement Cognitive 
Pretesting Protocols………………………………………………………………………………………… 151 
Attachment 15:   2017 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement Cognitive 
Pretesting Handouts………………………………………………………………………………………… 223 
Attachment 16:   2017 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement finalized bullying 
section…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 239 
 

 

Attachment 1: 
BJS authorizing statute; Title 42, United States Code, Section 3732 
 

 

-CITE42 USC Sec. 3732

01/26/98

-EXPCITETITLE 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 46 - JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT
SUBCHAPTER III - BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
-HEADSec. 3732. Bureau of Justice Statistics
-STATUTE(a) Establishment
There is established within the Department of Justice, under the general authority of the Attorney General, a
Bureau of Justice Statistics (hereinafter referred to in this subchapter as ''Bureau'').
(b) Appointment of Director; experience; authority; restrictions
The Bureau shall be headed by a Director appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. The Director shall have had experience in statistical programs. The Director shall have final authority for all
grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by the Bureau. The Director shall report to the Attorney
General through the Assistant Attorney General. The Director shall not engage in any other employment than that of
serving as Director; nor shall the Director hold any office in, or act in any capacity for, any organization, agency, or
institution with which the Bureau makes any contract or other arrangement under this Act.
(c) Duties and functions of Bureau
The Bureau is authorized to (1) make grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with public agencies, institutions of higher
education, private organizations, or private individuals for purposes related to this subchapter; grants shall be made
subject to continuing compliance with standards for gathering justice statistics set forth in rules and regulations
promulgated by the Director;
(2) collect and analyze information concerning criminal victimization, including crimes against the elderly, and
civil disputes;
(3) collect and analyze data that will serve as a continuous and comparable national social indication of the
prevalence, incidence, rates, extent, distribution, and attributes of crime, juvenile delinquency, civil disputes, and
other statistical factors related to crime, civil disputes, and juvenile delinquency, in support of national, State, and
local justice policy and decisionmaking;
(4) collect and analyze statistical information, concerning the operations of the criminal justice system at the
Federal, State, and local levels;
(5) collect and analyze statistical information concerning the prevalence, incidence, rates, extent, distribution,
and attributes of crime, and juvenile delinquency, at the Federal, State, and local levels;
(6) analyze the correlates of crime, civil disputes and juvenile delinquency, by the use of statistical information,

about criminal and civil justice systems at the Federal, State, and local levels, and about the extent, distribution and
attributes of crime, and juvenile delinquency, in the Nation and at the Federal, State, and local levels;
(7) compile, collate, analyze, publish, and disseminate uniform national statistics concerning all aspects of
criminal justice and related aspects of civil justice, crime, including crimes against the elderly, juvenile delinquency,
criminal offenders, juvenile delinquents, and civil disputes in the various States;
(8) recommend national standards for justice statistics and for insuring the reliability and validity of justice
statistics supplied pursuant to this chapter;
(9) maintain liaison with the judicial branches of the Federal and State Governments in matters relating to
justice statistics, and cooperate with the judicial branch in assuring as much uniformity as feasible in statistical
systems of the executive and judicial branches;
(10) provide information to the President, the Congress, the judiciary, State and local governments, and the
general public on justice statistics;
(11) establish or assist in the establishment of a system to provide State and local governments with access to
Federal informational resources useful in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs under this Act;
(12) conduct or support research relating to methods of gathering or analyzing justice statistics;
(13) provide for the development of justice information systems programs and assistance to the States and units
of local government relating to collection, analysis, or dissemination of justice statistics;
(14) develop and maintain a data processing capability to support the collection, aggregation, analysis and
dissemination of information on the incidence of crime and the operation of the criminal justice system;
(15) collect, analyze and disseminate comprehensive Federal justice transaction statistics (including statistics
on issues of Federal justice interest such as public fraud and high technology crime) and to provide technical
assistance to and work jointly with other Federal agencies to improve the availability and quality of Federal justice
data;
(16) provide for the collection, compilation, analysis, publication and dissemination of information and
statistics about the prevalence, incidence, rates, extent, distribution and attributes of drug offenses, drug related
offenses and drug dependent offenders and further provide for the establishment of a national clearinghouse to
maintain and update a comprehensive and timely data base on all criminal justice aspects of the drug crisis and to
disseminate such information;
(17) provide for the collection, analysis, dissemination and publication of statistics on the condition and
progress of drug control activities at the Federal, State and local levels with particular attention to programs and
intervention efforts demonstrated to be of value in the overall national anti-drug strategy and to provide for the
establishment of a national clearinghouse for the gathering of data generated by Federal, State, and local criminal
justice agencies on their drug enforcement activities;
(18) provide for the development and enhancement of State and local criminal justice information systems, and
the standardization of data reporting relating to the collection, analysis or dissemination of data and statistics about
drug offenses, drug related offenses, or drug dependent offenders;
(19) provide for research and improvements in the accuracy, completeness, and inclusiveness of criminal
history record information, information systems, arrest warrant, and stolen vehicle record information and
information systems and support research concerning the accuracy, completeness, and inclusiveness of other
criminal justice record information;
(20) maintain liaison with State and local governments and governments of other nations concerning justice
statistics;

(21) cooperate in and participate with national and international organizations in the development of uniform
justice statistics;
(22) ensure conformance with security and privacy requirement of section 3789g of this title and identify,
analyze, and participate in the development and implementation of privacy, security and information policies which
impact on Federal and State criminal justice operations and related statistical activities; and
(23) exercise the powers and functions set out in subchapter
VIII of this chapter.
(d) Justice statistical collection, analysis, and dissemination to insure that all justice statistical collection, analysis,
and dissemination is carried out in a coordinated manner, the Director is authorized to (1) utilize, with their consent, the services, equipment, records, personnel, information, and facilities of other
Federal, State, local, and private agencies and instrumentalities with or without reimbursement therefor, and to enter
into agreements with such agencies and instrumentalities for purposes of data collection and analysis;
(2) confer and cooperate with State, municipal, and other local agencies;
(3) request such information, data, and reports from any Federal agency as may be required to carry out the
purposes of this chapter;
(4) seek the cooperation of the judicial branch of the Federal Government in gathering data from criminal
justice records; and
(5) encourage replication, coordination and sharing among justice agencies regarding information systems,
information policy, and data.
(e) Furnishing of information, data, or reports by Federal agencies Federal agencies requested to furnish
information, data, or reports pursuant to subsection (d)(3) of this section shall provide such information to the
Bureau as is required to carry out the purposes of this section.
(f) Consultation with representatives of State and local government and judiciary In recommending standards for
gathering justice statistics under this section, the Director shall consult with representatives of State and local
government, including, where appropriate, representatives of the judiciary.
-SOURCE(Pub. L. 90-351, title I, Sec. 302, as added Pub. L. 96-157, Sec. 2, Dec. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 1176; amended Pub. L.
98-473, title II, Sec. 605(b), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2079; Pub. L. 100-690, title VI, Sec. 6092(a), Nov. 18, 1988,
102 Stat. 4339; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330001(h)(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2139.)
-REFTEXTREFERENCES IN TEXT
This Act, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (c)(11), is Pub. L. 90-351, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat. 197, as amended,
known as the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. For complete classification of this Act to the
Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3711 of this title and Tables.
-MISC2PRIOR PROVISIONS

A prior section 3732, Pub. L. 90-351, title I, Sec. 302, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat. 200; Pub. L. 93-83, Sec. 2, Aug. 6,
1973, 87 Stat. 201; Pub. L. 94-503, title I, Sec. 110, Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2412, related to establishment of State
planning agencies to develop comprehensive State plans for grants for law enforcement and criminal justice
purposes, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 96-157.
AMENDMENTS
1994 - Subsec. (c)(19). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted a semicolon for period at end.
1988 - Subsec. (c)(16) to (23). Pub. L. 100-690 added pars. (16) to (19) and redesignated former pars. (16) to
(19) as (20) to (23), respectively.
1984 - Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(1), inserted provision requiring Director to report to Attorney
General through Assistant Attorney General.
Subsec. (c)(13). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(2)(A), (C), added par. (13) and struck out former par. (13) relating
to provision of financial and technical assistance to States and units of local government relating to collection,
analysis, or dissemination of justice statistics.
Subsec. (c)(14), (15). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(2)(C), added pars. (14) and (15). Former pars. (14) and (15)
redesignated (16) and (17), respectively.
Subsec. (c)(16). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(2)(A), (B), redesignated par. (14) as (16) and struck out former par.
(16) relating to insuring conformance with security and privacy regulations issued under section 3789g of this title.
Subsec. (c)(17). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(2)(B), redesignated par. (15) as (17). Former par. (17) redesignated
(19).
Subsec. (c)(18). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(2)(D), added par. (18).
Subsec. (c)(19). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(2)(B), redesignated former par. (17) as (19).
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(3)(A), inserted '', and to enter into agreements with such agencies
and instrumentalities for purposes of data collection and analysis''.
Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 605(b)(3)(B)-(D), added par. (5).
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1984 AMENDMENT
Amendment by Pub. L. 98-473 effective Oct. 12, 1984, see section 609AA(a) of Pub. L. 98-473, set out as an
Effective Date note under section 3711 of this title.
-SECREFSECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in section 5603 of this title.

Attachment 2: 
2017 SCS questionnaire 
 
 

 

2017 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
INTRO_1 -

Now, I would like to ask some questions about your experiences at school. We estimate the survey
will take about 10 minutes. The law authorizes the collection of this data and requires us to keep all
information about you and your household strictly confidential.
SCREEN QUESTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENT

E_ATTENDSCHOOL

1a.

Did you attend school at any time this school year?
_________________________________________

E_HOMESCHOOL

1b.

During that time, were you ever homeschooled?
That is, did you receive ANY of that schooling at
home, rather than in a public or private school?
_________________________________________

E_ALLHOMESCHOOL

1c.

Was all of your schooling this school year
homeschooling?
___________________________________________

E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

1d.

How many different schools have you
attended this school year?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to END
_____________________________________________
006

092

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

_____________________________________________
1  Yes - SKIP to END
2  No
_____________________________________________
007

185SCS 1  One school
2  Two schools
3  Three or more schools

Include your homeschooling as one school.
(only asked if student answered “yes” to being
homeschooled)
Check Item: if student was not homeschooled (1b, E_HOMESCHOOL = “No”) Skip to 2b, WHATGRADE. If student was
partially homeschooled (1c, E_ALLHOMESCHOOL = “No”) continue with 2a, E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE.
E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE

2a.

During the time you were homeschooled this school
year, what grade would you have been in if you
were in a public or private school?

093

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE_OTHER

What grade are you in?

E_WHATGRADEOTHER

Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Other - Specify

SKIP to INTRO_ 2

9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible – SKIP to END

E_WHATGRADE

2b.

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END

008

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Other - Specify

SKIP to E_WHATMONTH

9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible - SKIP to END

Page 1

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Read introduction only if any of the boxes 1-8 are marked in item 2a E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE.
INTRO_2 -The following questions pertain only to your attendance at a public or private school and not to being

homeschooled.
E_WHATMONTH
3.
In what month did your current school year begin?

009

E_WHATMONTHOTHER

1  August
2  September
3  Other - Specify _______________________

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
October
November
December

ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS
F_SCHOOLSTATE, F_SCHOOLCOUNTY, F_SCHOOLCITY

4b.

In what State, County and City is your school
located?

F_NAMEOFSCHOOL

What is the complete name of your school?
F_PUBLICORPRIVATE

5a.

Is your school public or private?
____________________________________________
F_REGULARSCHOOL
5b.
Is this the regular school that most of the students in
your neighborhood attend?
____________________________________________
F_CHURCHRELATED
5c.
Is your school affiliated with a religion?

Page 2

015
014
013
012

State
County
City
School Name

1  Public – ASK F_REGULARSCHOOL
2  Private - SKIP to F_CHURCHRELATED
______________________________________________
016

1  Yes
2  No
SKIP to F_GRADES_LOW
_________________________________________
017

018

1  Yes
2  No
3  Don’t know

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

6.

What grades are taught in your school?
Pre-K or Kindergarten

00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
30

020

021

 (highest) F_GRADES_HIGH

H.S. Senior
Post-graduate
All ungraded
All Special Education
022

1
2
3
4
5
6

Walk
School bus
Public bus, subway, train
Car
Bicycle, motorbike, or motorcycle
Some other way – Specify _________

024

1
2
3
4
5
6

Walk
School bus
Public bus, subway, train
Car
Bicycle, motorbike, or motorcycle
Some other way - Specify ________

How do you get to school most of the time this
school year?

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - If multiple modes are used, code
the mode in which the student spends the most time.
F_GETTOSCHOOL_SPECIFY
Enter the other way that the respondent gets to school.
F_HOMEFROMSCHOOL
8.
How do you get home from school most of the time
this school year?

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - If multiple modes are used,
code the mode in which the student spends the most
time.
F_HOMEFROMSCHOOL_SPECIFY
Enter the other way that the respondent gets home from
school.

Page 3

 (lowest) F_GRADES_LOW
TO

F_GETTOSCHOOL

7.

Grades:

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

9.

During this school year, have you participated in any of
the following activities sponsored by your school:

F_ACTIVITIES_ SPORTS

a. Athletic teams at school?

F_ACTIVITIES_ SPIRIT

b.

Spirit groups, for example, Cheerleading, Dance
Team, or Pep Club?

F_ACTIVITIES_ ARTS

c. Performing arts, for example, Band, Choir,
Orchestra, or Drama?

F_ACTIVITIES_ ACADEMIC

d. Academic clubs, for example, Debate Team, Honor
Society, Spanish Club, or Math Club?

F_ACTIVITIES_ GOVT

e. Student government?

F_ACTIVITIES_ SERVICE

f. [IF GRADES 6, 7, or 8 ASK] Volunteer or community
service clubs sponsored by your school, for
example, Peer Mediators, Ecology Club, or
Recycling Club?

Yes

No

120

1

2

121

1

2

122

1

2

123

1

2

124

1

2

125

1

2

126

1

[IF GRADES 9, 10, 11, or 12 ASK] Volunteer or
community service clubs sponsored by your school,
for example, Peer Mediators, Ecology Club, Key
Club, or Interact? Do not include community
service hours required for graduation.
F_ACTIVITIES_ OTHER

g. Other school clubs or school activities?

F_ACTIVITIES_OTHER_SPECIFY

What are the other school clubs or school activities
you participate in?

Page 4



2

Specify __________

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

10. The next questions are about security measures that
some schools take.
Does your school have:
F_SAFETY_POLICE
a. Security guards or assigned police officers?
F_SAFETY HALLSTAFF
b. Other adults supervising the hallway, such as
teachers, administrators, or parent volunteers?
F_SAFETY_ METAL_DETECTORS
c. Metal detectors, including wands?
(The definition for the term ‘metal detector’ is a device used to
check for weapons students might be trying to bring onto school
property. The metal detector may be in a form of a doorframe,
which you are asked to walk through. It may also be in the form
of a hand-held metal detector that looks like a wand or paddle,
which is moved around your body.)
F_SAFETY_DOORS_LOCKED
d. Locked entrance or exit doors during the day?
F_SAFETY_SIGN_IN
e. A requirement that visitors sign in AND wear
visitor badges or stickers?
F_SAFETY_LOCKER_CHECKS
f. Locker checks?
F_SAFETY_STUDENT_ID
g. A requirement that students wear badges or
picture identification?
F_SAFETY_CAMERAS
h. One or more security cameras to monitor
the school?
F_SAFETY_CODE_OF_CONDUCT
i.
A code of student conduct, that is, a set of
written rules or guidelines that the school
provides you?

Yes

If you hear about a threat to school or student safety,
do you have a way to report it without having to give
your name?

F_DISTRACTED
12.
In your classes, how often are you distracted from
doing your schoolwork because other students are
misbehaving, for example, talking or fighting?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

Page 5

Don’t know School does not
have lockers

028

1

2

3

029

1

2

3

030

1

2

3

031

1

2

3

032

1

2

3

033

1

2

3

094

1

2

3

095

1

2

3

096

1

2

3

Yes

No

Don’t know

167

1

2

3

156

1
2
3
4

F_REPORT

11.

No

4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

13.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

F_RULES_FAIR

a.

The school rules are fair.

F_PUNISHMENT_SAME

b.

The punishment for breaking school rules is the
same no matter who you are.

F_RULES_ENFORCED

c.

The school rules are strictly enforced.
(Strictly enforced rules means that the school
consistently carries out disciplinary actions against
any students who break school rules.)

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Strongly
Disagree Disagree

035

1

2

3

4

036

1

2

3

4

037

1

2

3

4

038

1

2

3

4

127

1

2

3

4

F_PUNISHMENT_KNOWN

d. If a school rule is broken, students know what
kind of punishment will follow.

F_TEACHERS_RESPECT

e. Teachers treat students with respect.

14.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

There is a TEACHER or other ADULT at school who…

F_ADULT_REALLYCARES

a.

Really cares about you.

F_ADULT_LISTENS

b.

Listens to you when you have something to
say.
F_ADULT_GOOD_JOB
c. Tells you when you do a good job.
15.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

173SCS 1 

2

3

4

175SCS 1 

2

3

4

176SCS 1 

2

3

4

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Strongly
Agree

There is a STUDENT at school who…

186SCS 1 

a.

Really cares about you.

187SCS 1 

b.

Listens to you when you have something to say.
188SCS 1 

c.

Believes that you will be a success.

F_STUDENT_REALLYCARES

2

3

4

2

3

4

2

3

4

F_STUDENT_LISTENS

F_STUDENT_SUCCESS

16.

Thinking about the neighborhood where YOU LIVE,
would you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or
strongly disagree with the following…

F_CRIME_NEIGHBORHOOD

There is a lot of crime in the neighborhood
where YOU LIVE.
17.

Thinking about the neighborhood where YOUR
SCHOOL is located, would you strongly agree, agree,
disagree, or strongly disagree with the following...

Strongly
Agree
212SCS 1 

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Disagree

2

3

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree
4

Strongly
Disagree

F_CRIME_NEIGHBORHOOD_SCHOOL

There is a lot of crime in the neighborhood
where YOU go to SCHOOL.

Page 6

213SCS 1 

2

3

4

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

18.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

F_SAFE_IN_SCHOOL

You feel safe in your school
SCS_INTRO 3

19.

189SCS 1 

2

3

4

Now I have some questions about things that happen at school. For this survey, “at school”
includes the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from
school. Your answers will not be given to anyone.

The following question refers to the availability of
drugs and alcohol at your school.

Yes

No

040

1

2

041

1

2

159

1

2

209SCS

1

2

Is it possible for students at your school to get…
F_ ALCOHOL

a. Alcoholic beverages?
F_MARIJUANA

b. Marijuana, also known as pot, weed or mary jane?
F_PRESCRIPTION_DRUGS

c. Prescription drugs illegally obtained without a
prescription, such as Oxycontin, Ritalin, or
Adderall?
F_OTHER_ILLEGAL

d. Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, uppers,
or heroin?

F_KNOW_DRUGS_OR_ALCOHOL

20.

During this school year, did you see another
student who was under the influence of illegal drugs
or alcohol while they were at school?

210SCS

1  Yes
2  No

FIGHTING, BULLYING AND HATE BEHAVIORS
G_FIGHT_AT_SCHOOL
21a.
During this school year, have you been in one or
more physical fights at school?

G_FIGHT_HOW_OFTEN
21b.
During this school year, how many times have you
been in a physical fight at school?

Page 7

103

104

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to:
G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

 (Number of times)

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

22.

Now I have some questions about what students do
at school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to
you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You
may include events you told me about already.
During this school year, has any student bullied
you?
That is, has another student...
(Read each category a-g.)

Yes

No

134

1

2

135

1

2

136

1

2

137

1

2

138

1

2

139

1

2

140

1

2  If all categories a-g are
marked “No” SKIP to
G_HATE

G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted
you, in a hurtful way?
G_BULLY_RUMOR
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others
dislike you?
G_BULLY_THREAT
c. Threatened you with harm?
G_BULLY_CONTACT
d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you?
G_BULLY_COERCED
e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to
do, for example, give them money or other
things?
G_BULLY_EXCLUDED
f. Excluded you from activities on purpose?
G_BULLY_DESTROYED_PROP

g.

Destroyed your property on purpose?

G_BULLY_DAY_PLUS
23a.
During this school year, how many days were you
bullied?
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

214SCS
1  One day – Go to G_BULLY_TIMES
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days

G_BULLY_TIMES
23b.
In that one day, how many times would you say
other students did those things that made you feel
bad or were hurtful to you?
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES 1-4)

SKIP to G_BULLY_
HAPPEN_AGAIN

215SCS
1
2
3
4
5
6

Once
Two to ten times
Eleven to fifty times
More than fifty times
Too many times to count
Don’t know

G_BULLY_HAPPEN_AGAIN

24.

Did you think the bullying would happen again?

216SCS
1  Yes
2  No

Page 8

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

G_BULLY_MULTI_PERS
25.
Thinking about the [time/times] you were bullied this
school year, did more than one person do
[this/these things] to you?

G_BULLY_HOW_ACT
26.
Did these people act alone, together as a team, or
both?

27.

217SCS
1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: G_BULLY_STRONGER

218SCS
1  Alone
2  Together
3  Both
4  Don’t know

Now I have some additional questions about the
time [another student/ other students] {behavior1},
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the
[person/ people] who did [this/these things] to you
this school year,

G_BULLY_STRONGER
a. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger
than you?

Yes

No

219SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_POPULAR
b. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] more popular than you?

220SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_MONEY
c. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more money than you?

221SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_INFLUENCE
d. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have the ability to influence what other
students think of you?

222SCS

1

2

223SCS

1

2 

G_BULLY_OTHER_POWER
e. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more power than you in another
way?
G_BULLY_WHERE1 through G_BULLY_WHERE8

28.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur …

(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply
G_BULLY_WHERE_SPECIFY
Where is the other place where bullying occurred?

G_BULLY_ADULT_TOLD
29.
Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school
about being bullied?

Page 9

1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school
building? – Specify _____________
144
6  Outside on school grounds?
145
7  On the way to or from school such as on a
school bus or at a bus stop?
211SCS 8  Online or by text?

143
168
169
173
146

147

1  Yes
2  No

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

30.

This school year, how much has bullying had a
NEGATIVE effect on:
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

G_SCHOOL_WORK

a.
YOUR school work.
G_RELATION_FRIEND_FAMILY
b.
YOUR relationships with friends or family.
G_ABOUT_YOURSELF
c.
How you feel about YOURSELF.
G_PHYSICAL_HEALTH
d.
YOUR physical health for example, caused
injuries, gave you headaches or stomach
aches.

Not
at all

Not very Somewhat
much

A lot

196SCS

1

2

3

4

197SCS

1

2

3

4

198SCS

1

2

3

4

199SCS

1

2

3

4

31. When you were bullied in school this year, did you ever
think it was related to ...
G_BULLY_RACE

Yes

No

a.

YOUR race?

200SCS

1

2

b.

YOUR religion?

201SCS

1

2

202SCS

1

2

203SCS

1

2

204SCS

1

2

205SCS

1

2

206SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_RELIGION

G_BULLY_ETHNIC_ORIGIN

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin for example, people of Hispanic origin?
G_BULLYING_DISABILITY
d.
Any disability you may have – such as
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities?
G_BULLYING_GENDER
e.
YOUR gender?
G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION
f.
YOUR sexual orientation - by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or straight?
G_BULLYING_APPEARANCE
g.
YOUR physical appearance?
.
G_HATE

32.

During this school year, has anyone called you an
insulting or bad name at school having to do with
your race, religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation? We
call these hate-related words.

Page 10

065

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to G_HATE_WORDS

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

33.
Were any of the hate-related words related to ...
G_HATE_RACE
a. Your race?

Yes

No

Don’t know

107SCS

1

2

3

108SCS

1

2

3

109SCS

1

2

3

110SCS

1

2

3

111SCS

1

2

3

112SCS

1

2

3

G_HATE_RELIGION

b.

Your religion?

G_HATE_ETHNICITY

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin- for
example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_HATE_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as physical,
mental, or developmental disabilities?

G_HATE_GENDER

e.

Your gender?

G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION

f.

Your sexual orientation – by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual or straight?

G_HATE_WORDS

34.

During this school year, have you seen any
hate-related words or symbols written in school
classrooms, school bathrooms, school hallways, or
on the outside of your school building?

066

1  Yes
2  No

AVOIDANCE
35.

During this school year, did you ever STAY AWAY
from any of the following places because you
thought someone might attack or harm you there?
Yes

No

068

1

2

069

1

2

070

1

2

071

1

2

072

1

2

073

1

2

074

1

2

075

1

2

208SCS

1

2

H_AVOID_SHORTCUT

a.

For example, did you ever stay away from the
shortest route to school, because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?
H_AVOID_ENTRANCE
b. The entrance into the school?
H_AVOID_HALLWAYS
c. Any hallways or stairs in school?
H_AVOID_CAFETERIA
d. Parts of the school cafeteria or lunchroom?
H_AVOID_RESTROOMS
e. Any school restrooms?
H_AVOID_OTHER_PLACES
f. Other places inside the school building?
H_AVOID_PARKING_LOT
g. School parking lot?
H_AVOID_OTHER_SCHOOL
h. Other places on school grounds?
H_SCHOOL_BUS_STOP
i.
School bus or bus stop?
H_AVOID_ACTIVITIES

36a.

Page 11

Did you AVOID any activities at your school because
you thought someone might attack or harm you?

076

1  Yes
2  No

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

H_AVOID_CLASSES

36b.

Did you AVOID any classes because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

H_STAY_HOME

36c.

077

1  Yes
2  No

078

1  Yes
2  No

Did you stay home from school because you
thought someone might attack or harm you in the
school building, on school property, on a school
bus, or going to or from school?
FEAR

I_INTRO_FEAR: Sometimes, even if you can’t avoid a place, you may still be afraid of what might happen there.
I_AFRAID
37a.
How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you in the school building or on school
property?

079

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

080

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

081

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES.)
I_AFRAID_ON_BUS

37b.

How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you on a school bus or on the way to and from
school?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
I_AFRAID_NONSCHOOL

37c.

Besides the times you are in the school building, on
school property, on a school bus, or going to or from
school, how often are you afraid that someone will
attack or harm you?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
WEAPONS
J_INTRO_WEAPON

In the next series of questions we are going to ask you about weapons at your school. All your responses are strictly
confidential and will not be shared with anyone.
38.

Some people bring guns, knives, or objects that can
be used as weapons to school for protection. During
this school year, did you ever bring the following to
school or onto school grounds?
(READ CATEGORIES.)

J_WEAPONS_GUN

No

a. A gun?

082

1

2

b. A knife brought as a weapon?

083

1

2

c. Some other weapon?

084

1

2

085

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to J_GET_GUN

J_WEAPONS_KNIFE
J_WEAPONS_OTHER

J_GUN_OTHERS

39a.

Yes

Do you know of any other students who have brought
a gun to your school during this school year?

Page 12

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

J_SEE_GUN
39b. Have you actually seen another student with a gun at
school during this school year?

J_GET_GUN

40.

During this school year, could you have gotten a
loaded gun without adult permission, either at school
or away from school?

086

1  Yes
2  No
3  Don’t know

113

1  Yes
2  No

GANGS
K_INTRO_GANG
INTRO 4 - Now, we'd like to know about gangs at your school. You may know these as street gangs, fighting gangs,
crews, or something else. Gangs may use common names, signs, symbols, or colors. For this survey, we
are interested in all gangs, whether or not they are involved in violent or illegal activity. Your responses
are confidential.
K_GANGS
41a. Are there any gangs at your school?

K_GANG_FIGHTS
41b. During this school year, how often have gangs been
involved in fights, attacks, or other violence at your
school?

058

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to L_GRADES
3  Don't know - SKIP to L_GRADES

089

1
2
3
4
5

090

1  Yes
2  No
3  Don't know

Never
Once or twice this school year
Once or twice a month
Once or twice a week, or
Almost every day

(READ CATEGORIES 1-5)
K_GANG_DRUGS
41c.
Have gangs been involved in the sale of drugs at your
school during this school year?

STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
L_GRADES
42.
During this school year, across all subjects have you
gotten mostly -

116

(READ CATEGORIES 1-5)

L_SKIP_CLASSES

43a.

L_SKIP_CLASS_DAYS

43b.

114

During the last 4 weeks of school, did you skip any
classes? Again, we would like to remind you that all
your responses are strictly confidential and will not be
shared with anyone.

During the last 4 weeks of school, on how many
days did you skip at least one class?

44.
Thinking about the future, do you think you will ...
L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL
a. Attend school after high school, such as a college
or technical school? . . . . . . . . . .
L_GRADUATE_4YR

b. Graduate from a 4-year college? . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 13

115

1
2
3
4
5
6

A's
B's
C's
D's
F's
School does not give grades/no alphabetic
grade equivalent

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL
3  Don't know - SKIP to
L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL

 (Number of days)
Yes

No

Don't know

117

1

2  -- END

3

118

1

2

3

FORM SCS-1 (8/3/2016)

Attachment 3: 
2015 SCS questionnaire 
 
 

 

NOTICE - We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Section 8. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information
about you and your household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Also, Title 42, Section 3732, United States Code,
authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice, to collect information using this survey. Title 42, Sections 3789g and 3735, United States Code also
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential.

ASK OF ALL PEOPLE AGES 12-18

FORM

SCS-1

Economics and Statistics Administration

We estimate that it will take from 5 to 15 minutes to complete this interview with 10 minutes
being the average time. If you have any comments regarding these estimates or any other
aspect of this survey, send them to the Associate Director for Finance and Administration,
Room 2027, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington DC 20233, or to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. According to
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no such persons are required to respond to a collection
of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.

U.S. Census Bureau
ACTING AS COLLECTING AGENCY FOR THE
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
TO THE NATIONAL CRIME
VICTIMIZATION SURVEY
2015

Control number
PSU

Segment/Suffix

Sample Designation/Suffix

A. FR Code

Serial/Suffx

HH No.Spinoff
Indicator



Age

002 

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Complete an SCS-1 form for all
NCVS interviewed people ages 12-18. Do NOT complete an
SCS-1 form for Type Z noninterview people or for people in
Type A noninterview households.

1
2
3
4
5

INTRO 1 -

Name

003 
D. Reason for SCS noninterview
005

C. Type of SCS Interview
004

QUESTIONNAIRE

B. Respondent
Line No.

001

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Personal - Self
Telephone – Self
Personal - Proxy
Telephone - Proxy
Noninterview – SKIP to ITEM D

2  Refused – Respondent refused
For themselves
3  Not available
4  NCVS completed in a
Language other than
English or Spanish
5  Unknown reason (Internal
category created for post data
collection processing)
6  Refused – Parent or other
Person refused for respondent

SKIP to END

Now, I would like to ask some questions about your experiences at school. We estimate the survey will
take about 10 minutes. The law authorizes the collection of this data and requires us to keep all
information about you and your household strictly confidential.
E. SCREEN QUESTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENT

E_ATTENDSCHOOL

1a.

Did you attend school at any time this school year?
_________________________________________

E_HOMESCHOOL

1b.

During that time, were you ever homeschooled?
That is, did you receive ANY of that schooling at
home, rather than in a public or private school?
_________________________________________

E_ALLHOMESCHOOL

1c.

Was all of your schooling this school year
homeschooling?
____________________________________________

E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

1d.

How many different schools have you
attended this school year?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to END
_____________________________________________
006

092

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to 1d, E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

____________________________________________
1  Yes - SKIP to END
2  No
___________________________________________
007

185SCS 1  One school
2  Two schools
3  Three or more schools

Include your homeschooling as one school.
(only asked if student answered “yes” to being
homeschooled)

Page 1

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

Check Item: if student was not homeschooled (1b, E_HOMESCHOOL = “No”) Skip to 2b, WHATGRADE. If student was
partially homeschooled (1c, E_ALLHOMESCHOOL = “No”) continue with 2a, E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE.
E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE

2a.

During the time you were homeschooled this school
year, what grade would you have been in if you
were in a public or private school?

093

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE_OTHER

Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Other - Specify ______

SKIP to INTRO_ 2

9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible – SKIP to END

E_WHATGRADE

2b.

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END

008

What grade are you in?

E_WHATGRADEOTHER

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END
1  Sixth
2  Seventh
3  Eighth
4  Ninth
5  Tenth
SKIP to E_WHATMONTH
6  Eleventh
7  Twelfth
8  Other - Specify
9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible - SKIP to END

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Read introduction only if any of the boxes 1-8 are marked in item 2a E_HOMESCHOOLGRADE.
INTRO_2 -The following questions pertain only to your attendance at a public or private school and not to being

homeschooled.
E_WHATMONTH
3.
In what month did your current school year begin?
E_WHATMONTHOTHER

009

1  August
2  September
3  Other - Specify _______________________

F. ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS
F_SCHOOLCOUNTY, F_SCHOOLCITY, F_SCHOOLSTATE

4b.

In what State, County and City is your school
located?

F_NAMEOFSCHOOL

What is the complete name of your school?
F_PUBLICORPRIVATE

5a.

Is your school public or private?
____________________________________________
F_REGULARSCHOOL
5b.
Is this the regular school that most of the students in
your neighborhood attend?
________________________________________
F_CHURCHRELATED
5c.
Is your school affiliated with a religion?

Page 2

015
014
013
012

State
County
City
School Name

1  Public – ASK F_REGULARSCHOOL
2  Private - SKIP to F_CHURCHRELATED
______________________________________________

016

1  Yes
2  No
SKIP to F_GRADES_LOW
_________________________________________
017

018

1  Yes
2  No
3  Don’t know

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

6.

What grades are taught in your school?
Pre-K or Kindergarten

00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
30

020

021

 (highest) F_GRADES_HIGH

H.S. Senior
Post-graduate
All ungraded
All Special Education
022

1
2
3
4
5
6

Walk
School bus
Public bus, subway, train
Car
Bicycle, motorbike, or motorcycle
Some other way - Specify

024

1
2
3
4
5
6

Walk
School bus
Public bus, subway, train
Car
Bicycle, motorbike, or motorcycle
Some other way - Specify ________

How do you get to school most of the time this
school year?

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - If multiple modes are used, code
the mode in which the student spends the most time.
F_GETTOSCHOOL_SPECIFY
Enter the other way that the respondent gets to school.
F_HOMEFROMSCHOOL
8.
How do you get home from school most of the time
this school year?

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - If multiple modes are used,
code the mode in which the student spends the most
time.
F_HOMEFROMSCHOOL_SPECIFY
Enter the other way that the respondent gets home from
school.

Page 3

 (lowest) F_GRADES_LOW
TO

F_GETTOSCHOOL

7.

Grades:

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

9.

During this school year, have you participated in any of
the following activities sponsored by your school:

F_ACTIVITIES_ SPORTS

Yes

No

a. Athletic teams at school?

120

1

2

b.

121

1

2

122

1

2

123

1

2

124

1

2

125

1

2

126

1

F_ACTIVITIES_ SPIRIT

Spirit groups, for example, Cheerleading, Dance
Team, or Pep Club?
F_ACTIVITIES_ ARTS
c. Performing arts, for example, Band, Choir,
Orchestra, or Drama?
F_ACTIVITIES_ ACADEMIC
d. Academic clubs, for example, Debate Team, Honor
Society, Spanish Club, or Math Club?
F_ACTIVITIES_ GOVT
e. Student government?
F_ACTIVITIES_ SERVICE
f. [IF GRADES 6, 7, or 8 ASK] Volunteer or community
service clubs sponsored by your school, for
example, Peer Mediators, Ecology Club, or
Recycling Club?
[IF GRADES 9, 10, 11, or 12 ASK] Volunteer or
community service clubs sponsored by your school,
for example, Peer Mediators, Ecology Club, Key
Club, or Interact? Do not include community
service hours required for graduation.
F_ACTIVITIES_ OTHER
g. Other school clubs or school activities?
F_ACTIVITIES_OTHER_SPECIFY

What are the other school clubs or school activities
you participate in?

Page 4



2

Specify __________

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

10. The next questions are about security measures that
some schools take.
Does your school have:
F_SAFETY_POLICE
a. Security guards or assigned police officers?
F_SAFETY HALLSTAFF
b. Other adults supervising the hallway, such as

Yes

No

Don’t know School does not
have lockers

028

1

2

3

029

1

2

3

030

1

2

3

031

1

2

3

032

1

2

3

033

1

2

3

094

1

2

3

095

1

2

3

096

1

2

3

Yes

No

Don’t know

167

1

2

3

156

1
2
3
4

teachers, administrators, or parent volunteers?

F_SAFETY_ METAL_DETECTORS

c. Metal detectors, including wands?
(The definition for the term ‘metal detector’ is a device used to
check for weapons students might be trying to bring onto school
property. The metal detector may be in a form of a doorframe,
which you are asked to walk through. It may also be in the form of
a hand-held metal detector that looks like a wand or paddle,
which is moved around your body.)
F_SAFETY DOORS LOCKED
d. Locked entrance or exit doors during the day?
F_SAFETY SIGN IN
e. A requirement that visitors sign in AND wear
visitor badges or stickers?
F_SAFETY LOCKER CHECKS
f. Locker checks?
F_SAFETY STUDENT ID
g. A requirement that students wear badges or
picture identification?
F_SAFETY_CAMERAS
h. One or more security cameras to monitor
the school?
F_SAFETY CODE OF CONDUCT
i.
A code of student conduct, that is, a set of
written rules or guidelines that the school
provides you?

4

F_REPORT

11.

If you hear about a threat to school or student safety,
do you have a way to report it without having to give
your name?

F_DISTRACTED
12.
In your classes, how often are you distracted from
doing your schoolwork because other students are
misbehaving, for example, talking or fighting?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

Page 5

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

13.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

F_RULES FAIR

a.

The school rules are fair.

F_PUNISHMENT_SAME

b.

The punishment for breaking school rules is the
same no matter who you are.
F_RULES ENFORCED
c. The school rules are strictly enforced.
(Strictly enforced rules means that the school
consistently carries out disciplinary actions against
any students who break school rules.)
F_PUNISHMENT KNOWN
d. If a school rule is broken, students know what
kind of punishment will follow.
F_TEACHERS_RESPECT
e. Teachers treat students with respect.

14.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Strongly
Disagree Disagree

035

1

2

3

4

036

1

2

3

4

037

1

2

3

4

038

1

2

3

4

127

1

2

3

4

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

There is a TEACHER or other ADULT at school who…

F_ADULT_REALLYCARES

a.

Really cares about you.

F_ADULT_LISTENS

b.

Listens to you when you have something to
say.
F_ADULT_GOOD_JOB
c. Tells you when you do a good job.
15.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

173SCS 1 

2

3

4

175SCS 1 

2

3

4

176SCS 1 

2

3

4

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Strongly
Agree

There is a STUDENT at school who…

186SCS 1 

a.

Really cares about you.

187SCS 1 

b.

Listens to you when you have something to say.
188SCS 1 

c.

Believes that you will be a success.

F_STUDENT_REALLYCARES

2

3

4

2

3

4

2

3

4

F_STUDENT_LISTENS

F_STUDENT_SUCCESS

16.

Thinking about the neighborhood where YOU LIVE,
would you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or
strongly disagree with the following…
F_CRIME_NEIGHBORHOOD
There is a lot of crime in the neighborhood
where YOU LIVE.

Page 6

Strongly
Agree
212SCS 1 

Agree
2

Disagree
3

Strongly
Disagree
4

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

17.

Thinking about the neighborhood where YOUR
SCHOOL is located, would you strongly agree, agree,
disagree, or strongly disagree with the following...
F_CRIME_NEIGHBORHOOD_SCHOOL
There is a lot of crime in the neighborhood
where YOU go to SCHOOL.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...
F_SAFE_IN_SCHOOL
You feel safe in your school

Strongly
Agree

213SCS 1 

18.

SCS_INTRO 3

19.

-

Strongly
Agree
189SCS 1 

Agree

2

Agree
2

Disagree

3

Disagree
3

Strongly
Disagree

4

Strongly
Disagree
4

Now I have some questions about things that happen at school. For this survey, “at school”
includes the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from school.
Your answers will not be given to anyone.

The following question refers to the availability of
drugs and alcohol at your school.

Is it possible for students at your school to get…
F_ ALCOHOL
a. Alcoholic beverages?
F_MARIJUANA
b. Marijuana, also known as pot, weed or mary jane?
F_PRESCRIPTION_DRUGS
c. Prescription drugs illegally obtained without a
prescription, such as Oxycontin, Ritalin, or
Adderall?
F_OTHER_ILLEGAL
d. Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, uppers, or
heroin?
F_KNOW_DRUGS_OR_ALCOHOL
20.
During this school year, did you see another
student who was under the influence of illegal
drugs or alcohol while they were at school?

Yes

No

040

1

2

041

1

2

159

1

2

209SCS

1

2

210SCS

1  Yes
2  No

G. FIGHTING, BULLYING AND HATE BEHAVIORS
G_FIGHT AT SCHOOL

21a.

During this school year, have you been in one or
more physical fights at school?

G_FIGHT HOW OFTEN
21b.
During this school year, how many times have you
been in a physical fight at school?

Page 7

103

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to:
G_BULLY_MADE_FUN (If QType2 = 1)
G_BULLY_DEFINITION (If QType2 = 2)

104

 (Number of times)

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

The Bully Questions (22, 23 and 22ALT) have two alternate forms, designed for split-half administration. Version 1 starts
here with questions 22 G_BULLY_MADE_FUN, subparts a-g, and questions 23a and 23b. For version 2, skip to Alt 22
G_BULLY_DEFINITION below.
22.

Now I have some questions about what students do
at school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to
you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You
may include events you told me about already.
During this school year, has any student bullied
you?
That is, has another student...
(Read each category a-g.)

Yes

No

134

1

2

135

1

2

136

1

2

137

1

2

138

1

2

139

1

2

140

1

2  If all categories a-g are
marked “No” SKIP to
G_HATE

G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted
you, in a hurtful way?
G_BULLY_RUMOR
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others
dislike you?
G_BULLY_THREAT
c. Threatened you with harm?
G_BULLY_CONTACT
d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you?
G_BULLY_COERCED
e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to
do, for example, give them money or other
things?
G_BULLY_EXCLUDED
f. Excluded you from activities on purpose?
G_BULLY_DESTROYED_PROP
g. Destroyed your property on purpose?

G_BULLY_OVER_AND_OVER

23a.

When you were bullied this school year, did it
happen over and over, or were you afraid it would
happen over and over?

_____________________________________________

190SCS

1  Yes
2  No

_____________________________________

G_BULLY_MORE_POWER

23b.

When you were bullied this school year, were you
ever bullied by someone who had more power or
strength than you? This could be because the
person was bigger than you, was more popular, had
more money, or had more power than you in another
way.

191SCS 1  Yes
2  No

If completing Version 1, skip to question 24 G_BULLY_HOW_OFTEN below. For version 2, continue with Alt 22
G_BULLY_DEFINITION here.

Page 8

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

G_BULLY_DEFINITION

ALT 22. Now I have some questions about bullying at
school. Bullying happens when one or more
students tease, threaten, spread rumors about,
hit, shove or hurt another student. It is not
bullying when students of about the same
strength or power argue or fight or tease each
other in a friendly way. Bullies are usually
stronger, or have more friends or more money,
or some other power over the student being
bullied. Usually, bullying happens over and
over, or the student being bullied thinks it might
happen over and over.

192SCS

By this definition, have you been bullied at
school, by another student this school year?

1  Yes
2  No – SKIP to G_HATE

G_BULLY_VERBAL

ALT22a. Was any of the bullying verbal – that is, did it
involve making fun of you, calling you names, or
spreading rumors about you?
_______________________________________________

193SCS

1.  Yes
2.  No

194SCS

1.  Yes
2.  No

195SCS

1.  Yes
2.  No

G_BULLY_PHYSICAL

ALT22b. Was any of the bullying physical – that is, did it
involve hitting, shoving, tripping, or physically
hurting you in some way, or the threat of hurting
you in some way?
________________________________________________
G_BULLY_SOCIAL

ALT22c. Was any of the bullying social – that is, did it
involve ignoring you or excluding you from
activities on purpose in order to hurt you?
G_BULLY_HOW_OFTEN
24.
During this school year, how often were you
bullied?

2

142

1  Once or twice this school year
2  Once or twice a month
3  Once or twice a week, or
4  Almost every day

(READ CATEGORIES 1-4.)
G_BULLY_WHERE1 through G_BULLY_WHERE8

25.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur …

(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply
G_BULLY_WHERE_SPECIFY
Where is the other place where bullying occurred?

G_BULLY_ADULT_TOLD
26.
Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school
about being bullied?

Page 9

1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school
building? – Specify _____________
144
6  Outside on school grounds?
145
7  On the way to or from school such as on a
school bus or at a bus stop?
211SCS 8  Online or by text?

143
168
169
173
146

147

1  Yes
2  No

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

27.

This school year, how much has bullying had a
NEGATIVE effect on:
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

G_SCHOOL_WORK

Not
at all

Not very Somewhat
much

A lot

196SCS

1

2

3

4

a.

YOUR school work.

b.

YOUR relationships with friends or family.

197SCS

1

2

3

4

c.

How you feel about YOURSELF.

198SCS

1

2

3

4

d.

YOUR physical health for example, caused
injuries, gave you headaches or stomach
aches.

199SCS

1

2

3

4

G_RELATION_FRIEND_FAMILY
G_ABOUT_YOURSELF

G_PHYSICAL_HEALTH

28. When you were bullied in school this year, did you ever
think it was related to ...
G_BULLY_RACE

Yes

No

a.

YOUR race?

200SCS

1

2

b.

YOUR religion?

201SCS

1

2

202SCS

1

2

203SCS

1

2

204SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_RELIGION

G_BULLY_ETHNIC_ORIGIN

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin for example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_BULLYING_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities?

G_BULLYING_GENDER

e.

YOUR gender?

f.

YOUR sexual orientation - by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or straight?

205SCS

1

2

YOUR physical appearance?
.

206SCS

1

2

G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION
G_BULLYING_APPEARANCE

g.

G_HATE

29.

During this school year, has anyone called you an
insulting or bad name at school having to do with
your race, religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation? We
call these hate-related words.

Page 10

065

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to G_HATE_WORDS

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

30.
Were any of the hate-related words related to ...
G_HATE_RACE
a. Your race?
G_HATE_RELIGION
b. Your religion?
G_HATE_ETHNICITY
c. Your ethnic background or national origin- for
example, people of Hispanic origin?
G_HATE_DISABILITY
d. Any disability you may have – such as physical,
mental, or developmental disabilities?
G_HATE_GENDER
e. Your gender?
G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION
f. Your sexual orientation – by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual or straight?

Yes

No

Don’t know

107SCS

1

2

3

108SCS

1

2

3

109SCS

1

2

3

110SCS

1

2

3

111SCS

1

2

3

112SCS

1

2

3

G_HATE_WORDS

31.

During this school year, have you seen any
hate-related words or symbols written in school
classrooms, school bathrooms, school hallways, or
on the outside of your school building?

066

1  Yes
2  No

H. AVOIDANCE
32.

During this school year, did you ever STAY AWAY
from any of the following places because you
thought someone might attack or harm you there?
Yes

No

068

1

2

069

1

2

070

1

2

071

1

2

072

1

2

073

1

2

074

1

2

075

1

2

208SCS

1

2

H_AVOID_SHORTCUT

a.

For example, did you ever stay away from the
shortest route to school, because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?
H_AVOID_ENTRANCE
b. The entrance into the school?
H_AVOID_HALLWAYS
c. Any hallways or stairs in school?
H_AVOID_CAFETERIA
d. Parts of the school cafeteria or lunchroom?
H_AVOID_RESTROOMS
e. Any school restrooms?
H_AVOID_OTHER_PLACES
f. Other places inside the school building?
H_AVOID_PARKING_LOT
g. School parking lot?
H_AVOID_OTHER_SCHOOL
h. Other places on school grounds?
H_SCHOOL_BUS_STOP
i.
School bus or bus stop?
H_AVOID_ACTIVITIES

33a.

Did you AVOID any activities at your school because
you thought someone might attack or harm you?

076

1  Yes
2  No

077

1  Yes
2  No

H_AVOID_CLASSES

33b.

Page 11

Did you AVOID any classes because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

H_STAY_HOME

33c.

078

Did you stay home from school because you
thought someone might attack or harm you in the
school building, on school property, on a school
bus, or going to or from school?

1  Yes
2  No

I. FEAR
I_INTRO_FEAR: Sometimes, even if you can’t avoid a place, you may still be afraid of what might happen there.
I_AFRAID
34a.
How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you in the school building or on school
property?

079

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

080

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

081

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES.)
I_AFRAID_ON_BUS

34b.

How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you on a school bus or on the way to and from
school?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
I_AFRAID_NONSCHOOL

34c.

Besides the times you are in the school building, on
school property, on a school bus, or going to or from
school, how often are you afraid that someone will
attack or harm you?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
J. WEAPONS
J_INTRO_WEAPON

In the next series of questions we are going to ask you about weapons at your school. All your responses are strictly
confidential and will not be shared with anyone.
35.

Some people bring guns, knives, or objects that can
be used as weapons to school for protection. During
this school year, did you ever bring the following to
school or onto school grounds?
(READ CATEGORIES.)

J_WEAPONS_GUN

Yes

No

a. A gun?

082

1

2

b. A knife brought as a weapon?

083

1

2

c. Some other weapon?

084

1

2

085

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to J_GET_GUN

086

1  Yes
2  No
3  Don’t know

J_WEAPONS_KNIFE
J_WEAPONS_OTHER

J_GUN_OTHERS

36a.

Do you know of any other students who have
brought a gun to your school during this school
year?

J_SEE_GUN
36b. Have you actually seen another student with a gun at
school during this school year?

Page 12

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

J_GET_GUN

37.

During this school year, could you have gotten a
loaded gun without adult permission, either at school
or away from school?

113

1  Yes
2  No

K. GANGS
K_INTRO_GANG
INTRO 4 - Now, we'd like to know about gangs at your school. You may know these as street gangs, fighting gangs,
crews, or something else. Gangs may use common names, signs, symbols, or colors. For this survey, we
are interested in all gangs, whether or not they are involved in violent or illegal activity. Your responses
are confidential.
K_GANGS
38a. Are there any gangs at your school?
K_GANG_FIGHTS
38b. During this school year, how often have gangs been
involved in fights, attacks, or other violence at your
school?

058

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to L_GRADES
3  Don't know - SKIP to L_GRADES

089

1
2
3
4
5

090

1  Yes
2  No
3  Don't know

Never
Once or twice this school year
Once or twice a month
Once or twice a week, or
Almost every day

(READ CATEGORIES 1-5)
K_GANG_DRUGS
38c.
Have gangs been involved in the sale of drugs at
your school during this school year?

L. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
L_GRADES
39.
During this school year, across all subjects have you
gotten mostly -

116

(READ CATEGORIES 1-5)

L_SKIP_CLASSES

40a.

L_SKIP_CLASS_DAYS

40b.

114

During the last 4 weeks of school, did you skip any
classes? Again, we would like to remind you that all
your responses are strictly confidential and will not be
shared with anyone.

During the last 4 weeks of school, on how many
days did you skip at least one class?

41.
Thinking about the future, do you think you will ...
L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL
a. Attend school after high school, such as a
college or technical school? . . . . . . . . . .
L_GRADUATE_4YR

b. Graduate from a 4-year college? . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 13

115

1
2
3
4
5
6

A's
B's
C's
D's
F's
School does not give grades/no alphabetic
grade equivalent

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL
3  Don't know - SKIP to
L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL

 (Number of days)
Yes

No

Don't know

117

1

2  -- END

3

118

1

2

3

FORM SCS-1 (10/31/2014)

Attachment 4: 
Cognitive Pretesting of the 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey 
Final Report 
 
 

 

	
COGNITIVE PRETESTING OF THE 
2017 SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT TO THE 
NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY 
 
 
 

 
 
 
   
 

 
 
 
 
Mandi Martinez 
Jasmine Luck 
Mary C. Davis 
Amber Henderson 
 

  
 
Final Report 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Center for Survey Measurement 
U.S. Census Bureau 
Washington, D.C. 20233 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disclaimer: This report is released to inform interested parties of research and to encourage discussion. The views expressed 
are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the U.S. Census Bureau. 

	
	

	

Table of Contents 
1	

EXECUTIVE	SUMMARY	...............................................................................................................................	1	

2	

INTRODUCTION	.............................................................................................................................................	2	

3	

BACKGROUND	................................................................................................................................................	3	
3.1	

4	

5	

LITERATURE	REVIEW	.................................................................................................................................	4	
4.1	

What	is	bullying?	...................................................................................................................................	4	

4.2	

CDC's	2014	Uniform	Definition	of	Bullying	...............................................................................	5	

4.2.1	

Repetition	........................................................................................................................................	6	

4.2.2	

Power	Imbalance	..........................................................................................................................	6	

STUDY	METHODOLOGY	.............................................................................................................................	7	
5.1	

6	

Data	Collection........................................................................................................................................	7	

5.1.1	

Respondent	Selection	.................................................................................................................	7	

5.1.2	

Respondent	Characteristics	.....................................................................................................	8	

5.1.3	

The	Cognitive	Interview	Protocol	......................................................................................	10	

5.1.4	

Interviewer	Staffing	and	Training	......................................................................................	11	

5.1.5	

Interview	Consent	.....................................................................................................................	11	

COGNITIVE	INTERVIEW	FINDINGS....................................................................................................	11	
6.1	

Bullying	Prevalence	...........................................................................................................................	12	

6.2	

Repetition	of	Bullying	.......................................................................................................................	16	

6.2.1	

Frequency	of	Bullying..............................................................................................................	16	

6.2.2	

Potential	Future	Repetition	of	Bullying	...........................................................................	25	

6.2.3	

Respondent	Thoughts	on	Repetition	as	a	Requirement	for	Bullying	.................	26	

6.3	

7	

History	of	the	School	Crime	Supplement	....................................................................................	3	

Power	Imbalance	................................................................................................................................	26	

6.3.1	

Perpetrators	of	Bullying	.........................................................................................................	26	

6.3.2	

Dimensions	of	a	Power	Imbalance	.....................................................................................	28	

6.3.3	

Groups	Working	Together	as	a	Power	Imbalance	......................................................	32	

6.3.4	
	

Respondent	Thoughts	on	a		Power	Imbalance	as	a	Requirement	for	Bullying
33	

6.4	

Location	of	Bullying...........................................................................................................................	34	

6.5	

Reporting	to	Adults	...........................................................................................................................	35	

6.6	

Effects	of	Bullying...............................................................................................................................	37	

6.7	

Hate‐related	Bullying	.......................................................................................................................	38	

NOTEWORTHY	CASES	SUPPORTING	RECOMMENDATIONS	..................................................	39	
ii	

	

	
7.1	 Overall	Performance	of	Questions	Measuring	Key	Components	of	the	CDC	
Definition	............................................................................................................................................................	39	
7.2	

False	Negatives	....................................................................................................................................	40	

7.3	

Self‐identified	Victims	Who	Correctly	Screened	Out	..........................................................	41	

8	

TESTING	THE	SCHOOL	CRIME	SUPPLEMENT	BROCHURE	.....................................................	42	

9	

CONCLUSIONS	.............................................................................................................................................	43	

10	 REFERENCES	................................................................................................................................................	44	
Appendix	A:	2017	SCS/NCVS	Cognitive	Interview	Recruitment	Protocol	..................................	45	
 

iii	
	

	

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
This  report  presents  findings  from  the  cognitive  testing  of  the  2017  School  Crime 
Supplement  (SCS)  to  the  National  Crime  Victimization  Survey  (NCVS).  Researchers 
conducted  30  cognitive  interviews  over  three  iterative  rounds  of  testing.  Cognitive 
testing focused on the section of questions about students’ experiences with bullying in 
schools. Respondents included 16 students who were victims of bullying within the last 
school year, and 14 individuals who did not experience bullying in the past school year 
(see  Section  5.1.1  Respondent  Selection  for  recruitment  details).  For  the  purposes  of 
this  study,  students  were  classified  as  bullying  victims  or  non‐victims  based  on  their 
discussion  of  their  experiences  during  the  interviews,  rather  than  their  answers  to 
screening questions or self‐identification. 
 
In  2014,  the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Prevention  (CDC)  partnered  with  other 
government  agencies,  including  NCES,  and  external  stakeholders  to  form  a  steering 
committee  that  examined  federal  guidelines  and  existing  research  on  bullying.  After 
finding that assessment tools used to measure bullying used inconsistent definitions and 
measurement  strategies,  the  committee  created  a  uniform  definition  of  bullying  to 
make  gathering  scientific  data  and  establishing  comparable  trends  over  time  easier. 
According  to  the  uniform  definition,  bullying  includes  two  components  not  measured 
prior  to  the  2015  SCS:  the  bullying  behaviors  must  be  repeated  or  highly  likely  to  be 
repeated, and there must be an observed or perceived power imbalance between the 
perpetrator(s)  and  the  victim.  The  2015  SCS  included  a  split‐ballot  experiment  that 
tested  two  different  strategies  of  integrating  this  definition  into  the  survey,  and 
cognitive  testing  focused  on  one  of  those  strategies:  continuing  the  use  of  a  historic 
item  to  capture  unwanted,  aggressive  behaviors,  with  additional  follow‐up  items  to 
measure the added components of repetition and power imbalance. 
 
The findings from this study indicate that the historic questions in the bullying section 
for  the  SCS  generally  performed  well.  Most  questions  were  easy  for  interviewers  to 
administer,  and  easy  for  respondents  to  understand  and  answer.  These  questions 
required  no  revisions.  Of  those  questions  that  required  revisions,  some  were  minor 
modifications. For one question, which is intended to measure the likelihood of bullying 
behaviors being repeated, an ambiguous phrase was replaced with a clear one to reduce 
the likelihood of measurement error due to varying interpretations by respondents (see 
Section  6.2.2  for  results).  A  second  question  with  a  minor  revision  was  modified  to 
include an additional response option (see Section 6.3.1).  
 
The question measuring multiple dimensions of a power imbalance, a key component of 
the  CDC  uniform  definition,  was  of  particular  interest.  The  Round  1  question  included 
sub‐items measuring three dimensions of power, as well as a fourth item as a catch‐all 
asking if the bully had “more power than you in another way.” Students’ responses to 
probes indicated that the question would benefit from a new item measuring another 
	
	

	
dimension  of  power  the  original  item  did  not  ask  about:  the  ability  to  influence  what 
other students think of them (see section 6.3.2 for results). 
 
Another question of interest was the frequency question, as it is also used to measure 
repetition,  which  is  also  a  key  component  of  the  CDC  definition.  Respondents  had 
trouble  answering  the  Round  1  version  of  the  question.  Multiple  versions  of  the 
question were included for testing in each round. In addition to answering the questions 
about  their  own  experiences,  respondents  were  also  given  a  vignette  and  asked  to 
answer  the  questions  for  the  scenario  outlined  in  the  vignette.  This  was  done  to  see 
how well the questions worked for situations in which the bullying is limited to a specific 
time frame, rather than occurring regularly throughout the school year. Ultimately, the 
decision  was  made  to  use  the  version  of  the  question  that  a  majority  of  the  students 
said was the easiest to answer and chose as their preferred version of the question. A 
follow  up  question  was  added  to  determine  if  students  who  reported  experiencing 
bullying behaviors on only one day experienced multiple repeated behaviors throughout 
that  single  day.  This  question,  though  not  tested  in  this  study,  was  modeled  after  a 
question  that  was  cognitively  tested  for  the  NCVS’s  2016  Supplemental  Victimization 
Survey.  A  third  tested  question  on  the  topic  of  repetition  asked  respondents  whether 
they believed the bullying behaviors would happen again. 
 
While  the  scope  of  this  cognitive  testing  study  was  limited  due  to  time  constraints 
dictated by the next production date for the survey, Interviewers probed on most of the 
bullying questions to identify questions of concern for future testing. We identified an 
issue with the bullying prevalence question (Q22) where most students are not thinking 
about cyberbullying when answering it. While no changes were made to this question in 
an  effort  to  preserve  the  trend,  this  issue  will  be  examined  further  in  future  cognitive 
testing. 

2 INTRODUCTION 
 
At the request of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of 
Justice Statistics (BJS), the Center for Survey Measurement (CSM) conducted cognitive 
testing of the School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey 
(NCVS). The SCS was first collected in 1989. It was collected again in 1995 and 1999, and 
has been collected every two years since 1999. 
 
The  supplement  is  used  to  collect  data  on  students’  perspectives  on  school  climate 
including  a  variety  of  topics  such  as  the  availability  of  drugs  and  alcohol,  fighting, 
bullying, and hate related behaviors, and students’ perception of how safe they feel in 
their  school.  The  cognitive  testing  discussed  in  this  report  focused  on  the  section  of 
questions about being bullied in schools. 
 
2	
	

	
Questions  measure  various  characteristics  of  bullying  experiences,  including  –  but  not 
limited  to‐  the  prevalence  of  bullying  behaviors  against  the  student,  the  frequency  of 
being bullied, the location of the bullying, and whether the incident(s) was reported to 
an adult (see Attachment C for full list of questions in the bullying section). 
 
Researchers conducted three iterative rounds of cognitive testing. The purpose of  this 
cognitive  research  was  to  test  new  and  revised  questions  for  the  2017  School  Crime 
Supplement to the NCVS. The results of these cognitive interviews will help inform the 
final version of the SCS  questionnaire, which will be administered in 2017. This report 
presents the findings from the thirty cognitive interviews that CSM conducted between 
May 2016 and July 2016. 

3 BACKGROUND 
 
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is a self‐report survey collected annually 
by the Census Bureau on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Approximately 
90,000  households  in  the  United  States,  totaling  160,000  persons  are  sampled  and 
asked about their experiences with victimization over the past six months. The survey is 
completed by persons age 12 or older, and provides data on the characteristics of crime, 
the offender, and the victim's experience with the criminal justice system after a crime 
occurs. Eligible participants are interviewed every six months, and remain in the sample 
for three years.  
 
 

3.1 History of the School Crime Supplement 
The School Crime Supplement (SCS) is administered every two years as a supplement to 
the  National  Crime  Victimization  Survey  (NCVS)  to  respondents  ages  12  through  18 
enrolled in school. The first data collection for the SCS was in 1989, providing student 
level data on alcohol and drug availability, victimization, school rules and punishment, 
gun  and  weapon  carrying  as  well  as  other  topics.  Although  the  1989  and  1995 
instruments did not include items on bullying, they did include victimization items that 
could get at bullying experiences. It was not until 1999 that the first item was added to 
the questionnaire to specifically measure the prevalence of bullying in schools.  In 2005, 
an  entire  section  consisting  of  several  items  devoted  to  questions  on  bullying  were 
added  to  the  questionnaire  for  the  first  time.  The  questions  in  this  section  had  a 
reference  period  of  the  "last  6  months"  to  examine  if  students  have  been  recently 
bullied. However, in 2007, the reference period was changed to "this school year." 
 
With advancement in technology and its widespread use by youth, the SCS was modified 
to include new items that capture cyberbullying in acknowledgement that bullying can 
occur not only in a school environment, but through electronic communication like text 
3	
	

	
and  instant  messaging.  The  cyberbullying  items  in  each  of  the  subsequent 
administrations in 2009, 2011, and 2013 were updated in order to stay current with all 
the  potential  ways  one  could  mistreat  another  via  electronic  means.  Questions 
continued  to  address  behaviors  around  text  messaging  and  email,  and  additionally 
captured bullying through social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), online gaming and the 
sharing of private information. Between the 2013 and 2015 administrations of the SCS, 
it was determined that cyberbullying is a means of bullying rather than a distinct type of 
bullying.  As  a  result,  the  separate  cyberbullying  item  was  removed  prior  to  the 
administration of the 2015 survey and a new sub‐item was added to the follow‐up item 
asking  about  the  location  of  the  bullying  incident.  The  new  sub‐item  in  this  question 
asks if the bullying occurred “online or by text?”  
 
In 2014 the uniform bullying definition was created, shedding light on the components 
of repetition and power imbalance. The Department of Education ensured that the 2015 
SCS  included  bullying  items  that  aligned  with  the  repetition  and  power  imbalance 
requirement.  
	
For the 2015 SCS, extensive work was completed to evaluate the information collected 
on bullying during past SCS administrations and modify the survey to better align with 
the CDC definition of what constitutes bullying. This included developing two versions of 
CDC definition‐aligned items and cognitive testing of these items by researchers in CSM. 
The two versions were collected by using a split sample design incorporated in the 2015 
SCS instrument. Based on the results of the 2015 split sample analysis, the decision was 
made  to  revert  to  a  single  version  of  bullying  questions  in  the  2017  SCS  that  would 
include  the  historic  bullying  question  series,  as  well  as  follow‐up  questions  on  power 
imbalance  and  repetition.   In  a  continuing  effort  to  better  understand  the  different 
components  of  bullying  included  in  the  CDC  definition,  the  NCES,  BJS,  and  Census 
agreed  to  conduct  additional  testing  in  order  to  revise  the  bullying  questions  for  the 
2017 SCS. 

4 LITERATURE REVIEW 
 

4.1 What is bullying?  
The  violence  occurring  in  school  systems  in  the  United  States  with  highly  publicized 
incidents  of  school  shootings  such  as  Columbine  has  led  to  conversations  around  the 
potential  impacts  of  bullying  amongst  adolescents  (Espelage  &  Swearer,  2011).  These 
tragic  incidents  have  created  a  call  to  action  amongst  not  only  teachers  and  school 
counselors, but politicians as well. Bullying can take place in an array of settings from at 
school,  to  in  the  workplace,  or  the  neighborhood  where  you  live,  by  both  peers  and 
adults.  There  are  inconsistencies  in  literature  about  when  bullying  peaks.  Dr.  Dan 
Olweus (1990) argues that bullying is more likely to take place in primary schools than 
4	
	

	
secondary schools. Alternatively, other research suggests that after elementary school, 
bullying  peaks  during  middle  school,  and  declines  during  high  school  (Gallo  &  Milsom, 
2006).  While  both  genders  commit  acts  of  bullying,  females'  behaviors  are  more 
psychological, whereas males commit acts that are more physical.  
 
Although  bullying  is  a  newly  researched  field,  there  have  been  several  definitions 
developed  by  researchers  and  practitioners.  Due  to  inconsistencies  across  these 
definitions used in the field, a uniform definition was developed for federal agencies. In 
a 2014 publication, the CDC defined bullying as "any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by 
another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that 
involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is 
highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth 
including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm." The stressors and trauma 
adolescents experience due to bullying behaviors can go on to affect their lives as adults 
(Ttofi et al., 2011). 
 

4.2 CDC's 2014 Uniform Definition of Bullying   
The  CDC  uses  a  four‐step  public  health  model  to  address  bullying.  They  identify  two 
modes of bullying: direct and indirect. The direct mode of bullying includes behaviors or 
acts  that  occur  in  the  victim's  presence,  such  as  pushing  or  physically  harming  the 
victim. The indirect mode addresses indirect communication that may be said about the 
victim,  such  as  spreading  untruthful  rumors.  The  CDC  determined  that  the  type  of 
bullying can fall under four broad categories: physical, verbal, relational, and damage to 
property.  Physically  harming  someone  or  taking/damaging  their  belongings  are  both 
direct  modes  of  bullying.  Relational  bullying,  for  example,  is  intentionally  excluding 
someone from the group or making them feel unwelcome, and is an indirect channel of 
bullying. Lastly, verbal bullying can be both direct and indirect.  
 
The  CDC  partnered  with  the  Department  of  Education,  the  Health  Resources  and 
Services  Administration  (HRSA),  and  other  external  stakeholders  to  form  a  steering 
committee  that  examined  federal  guidelines  and  existing  research  on  bullying.  The 
committee  studied  the  inconsistencies  in  existing  bullying  definitions  and  created  a 
uniform  definition  to  make  gathering  scientific  data  and  establishing  trends  over  time 
easier. The uniform definition on bullying is a technical definition, which means it should 
not  be  applied  literally  to  questionnaires.  Instead,  researchers  have  to  develop  their 
own questions to measure the various components of bullying. The uniform definition 
should  make  it  easier  to  distinguish  between  aggressive  behaviors  and  bullying.    It  is 
important for new research to analyze if students’ understanding of bullying agrees with 
the uniform definition. Results from the CSM’s cognitive testing suggest that repetition 
and  power  imbalance  are  not  necessary  for  a  respondent  to  identify  themselves  as 
being bullied  
5	
	

	
4.2.1 Repetition  
One  key  component  of  the  new  uniform  bullying  definition  is  repetition.  The  CDC 
defined  repetition  as  "multiple  incidents  of  aggression  perpetrated  by  a  single  youth 
(ages 5 to 18) or group of youths over a specified time period or there is strong concern 
a single aggressive behavior by a youth or group of youths has a high likelihood of being 
followed  by  more  incidents  of  aggression."  This  measure  is  designed  to  examine  if  an 
adolescent has experienced a form of aggressive behavior by a single student multiple 
times,  if  there  have  been  multiple  occurrences  of  aggressive  behavior  by  different 
students which the victim feels are related, or if the aggressive behavior is suspected to 
reoccur  in  the  future.  If  a  child  reports  experiencing  one‐time  aggressive  behavior  by 
several  people,  all  of  which  are  isolated  incidents,  this  is  not  considered  bullying 
according  to  the  uniform  definition.  Although  independent  incidents  do  not  meet  the 
uniform  definition  of  bullying,  the  repetition  of  harmful  acts  is  important,  and  youth 
that experience single occurrences of aggressive behavior should not be taken lightly or 
their  experience  discounted  as  being  less  traumatic.    In  a  study  by  Mishna,  Scarcello, 
Pepler  and  Weiner  (2005),  they  examined  teachers’  perceptions  and  understanding  of 
bullying. An important highlight of this study is that teachers did not identify repetition 
as a key component for a student to have been bullied.  
4.2.2 Power Imbalance 
The  second  key  component  of  the  CDC’s  definition  of  bullying  is  the  requirement of  a 
power  imbalance  between  the  perpetrator  and  the  victim,  which  would  allow  the 
perpetrator to exert control over their victim. This characteristic could be through their 
physical  size,  age,  or  through  bullying  someone  with  a  disability.  Farrington  (2013) 
describes victims of bullying as being unpopular and rejected by their peers, individuals 
with  low  school  attainment,  low  self‐esteem,  and  poor  social  skills.  Those  who  bully 
perceive youth who experience problems with socialization as being easier to dominate 
and  control.  Farrington  suggests  that  youth  who  bully  are  characterized  as  individuals 
who are dominant, assertive, confident, and find pleasure in aggression, although, this 
may not always be the case. This power imbalance is more likely to take place in settings 
or situations where an adult is not closely monitoring the behavior of the perpetrator, 
allowing  to  take  advantage  of  the  lack  of  higher  authority.  Power  imbalance  is  often 
found in other definitions on bullying. Dr. Dan Olweus (1993) defines bullying as when a 
person is "exposed repeatedly over time to negative actions by one or more individuals 
and  is  unable  to  defend  him  or  herself,  excluding  cases  where  two  children  of  similar 
physical and psychological strength are fighting.” 
 

6	
	

	

5 STUDY METHODOLOGY 
5.1 Data Collection 
 
From  May  to  July  2016,  30  face‐to‐face  cognitive  interviews  were  conducted  in  the 
Washington  D.C.  metropolitan  area  across  three  iterative  rounds  of  cognitive  testing. 
The  cognitive  interviewing  team  for  these  interviews  consisted  of  seven  CSM  staff 
members. Results from each round informed any changes made to questions tested in 
the subsequent round. The third and final round of testing was then conducted to assess 
whether or not all revised questions perform as expected.  
 
5.1.1 Respondent Selection  
 
During  recruitment,  we  targeted  respondents  who  represented  a  variety  of 
demographic  characteristics,  comprising  race,  gender,  age,  and  grade  level.  
Recruitment  efforts  concentrated  on  finding  individuals  who  had  experienced  bullying 
within the past school year. Recruitment methods consisted of advertisements through 
Craigslist.com,  flyers  posted  in  libraries,  youth  centers,  local  YMCAs,  and  housing 
complexes, in addition to a broadcast message sent to all U.S. Census Bureau employees 
who  work  at  the  Suitland  headquarters  building.  Some  respondents  were  referred  by 
other  participants,  others  were  told  about  the  study  by  individuals  who  saw  the 
advertisements  and  knew  the  student  would  qualify,  and  some  were  recruited  using 
personal contacts.  
 
In  an  effort  to  test  the  survey  with  both  bullied  and  non‐bullied  students,  half  of  the 
flyers  used  to  recruit  participants  focused  on  students  who  had  an  experience  they 
consider to be bullying in the past school year while the other half of the flyers did not 
mention  this  criteria.  Parents  of  interested  students,  as  well  as  some  older  teenage 
students,  called  the  number  provided  on  the  flyers  to  answer  a  set  of  screening 
questions.  The  screener  collected  information  about  the  students’  demographics,  as 
well  as  information  about  whether  or  not  the  student  or  parent  believed  the  student 
was bullied, and if so, when the most recent experience they considered to be bullying 
occurred (see Appendix A for the screener questions). All interviews were conducted in 
person  in  the  local  metropolitan  area  (i.e.,  D.C.,  Maryland,  and  Virginia).  Each 
respondent received $25 cash, and parents who brought respondents to the interview 
received $25 cash to compensate them for their travel time. 
 
5.1.1.1 Victims 
 
For  the  purpose  of  this  study,  we  use  the  term  “victims”  to  refer  to  students  who 
answered  the  questions  on  bullying  prevalence,  repetition,  and  power  imbalance  in 
ways that meet the criteria set in the CDC definition of bullying. To meet the criteria of a 
7	
	

	
bullying victim for our testing, respondents must report they experienced at least one of 
seven  bullying  behaviors  in  the  SCS,  indicate  that  the  behavior(s)  either  happened 
repeatedly or that they thought the behavior(s) would happen again, and indicate that 
the  perpetrator(s)  had  more  power  in  at  least  one  of  the  power  dimensions  we  ask 
about.  The  specific  behaviors  and  dimensions  of  power  included  in  the  survey  are 
discussed in depth in Section 6.   
 
A total of 16 respondents were identified as victims of bullying in the past school year 
based  on  their  responses  to  the  questions  measuring  bullying  prevalence,  repetition, 
and power imbalances.  
 
5.1.1.2 Non‐victims 
 
A  total  of  14  respondents  were  identified  as  non‐victims  based  on  their  responses  to 
questions in the bullying section. Using data from the screener questions, we scheduled 
five  participants  who  had  not  experienced  bullying  in  the  past  school  year,  but  had 
experienced  bullying  in  previous  years.  This  allowed  us  to  test  whether  respondents 
notice  the  time  frame  referenced  in  the  bullying  prevalence  question.  Two  of  the  14 
non‐victims  self‐identified  as  victims  of  bullying  during  the  cognitive  interviews.  These 
cases are discussed further in section 7.3. 
  
5.1.2 Respondent Characteristics 
 
Our goal was to recruit a diverse group of students based on school level, sex, race and 
ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. 
 
We  aimed  to  recruit  equal  numbers  of  middle  and  high  school  students  for  the  study 
and were successful, interviewing 15 students in middle school and 15 students in high 
school. We also had an even split for sex, with 15 males and 15 females participating in 
the  interviews.  For  race,  most  of  the  respondents  were  either  black  or  white,  with  a 
handful  of  respondents  identifying  as  Asian,  American  Indian,  or  multi‐racial.  Only  six 
respondents  were  Hispanic  or  of  Spanish  origin.  The  socioeconomic  status  of 
respondents  was  more  evenly  distributed,  but  leaned  toward  $50,000  and  above.  See 
Table 1 for a more detailed breakdown. 
 
Table 1. Respondent Characteristics by Round 

SCS Respondent Characteristics by Round 
  
Type of School 

Middle School (15) 
High School (15) 

Round 1 
5 
5 

Round 2 
5 
5 

Round 3 
5 
5 

Total 
15 
15 

8	
	

	
Male 

5 

5 

5 

15 

Female 

5 

5 

5 

15 

White 
Black 
Asian 
American Indian 
Unknown 

4 
4 
1 
1 
0 

4 
4 
1 
0 
0 

5 
4 
0 
0 
1 

Multi Race 

0 

1 

0 

13 
12 
2 
1 
1 
1 

Hispanic 
Non‐Hispanic 

0 
10 

3 
7 

3 
7 

6 
24 

Less than $25,000 
More than $25,000, less than $50,000 
More than $50,000, less than $100,000 
More than $100,000 

2 
0 
4 
4 

1 
3 
2 
4 

3 
3 
2 
2 

6 
6 
8 

Sex 

Race 
Ethnicity 

Annual 
Household 
Income 

 
 
	

10 

 

9	
	

	
5.1.3 The Cognitive Interview Protocol 
 
The protocols used in this study focused on respondents’ reactions to new and revised 
questions about bullying. At the start of the interview, respondents were told that the 
purpose of the study was to see if the changes made to questions make sense and are 
easy  to  answer.  Respondents  were  also  told  that  information  they  provided  would  be 
confidential  and  their  anonymity  would  be  protected.  Interviewers  then  asked 
respondents to respond to the interview as if an interviewer had come to their home.  In 
addition  to  the  questions  on  bullying,  a  subset  of  SCS  questions  were  included  in  the 
protocol  to  provide  context  and  create  a  cognitive  interview  experience  that  closely 
resembles responding to the actual survey. The entire SCS questionnaire was not used 
due to interview time constraints.   
 
After  administering  the  survey  questions,  interviewers  asked  respondents  probing 
questions that were designed to address specific testing issues for particular questions. 
The specific type of cognitive interview consisted of retrospective probing (Willis, 2015). 
Retrospective  probes  were  asked  after  the  full  bullying  series  of  questions  were 
administered because asking a probing question immediately after each survey question 
(concurrent  probing)  would  disrupt  the  flow  and  could  lead  to  bias  in  later  questions 
since  probing  questions  are  asked  to  have  a  respondent  elaborate  on  things  not 
included  in  the  question  text.    There  is  a  trade‐off  between  probing  concurrently  and 
retrospectively.  With  concurrent  probing,  you  can  probe  on  respondent  thought 
processes  immediately  after  they  occur,  but  this  disrupts  the  flow  of  the  survey  and 
answering  the  probes  may  bias  how  they  respond  to  subsequent  survey  questions. 
While retrospective probing avoids the disruption and potential bias, respondents have 
to  recall  their  earlier  thought  processes  after  a  delay,  which  may  make  recall  more 
difficult. 
 
While  asking  the  survey  questions,  interviewers  made  notes  of  any  response  difficulty 
experienced  by  respondents,  including  question  incomprehension  and  the  inability  to 
decide  on  a  response.  Interviewers  also  noted  questions  that  were  difficult  to 
administer. Difficulty administering questions can stem from multiple factors, including 
question length and unnatural phrasing.   
 
Finally,  interviewers  asked  all  respondents  a  set  of  debriefing  questions  at  the  end  of 
the  interview.  The  debriefing  questions  included  items  about  the  respondent’s  overall 
impressions  of  the  interview  and  whether  they  found  it  easy  or  difficult.  Respondents 
were given a chance to make any other final comments about the survey, not limited to 
a specific topic. See Attachment A for the debriefing questions included in the protocols 
for rounds one through three.  
 
 

10	
	

	
5.1.4 Interviewer Staffing and Training 
 
All  interviews  were  conducted  by  a  team  of  seven  experienced  interviewers  from  the 
U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Survey Measurement. Interviewers were trained on the 
SCS protocol prior to the first round of interviews. The team went through the protocol 
question  by  question  to  discuss  the  purpose  of  the  questions  and  probes.  All 
interviewers conducted a practice interview to ensure interviewer preparedness before 
conducting  their  first  interview  with  a  respondent.  After  changes  were  made  to  the 
protocol  between  each  round,  the  project  lead  met  with  interviewers  to  discuss  all 
revisions  and  confirm  that  the  interviewers  were  prepared  to  administer  the  new 
version of the protocol. 
 
5.1.5 Interview Consent 
 
Parents of all respondents under the age of 18 were required to sign a consent form to 
allow their child to be interviewed. One respondent was 18 at the time of the interview 
and was able to sign her own consent form. The consent form provides the rights of the 
student  as  a  participant  in  the  study  and  provides  authorization  for  interviewers  to 
audiotape the interview. The form explains that the purpose of the audiotape is to have 
a  complete record  of  all  comments,  that  it  will be  used  to  improve  the  questionnaire, 
and that only the staff directly involved in the project will have access to the tape.  
 
Before starting the interview, students under the age of 18 were told that their parents 
had  signed  a  consent  form  giving  them  permission  to  participate.  We  explained  their 
rights  as  a  participant  using  language  geared  towards  12‐18  year‐olds.  Interviewers 
made sure the students understood their rights and asked if they were comfortable with 
the  interview  being  recorded  before  turning  on  the  tape  recorder  and  beginning  the 
interview. All respondents who participated in the cognitive interviews consented to be 
audiotaped. 

6 COGNITIVE INTERVIEW FINDINGS 
 
In  this  section,  we  present  the  question‐by‐question  findings  from  the  cognitive 
interviews. Each question is presented with findings from each round, highlighting any 
changes that occurred from one round to the next. Questions that were not problematic 
and did not require revisions are included in the report for context. A brief discussion of 
their performance during testing is included. 
 
In the following sections, when multiple direct quotes are used to illustrate the findings, 
respondents  are  referred  to  using  a  respondent  identifier  that  indicates  which  round 
they  were  interviewed  in  (R1,  R2,  or  R3)  and  whether  or  not  they  were  a  victim  of 
bullying  according  to  the  CDC  definition    (V  or  NV).  For  example,  a  student  who  was 
11	
	

	
interviewed  in  Round  1  and  was  a  victim  of  bullying  would  have  a  respondent  ID  of 
R1V1,  R1V2,  etc.,  whereas  a  student  who  was  interviewed  in  Round  2  and  was  not  a 
victim of bullying would have an ID of R2NV1, R2NV2, etc. 
 
Since  both  the  number  and  order  of  the  questions  changed  throughout  the  course  of 
the study, the question number used in the report is the number that will be used in the 
final questionnaire. Questions that were included in the testing but removed from the 
questionnaire are referred to as, “Formerly Q__”. For each question, there is a sentence 
or two explaining the changes in the question number from round to round. To see the 
complete  question  order  for  each  round,  see  Attachment  A,  which  includes  all  three 
protocols. 
 

6.1 Bullying Prevalence 
 
Question 22 measures the types of bullying behaviors the respondent experiences. This 
item briefly defines bullying as things “students do at school that make you feel bad or 
are hurtful to you.” It then asks whether they have experienced specific behaviors that 
make up bullying (such as making fun, spreading rumors, threatening, etc.). 
 
 

12	
	

	
 
Q22: Round 1 – Round 3 and Final Recommendation (no changes made) 
 
 
22. 

Now I have some questions about what students do at 
school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to you.  We 
often refer to this as being bullied.  You may include 
events you told me about already.  During this school year, 
has any student bullied you?  

 
That is, has another student...  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(Read each category a‐g.) 
  

  

  
  
  

  
  

 

a.  Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted you, in a   
hurtful way? 
134 
 
b.  Spread rumors about you or tried to make others dislike  135 
you?  
 
136 
c.  Threatened you with harm? 
 
137 
d.  Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on you? 
 
 
e.  Tried to make you do things you did not want to do, for  138 
example, give them money or other things? 
 
 
f.  Excluded you from activities on purpose? 
 
139 
 
g.   Destroyed your property on purpose? 
140 
 
 

 
Yes   
 
1    

2  

1    

2  

1    

2  

1    

2  

1    

2  

1    

2  

1  
 
 

No 

 
 
 

 

 

2  If all categories a‐g are 
         marked  “No” SKIP to 
         G_HATE 

 
All  30  respondents  answered  Q22.  To  get  a  better  understanding  of  how  students 
conceptualize  bullying,  the  protocol  included  retrospective  probes  asking  all 
respondents  to  define  bullying  in  their  own  words  and  what  kinds  of  behaviors  they 
think count as bullying. Respondents were also asked if there are any types of bullying 
that should be included in Q22 that we did not ask about. For students who said “yes” 
to at least one item in Q22, we asked them to provide more details about the bullying 
behaviors they experienced. Students who said “no” to all items were asked probes to 
determine if they experienced any of the behaviors on the list but did not consider to be 
bullying.  
 
Findings for Victims: 
 
All 16 victims (according to the CDC definition) were able to easily answer Q22. During 
retrospective probing, respondents were asked to tell the interviewer what happened in 
13	
	

	
their  bullying  experience(s).  Based  on  responses  to  the  items  in  Q22  and  the  probe 
about  their  experience(s),  Q22  performs  well  to  capture  victims’  experiences  with 
bullying.  
 
Findings for Non‐Victims: 
 
Overall, non‐victim respondents were able to easily answer Q22. Of the 14 non‐victims 
who  answered  this  question,  nine  of  them  answered  “no”  to  all  seven  of  the  bullying 
behaviors. Respondents who said ‘no’ to all items were asked if any of the things listed 
in Q22 happened to them that they did not count as bullying. Three students responded 
yes to this probe, and all three mentioned playful teasing by friends. 
 
R1NV2: “My friends call me names, just playing around.”   
R2NV4:  “I  guess  it  was  kind  of  like,  I  don't  call  it  bullying,  but  if  I  did 
something  stupid  like  when  we're  doing  a  new  sport  in  PE  my  friends 
would make fun of me, but nothing like I really care."  
R3NV9:  “I  mean  if  friends  do  it,  it's  not  really  that  bad,  because  it's 
funny.” 
These  responses  suggest  that  some  students  are  able  to  differentiate  between  listed 
behaviors  that  are  playful  teasing  between  friends  and  those  that  are  bullying.  These 
students picked up on the fact that Q22 includes the phrase, “We often refer to this as 
being bullied,” and therefore did not respond “yes” to any part of Q22.    
 
Five  non‐victims  said  yes  to  experiencing  one  or  more  items  in  Q22.  Of  these,  four  of 
them  were  referencing  one  time  occurrences  that  they  did  not  think  would  happen 
again – being tripped in the hallway, shoved during a fight while playing football in gym 
class, someone spreading a rumor, and someone pulling the respondent’s hair. The fifth 
respondent reported multiple behaviors from different individuals, such as being called 
a bad name, and experiencing mean behaviors from friends when they are mad at each 
other.  Though  some  individuals  did  experience  more  than  one  behavior  on  different 
days, responses to the power imbalance question later in the survey indicated there was 
no imbalance between the respondents and the perpetrators. 
 
Two of the five non‐victim respondents who reported bullying behaviors self‐identified 
as  victims  of  bullying,  even  though  the  behaviors  were  not  repeated  and  they  did  not 
think  they  would  happen  again.  These  cases  are  discussed  further  in  section  7.3.  The 
other three non‐victims who said yes to items in Q22 do not consider their experiences 
to  be  bullying.  When  explicitly  asked  if  she  thought  the  behavior  she  reported 
experiencing  was  bullying,  one  respondent  said,  “Not  really,  I  just  think  it  was  kind  of 
mean,”  (R2NV5).  This  suggests  that  some  students  either  do  not  notice  the  word 

14	
	

	
“bullied”  in  the  stem,  or  they  forget  about  it  by  the  time  they  are  answering  each 
individual item.  
 
Respondent Definitions of Bullying: 
 
All respondents were asked, “Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be 
bullied?”  Though  there  were  variations  in  what  aspects  students  chose  to  focus  on  in 
their definitions, all students defined bullying in a similar way. They consider bullying to 
be intentionally causing harm to someone, whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional 
harm. Respondents do think that mean and hurtful behaviors done by friends can count 
as bullying if the friend is doing the behavior intentionally to be hurtful. There were no 
noticeable  differences  between  definitions  provided  by  victims  of  bullying  and  those 
provided by non‐victims. 
 
R2V10:  “Somebody  targets  a  certain  aspect  of  you,  aspect  of  your  life, 
aspect  of  what  you  hold  in  your  pride,  and  they  know  to  target  that  to 
make you feel weak about yourself, and to make you feel insecure about 
yourself.” 
R2V8: "I think like over and over someone picks on you physically, tries to 
get in your head, or tries to get other people… maybe they just do it for 
fun, or maybe they do it to try to make themselves feel better." 
R1NV3: "Being bullied means to me like somebody is trying to hurt you in 
some  way,  or  get  to  your  feelings  like  emotionally,  physically,  or  some 
type of way make you feel bad about yourself or make you hurt in some 
way through whatever they can do.” 
R3NV12:  "Trying  to  discourage  someone  else  so  you  can  feel  like  the 
bigger person and be liked by other people.	 [Bullying is] fighting, calling 
people  insulting  names,  any  way  to  discourage  someone  and  feel  good 
for yourself." 
When  respondents  were  asked  what  kinds  of  behaviors  they  would  consider  bullying, 
they generally made comments indicating they thought the list of items included in Q22 
was an appropriate list of bullying behaviors. If they did give additional examples, all but 
five gave variations of the items already included in Q22, or broader terms that refer to 
those  behaviors  like  “physically  harming  someone,”  or  “teasing.”  The  remaining  five 
respondents  said  that  we  should  add  cyberbullying  or  “online  stuff”  to  this  list.  This 
suggests  that  some  students  were  not  thinking  about  possible  cyberbullying  incidents 
when  responding  to  Q22.  When  probed  on  Q22  and  what  they  were  considering,  19 
respondents said they were thinking about in‐person bullying only, ten said they were 
thinking  about  both  online  and  in‐person  bullying,  and  one  respondent  said  that  they 
did not know if they had been thinking about online bullying when answering Q22. Since 
15	
	

	
the majority of students were not thinking about cyberbullying when answering Q22, it 
is  recommended  to  revise  the  question  in  future  cognitive  testing  to  clarify  that  the 
question is asking about both cyberbullying and in‐person bullying. 
 

6.2 Repetition of Bullying 
Questions  measuring  frequency  of  bullying  are  used  to  establish  repetition,  a  key 
component of the uniform definition. This set of questions changed the most between 
rounds so results are presented in sub‐sections by round.   
 
6.2.1 Frequency of Bullying 
6.2.1.1 Frequency Question Included in Round 1  
	
Original Frequency Question (Formerly Q26 & Q24):  
The original frequency question was numbered as Q26 in the Round 1 protocol, Q24 in the Round 2 
protocol, and replaced by the series of questions Q24‐Q26b in the Round 3 protocol. 
  

26. 
During this school year, how often were you bullied?  
 
(READ CATEGORIES 1‐4.) 

 
142 

1  Once or twice this school year 
2  Once or twice a month ‐ SKIP to: Q28 
3  Once or twice a week, or ‐ SKIP to: Q28 
4  Almost every day ‐ SKIP to: Q28 

 

	
Round 1 Findings:  
 
The original frequency question in the survey was problematic for multiple reasons. The 
first issue was that the respondents conceptualized what constituted a bullying incident 
differently.  When  answering  the  original  frequency  question,  most  respondents  were 
thinking  of  how  many  times  they  experienced  individual  incidents  of  the  bullying 
behaviors  listed  in  Q22.  However,  two  respondents  in  Round  1  thought  of  a  bullying 
incident as the overall set of bullying behaviors related to a specific thing.  For example, 
someone  spread  a  rumor  about  a  respondent  and  she  was  bullied  in  multiple  ways 
because of that rumor for multiple weeks. She answered the original frequency question 
as “once or twice this year,” because that was all one big bullying incident in her mind. 
The second respondent had an almost identical situation. The behaviors lasted 2 weeks, 
but she made it clear that she considered it one time, even saying “I’ve only been bullied 
once in my life, ever,” (R1V4) during probing.  
 
Two  alternate  versions  of  the  frequency  question  asked  during  probing  helped  reveal 
these issues.  The first alternative tested was:   
 
 
16	
	

	
“During this school year, how many times were you bullied?  
     
1   One time 
2   Two times 
      
3   Three to ten times 
4   More than ten times 
 
After  the  first  five  interviews,  it  became  clear  that  there  was  a  potential  issue  with 
asking  how  many  times  a  student  was  bullied  (discussed  below),  so  another  alternate 
version of the frequency question was added to the protocol for the rest of round 1: 
 
“During this school year, how many days were you bullied?  
      
1   One day 
2   Two days 
   
3   Three to ten days 
4   More than ten days 
 
The  issue  with  how  respondents  think  of  a  “time”  of  bullying  raised  concerns  that 
students would be incorrectly categorized as non‐victims because they would not meet 
the repetition requirement. Therefore, after Round 1, we added an additional question 
immediately preceding the original frequency question (see Added Frequency Question 
(Formerly Q23) in section 6.2.1.2 below).  
 
The second issue was that some respondents had difficulty when asked to choose one 
of  the  given  response  options  from  the  original  version  of  the  frequency  question. 
Respondents who were bullied very frequently or regularly throughout the entire school 
year had no trouble answering this. Respondents who only experienced one incident or 
thought of their situation as only one incident had no trouble choosing “once or twice 
this school year.” As noted above, some of the students selecting this response did so in 
error but they could easily choose a response option.   
 
For  students  who  experienced  bullying  multiple  times  but  infrequently,  this  question 
was  difficult  to  answer.  They  did  their  best  to  find  a  response  option  that  fit  well 
enough, but it may not have captured their situation. Respondents were asked why they 
chose their response option for each version of the question. They were also asked to 
compare the difficulty levels of the different versions of the question, and which version 
they preferred. 
 
R1NV3: "It  wouldn't be every month, but it wouldn't be every week, so  I'd  say 
month. So it'd be like every three months or something like that… so I said once 
or  twice  a  month  to  say  that."  (This  respondent  experienced  multiple  bullying 
behaviors, but did not meet the criteria for bullying because there was no power 
imbalance. Her discussion of her experiences indicate that she was not bullied, 
and she does not consider herself to be a victim of bullying.) 
17	
	

	
R1V1:  "More  difficult.  Because  it's  over  the  span  of  different  timelines.  Not 
timelines, but like school year, a month, a week. You need one to compare all of 
them to." Interviewer: “Did these options fit for you?” R1V1: "No." 
 
While  students  were  able  to  easily  answer  the  “how  many  times”  question  (first 
alternative asked during probing), the issue of how students think of an “incident” may 
affect how they answer this question. To address the issue of how students think of a 
single  bullying  incident,  we  added  in  the  second  version  of  the  frequency  question  to 
the probing section of the protocol to test with the final four Round 1 respondents (see 
above  for  the  question  wording).  The  four  respondents  asked  this  question  during 
Round 1 were able to easily answer this question.  
 
	
6.2.1.2 Frequency Questions Included in Round 2 
	
Added Frequency Question (Formerly Q23): 
Former Q23 was added to the Round 2 protocol, numbered as Q23 in the Round 2 and Round 3 protocol, 
and was removed after Round 3. 
 

 
23. 

            
During this school year, did any of these things happen                  1   Yes 
on more than one day?  
2    No ‐ SKIP to: Q27  

 

 

Original Frequency Question (Formerly Q26 & Q24): 
The original frequency question was numbered as Q26 in the Round 1 protocol, Q24 in the Round 2 
protocol, and replaced by the series of questions Q24‐Q26b in the Round 3 protocol. 
  

24. 
During this school year, how often were you bullied?  
 
(READ CATEGORIES 1‐4.) 

 
142 

1  Once or twice this school year 
2  Once or twice a month ‐ SKIP to: Q28 
3  Once or twice a week, or ‐ SKIP to: Q28 
4  Almost every day ‐ SKIP to: Q28 

 

 
 
 

 

18	
	

	
Round 2 Findings: 
 
The newly added question, “During this school year, did any of these things happen on 
more than one day?” was included as an additional indicator of repetition. Respondents 
had no trouble understanding or answering this question.  
 
The original frequency question (shown as Q24 above) was also problematic for some 
Round  2  respondents.  Since  the  response  options  and  bullying  experiences  do  not 
always align, some respondents chose categories that did not fit their actual experiences 
with bullying. Two students answered the original frequency question as “once or twice 
this  school  year,”  but  answered  the  alternate  frequency  questions  during  probing  as 
“three  to  ten  times,”  and  “three  to  ten  days.”  When  probed  on  their  responses,  they 
indicated  that  since  the  bullying  happened  sporadically,  it  was  difficult  to  answer  the 
bullying frequency question.  One respondent (R2V11) said, "It wasn't like it happened 
one or two times in the year, it was like in two months. It happened a couple of times in 
those two months, but I don't remember how many times it actually happened. I don't 
really know. Because it wasn't like repetitive like all the time. But it happened like every 
other type of day, or like once one week, and then another week it happened more." 
 
Both  of  these  respondents  answered  “yes”  to  the  newly  added  question  (“During  this 
school  year,  did  any  of these  things  happen  on more  than one  day?). Therefore, even 
though they answered the frequency question as “once or twice this school year,” their 
response  that  it  happened  on  more  than  one  day  would  fulfill  the  repetition 
requirement, ensuring that they are correctly categorized as victims of bullying. 
 
Vignette: 
 
In  Round  2,  we  added  a  short  vignette  to  test  all  three  versions  of  the  frequency 
questions to see how respondents would answer the questions if the bullying happened 
frequently for a short period of time and then stopped. Students were given a page that 
contained the vignette below, followed by all three versions of the frequency question. 
The order of the three frequency questions was rotated on the handout. 
“A group of students made fun of Mark’s shoes every day for the first 
two weeks of school. Because of this, Mark got his parents to buy him 
new shoes. When Mark started wearing his new shoes the third week of 
school,  the  students  stopped  making  fun  of  him  for  the  rest  of  the 
school year. 
 
Pretend you are Mark. Answer all three questions how you think Mark 
would answer them.” 
 
All respondents in Round 2 received the vignette. Most students answered the alternate 
times  and  days  versions  of  the  question  in  a  consistent  manner.  For  example,  if  they 
19	
	

	
chose “3 to 10 times” for one version, they would choose “3 to 10 days” for the other 
version. There was some variation depending on if they counted two weeks as 14 days 
or realized there are only 10 school days in two weeks. A few respondents mentioned 
that  it  was  harder  to  answer  the  “times”  version  of  the  question  because  you  do  not 
know how many times he was bullied in a day.  
 
Answers to the original frequency question varied, and respondents had more difficulty 
choosing an answer. Every answer choice was chosen multiple times. Provided with the 
same  vignette,  answer  choices  ranged  from  “almost  every  day”  to  “once  or  twice  this 
school year.” Students  were probed on why they answered the way they did for  each 
version  of  the  question.  For  the  original  version,  many  students  talked  through  their 
process of elimination. 
 
R2NV4: "I said once or twice this school year because it was only the first 
two weeks of school, meaning that it couldn't have been once or twice a 
month because by the second month it was over, once or twice a week 
because  not  every  week  was  he  getting  bullied,  and  not  every  day, 
because clearly, after the first two weeks it was over." 
 
R2NV5: "Again, because he was bullied for like a week. So once or twice a 
week,  maybe  like...  I  wouldn't  say  almost  every  day  because  that's 
probably a lot. Because it said he was being bullied for a few weeks, so I 
didn't  pick  once  or  twice  a  month  because  after  he  got  his  new  shoes, 
they stopped bullying him." 
 
In  response  to  the  difficulty  respondents  had  when  answering  the  original  frequency 
question  when  the  bullying  only  spanned  a  short  period  of  time,  we  recommended  a 
new  series  of  questions  that  first  established  a  time  span,  and  then  asked  about  the 
frequency  of  the  bullying  within  that  time  span.  The  answer  choices  for  the  original 
frequency question did not seem sufficient, so they were revised to provide options that 
better  aligned  with  possible  frequencies.  Two  versions  of  the  revised  frequency 
question  were  created,  so  that  students  whose  bullying  lasted  one  month  or  less 
received  one  version  of  the  question  with  an  appropriate  fill  for  their  time  frame  and 
the applicable answer options, and students bullied for longer than one month received 
the  version  with  fills  and  answer  options  that  were  applicable  for  their  situation.  See 
question‐by‐question breakdown below. 
	
	
 

20	
	

	
6.2.1.3 Frequency Questions Included in Round 3 
Added Frequency Question (Formerly Q23): 
Former Q23 was added to the Round 2 protocol, numbered as Q23 in the Round 2 and Round 3 protocol, 
and was removed after Round 3. 
 

            

 
23. 

During this school year, did any of these things happen on 
more than one day?  

                1   Yes 
2    No ‐ SKIP to: Q27  

 
Frequency Question Revision 1 (Formerly Q24):  
The original frequency question was numbered as Q26 in the Round 1 protocol, Q24 in the Round 2 
protocol, and replaced by the series of questions Q24‐Q26b in the Round 3 protocol. The series of 
questions was removed after Round 3. 
 
24. 
During this school year, what month did the bullying start?  
 
FIELD REPRESENTATIVE – If the respondent says that the bullying started 
before this school year, ask the respondent what month school started this 
year.  

 
1  January  
2  February 
3  March 
4  April  
5  May 
6  June  
7  July 
8  August 
9  September 
10  October 
11  November 
12  December 
 

 
Frequency Question Revision 1 (Formerly Q25):  
The original frequency question was numbered as Q26 in the Round 1 protocol, Q24 in the Round 2 
protocol, and replaced by the series of questions Q24‐Q26b in the Round 3 protocol. The series of 
questions was removed after Round 3. 
 
25. 
 

What month did the bullying stop?  

 
1  January  
2  February 
3  March 
4  April  
5  May 
6  June  
7  July 
8  August 
9  September 
10  October 
11  November 
12  December 
13  Still happening 

IF START AND STOP MONTH ARE THE SAME, then go to Q26a.  Else SKIP to Q26b. 

21	
	

	
 
Frequency Question Revision 1 (Formerly Q26a & Q26b):  
The original frequency question was numbered as Q26 in the Round 1 protocol, Q24 in the Round 2 
protocol, and replaced by the series of questions Q24‐Q26b in the Round 3 protocol. The series of 
questions was removed after Round 3. 
 

26a. 

During {start/stop month} of this school year, how 
often were you bullied?  

 
142 

 
(READ CATEGORIES 1‐4.) 

1  Almost every day  
2  About 3 to 4 times a week 
3  About once a week 
4  About once or twice in {start/stop month}  

 
SKIP to Q27. 
 

26b. 

Between {start month} and {stop month} of this 
school year, how often were you bullied?  

 
142 

 
(READ CATEGORIES 1‐5.) 

1  Almost every day  
2  About 3 to 4 times a week 
3  About once a week 
4  About once or twice a month, or  
5  About once or twice between {start month} 
and {stop month}. 

 

 
Round  3 Findings: 
The  new  series  of  frequency  questions  was  asked  during  Round  3,  and  was  only 
answered by the three victims of bullying who were interviewed in Round 3.  
 
Respondents  were  first  asked  what  month  the  bullying  started,  then  what  month  the 
bullying  stopped.  This  established  the  time  span,  which  was  used  to  determine  which 
version of the revised frequency question they were asked and to populate the fills to 
include the time span in the question and response options.  There was some concern 
about  how  students  would  answer  these  questions  if  the  bullying  started  prior  to  the 
start of the current school year or if the bullying was still happening at the time of the 
interview, since response options are not read.  Probes to address this were included in 
the protocol. 
 
All  three  bullied  students  were  able  to  easily  answer  the  series  of  questions  that  asks 
when  the  bullying  started  and  stopped,  and  the  frequency  of  the  bullying  within  that 
time frame. Their responses aligned with what they said about the situation, and they 
answered the new series of questions and the alternate “days” version of the frequency 
question in a fitting way. 
 
It  is  important  to  note  that  only  three  bullied  respondents  answered  these  questions 
about their experiences. However, there was an observable range of cognitive abilities 
among  the  respondents,  and  none  of  them  had  trouble  answering  the  questions.  In 
addition, their experiences included several scenarios we were concerned about: 
 One  respondent  (R3V15)  said  that  the  bullying  started  in  March  and  ended  in 
22	
	

	





June “because school ended.”  
One  respondent  (R3V16)  said  that  it  started  in  February  and  is  still  happening. 
The interviewer did not need to probe or provide further guidance to determine 
that it was still happening, even though the question asks for a month and the 
answer options are read. 
For one respondent (R3V14), the bullying seemed like a consistent thing she has 
always experienced. She said it has happened all through middle school. As per 
the  interviewer  instructions,  the  interviewer  asked  her  when  the  school  year 
started and was able to easily use that information to get the start month. For 
the stop month, the respondent said it’s still happening. 

 
Overall,  the  new  series  of  questions  performed  well.  During  probing,  we  continued  to 
ask the alternate version of the frequency question, “During this school year, how many 
days  were  you  bullied?”  and  this  question  continued  to  perform  well.  Therefore,  the 
sponsors  were  informed  that  both  options  would  work  well  in  the  final  survey.  We 
recommended  thinking  about  what  they  wanted  the  frequency  questions  to  measure 
when deciding which one they would like to use in the final version of the supplement. 
6.2.1.4 Frequency Questions: Final Recommendation 
 
Added Frequency Question (Q23a): Final Recommendation 
Q23a was asked as an alternative question during probing in all three protocols, and added as Q23a 
in the final questionnaire. 
 
23a. 

During this school year, how many days were you 
bullied?  

 

            
                1   One day ‐ CONTINUE to: Q23b 
2   Two days ‐ SKIP to: Q24 
3   Three to ten days ‐ SKIP to: Q24 
4   More than ten days ‐ SKIP to: Q24 

 
Added Frequency Question (Q23b): Final Recommendation 
Q23b was not asked during cognitive testing for the School Crime Supplement. It was modeled after a 
question used in the NCVS Supplemental Victimization Survey, which was cognitively tested in the Fall 
of 2015.The question performed well for victims of stalking. The constructs of bullying and stalking 
have many similarities, which leads us to believe the question, modified to measure bullying 
behaviors, will perform well for victims of bullying. 
 
23b. 

In that one day, how many times would you say 
other students did those things that made you feel 
bad or were hurtful to you? 

 

            
 1  Once 
 2  Two to ten times 
 3  Eleven to fifty times 
 4  More than fifty times 
 5  Too many times to count (do not read) 
 6  Don’t know (do not read) 

23	
	

	
Final Frequency Questions: 
After  the  final  recommendation  meeting,  CSM  and  the  sponsors  discussed  how  to 
proceed  with  the  frequency  questions.  It  was  decided  the  alternate  version  of  the 
frequency  question  (“During  this  school  year,  how  many  days  were  you  bullied?”) 
should be used in the final survey. This version of the question worked well, was easy 
for students to answer, and was the question that was most frequently chosen as the 
respondents’ preferred version of the frequency question. 
 
However, we were concerned about missing respondents who only experienced bullying 
incidents on one day, but those incidents were repeated multiple times throughout the 
day. To address this, a new question was added as a follow up for students who answer 
that they were only bullied on one day. 
 
23b. In that one day, how many times would you say other students did 
those things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you? 
 1  Once 
 2  Two to ten times 
 3  Eleven to fifty times 
 4  More than fifty times 
 5  Too many times to count (do not read) 
 6  Don’t know (do not read) 
 
Though this question was not cognitively tested during this study, it was modeled after a 
question that was cognitively tested by CSM in 2015 and used in the final version of the 
2016  National  Crime  Victimization  Survey’s  Supplemental  Victimization  Survey  (SVS). 
The SVS is a supplement on stalking victimization. The constructs of stalking and bullying 
have many similarities, so both the sponsors and CSM feel confident that this question is 
appropriate to use in the final version of the SCS.  
 
It is important to note that this question references “things that made you feel bad or 
were hurtful to you” rather than bullying. This phrase is used in Q22, followed by “we 
often refer to this as being bullied.” The choice to use this phrase rather than “bullied” 
in this question is the result of two things. The first is that the stalking question it was 
modeled after uses the phrase “unwanted contacts or behaviors” rather than stalking. 
The SVS does not include the word stalking at all, and instead uses that phrase to refer 
to  stalking  behaviors  throughout  the  supplement.  Since  the  bullying  version  of  the 
question  was  not  cognitively  tested,  it  is  important  that  it  resemble  the  stalking 
question as closely as possible. The second reason for this choice has to do with the fact 
that  some  students  interpret  “times”  of  bullying  as  the  larger  collection  of  behaviors, 
rather  than  each  individual  incident.  While  this  question  uses  the  word  “times,” 
referencing  the  “things  that  made  you  feel  bad  or  were  hurtful  to  you”  that  they 
reported  in  Q22  indicates  that  the  question  is  asking  how  many  times  the  individual 
behaviors occurred. 
 
24	
	

	
6.2.2 Potential Future Repetition of Bullying  
	
This  question  measures  one  aspect  of  the  first  key  component  of  the  CDC  definition. 
While  the  frequency  questions  measure  actual  repetition,  this  question  measures  the 
student’s  perception  of  potential  future  repetition.  Potential  future  repetition  can  be 
used  to  meet  the  criteria  if  actual  repetition  did  not  occur.  If  the  bullying  has  already 
occurred  multiple  times,  potential  future  repetition  is  not  a  requirement  to  meet  the 
repetition  criteria.  In  Round  1,  only  students  who  answered  the  frequency  question 
(“During this school year, how often were you bullied?”) with “once or twice the school 
year” were asked Q24 (“Did you think the bullying would happen over and over?”). In 
rounds two and three, all respondents who reported experiencing bullying behaviors in 
Q22  were  asked  the  revised  version  of  the  repetition  question  (“Did  you  think  the 
bullying would happen again?”). 
 
Q24: Round 1 
Q24 was numbered as Q27 in the Round 1 protocol. 
  

            

24.         Did you think the bullying would happen over and 
over? 

                1   Yes 
2   No  

Q24 Revision 1: Round 2 – Round 3 and Final Recommendation 
Q24 was numbered as Q25 in the Round 2 protocol and Q27 in the Round 3 protocol. 
  

            

24.          Did you think the bullying would happen again? 

                1   Yes 
2   No  

 
Round 1 Findings: 
 
In  Round  1,  only  three  respondents  were  asked,  “Did  you  think  the  bullying  would 
happen over and over?” Of those, two responded “yes” and one responded “no.” The 
student  who  responded  “no”  defined  the  phrase  “over  and  over”  as  happening  every 
day.  Because  of  this,  and  the  fact  that  the  phrase  “over  and  over”  is  open  to 
interpretation, we recommended modifying the question by replacing “over and over” 
with “again” and continuing to test the original version in probing.  
 
Rounds 2 and 3 Findings: 
 
In  Round  2,  we  also  changed  the  skip  pattern  so  that  all  respondents  who  reported 
experiencing  bullying  behaviors  were  asked  the  question,  as  opposed  to  only  asking 
respondents who said that the behaviors only occurred once or twice this school year.  
 
25	
	

	
We  also  asked  the  eight  respondents  in  Round  2  who  reported  experiencing  bullying 
behaviors both versions of the question. The revised version of the question was asked 
during  the  survey  portion,  and  the  old  version  of  the  question  (containing  the  phrase 
“over  and  over”)  was  asked  during  probing.  Three  of  the  eight  respondents  answered 
the two versions of the question differently because the phrase “over and over” was a 
higher  threshold  in  their  mind.  When  asked  what  “over  and  over”  means  to  them, 
respondents said it means “forever”, “happens every day,” and “consistently.” Even the 
respondent who just said it means “more than once” seemed to view “over and over” as 
a higher threshold, because he answered yes to the “again” version and no to the “over 
and over” version. Two respondents were asked if there’s a specific number that comes 
to mind when they hear the phrase; one said 5 and the other said 3. Since students do 
not  interpret  the  phrase  consistently  and  some  interpret  it  as  a  constant  occurrence, 
using the phrase could affect the data. 
 
In Round 3, we removed the original version of the question from the probing section, 
as we had sufficient data to confirm that the phrase “over and over” is too ambiguous to 
be answered consistently by respondents. The revised version of the question caused no 
problems  for  respondents,  and  performed  well.  Therefore,  it  was  kept  in  the  final 
version of the questionnaire. 
 
 
6.2.3 Respondent Thoughts on Repetition as a Requirement for Bullying 
Fourteen  respondents  were  either  explicitly  asked  about  or  made  unprompted 
statements about repetition in relation to bullying. Of those, seven respondents made 
at  least  one  statement  saying  that  behaviors  do  not  need  to  be  repeated  to  be 
considered  bullying.  The  recurring  themes  were  the  effect  and  the  intent  –  if  the 
behavior was intentional and “affects [the victim] a lot” or was very hurtful, they think it 
can  be  considered  bullying.  The  other  seven  respondents  think  repetition  is  required, 
and one‐off behaviors are just “picking on” or name‐calling. A few of these respondents 
made comments about how kids will say they’re being bullied when they’re not. As one 
respondent (R1V4) said, “A lot of people take bullying out of hand. Like ‘Oh my gosh, she 
called me a name, she’s bullying me.’ But it’s a one time thing, she didn’t bully you. She 
called  you  a  name  and  you  got  mad  about  it.”  Note  that  respondents  were  not 
specifically asked whether suspected repetition, which fulfills the criteria for repetition 
under the uniform definition, was an essential part of bullying. 
 

6.3 Power Imbalance 
6.3.1 Perpetrators of Bullying 
	

26	
	

	
This section discusses the two questions about the perpetrators of the bullying reported 
by  respondents.  Question  25  measures  whether  one  or  more  people  did  the  bullying 
behaviors  reported  in  Q22.  Question  26  is  a  follow  up  question  asked  of  respondents 
who  report  that  they  were  bullied  by  more  than  one  person;  it  asks  whether  the 
perpetrators  acted  alone,  together  as  a  team,  or  both.  These  questions  address  the 
uniform  definition  of  bullying,  as  multiple,  coordinated  perpetrators  indicate  a  power 
imbalance. 
 
Q25: Round 1 – Round 3 and Final Recommendation (no changes made) 
Q25 was numbered as Q23 in the Round 1 protocol, Q26 in the Round 2 protocol, and Q28 in the Round 
3 protocol. 
 
 
25.         Thinking about the [time/times] you were bullied this 
school year, did more than one person do these 
things to you? 
 

                1   Yes 
2   No ‐ SKIP to: Q27 

 
Q25 Findings: 
 
Twenty respondents were asked this question. Of those, 13 answered “yes,” and seven 
answered  “no.”  There  were  no  probes  included  in  the  protocol  for  this  question. 
Interviewers were instructed to note any difficulties respondents had when answering 
questions, and use an unscripted probe to determine what caused the difficulty. None 
of  the  interviewers  observed  respondents  having  trouble  with  this  question.  Based  on 
respondents’ discussions of their experience (in response to other probes), responses to 
this question aligned with their experiences. This suggests that respondents were able 
to easily understand what the question is asking. Because there were no reported issues 
with answering this question, no changes were suggested during testing or for the final 
questionnaire. 
 
Q26: Round 1 
Q26 was numbered as Q24 in the Round 1 protocol. 
 
26.          Did these people act alone or together as a team? 

 
1  Alone  
2  Together  
3  Don’t know  

Q26 Revision 1: Round 2 – Round 3 and Final Recommendation 
Q26 was numbered as Q27 in the Round 2 protocol, and Q29 in the Round 3 protocol. 
 
26.          Did these people act alone, together as a team, or 
both? 

 
1  Alone  
2  Together  
3  Both  
4  Don’t know  

 
27	
	

	
Round 1 Findings: 
 
Seven respondents answered the original version of this question in Round 1. Of those, 
three said the people acted alone, three said the people acted together as a team, and 
one  responded  both  “alone”  and  “together  as  a  team.”  Since  it  was  pointed  out  that 
students  can  experience  bullying  perpetrated  by  individuals  as  well  as  groups  working 
together, we revised the question to measure these occurrences.  
 
Rounds 2 and 3 Findings: 
 
Seven respondents answered the revised version of this question in rounds 2 and 3. Of 
those,  one  answered  “alone,”  one  answered  “together  as  a  team,”  four  answered 
“both,”  and  one  respondent  said  she  didn’t  know.  This  respondent  was  upset  by  the 
series  of  bullying  questions,  as  well  as  the  probes,  and  answered  many  questions  and 
probes,  “I  don’t  know.”  The  distribution  of  responses  to  Q26  supports  our  decision  to 
add a separate category for “both.” The revised version of the question performed well, 
and was kept in the final version of the questionnaire. 
6.3.2 Dimensions of a Power Imbalance 
	
This question measures the second key component of the CDC definition. The bullying 
behaviors a respondent identifies in Q22 are included in the reading of this question.  All 
respondents who report one or more bullying behaviors in Q22 are asked Q27. 
	
	

28	
	

	

Q27: Round 1 
Q27 was numbered as Q25 in the Round 1 protocol. 
27.            Now I have some additional questions about the 
time [another student/ other students] {behavior1}, 
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the 
[person/ people] who did these things to you this 
school year,  
 
a.     [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was 
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger 
than you? 
 
b.    [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was 
anyone in the group] more popular than you? 
 
c. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did 
anyone in the group] have more money than you? 
 
d. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did 
anyone in the group] have more power than you in 
another way? 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Yes   
 
1    

 
 
 
 
 
 
             1  
 
 
             1  
 
 
             1  
 

No 
2  

 
 

2  

 

2  

 
 

2  

 

Q27 Revision 1: Round 2 – Round 3 and Final Recommendation 
Q27 was numbered as Q28 in the Round 2 protocol and Q30 in the Round 3 protocol. 
 
 
 

 27.          Now I have some additional questions about the 

time [another student/ other students] {behavior1}, 
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the [person/ 
people] who did these things to you this school year,  
 
a.     [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was 
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger 
than you? 
 
b.    [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was 
anyone in the group] more popular than you? 
 
c. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did 
anyone in the group] have more money than you? 
 
d. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did 
anyone in the group] have the ability to influence 
what other students think of you? 
 
e. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did 
anyone in the group] have more power than you in 
another way? 

 
 
Yes   
 
1    

 
 
 
 
 
 
             1  
 
 
             1  
 
 
             1  
 
 
             1  

No 
2  

 
 

2  

 

2  

 
 

2  

 

2  

 

 
29	
	

	
Round 1 Findings: 
 
Due to the specific interest in how students think about power imbalances in relation to 
bullying,  extensive  probing  was  done  on  Q27  and  the  different  forms  of  power 
imbalances.  All  respondents  were  probed  on  Q27,  even  if  they  said  no  to  all  items  in 
Q22 and skipped all other questions in the bullying section during the survey. Handouts 
were  given  to  show  the  full  text  of  the  question  to  aid  the  retrospective  probing 
process. See page 3 of Attachment B for the handout used during cognitive testing. 
 
Respondents who skipped the follow up questions were shown Q27and told they would 
have been asked it if they had been bullied. They were informed that they did not have 
to  answer  the  survey  question,  but  that  the  interviewer  was  going  to  ask  follow  up 
questions about it. 
 
The  original  four  items  in  Q27  performed  well  in  Round  1.  Through  probing,  we 
confirmed  that  students  were  thinking  of  family  wealth  for  Q27c  (“have  more  money 
than  you”).  As  R1NV3  put  it,  “Like  they…  have  better  clothes  than  me  or  better… 
everything  than  me.  More  money  to  spend  and  that  stuff.  Come  to  school  way  more 
upper  class  than  me.  And  always  have  money  every  time  they  need  it."  Respondents 
either mentioned  the  family’s  economic  status  (“they’re  wealthier,”  “they  live in  a  big 
house  and  their  parents  work  for  a  big  company”),  or  having  nicer  things  (“they  have 
better  things,  like  guys  who  have  the  best  sneakers,”  “they  always  have  nice  clothes 
on”). 
 
When  asked  what  the  phrase  “have  more  power  than  you”  means  in  Q27d,  some 
students  were  unsure  of  how  to  answer.  One  respondent  (R1NV2)  simply  answered, 
“Honestly,  I  don’t  know.”  Two  respondents  seemed  unsure  at  first,  but  were  able  to 
provide appropriate responses. This suggests that even if the phrase “have more power 
than you” is vague, students are able to figure out what the question is asking based on 
the context and the other items in the question. 
 
R1V3:  "What do you mean by power?  I think power means to me that 
they have more experience doing things that they do, so when you try to 
do  it  …  they'll  be  stronger  in  it.    You  can't  stop  me  because  I'm  better 
than you." 
R1V6: "At first I didn’t know, but I'm trying to think about ‐ it could either 
go back to A [physically bigger / stronger] or B [(more popular] and they 
could get people to contribute to the bullying." … "Especially B, if they are 
popular, they are more liked, and they can get more people on their side 
to contribute." 
 
Aside  from  repeating  the  forms  of  power  in  the  Q27  items,  students  kept  mentioning 
influence as another form of power. This was often tied to popularity, but seemed to be 
a distinct concept in their minds. 
30	
	

	
 
R1V4:	 "When  I  thought  of  it,  when  the  girl  was  being  mean  to  me,  I 
thought  she  had  more  power  because  she  had  a  bigger  mouth.  So 
therefore she had more power because she had more power to tell more 
people  stuff.  But  now,  I  don't  think  she  had  more  power  than  me  now, 
because she just didn't. Power in the school ‐ power and popularity and 
stuff.  And  power  of  how  many  people  will  believe  her,  power  of  how 
many people she can get to turn on you." 
R1V5: "More power as in… they have the power like physical power, and 
like I said… power and ability to like say who gets this and whose team 
this  person  is  on,  and  who  gets  the  work  in  class  sometimes.  Who  sits 
where in the cafeteria sometimes." 
 
The  power  imbalance  question  resulted  in  a  false  negative  in  Round  1  (this  case  is 
discussed in depth in Section 7.2). Though the respondent was clearly bullied, she said 
no to all four items in Q27, which resulted in her being categorized as a non‐victim. This, 
coupled  with  the  emergence  of  the  theme  as  influence  as  power  but  distinct  from 
popularity, resulted in the addition of a new item for Q27. After Round 1, we added the 
following  item  to  Q27:  “[Did  this  person/  Did  any  of  these  people/  Did  anyone  in  the 
group] have the ability to influence what other students think of you?”  
 
Prior to Round 1, researchers questioned whether a group of students working together 
to bully an individual created a power imbalance. A probe was included to determine if 
students  saw  a  group  against  an  individual  as  a  power  imbalance.  Through  both 
responses to the specific probe and comments made when answering other probes, it 
was clear that all ten respondents think that a group working together creates a power 
imbalance.  The  false  negative  in  Round  1  would  not  have  occurred  if  groups  working 
together  were  considered  a  form  of  a  power  imbalance.  Therefore,  we  recommended 
considering  using  the  indication  of  a  group  of  bullies  as  another  form  of  power  in  the 
criteria.  We  suggested  continuing  to  probe  on  this  in  future  rounds  before  deciding  if 
any  changes  were  necessary.  This  is  discussed  more  below  in  Section  6.3.3:  “Groups 
Working Together as a Power Imbalance.” 
 
Round 2 and 3 Findings: 
 
In Round 2, we added a probe asking students to say, in their own words, what the new 
item  on  influence  was  asking.  Students  were  able  to  easily  answer  Q27d  during  the 
survey,  and  were  able  to  accurately  interpret  what  the  question  was  asking  during 
probing. 
 
R2V11: "I think the question is asking like if what they do will influence 
what other people think. Like their thoughts of you, if they want to hang 
out with you, if they…. They'll have their own perception of you without 
really knowing you." 
31	
	

	
R2NV7:  “Maybe  like  that  bully  kid  telling  his  or  her  friends  bad  things 
about me, like '[R2NV7] has this or that about her,' then they'll think that 
too and they'll make fun of me for having whatever that is." Interviewer: 
“Can  anyone  do  that?”  R2NV7:"It  depends  on  who  you  are.  If  you're 
popular  then  people  will  listen  to  you,  if  you  say  someone's  weird  then 
they'll  think,  'oh,  they  have  to  be  weird.'  But  if  someone  weird  says 
something, then no one will listen, because they're weird.” 
 
Respondents in Round 2 and 3 gave similar responses as respondents in Round 1 to the 
probes  that  were  used  in  all  three  rounds.  They  were  able  to  easily  answer  and 
understand  Q27a‐e.  Respondents  agreed  that  the  four  specific  items  that  we  ask  are 
ways  that  bullies  can  have  power  over  someone.  Respondents  made  comments  like 
“They’re  good  examples,”  (R2NV4),  and  “Yeah,  I  believe  they  are  good  questions,” 
(R2V8). 
 
The  power  imbalance  question  did  result  in  one  more  false  negative  in  Round  2.  This 
respondent (R2V13) said no to all items. However, when he was giving his interpretation 
of Q27d (influence), he referenced his own situation, saying that his bully had the power 
to influence some students, just not the majority. This suggests that he applied his own 
threshold  to  the  extent  of  influence  necessary  for  him  to  answer  “yes”  to  Q27d.  This 
case is discussed further in Section 7.2. 
 
No additional changes were made to Q27 after Round 1. 
 
 
6.3.3 Groups Working Together as a Power Imbalance 
 
Of the 30 respondents, 29 were asked probes about whether or not they think a group 
of students working together to bully an individual has more power over that individual. 
One  respondent  was  not  asked  the  question  due  to  time  constraints.  However,  this 
respondent  mentioned  “the  power  of  numbers”  many  times  during  his  interview, 
suggesting that he does think that a group creates a power imbalance.   
 
Twenty‐eight  of  the  29  respondents  said  that  they  think  a  group  of  students  working 
together  has  more  power  over  the  individual.  The  only  respondent  not  agreeing 
(R3NV14)  answered,  “No,  because  they’ve  sunk  to  a  lower  level.”  The 28  respondents 
who answered yes were asked if they still think the group working together has more 
power,  even  if  everyone  in  the  group  and  the  individual  being  bullied  are  about  the 
same  size,  about  as  popular,  had  about  the  same  amount  of  money,  and  the  same 
ability to influence others. All respondents still thought that the fact that the group was 
working together against an individual created a power imbalance. For this reason, we 
recommend  using  responses  to  Q25  (“…did  more  than  one  person  do  these  things  to 
you?) and Q26 (“Did [they] act alone, together as a team, or both?”) to determine when 
respondent  is  bullied  by  a  group  working  together.  This  can  be  used  as  an  additional 
32	
	

	
indicator  of  a  power  imbalance  when  a  respondent  answers  “no”  to  Q27a‐e,  but  says 
that more than one person bullied them and they acted together as a team (or both). 
This would eliminate false potential false negatives of bullying for this situation. 
 
6.3.4 Respondent Thoughts on a  Power Imbalance as a Requirement for Bullying 
It  was  often  hard  to  determine  whether  or  not  kids  thought  a  power  imbalance  was 
necessary  for  bullying.  Many  kids  made  conflicting  statements;  comments  imply  that 
they  think  a  power  imbalance  is  necessary  but  then  they  say  things  like  “anyone  can 
bully anyone”. Respondents were asked a series of probes about whether bullying could 
occur with various power differentials. For example, they were asked if a student could 
bully someone bigger or stronger than them, or if a less popular student could bully a 
more popular student. Multiple respondents said that anyone can bully anyone, but that 
it’s rare for a smaller or less popular student to bully a bigger or more popular student 
because they’d fear retaliation. While it is possible, it is unlikely. 
 
R2V11: "Have I heard that before…? No... [thinks, laughs]. I mean I think 
it's possible, but I haven't ever heard of that." 
R2NV5:  "She  could,  it  probably  wouldn't  end  very  well.  She  could 
blackmail or something. I just don't see that ending well." 
 
Students’  thoughts  on  this  requirement  are  unclear  because  there  are  so  many 
dimensions  of  power.  In  addition  to  the  four  forms  of  power  that  we  ask  about, 
students  talked  about  confidence,  attitude,  intelligence,  relationships  with  teachers, 
among other things, as ways students can have power over someone. Respondents said 
that  it  really  just  depends  on  who  the  people  involved  are  and  the  ways  in  which  the 
different types of power intersect. For example, a less popular student can bully a more 
popular student if they’re bigger or stronger, or a student with less power in general can 
bully  someone  if  they  have  that  attitude  or  willingness  to  be  mean  and  do  bullying 
behaviors. 
 
An  interesting  theme  that  came  up  was  bullying  to  gain  power.  Multiple  students 
mentioned this without any probing from interviewers, specifically that kids bully to gain 
power  and  popularity.  One  said  that  students  will  not  bully  if  no  one  else  is  around 
because  it  won’t  make  them  more  popular.  One  girl  gave  an  example  of  a  kid  who 
wasn’t popular/had little power, but then he started being a bully, used that behavior to 
increase  his  status  and  popularity,  and  was  accepted  into  the  popular  group.  One 
student (R2V11) said that some people bully to feel like they have power over someone, 
even  if  they  don’t;  "Yeah.  I  don't  know  if  it's  [to  feel  like  they  have  power  over 
someone]… people say they do it to make themselves feel better. You just want to make 
yourself have more power than the other person even though they're the same." 
 

33	
	

	

6.4 Location of Bullying 
 
Q28: Round 1 ‐ Round 3 and Final Recommendation (no changes made) 
Q28 was numbered as Q28 in the Round 1 protocol, Q29 in the Round 2 protocol, and Q31 in the Round 3 
protocol. 
  

28. 

Still thinking about all of the times that you were 
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur … 

 
 

(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply 

  

               Where is the other place where bullying occurred? 
 
 
 

 
143 
168 
169 
173 
146 

1  In a classroom at school?  
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school? 
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school? 
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school? 
5   Somewhere else inside the school 
building? – Specify _____________ 
144 
 6   Outside on school grounds? 
145 
7   On the way to or from school such as on a 
school bus or at a bus stop? 
211SCS  8   Online or by text? 
 

 
Rounds 1 to 3  Findings: 
 
Across all rounds, 20 students were asked this question. All 20 respondents were able to 
understand what the question was asking, and were able to easily answer the question. 
Three  respondents  said  yes  to,  “somewhere  else  inside  the  school  building?”  When 
asked where that other place was, one said in the theater, one said in the gym, and the 
third said outside on the track. The third respondent seemed to miss the fact that this 
item specifies “inside the school building.”  
 
Probes for this question focused on the final item, bullying that occurs online or by text. 
Respondents were asked to tell us in their own words what it means to be bullied online 
or by text. They were also asked probes to determine if they considered bullying online 
or  by  text  that  occurs  when  they  are  not  at  school  but  related  to  school,  and  if  they 
would include those incidents in the earlier survey questions asking about bullying that 
happens at school. 
 
All  respondents  defined  bullying  that  happens  online  or  by  text  appropriately.  Many 
acknowledged that it is the same thing as bullying that happens in person, but it occurs 
on the internet. As one respondent (R1V6) put it, “It’s like bullying in person except for 
the physical … During online attacks it can be the same thing ‐ they can insult you, make 
fun of you, have people gang up on you and do it together, throw hurtful words to you 
whether it is your religion, your sexuality, your nationality." Respondents think of social 
media apps as well as bullying via text, email, or on websites. A few respondents said 
that  most  cyberbullying  occurs  on  social  media  these  days,  rather  than  in  private  text 
messages. They mentioned apps such as Kiik, Snapchat, Instagram, and Brighten, among 
others.  Students  also  said  it  was  common  for  cyberbullying  to  occur  in  group  chats  or 
group text messages. 
 
34	
	

	
Respondents  considered  bullying  perpetrated  by  classmates  online  or  by  text  to  be 
related  to  school,  even  if  the  behaviors  are  done  outside  of  school.  Their  comments 
indicate that the lines are blurred when it comes to bullying in school and online. 
 
R1V4: "Well I feel like everything is tied into school because we all go to 
the same school, and everything happens at school, and it all goes home, 
and then it happens on social media. So yeah, it's all tied in to school." 
 
R2V10:  “Yes,  it's  from  the  same  person.  It  carries  over,  from  school  to 
cyber and vice versa.” 
 
R2NV7: "Yeah. It's the same person, right? You know each other through 
school,  and  you're  hearing  about  what  they're  doing  outside  of  school, 
but it still comes back to school." 
 

6.5 Reporting to Adults 
 
Original Question Q29: Round 1 ‐ Round 3 and Final Recommendation (no changes made) 
Q29 was numbered as Q29 in the Round 1 protocol, Q30 in the Round 2 protocol, and Q32 in the Round 
3 protocol. 
 
 

29. 

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school 
about being bullied? 

 

 
 
147 

1  Yes 
2   No 

 
Round 1 to 3 Findings: 
 
Across the three rounds, 20 respondents heard this question. No issues with answering 
were  reported  by  the  interviewers.  Of  these  respondents,  10  answered  ‘no’  to  this 
question.  The  cognitive  probes  for  this  question  centered  on  a  ‘no’  response,  to 
determine the reasons why a student who had experienced bullying behavior would not 
report it. 
 
Of the 10 respondents that answered ‘no,’ six had said they hadn’t told an adult because 
they didn’t believe it would be helpful. There were multiple reasons given: (1) the adult 
would have no way to really help them, (2) the adult would be uninterested in helping 
them,  or  (3)  the  adult’s  help  would  involve  telling  the  perpetrator’s  or  the  victim’s 
parents, which was an unwanted outcome. 
 
R1V1: “Because there’s no one you really go to and trust enough. The counselor 
is always there but is there nothing the counselor can really do.” 
 

35	
	

	
R1V5:  "Because  teachers  don't  really  do  nothing.  They'll  probably  ask  to  talk 
about  it  with  you,  but  they  probably  wouldn't  do  nothing.  They  have  like  a 
million talks and they do nothing.” 
 
R1V6:  "I  don’t  really  talk  to  teachers  because  they  just  brush  it  off  or  are 
disrespectful generally." 
 
R2V8:  “Because  there’s  no  one  you  can  really  trust.  The  guidance  counselor 
doesn't sound really helpful. If they went to the kid and told them someone said 
they were being bullied by them, then [the bully would] probably come right to 
me and call me a snitch and everything." 
 
R2V9: "Whenever you tell an adult they are so quick to get you a mediation and 
that  might  not  be  what  you  want."  This  respondent  also  added  that  adults 
sometimes call your parents and you may not want your parents involved. 
 
Four respondents said they prefer to handle their issues themselves. Some also felt that 
the bullying behaviors they experienced were not serious enough to be worth going to 
an adult. 
 
R1V1: “…but there is nothing the counselor can really do. It's more you have to 
do it yourself,” (continuation of quote above). 
 
R1V3: “Because I can handle it.” 
 
R2V10: "No, because it's not really that big of a deal. What they say didn't really 
affect me too much." 
 
R2NV5: "Because it really didn't get to me too much for me to tell them. If it got 
to me and they kept doing it, I'd probably tell someone.” 
 
Because  there  were  no  reported  issues  with  this  question,  we  suggest  leaving  it  the 
same. 
	
 

36	
	

	

6.6 Effects of Bullying  
 
Q30: Round 1 ‐ Round 3 and Final Recommendation (no changes made) 
Q30 was numbered as Q30 in the Round 1 protocol, Q31 in the Round 2 protocol, and Q33 in the Round 3 
protocol. 
30.    This school year, how much has bullying had a 
NEGATIVE effect on: 
 
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES) 

 

Not 
at all 

Not very   Somewhat 
much 

A lot 

  

a.

YOUR school work. 

b.

YOUR relationships with friends or 
family. 

1 2 3 4 

c.

How you feel about YOURSELF. 

1 2 3 4 

d.  

YOUR physical health for example, 
caused injuries, gave you headaches or 
stomach aches. 

1 2 3 4 

1 2 3 4 

  

  
  

 

 

 

 
Round 1 to 3 Findings: 
 
Twenty respondents across three rounds heard this question. No interviewers reported 
issues  with  answering  the  question.  Twelve  respondents  were  asked  what  the  phrase 
“had a negative effect” meant to them in the stem of this question. All 12 had a good 
understanding  of  the  phrase  ‘negative  effect,’  providing  variations  of  a  definition  of 
something  that  can  hurt  you  emotionally,  mentally,  or  physically,  and noted  that  your 
emotional state can affect how well you do in school and how you relate to others. One 
respondent felt that being physically hurt had to do more with the perpetrator’s actions 
toward the victim. 
 
Five respondents said bullying affected at least one aspect of their life ‘a lot.’ None of 
them reported that bullying had affected their physical health, only school work ("I used 
to be a straight A student, and now, I'm just passing classes" (R1V7);  "When I tried to do 
my  schoolwork  all  I  could  think  about  is  if  all  the  people  around  me  are  talking  about 
me" (R2V9)), relationships (“You're so angry that you don't want to say anything. Your 
friends tap you on the shoulders and you're just freaking out. It definitely affects your 
family life because when you come home and you're angry and you don't want to deal 
with anyone” (R1V1)), or their feelings towards themselves ("I mean like this is like my 
whole  life.  This  is  not  the  first  time  I've  been  bullied.  People  commenting  on  your 
physical appearance, that was the big one for me. That just brings you down the most… 
A lot is like the depression part. I mean I was depressed for a while. It can be like you 
don't even want to live anymore, stuff like that. That part," (R2V11)). 
 
37	
	

 

	
Because  there  were  no  reported  issues  with  answering  this  question,  we  have  no 
changes to suggest. 

6.7 Hate‐related Bullying  
 
Q31: Round 1 ‐ Round 3 and Final Recommendation (no changes made) 
Q31 was numbered as Q31 in the Round 1 protocol, Q32 in the Round 2 protocol, and Q34 in the Round 
3 protocol. 
31. When you were bullied in school this year, did you 
ever think it was related to  ... 
  

 
                  
 
 
200SCS

 

Yes 

No 

1

2

a.

YOUR race? 

b.

YOUR religion? 

201SCS

1

2

c.

Your ethnic background or national 
origin ‐ for example, people of Hispanic 
origin? 

202SCS

1

2

203SCS

1

2

204SCS

1

2

205SCS

1

2

206SCS

1

2

  
  

  

d.

Any disability you may have – such as 
physical, mental, or developmental 
disabilities? 

  

e.

YOUR gender? 

f.

YOUR sexual orientation ‐ by this we mean 
gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight? 

g.

YOUR physical appearance? 

  

  

. 

 
                              
 

 

 
Round 1 to 3 Findings: 
 
Twenty respondents across three rounds heard this question. No interviewers reported 
issues with answering the question. Ten respondents answered ‘no’ to all items, and the 
cognitive  probes  were  created  to  find  out  why  they  had  answered  that  way.  Two 
respondents said these factors were the same for both herself and for her perpetrators. 
Two respondents said that these differences just did not come up during bullying, and 
one  respondent  said  that  her  bullies  must  have  known  that  picking  on  those  factors 
would  be  mean  ("Because  I  wouldn't  think  nobody  in  my  school  would  talk  about 
somebody's race or religion. I guess they know it's not nice to do that."). 
 
The  respondents  who  answered  ‘no’  to  all  of  these  items  were  asked  if  they  felt  they 
would have to be absolutely certain that the incident was because they had one of these 
characteristics for them to say “yes”. Four of the respondents said they would answer 
38	
	

	
‘yes’ to any of these items if they had any hunch that it was for that reason, and they 
knew  that  the  bullying  they  experienced  wasn’t  for  any  of  these  reasons.  One 
respondent  was  unsure  if  they  would  say  yes  or  no  in  that  case.  One  respondent  just 
knew that their bullying experience wasn’t related to any of these reasons. 
 
Because  none  of  the  respondents  had  issues  answering,  and  because  the  majority  of 
respondents  that  were  asked  said  they  wouldn’t  have  an  issue  reporting  ‘yes’  even  if 
they only had a gut feeling that the bullying was for one of these reasons, we felt the 
question could be kept with no changes. 

7 NOTEWORTHY CASES SUPPORTING RECOMMENDATIONS  
7.1 Overall Performance of Questions Measuring Key Components of the CDC 
Definition  
 
Overall, the series of questions designed to identify victims of bullying performed well. 
Of the 30 interviews, the survey questions resulted in two false negatives. See section 
7.2  for  a  full  discussion  of  these  2  interviews.  The  questions  that  resulted  in  the  false 
negatives were revised during testing to reduce the likelihood of measurement error. 
 
The questions were effective at correctly categorizing respondents as non‐victims when 
they  did  not  meet  the  criteria  for  bullying  victims,  even  when  respondents  indicated 
that they self‐identified as victims through comments made during the interview. Two 
respondents  considered  themselves  victims  even  though  their  discussion  of  their 
experiences  made  it  clear  that  they  did  not  meet  the  criteria  in  the  official  definition. 
These cases are discussed below in section 7.3. 
 
Three respondents seemed to miss the phrase “We often refer to this as being bullied,” 
in the stem of Q22 (bullying prevalence). These individuals did not consider themselves 
to be victims of bullying, but said ‘yes’ to one or more items in Q22, which asks about 
things other students do that were mean or hurtful to them. During probing, it became 
clear  that  the  experiences  they  reported  were  not  bullying,  but  rather  things  like  the 
aftermath of a falling out with a friend, or being part of a fight during a football game in 
gym class. The follow up questions about repetition and power imbalances worked well 
to identify them as non‐victims.	
 

39	
	

	

7.2 False Negatives 
 
R1V4:  
This  respondent  (a  female  in  9th  grade)  answered  “yes”  to  Q22a  (“made  fun  of  you, 
called you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way?”) and Q22b (“spread rumors about 
you  or  tried  to  make  others  dislike  you?”).    She  said  that  more  than  one  person  did 
these things to her, and that they worked together as a team. When asked, “During this 
school  year,  how  often  were  you  bullied?”  she  answered  “once  or  twice  this  school 
year.”  She  said  she  did  think  that  the  bullying  would  happen  over  and  over.  This 
respondent said no to all of the power imbalance questions. 
 
This  respondent  was  a  false  negative  due  to  her  answers  to  the  power  imbalance 
questions.  However,  if  a  group  working  together  as  a  team  against  an  individual  was 
considered a power imbalance, she would not have been a false negative. This student’s 
responses  and  discussion  of  her  experiences  during  probing  highlighted  the  issue  of 
some  respondents  thinking  of  a  “time”  or  an  occurrence  of  bullying  differently  than 
other  respondents  (discussed  in  section  6.2.1  Frequency  of  Bullying).  Although  this 
respondent  reported  multiple  bullying  incidents  that  spanned  multiple  weeks,  she 
considered  it  a  single  “time”  of  bullying,  since  all  of  the  incidents  were  related  to  the 
initial incident that started the bullying. 
 
R2V13: 
This respondent ( a 10th grade male) answered yes to Q22b (“spread rumors about you 
or tried to make others dislike you?”).  He said that the bullying occurred “once or twice 
a month,” and was done by one other student. The student said that he did not think 
the bullying would happen again because he reported it to adults who intervened and 
put  an  end  to  it.  This  respondent  said  no  to  all  power  imbalance  questions,  which 
resulted in him being categorized as a non‐victim.  
 
When  asked  what  Q22d  (“Did  this  person  have  the  ability  to  influence  what  other 
students  think  of  you?)  was  asking,  in  his  own  words,  the  respondent  referenced  his 
own  bullying  incident.  He  said  that  his  bully  could  influence  some  people,  but  the 
majority  of  people  would  not  have  been  influenced  by  his  bully.  He  said  that  he  was 
thinking  of  the  bully's  close  friend  group  when  asked  who  his  bully  could  influence. 
Although the respondent said “no” to Q22d, his comments during probing indicate that 
his bully did have the ability to influence what other students think of the respondent. 
The respondent’s comments suggest that he was interpreting Q22d as asking if the bully 
could  influence  what  most  students  or  a  lot  of  students  thought  of  the  respondent, 
rather than any students. 
	
 

40	
	

	

7.3 Self‐identified Victims Who Correctly Screened Out 
 
R1NV1: 
This  10th  grader  considered  herself  a  victim  of  bullying.  She  said  “yes”  to  Q22a,  has 
another student “made fun of you, called you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way?” 
For  the  question  asking,  “During  this  school  year,  how  often  were  you  bullied?”  she 
answered  “once  or  twice  this  school  year.”  When  asked  if  she  thought  the  bullying 
would  happen  over  and  over,  she  responded  “no.”  The  student  said  that  only  one 
student  bullied  her,  although  during  probing  she  mentioned  the  main  perpetrator’s 
friends  laughing  and  making  fun  of  her  at  the  time  of  the  incident.  The  respondent 
answered  “no”  to  the  power  imbalance  questions  about  size,  popularity,  or  power  in 
some  other  way,  and  said,  “I  don’t  know”  to  the  power  imbalance  question  about 
having more money. 
 
During probing, the respondent mentioned multiple times that the incident was a one‐
time thing. When asked about what happened, the respondent said that a girl made fun 
of her and pulled her hair when she walked past her in the hallway, and then the girl’s 
friends started laughing at her as she walked past them. This upset the respondent, so 
she told the Dean. The Dean suspended the girl who pulled her hair “because he doesn’t 
tolerate  bullying.”  The  fact  that  the  Dean  labeled  this  incident  as  bullying  is  further 
evidence  that  individual’s  conceptualizations  of  bullying  vary,  and  that  school  policies 
and responses to bullying may not be limited to incidents that meet the CDC’s criteria 
for bullying. 
 
Though  this  respondent  incorrectly  self‐identified  as  a  victim  based  on  the  uniform 
definition,  her  definition  of  bullying  aligned  with  other  students’  definitions.  As 
previously  discussed,  almost  half  of  the  respondents  do  not  think  repetition  is  a 
requirement  for  bullying.  This  student’s  view  on  repetition  as  a  requirement  is  what 
resulted in her incorrectly self‐identifying as a victim. When asked what behaviors count 
as bullying, R1NV1 said: 
 
"Messing  with  someone,  calling  them  names,  pushing  them,  physically 
harming a person and messing with them, constantly, not stopping. I feel 
like that's bullying. But bullying is also a one‐time thing, like it's not just 
something that's constant. It's something that can happen maybe once to 
make a person feel really bad about themselves." 
 
R2NV6: 
This  respondent  (a  6th  grade  female)  answered  Q22a  (“made  fun  of  you,  called  you 
names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way?”) and Q22d (“pushed you, shoved you, tripped 
you, or spit on you?”). For the question asking, “During this school year, how often were 
you bullied?” she answered “once or twice this school year.” When asked if she thought 
the bullying would happen again, she responded “no.”  The student said that only one 
student  bullied  her.  The  respondent  did  indicate  that  there  was  a  power  imbalance 
41	
	

	
between  herself  and  the  other  student,  saying  yes  to  the  item  about  being  bigger  or 
stronger, and the item about having the ability to influence what other students think of 
her. 
 
When  discussing  the  incident,  the  respondent  said  an  8th  grader  tripped  her  in  the 
hallway  and  called  her  a  name.  She  said  the  7th  and  8th  graders  in  her  school  “always 
bully  6th  graders”  in  this  way.  This  respondent  did  not  think  repetition  was  a 
requirement  for  bullying;  she  thinks  that  behaviors  that  only  happen  once  can  still  be 
considered  bullying  because  the  perpetrator  is  intentionally  hurting  someone.  Though 
she  self‐identified  as  a  victim  of  bullying,  she  did  make  a  distinction  between  her 
experience  and  that  of  kids  who  get  bullied  consistently.  She  said,  “Well  I  was  bullied 
once,  but  not  like  that,  I  wasn't  really  bully‐bullied.  It's  kind  of  difficult  to  remember 
because if you got bullied a lot, you'd remember it like that.” 

8 TESTING THE SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT BROCHURE 
 
During  Round  3  interviews,  the  sponsors  asked  us  to  solicit  feedback  on  the  student 
version  of  brochure  about  the  School  Crime  Supplement  that  is  included  in  the 
advanced  mailing  materials  for  the  NCVS  (see  pages  14‐15  of  Attachment  B  for 
brochure). For the final seven interviews, respondents were shown the student version 
of the SCS brochure and then asked a set of probing questions on their thoughts about 
the  brochure.  Respondents  were  asked  what  their  first  impressions  of  the  brochure 
were, if they would read the brochure if a parent gave it to them, what stands out about 
the  brochure,  if  there  is  anything  they  dislike  about  it,  and  what  the  phrase  “Stay 
tuned!” at the bottom of the brochure means to them. 
 
Overall,  reactions  to  the  brochure  were  positive.  Multiple  respondents  said  that  they 
liked the question and answer style of the brochure because they seemed like questions 
someone chosen for the survey would probably ask, and the answers tell them what is 
about to happen in the survey. Students mentioned that the questions, “What will the 
survey ask me?” and “Will anyone find out what my answers are?” stood out to them as 
important information. When asked if they would read the brochure if their parent gave 
it to them, two respondents said they would not read it, one said she would “because 
it’s colorful,” three said they would “probably read it,” and one said “maybe.” 
 
Only two respondents said yes when asked if there was anything they did not like about 
the  brochure.  One  critique  was  visual,  and  was  due  to  the  brochure  being  printed  on 
standard printer paper rather than how the official brochure would appear. The other 
respondent said that the answer to the question, “Why am I being asked to complete 
this survey?” is somewhat difficult to understand and suggested rewording it. Another 
respondent thought the questions were appropriately written for the intended audience 
(meaning in the words of 6th to 12th graders) but that the answers seemed like adults are 
answering  the  questions  and  that  the  answers  should  also  be  in  “our  own  words,”  A 
42	
	

	
third respondent, who had just finished 10th grade at the time of the interview, thought 
the  brochure  targeted  a  younger  audience  than  him.  When  probed  on  this,  he  was 
referring  to  visual  aspects  of  the  brochure;  this  student  liked  the  content  in  the 
brochure. 
 
Since the sponsors were particularly interested in respondents’ reactions to the phrase 
“Stay  tuned!”  at  the  bottom  of  the  brochure,  all  respondents  were  asked  what  the 
phrase  meant  to  them.  All  respondents  understood  that  the  phrase  meant  that  they 
would be hearing more about the SCS in the near future. Five of the seven respondents 
were asked if they liked the phrase being used in the brochure, and all five said that they 
did like it. 

9 CONCLUSIONS 
	
Overall, the findings from this study indicate that the original questions for the SCS to 
the NCVS were a strong start. Many of the  questions performed well and required no 
revisions.  Of  the  questions  that  required  revisions,  two  involved  minor  tweaks.  The 
phrase  “over  and  over”  was  replaced  with  “again”  in  the  repetition  question,  and  the 
question  asking  if  the  multiple  bullies  were  working  alone  or  together  as  a  team  was 
modified to allow respondents to report that both of those occurred.   Other questions 
had  more  substantial  revisions.  A  new  item  was  added  to  the  power  imbalance 
question, and the original frequency question was replaced by two new questions.  
 
The  frequency  question  was  problematic  and  went  through  many  revisions. 
Respondents  had  trouble  answering  every  version  of  the  question.  Because  the 
frequency  question  is  so  important  in  deciding  who  is  considered  a  victim  of  bullying, 
any  possible  source  of  respondent  confusion  is  problematic.  Though  the  series  of 
frequency questions tested in Round 3 appeared to work well, the question asking how 
often a student was bullied in a given time frame was still more difficult to answer than 
asking how many days a student was bullied during the school year. 
 
Due  to  time  constraints,  this  phase  of  testing  was  limited.  The  decision  was  made  to 
focus mainly on the repetition and power imbalance questions, but to also collect data 
on  other  potential  issues  to  identify  questions  of  concern  for  future  testing.  While 
revising the bullying prevalence question (Q22) was not within the scope of this project, 
we  identified  an  issue  with  the  question  where  most  students  are  not  thinking  about 
cyberbullying when answering it.  
 

 

43	
	

	

10 REFERENCES 
 
Espelage, D. L., & Swearer, S. M. (2011). "Bullying in North American Schools : A Socio‐ 
ecological Perspective on Prevention and Intervention". New York, NY: 
Routledge. 
 
Farrington, David. (1993). "Understanding and Preventing Bullying". Crime and Justice 
17(1): 381‐458. 
 
Gallo, Laura, L., Milsom, A. (2006). "Bullying in Middle Schools: Prevention and 
Intervention". Middle School Journal 37(3): 12‐19. 
 
 
Mishna, Faye, Scarcello, I., Pepler, D., Wiener, J. (2005). "Teachers' Understanding of 
Bullying". Canadian Journal of Education 28(4): 718‐738. 
 
Olweus, Dan. (1990). "Bullying at School: What we Know and What we can do". Oxford, 
UK: Blackwell. 
 
Olweus, Dan. (1993). "Bullying among Schoolchildren. " Health Hazards in Adolescence, 
edited by Klaus Hurrelmann and Friedrich Losel. Berlin: De Gruyter. 
 
Ttofi, M., Farrington, D., Losel, F., & Loeber, R. (2011). "Do the Victims of School Bullies 
tend to become Depressed later in life? A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis 
of Longitudinal Studies". Journal of Aggression, Conflict, and Peace Research 
3(2): 63‐73.  
	

Willis, Gordon. (2015). “Analysis of the Cognitive Interview In Questionnaire  
Design: Understanding Qualitative Research”.  New York, NY: Oxford University 
Press.  
 
 

44	
	

	

Appendix A: 2017 SCS/NCVS Cognitive Interview Recruitment 
Protocol 
 

SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT 
IF MORE THAN ONE CHILD: Let’s start with the oldest child first. 
 
4. How old is that child? (Verify child is 12 ‐
18) 
5. What is that child’s name? 
6. Is _____ male or female? 
7. What grade is _____ in? 
8. Is _____ Hispanic? 
9. Please choose one or more races that 
_____considers him/herself to be. 
White 
Black or African American 
Asian 
American Indian or Alaska Native 
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 

Child 1 
 

Child 2 
 

Child 3 
 

Child 4 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

10. Does _____ speak English fluently? 
 
 
 
 
11. What city or town does _____ live in? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Does _____ attend public school, 
attend private school, or is [he/she] 
homeschooled? 
13. Has _____ ever been bullied in school?   
 
 
 
(That you know of) 
13b.[IF YES TO 13] When did the most 
 
 
 
 
recent bullying incident occur?  (their best 
guess is fine) 
14. Has _____ ever bullied another student   
 
 
 
at school? (That you know of) 
 
 
 
15. If necessary, would you be able to bring   
_____to our office in Suitland, MD to be 
interviewed? 
IF MORE THAN ONE CHILD: Now let’s talk about the [second/third/fourth] oldest child. 
 

 

45	
	

	
16.  In order to make sure that we recruit students from a variety of backgrounds, my last 
question is about your household’s annual income.  Is your household's annual income .... 
a. above $25,000? 
1 [ ] Yes 

2 [ ] No ‐ skip to conclusion 

 

b. Is it above $50,000? 
1 [ ] Yes 

2 [ ] No ‐ skip to conclusion 

c. Is it above $100,000? 
1 [ ] Yes   

2 [ ] No 

 

17. How did you hear about the survey? 
___________________________________________________________   
 

 

46	
	

Attachment 5: 
2017 SCS item description and rationale 
 
 

 

2017 SCS ITEM DESCRIPTION AND RATIONALE
Background
The School Crime Supplement (SCS), a supplement to the annual National Crime Victimization Survey
(NCVS), is designed to obtain additional information about school-related victimizations. This
information helps policymakers; academic researchers; practitioners at the federal, state, and local levels;
and special interest groups concerned with crime in schools to make informed decisions about policies
and programs. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES), and the U.S. Census Bureau (CB) jointly designed the survey questionnaire. The first SCS was
administered in 1989, and again in 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. The
2017 SCS will be the 12th implementation of an occasional supplement to obtain specific information
about school-related victimization and disorder on a national level.
Accurate information regarding the incidence of victimization at school and the school environment is
needed to monitor changes in student experiences with victimization. The SCS presents questions related
to students’ experiences with, and perceptions of crime and safety at school. The question topics include:
awareness of preventive measures employed by schools; students’ participation in school activities;
students’ perception of school rules and enforcement of these rules; the presence of weapons, drugs,
alcohol, and gangs in school; student bullying; hate-related incidents; and attitudinal questions relating to
the fear of victimization at school. These responses supplement the NCVS survey instrument responses
for a more complete understanding of the individual student’s circumstances.
The eight sections of the questionnaire and the specific items in each section are detailed below. New and
revised items for 2017 are highlighted in red.
1. Screen Questions
1a.

Questions
Did you attend school at any time this
school year?

1b.

During that time were you ever home
schooled?

1c.

Was all of your schooling this school
year home schooling?

1d.

How many different schools have you
attended since the start of this school
year?

2a.

During the time you were homeschooled this school year, what grade
would you have been in if you were in a
public or private school? OR
What grade are you in?

2b.
3.

Rationale
These questions establish the eligibility of the
individuals interviewed. The SCS sample universe
is youth in households participating in the NCVS.
However, the SCS is completed only by those youth
ages 12–18 who were in primary or secondary
education programs leading to a high school
diploma (elementary through high school) sometime
during the 6 months prior to the interview. Students
exclusively home-schooled during the current
school year are not included in the remainder of the
survey since many questions in the SCS are not
relevant to their situation.

In what month did your current school
year begin?

1

2. Environmental Questions
5a.

Questions
Is your school public or private?

5b.

Is this the regular school that most of the
students in your neighborhood attend?

5c.

Is your school affiliated with a religion?

6.
7.

What grades are taught in your school?
How do you get to school most of the
time this school year?

8.

How do you get home from school most
of the time this school year?
During this school year, have you
participated in any of the following
activities sponsored by your school:

9.

a. Athletic teams at school?
b. Spirit groups, for example,
Cheerleading, Dance Team, or
Pep Club?
c. Performing arts, for example,
Band, Choir, Orchestra, or
Drama?
d. Academic clubs, for example,
Debate Team, Honor Society,
Spanish Club, or Math Club?
e. Student government?
f. [IF GRADES 6, 7, or 8 ASK]
Volunteer or community service
clubs sponsored by your school,
for example, Peer Mediators,
Ecology Club, or Recycling
Club?

Rationale
These questions ask about school characteristics that
are used in analyzing levels of school violence.1,2,3

These questions establish student exposure to school
bus stops and routes, and walking routes
immediately around schools, which are considered
part of the school environment.
This question asks about students’ participation in
various types of extra-curricular school activities.
Providing opportunities for extra-curricular
activities is a strategy associated with programs
designed to reduce incidents of crime and bullying.
Research shows that high levels of involvement
within a school are correlated with increased student
connectedness to the academic environment.4
However, some studies have shown the positive
effects of participation vary for different types of
activities and by different student characteristics5,6
making this an area of interest for current research.

[IF GRADES 9, 10, 11, or 12 ASK]
Volunteer or community service clubs
sponsored by your school, for
example, Peer Mediators, Ecology

1

Van Dorn, R. A. (2004). Correlates of violent and nonviolent victimization in a sample of public high school students. Violence & Victims,
19(3), 303-320.
2
Lab, S. P., & Whitehead, J. T. (1992). School Environment & School Crime: Causes & Consequences; Summary Report.
3
Kuck, D., & Popp, A. (2005). Characteristics of students and schools as predictors of being a victim of bullying: An Opportunity Theory
Analysis. Conference Papers -- American Society of Criminology, N.PAG.
4
DeVoe, J. (2009). Social bonding and school victimization: The ties that bind. Conference Papers. American Society of Criminology, 1.
5
Peguero, A (2008). Bullying Victimization and Extracurricular Activity Journal of School Violence, 7(3), 71-85.
6
Jiang, X. & Peterson, R. (2012). Beyond Participation: The Association Between School Extracurricular Activities and Involvement in Violence
Across Generations of Immigration Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 41(3), 362-378.

2

Questions
Club, Key Club, or Interact? Do not
include community service hours
required for graduation.

Rationale

g. Other school clubs or school
activities?
10.

The next questions are about security
measures that some schools take.

This series of questions establishes student
awareness of various security measures in their
school.

Does your school have:
a. Security guards or assigned
police officers?
b. Other adults supervising the
hallway, such as teachers,
administrators, or parent
volunteers?
c. Metal detectors, including
wands?
d. Locked entrance or exit doors
during the day?
e. A requirement that visitors sign
in and wear visitor badges or
stickers?
f. Locker checks?
g. A requirement that students
wear badges or picture
identification?
h. One or more security cameras to
monitor the school?
i. A code of student conduct, that
is, a set of written rules or
guidelines that the school
provides you?

Between 2000 and 2010, public schools reported
increased use of various safety and security
measures and procedures.7 Question 10 differs from
similar questions about school procedures in other
school surveys such as SSOCS because it focuses on
student awareness of these procedures. This
awareness is relevant to researchers investigating
whether the environment created by security
measures in schools increases students’ feelings of
security and decreases incidents of school crime, or
creates an atmosphere that is detrimental to learning
and has little effect on school crime.8,9,10

7
Robers, S., Kemp, J. & Truman, J. (2013). Indicators of School Crime and Safety:2012 (NCES 2013-036/NCJ 241446) National Center for
Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
Washingon, DC.
8
Blosnich, J., & Bossarte, R. (2011). Low-level violence in schools: Is there an association between school safety measures and peer
victimization? The Journal Of School Health, 81(2), 107-113.
9
For an extensive survey of current studies on this topic, see Nance, J. (2013) Students, Security and Race. Emory Law Journal. 63(1), 1-57.
10
Addington, L., & Yablon, Y. (2011). How Safe Do Students Feel at School and While Travelling to School? A Comparative Look at Israel
and the United States. American Journal of Education, 117(4); 465-493.

3

Questions
If you hear about a threat to school or
student safety, do you have a way to
report it without having to give your
name?

Rationale
This question indicates if students know their school
has a secure procedure for reporting potential school
crime. Organizations such as US Department of
Health and Human Services11 and the National
Crime Prevention Council 12 recommend
establishing anonymous hotlines or websites for
students to anonymously report.

12.

In your classes, how often are you
distracted from doing your schoolwork
because other students are misbehaving,
for example, talking or fighting?

These questions help define the environment in
which crime and bullying incidents occur,13,14
including determining the general level of disruption
and the general level of crime students encounter in
their school and home neighborhoods.15,16

13.

Thinking about your school, would you
strongly agree, agree, disagree, or
strongly disagree with the following:

11.

a. The school rules are fair.
b. The punishment for breaking
school rules is the same no
matter who you are.
c. The school rules are strictly
enforced.
d. If a school rule is broken,
students know what kind of
punishment will follow.
e. Teachers treat students with
respect

16.

Thinking about the neighborhood where
YOU LIVE, would you strongly agree,
agree, disagree, or strongly disagree
with the following:
There is a lot of crime in the
neighborhood where you live

17.

Thinking about the neighborhood where
YOUR SCHOOL IS LOCATED, would

11

http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/rules/index.html
http://www.ncpc.org/topics/school-safety/strategies/strategy-school-crime-reporting-hotline
13
Mayer, M. J., & Leone, P. E. (1999). A structural analysis of school violence and disruption: Implications for creating safer schools. Education
& Treatment Of Children, 22(3), 333.
14
Collins, J. J., Messerschmidt, P. P., Ringwalt, C. C., & Research Triangle, I. (1992). Relationship Between School Disruption & School Social
Control Activities: Summary Of Findings,
15
Smith, B. E., & Elstein, S. G. (1993). Effective ways to reduce school victimization: practical and legal concerns. Children's Legal Rights
Journal, 14(1-2), 22-38.
16
Clay-Warner, J., Bunch, J., & James, K. (2009). Procedural Justice and School Crime. Conference Papers -- American Society of Criminology,
1.
12

4

Questions
you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or
strongly disagree with the following:

18.

There is a lot of crime in the
neighborhood where you go to school.
Thinking about your school, would you
strongly agree, agree, disagree, or
strongly disagree with the following:

You feel safe at your school.
14. Still thinking about your school, would
you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or
strongly disagree with the following:
There is a TEACHER or other ADULT
at school who…
a. Really cares about you
b. Listens to you when you have
something to say
c. Tells you when you do a
good job

15.

There is a student at school who…
a. Really cares about you
b. Listens to you when you have
something to say
c. Believes that you will be a success

19. The following question refers to the
availability of drugs and alcohol at your
school.

Rationale

This question is designed to collect data for analysis
of the relationship between level of school crime,
presence of security measures in school, and student
perceptions of safety (see Rationale for question 10
above).
These questions ask about relationships in school.
The presence of caring relationships has been found
to be a key protective factor in multiple surveys of
student experiences. Asking these questions on the
SCS allows direct comparison of these factors with
a wide range of potential negative school
experiences such as crime, bullying, and drug
availability.17
Question 14 is adapted from the California Healthy
Kids Survey—one of the most widely quoted
surveys measuring student protective factors. It
consolidates two series of questions on relationships
with adults and teachers from previous versions of
the SCS. The consolidated question is designed to
reduce burden without losing predictive validity.
Question 15 asks about peer relationships in school.
Research indicates that the quality of friendship is
related to protective factors.18,19 This item was
developed and tested during the cognitive lab study
to be an indicator of reciprocal, supportive school
friendships.
The availability of illegal substances is correlated
with the general level of school crime and the
likelihood that students who use these substances
may be involved in crimes.20

Is it possible for students at your school to
get __________________
a. Alcoholic beverages?

17

DeVoe, J. (2009). Pg. 2
Espelage, D., Green Jr., H., & Wasserman, S. (2007). Statistical analysis of friendship patterns and bullying behaviors among youth. New
Directions for Child & Adolescent Development, 2007(118), 61-75.
19
Boulton, M.J., Trueman, M., Chau, C., Whitehand, C., & Amatya, K. (1999). Concurrent and longitudinal links between friendship and peer
victimization: Implications for befriending interventions. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 461–466.
18

20

Elliott, E., & Rayne, K. (2008). Victimization rates and drug use among high school and college students. Conference Papers -- American
Society of Criminology, 1.

5

Questions
b. Marijuana, also known as pot, weed or
mary jane?
c. Prescription drugs illegally obtained
without a presecription, such as
Oxycontin, Ritalin, or Adderall?
d. Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine,
uppers, or heroin?
20.

Rationale

During this school year, did you see
another student who was under the
influence of illegal drugs or alcohol
while they were at school?

3. Fighting, Bullying, and Hate Behaviors
This section is the main focus of the SCS: the type and extent of victimization students experience in
school. This information is a key addition to the data on victimization collected by the NCVS. Using
weighting factors provided by the CB, these data can be used to estimate the extent of fighting, bullying,
and hate crime victimization in schools nationally. This information is crucial to educators and
policymakers in prioritizing funding and program development for school systems across the country.
The 2015 SCS included an embedded split-half design to test two versions of a series of questions on
bullying victimization to capture information on repetition and power imbalance in bullying at school.
The 2017 SCS reverts to use of a single version of the instrument, based on version 1 of the 2015 split
half instrument, with modifications to the clarifying sub-questions added to the bullying victimization
series in 2015 designed to collect information on repetition and power imbalance.
Questions
21a. During this school year, have you been
in one or more physical fights at school?

Rationale
Determine exposure to physical violence in school
as separate from bullying.21

21b. During this school year, how many
times have you been in a physical fight
at school? 

21

Noe, K., & Petras, H. (2009). Peer victimization in middle and high school: An application of latent class analysis. Conference Papers -American Society of Criminology, 1.

6

22.

Questions
Now I have some questions about what
students do at school that makes you feel
bad or is hurtful to you. We often refer
to this as being bullied. You may include
events you told me about already.
During this school year, has any student
bullied you? That is, has another
student…
a. Made fun of you, called you names, or
insulted you in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to
make other dislike you?
c. Threatened you with harm?
d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you,
or spit on you?
e. Tried to make you do things you did
not want to do, for example, give them
money or other things?
f. Excluded you from activities on
purpose?
g. Destroyed your property on purpose?

Repetition:
23a. During this school year, how many days
were you bullied?
23b. (If 23a is “one day”) In that one day,
how many times would you say other
students did those things that made you
feel bad or were hurtful to you?
24.

Did you think the bullying would happen
again?

Power Imbalance:
25. Thinking about the [time/times] you were
bullied this school year, did more than
one person do these things to you?
26.

Did these people act alone, or together
as a team?

Rationale
Question 22 has students identify ways in which
they perceive they have been bullied. A single
bullying construct is created from those answering
“yes” to any of these subquestions to indicate that
the student has been a victim of bullying. This
question has been in use since 2005 and is the basis
for the trend data NCES maintains on bullying in
schools.

In 2014, the US Department of Education (ED)
participated in an interagency effort to develop
uniform definitions for tracking and reporting
bullying among youth.22 This definition includes
the elements of power imbalance and repetition as
distinguishing “bullying” from other types of peer
aggression. Previous cognitive testing of the SCS
items and independent research indicate that
students do not always restrict themselves to
reporting incidents of bullying that include the
dimensions of power imbalance and repetition,
although they can identify if these dimensions are
present when they are specified.23
CB, in conjunction with NCES and BJS developed
additional questions to identify the elements of
repetition and power imbalance in bullying reported
on the SCS. Two versions of the questions were
administered in a split-half design in 2015 to test the
effects on the estimates of bullying. The results of
the questions originally developed for the 2015 SCS

22
Gladden, R.M., Vivolo-Kantor, A.M., Hamburger, M.E., & Lumpkin, C.D. (2014). Bullying Surveillance Among Youths: Uniform Definitions
for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0. Atlanta, GA; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention andU.S. Department of Education.
23
Ybarra, M.L., Espelage, D.L, & Mitchell, K.J. (2014). Differentiating Youth Who Are Bullied From Other Victims of Peer-Aggression: The
Importance of Differential Power and Repetition. The Journal of Adolescent Health: official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
(Article in Press DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.02.009).

7

Questions
27. Now I have some additional questions
about the time [another student/ other
students] {behavior1}, {behavior2}, and
{behaviorx…}. Thinking about the
[person/ people] who did these things to
you this school year,
a.[Was this person/ Were any of these
people/ Was anyone in the group]
physically bigger or stronger than
you?
b. [Was this person/ Were any of these
people/ Was anyone in the group]
more popular than you?

c. [Did this person/ Did any of these
people/ Did anyone in the group]
have more money than you?

d. [Did this person/ Did any of these
people/ Did anyone in the group]
have the ability to influence what
other students think of you?

e. [Did this person/ Did any of these
people/ Did anyone in the group]
have more power than you in another
way?
 

28.

During this school year, where did the
bullying occur? Did it occur…
a.
In a classroom at school?
b.
In a hallway or stairwell at
school?
c.
In a bathroom or locker room at
school?
d.
In a cafeteria or lunchroom at
school?
e.
Somewhere else inside the school
building?
Specify_________________

Rationale
were reviewed24 and the questions were further
modified. Cognitive testing on the revised questions
was completed by the CB Center for Survey
Measurement in May-July 2016 (see attachment 4
for the full report on the cognitive testing results).
Questions 23-24 identify whether any incidents
reported for question 22 include the element of
repetition. The frequency questions included in the
2015 SCS on “how often” students were bullied or
were afraid they would be bullied were confusing to
some students. The revised questions are based on
those that have been used successfully to identify
repetitive stalking in the NCVS Supplemental
Victimization Survey. In this version, multiple days
or multiple incidents can be used as indicators of
repetition.
Questions 25-27 identify whether any incidents
reported include the element of power imbalance.
Cognitive testing results indicated that the examples
provided in the original power imbalance question
were excluding two types of incidents: 1) those in
which power was expressed through influence; and
2) those in which no one person appeared to be
more powerful than the victim reporting the
incident, but multiple people working together
against one individual created a power imbalance.
Affirmative answers on question 25 and 26
(multiple people working together) or on one of the
items under question 27 (individuals with more
power in some area) will be used to indicate the
bullying reported includes a power imbalance.

Noting where bullying occurs is important in
determining trends and to develop strategies to
monitor or prevent the incidences of bullying in
those environments. 25 The 2011 and 2013 SCS
included separate questions about cyber-bullying.
Based on the Uniform Bullying Definition, cyberbullying is a format for bullying, not a separate type
of incident. Cognitive testing results also indicated
that students often experience cyber-bullying by

24
Lessne, D., and Cidade, M. (currently in review). Methodology Report: Split-Half Administration of the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCES 2017004). U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC. National Center for Education Statistics
25
Ringwalt, C. C., Messerschmidt, P. P., Graham, L. L., Collins, J. J., & Research Triangle, I. (1992). Youths' Victimization Experiences, Fear of
Attack Or Harm, & School Avoidance Behaviors: Summary Of Findings,

8

f.
g.
h.

Questions
Outside on school grounds?
On the way to or from school such
as on a school bus or at a bus
stop?
Online or by text?

29.

Did you tell a teacher or some other
adult at school about being bullied?

30.

This school year, how much has
bullying had a negative effect on…
a.
b.
c.
d.

31.

Your school work?
Your relationships with friends or
family?
How you feel about yourself?
Your physical health – for
example, caused injuries, gave
you headaches or stomach aches?

When you were bullied in school this
year, did you ever think it was related to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Your race?
Your religion?
Your ethnic background or
national origin – for example,
people of Hispanic origin?
Any disability you may have –
such as physical, mental or
developmental disabilities?
Your gender?

Rationale
classmates as a continuation or precursor of inperson bullying and therefore include it with reports
of school-based bullying. Item H was added in 2015
to capture information on school-related cyberbullying.26
Research indicates that significant numbers of
bullying incidents go unreported. Collecting this
information in a confidential interview format can
shed light on estimates of bullying in U.S.
schools. 27,28
Additionally, collecting this information with
reports from the same students on school attachment
factors gathered in section 2 can be used to analyze
what factors may increase the likelihood of
reporting bullying.
These questions ask about the effects of bullying
experienced by students. Studies have detailed the
impacts of bullying on youth.29,30 Bullying is
related to serious health concerns that must be
tracked and addressed by medical and mental health
providers.31

Bullying disproportionately affects various
subgroups of students including students with
disabilities32 and students identifying with nonmajority racial, religious or sexual orientation
groups.33 The U.S. Department of Education’s
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) and Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
have both issued guidance on providing free and
appropriate education to all students that includes
identifying and addressing issues of harassment and
victimization for all students. The data from this

26

Bagwell, K. (2011). Students use cellphones more than computers to cyberbully. Education Daily, 44(189), 2.
Watkins, A. M., & Maume, M. O. (2011). School victims and crime reporting. Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice, 9(4), 333-351.
Watkins, A., & Maume, M. (2007). We Don't Need No Notification: The Underreporting of Victimization by Students. Conference Papers -American Society of Criminology, 1.
29
Due P, Holstein BE, Lynch J, Diderichsen F, Gabhain SN, Scheidt P, et al. (2005) Bullying and symptoms among school-aged children:
international comparative cross sectional study in 28 countries. European Journal of Public Health 15(2):128-132.
30
Beran TN, Hughes G, Lupart J. (2008) A model of achievement and bullying: Analyses of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of
Children and Youth data. Educational Research 50(1):25-39
31
Cf. National Children’s Medical Center’ s statement on bullying health risks at
https://www.childrensnational.org/DepartmentsandPrograms/default.aspx?Id=6089&Type=Program&Name=Clinic%20for%20Health%20Proble
ms%20Related%20to%20Bullying (accessed September 9, 2013).
32
Swearer, S. M., Wang, C., Maag, J. M., Siebecker, A., B., & Frerichs, L. J. (2012). Understanding the bullying dynamic among students in
special and general education. Journal of School Psychology, 50, 503-520.
33
Hightow-Weidman, L. B., Phillips, G., Jones, K. C., Outlaw, A. Y., Fields, S. D., & Smith, f. C. (2011). Racial and Sexual Identity-Related
Maltreatment Among Minority YMSM: Prevalence, Perceptions, and the Association with Emotional Distress. AIDS Patient Care & Stds,
25S39-S45. doi:10.1089/apc.2011.9877
27
28

9

f.
g.

34

Questions
Your sexual orientation – by this
we mean gay, lesbian, bisexual or
straight?
Your physical appearance?

32.

During this school year, has anyone
called you an insulting or bad name at
school having to do with your race,
religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender or sexual
orientation? We call these hate-related
words.

33.

Were any of the hate related words
related to:
a.
Your race?
b.
Your religion?
c.
Your ethnic background or
national origin – for example,
people of Hispanic origin?
d.
Any disability you may have –
such as physical, mental or
developmental disabilities?
e.
Your gender?
f.
Your sexual orientation – by this
we mean gay, lesbian, bisexual or
straight?

34.

During this school year, have you seen
any hate-related words or symbols
written in school classrooms, school
bathrooms, school hallways, or on the
outside of your school building?

Rationale
question can be used to generate national estimates
on bullying based on perceived subgroup
characteristics.
Hate-related speech is not reported by adolescents
as often as bullying because students are often
embarrassed about the message conveyed or not
sure where it falls with relation to various categories
of crime/bullying that should be reported. Collecting
specific information on use of hate-related words in
this anonymous survey will provide school
personnel and policymakers information about the
extent and seriousness of the crime34 and its
relationship to other forms of victimization.

Van Dorn, R. (2002). Unrecognized warning signs. Education Week, 22(11), 41.

10

4. Avoidance
35.

Questions
During this school year, did you ever stay away
from any of the following places because you
thought someone might attach or harm you there?
a. For example, did you ever stay away from the
shortest route to school because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?
b. The entrance into the school?
c. Any hallways or stairs in school?
d. Parts of the school cafeteria?
e. Any school restrooms?
f. Other places inside the school building?
g. School parking lot?
h. Other places on school grounds?
i. School bus or bus stop?

36a. Did you avoid any activities at your school because
you thought someone might attack or harm you?
36b. Did you avoid any classes because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

Rationale
This section asks about places and activities
students avoid because of the likelihood of
bullying, cyber-bullying, and physical
attacks. Avoidance, where warranted,
reduces the actual number of such incidents
without reducing the risk that they will
occur. Students who avoid going to classes
are negatively affected not only by the
experience of crime, but also by the loss of
instructional time35.
The information about avoidance collected
here can be used to (a) estimate overall
actual crime in schools in addition to that
experienced by the absence of direct
reporting from the individuals interviewed,
and (b) analyze the impact it has on student
behavior and academic performance
36,37,38,39,40,41 .

36c. Did you stay home from school because you thought
someone might attack or harm you in the school
building, on school property, on a school bus, or
going to or from school?

35
Barrett, Kimberly L.; Jennings, Wesley G.; Lynch, Michael J. (2012). The relationship between youth fear and avoidance of crime in school
and academic experiences. Journal of School Violence. Vol. 11 (1), 1-20.
36
Pearson, F. S., Toby, J. J., & Rutgers, U. (1992). Perceived & Actual Risks Or School-Related Victimization: Final Activities Report,
37
Randa, R. (2007). The impact of incivilities on fear and routine activities in high schools. Conference Papers -- American Society Of
Criminology, 1.
38
Lab, S. P., & Whitehead, J. T. (1994). Avoidance behavior as a response to in-school victimization. Journal of Security Administration, 17(2),
32-45.
39
Ringwalt, C. C., Messerschmidt, P. P., Graham, L. L., Collins, J. J., pg. 5
40
Randa, R., Drayer, A., & Lytle, D. (2008). Routine Activities of School Children: How Fear and Disorder Influence Avoidance of Specific
Places. Conference Papers -- American Society Of Criminology, 1.
41
Hutzell, K. (2009). The Impact of Bullying Behaviors on School Avoidance. Conference Papers -- American Society of Criminology, 1.

11

5. Fear
Questions
37a. How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you in the school building or on school property?
37b. How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you on a school bus or on the way to or from
school?
37c. Besides the times you are in the school building, on
school property, on a school bus, or going to or from
school, how often are you afraid that someone will
attack or harm you? 

Rationale
This section adds to the information in
Section 4, Avoidance, by asking how
often students fear attack or harm.
Students may not be able to avoid school
activities even though they may fear
attending42. Fear, like avoidance, harms
adolescents beyond the harm attributed to
the actual crimes experienced43. Fear
results in stress, which negatively affects
academic performance, can lead to
inappropriate psycho-social outcomes
such as acting out, and can impact future
orientation such as plans to complete
school.44,45

42
 Jenkins, Patricia H. (1997). School delinquency and the school social bond. Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency. Vol. 34 (3), 337367.
43
U.S. Department of Education. (2006). Indicators of School Crime & Safety: 2006.
44
Ades, L. (2007). Horror in the Halls: Examining Adolescent Fear, Avoidance, and Academic Difficulty. Conference Papers -- American
Sociological Association, 1.
45
Randa, R., Drayer, A., & Lytle, D., pg. 6.

12

6. Weapons
38.

Questions
Some people bring guns, knives, or objects
that can be used as weapons to school for
protection. During this school year, did
you ever bring the following to school or
onto school grounds:
a.
b.
c.

A gun?
A knife brought as a weapon?
Some other weapon? 
 
39a. Do you know of any other students who
have brought a gun to your school during
this school year?
39b. Have you actually seen another student
with a gun at school during this school
year?
 
40. During this school year, could you have
gotten a loaded gun without adult
permission, either at school or away from
school? 

Rationale
This section asks about experiences with
weapons in school. Bringing weapons to
school for personal protection is another
indicator of the extent of the perceived level
of violence in the school. Although a student
may not be directly threatened or harmed by
a weapon, knowing that weapons are on
campus can also lead to fear and avoidance
of school.46 Potential for violence escalates
when students carry weapons in school.
Negative academic and psycho-social
outcomes are correlated with fear of weapons
on campus. 47,48,49

7. Gangs
Questions
41a. Are there any gangs at your school?
41b. During this school year, how often have
gangs been involved in fights, attacks, or
other violence at your school?

Rationale
This part of the survey examines the extent of gang
activity in schools. Gangs are an indicator of
increased crime in schools50 and require separate
types of interventions to address from specific
incidences of crime and bullying.51

41c. Have gangs been involved in the sale of
drugs at your school during this school
year?

46
Mooij, Ton; Smeets, Ed; de Wit, Wouter. (2011). multi-level aspects of social cohesion of secondary schools and pupils' feelings of safety.
British Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol. 81(3)3.
47
Cao, L., Zhang, Y., & He, N. (2008). Carrying weapons to school for protection: An analysis of the 2001 school crime supplement data.
Journal Of Criminal Justice, 36(2), 154-164.
48
Noonan, M. (2005). Guns in schools: results from the 2003 School Crime Supplement. Conference Papers -- American Society of Criminology.
49
Hong, Jun; Eamon, Mary. (2012). Students' perceptions of unsafe schools: An ecological systems analysis. Journal of Child & Family Studies.
Vol. 21(3), p428-438.
50
Bradshaw, C., Waasdorp, T., Goldweber, A., Johnson, S. (2013) Bullies, Gangs, Drugs and School: Understanding the Overlap and the Role of
Ethnicity and Urbanicity. Journal of Youth & Adolescence. 42(2), pp 220-234.
51
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2010). Best Practices to Address Community Gang
Problems, OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model, Second edition (NCJ 231200) Washington, DC.

13

8. Student Characteristics
42.

Questions
During this school year, across all
subjects, have you gotten mostly: A’s,
B’s, C’s D’s F’s or school does not give
grades/no alphabetic grade equivalents.

43a. During the last 4 weeks of school, did
you skip any classes?
43b. During the last 4 weeks of school, on
how many days did you skip at least one
class?
44.

Rationale
These questions focus specifically on student
academic characteristics. Information about
demographic characteristics is included in the main
NCVS survey. These are indicators of academic
behavior and planning, which may be analyzed

with regard to the impact of student experiences
with school violence and bullying.52,53,54,55

Thinking about the future, do you think
you will:
a. Attend school after high school,
such as a college or technical
school?
b. Graduate from a 4-year college?

52

Wynne, S. L., & Hee-Jong, J. (2011). Predictors of school victimization: Individual, familial, and school factors. Crime & Delinquency, 57(3),
458-488.
53
Wynne, S., & Joo, H. (2007). Predicting School Victimization: A Multi-level Approach. Conference Papers -- American Society of
Criminology, 1.
54
Kuck, D., & Popp, A., pg. 2
55
DeVoe, J.,(2009) pg. 2

14

Attachment 6: 
Nonfederal publications citing data from the NCVS SCS 
 
 

 

Nonfederal Publications Citing Data from the NCVS SCS 
1991  
Pearson, F.S., and Toby, J. (1991). Fear of School‐Related Predatory Crime. Sociology and Social 
Research, 75(3): 117‐125.  
1992  
Collins, J.J., Messerschmidt, P.P., and Ringwalt, C.C. (1992). Relationship Between School Disruption and 
School Social Control Activities: Summary of Findings. U.S. Department of Justice. Washington DC: 
National Institute of Justice.  
Lab, S.P., and Whitehead, J.T. (1992). School Environment and School Crime: Causes and Consequences; 
Summary Report. U.S. Department of Justice. Washington DC: National Institute of Justice.  
Pearson, F.S., Toby, J.J., and Rutgers, U. (1992). Perceived and Actual Risks or School‐Related 
Victimization: Final Activities Report. U.S. Department of Justice. Washington DC: National Institute of 
Justice.  
Ringwalt, C., Messerschmidt, P., Graham, L., and Collins, J. (1992). Youth’s Victimization Experiences, 
Fear of Attack or Harm, and School Avoidance Behaviors: Summary of Findings. U.S. Department of 
Justice. Washington DC: National Institute of Justice.  
1993  
Smith, B.E., and Elstein, S.G. (1993). Effective Ways to Reduce School Victimization: Practical and Legal 
Concerns. Children’s Legal Rights Journal, 14(1‐2): 22‐38.  
1994  
Furlong, M.M. (1994). Evaluating School Violence Trends. School Safety, 23‐27. Lab, S., and Whitehead, J. 
(1994, December). Avoidance Behavior as a Response to In‐School Victimization. Journal of Security 
Administration, 17(2): 32‐45.  
1998  
Kingery, P., Coggeshall, M., and Alford, A. (1998). Violence at School: Recent Evidence From Four 
National Surveys. Psychology in the Schools, 35(3): 247‐258.  
1999  
Mayer, M.J., and Leone, P.E. (1999). A Structural Analysis of School Violence and Disruption: Implications 
for Creating Safer Schools. Education & Treatment of Children, 22(3): 333‐56.  
2002  
Addington, L.A. (2002). The Columbine Effect: The Impact of Violent School Crime on Students’ Fear of 
Victimization. Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New York at Albany, United States—New York. 
Retrieved August 11, 2008, from Dissertations and Theses: Full Text database. (Publication No. AAT 
3052923).  

Van Dorn, R. (2002). Unrecognized Warning Signs. Education Week, 22(11): 41‐41.  
2003  
Addington, L.A. (2003). Fear After Columbine: Findings From a Randomized Experiment. Journal of 
Quantitative Criminology, 19(4): 367‐387.  
Planty, M. (2003, August). Telescoping Events in Student Surveys on Victimization. Paper presented at 
the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Sheraton Music City, 
Nashville, Tennessee.  
Scott, L., and Ruddy, S. (2003, August). How Students Identify Gangs at School: An Analysis of Multiple 
Gang Identification Questions in the 1995 SCS/NCVS. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the 
American Association for Public Opinion Research, Sheraton Music City, Nashville, Tennessee.  
2004  
Van Dorn, R.A. (2004). Correlates of Violent and Nonviolent Victimization in a Sample of Public High 
School Students. Violence and Victims, 19(3): 303‐320.  
2005  
Addington, L.A. (2005). Disentangling the Effects of Bounding and Mobility on Reports of Criminal 
Victimization. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 21(3): 321‐343.  
Addington, L.A. (2005). Following in Her Footsteps: Revisiting the Record on Adolescents’ College Plans. 
Gender Issues, 22(2): 31‐44.  
DeVoe, J. F., Peter, K., Kaufman, P., Miller, A., Noonan, M., Snyder, T. D. et al. (2005). Indicators of 
school crime and safety: 2004. Education Statistics Quarterly, 6.  
Greene, M.B. (2005). Reducing Violence and Aggression in Schools. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 6(3): 
236‐253.  
Kuck, D., and Popp, A. (2005). Characteristics of Students and Schools as Predictors of Being a Victim of 
Bullying: An Opportunity Theory Analysis. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society 
of Criminology, Royal York, Toronto.  
Noonan, M. (2005). Guns in Schools: Results From the 2003 School Crime Supplement. Paper presented at 
the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Royal York, Toronto.  
2006  
Adams, Jacqueline (2006). What makes a bully tick? Scientists search for answers. Science 
World, 63, 10.  
Amherst, P. W. (2006). School crime and safety. New York: Novinka Books.  
Moore‐Polanco, R., and Raghavan, C. (2006). The Association of Social Development/Age on Juvenile 
Fear of Crime Levels in New York City Public Schools. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the 
American Society of Criminology (ASC), Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California.  

Myers, K. A. (2006). School violence and its effects on academic achievement among eighth graders 
[Dissertation].  
2007  
Ades, L. (2007, August). Horror in the Halls: Examining Adolescent Fear, Avoidance, and Academic 
Difficulty. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, TBA, New 
York, New York City.  
Randa, R. (2007, November). The Impact of Incivilities on Fear and Routine Activities in High Schools. 
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American society of Criminology, Atlanta Marriott 
Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia.  
Watkins, A., and Maume, M. (2007, November). We Don’t Need No Notification: The Underreporting of 
Victimization by Students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American society of Criminology, 
Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia.  
Wynne, S., and Joo, H. (2007, November). Predicting School Victimization: A Multi‐Level Approach. 
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American society of Criminology, Atlanta Marriott 
Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia.  
2008  
Cao, L., Zhang, Y., and He, N. (2008). Carrying Weapons to School for Protection: An Analysis of the 2001 
School Crime Supplement Data. Journal of Criminal Justice, 36(2): 154‐164.  
Elliott, E., and Rayne, K. (2008, November). Victimization Rates and Drug Use Among High School and 
College Students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, St. Louis Adam’s 
Mark, St. Louis, Missouri.  
Popp, A. (2008, November). The Importance of Confidentiality and Anonymity for Victimization Surveys of 
Adolescents. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, St. Louis Adam’s Mark, 
St. Louis, Missouri.  
Randa, R., Drayer, A., and Lytle, D. (2008). Routine Activities of School Children: How Fear and Disorder 
Influence Avoidance of Specific Places. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual 
Meeting, St. Louis Adam’s Mark, St. Louis, Missouri.  
Toldson, I. A. (2008). Breaking barriers plotting the path to academic success for school‐age 
African‐American males. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. Available 
from http://www.cbcfinc.org/images/pdf/breaking_barriers.pdf.  
Urbanski, J. (2008). The relationship between school connectedness and bullying victimization in 
secondary students [Dissertation].  
2009  
Addington, L. A. (2009). Cops and cameras. Public school security as a policy response to Columbine. 
American Behavioral Scientist, 52, 1426‐1446.  

Clay‐Warner, J., Bunch, J., and James, K. (2009, November). Procedural Justice and School Crime. Paper 
presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  
DeVoe, J. (2009, November). Social Bonding and School Victimization: The Ties That Bind. Paper 
presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  
DeVoe, J. F. & Kaffenberger, S. (2009). Student reports of bullying: Results from the 2001 School 
Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. In D.N.Rickler (Ed.), Bullying in 
schools (pp. 43‐97). New York: Nova Science Publishers.  
Hutzell, K. (2009). The Impact of Bullying Behaviors on School Avoidance. Paper presented at the annual 
meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  
Noe, K., and Petras, H. (2009). Peer Victimization in Middle and High School: An Application of Latent Class 
Analysis. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, Philadelphia Marriott 
Downtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  
Randa, R. W. (2009). The impact of disorder and fear on the routine activities of high school 
students [Dissertation].  
Toldson, I. A. (2009). Editor's comment: Improving security and creating a culture of learning in 
schools. The Journal of Negro Education, 78, 365‐366.  
2010  
Cook, P. J., Gottfredson, D. C., & Na, C. (2010). School crime control and prevention. Crime and 
Justice, 39, 313‐440.  
Hutzell, K. L. (2010). The impact of bullying behaviors on social and situational avoidance in 
schools [Dissertation].  
Mayer, J.M. (2010). Structural Analysis of 1995‐2005 School Crime Supplement Datasets: Factors 
Influencing Students’ Fear, Anxiety, and Avoidant Behaviors. Journal of School Violence, 9(1): 37‐55.  
Mayer, M. J. & Furlong, M. J. (2010). How safe are our schools? Educational Researcher, 39, 16 
26.  
Randa, R. & Wilcox, P. (2010). School disorder, victimization, and general v. place‐specific 
student avoidance. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38, 854‐861.  
2011  
Addington, L. A. & Yablon, Y. B. (2011). A cross‐national examination of fear in disadvantaged 
schools: U.S. and Israeli‐Arab student experiences. Victims & Offenders, 6, 325‐340.  
Addington, L. A. & Yablon, Y. B. (2011). How safe do students feel at school and while traveling to 
school? A comparative look at Israel and the United States. American Journal of Education, 117, 
465‐493.  

Bachman, R., Randolph, A., and Brown, B.L. (2011). Predicting Perceptions of Fear at School and Going To 
and From School for African American and White Students: The Effects of School Security Measures. 
Youth & Society, 43(2): 705‐726.  
Bagwell, K. (2011). Students Use Cellphones More Than Computers to Cyberbully. Education Daily, 
44(189): 2.  
Blosnich, J., and Bossarte, R. (2011). Low‐Level Violence in Schools: Is There an Association Between 
School Safety Measures and Peer Victimization? Journal of School Health, 81(2): 107‐113.  
Bohn, C. M. (2011). Predicting bullying among high school students using individual and school factors: 
Analysis of a national survey [Dissertation].  
Rivera, L. K. (2011). Bullying of sexual minorities: How does multiple minority status affect the likelihood of 
being victimized [Dissertation].  
Toldson, I. A. (2011). Breaking barriers 2: Plotting the path away from juvenile detention and toward 
academic success for school‐age African American males. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Black Caucus 
Foundation, Inc. Available from http://cbcfinc.org/oUploadedFiles/BreakingBarriers2.pdf.  
Watkins, A.M., and Maume, M.O. (2011). School Victims and Crime Reporting. Youth Violence & Juvenile 
Justice, 9(4): 333‐351.  
Wynne, S.L.,  and Joo, H.  (2011). Predictors of School Victimization: Individual, Familial, and School 
Factors. Crime & Delinquency, 57(3): 458‐488.  
2012  
Barrett, K. L., Jennings, W. G., & Lynch, M. J. (2012). The Relation between Youth Fear and Avoidance of 
Crime in School and Academic Experiences. Journal of School Violence, 11(1), 1‐20.  
Bouchard,  M.,  Wang,  W.,  &  Beauregard,  E.  (2012).  Social  capital,  opportunity,  and  school‐based 
victimization. Violence and Victims, 27(5), 656‐673.  
Clark, S. L. (2012). Factors related to school violence victimization: The role of extracurricular activities 
[Dissertation].  
Hutzell, K.L., and Payne, A.A. (2012). The impact of bullying victimization on school avoidance. Youth 
Violence & Juvenile Justice, 10(4), 370‐385.  
Oblad,  T.  P.  (2012).  Understanding  cyberbullying  in  the  net  generation:  A  meta‐analytic  review 
[Dissertation].  
Popp, A. M. (2012). The difficulty in measuring suitable targets when modeling victimization. Violence 
and Victims, 27, 689‐709.  
Popp, A. M. (2012). The effects of exposure, proximity, and capable guardians on the risk of bullying 
victimization. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 10, 315‐332.  
 

 
 
Randa, W. & Wilcox, P. (2012). Avoidance at school: Further specifying the influence of disorder, 
victimization, and fear. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 10, 190‐204. 
 
Voelkl, K. E. (2012). School identification. In S.L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of 
Research on Student Engagement (pp. 193‐218). New York: Springer.  

 
2013 
Addington, L. (2013). Reporting and clearance of cyberbullying incidents: Applying ‘offline’ theories to 
online victims. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 29(4), 454‐474.  
Jeong, S., Kwak, D., Moon, B., & San Miguel, C. (2013). Predicting school bullying victimization: Focusing 
on individual and school environmental/security factors. Journal of Criminology, vol. 2013, Article ID 
401301, 13 pages. 
 
2014  
Cooc, N., & Gee, K. (2014). National trends in school victimization among Asian American adolescents. 
Journal Of Adolescence, 37(6), 839‐849. 
Randa, R., & Reyns, B. W. (2014). Cyberbullying victimization and adaptive avoidance behaviors at school. 
Victims and Offenders. 9, (3), 255‐275. 
 
2015 
Barboza, G. E. (2015). The association between school exclusion, delinquency and subtypes of cyber‐ and 
F2F‐victimizations: Identifying and predicting risk profiles and subtypes using latent class analysis. Child 
Abuse & Neglect, 39, 109‐122. 
Earl, Kevin J. (2015). Diagnosis of Cyber and Nonphysical Bullying Victimization: A Routine Activities 
Approach to Constructing Effective Preventive Measures. Thesis, Bridgewater State University 
 
James, K., Clay‐Warner, J., & Bunch, J. (2015). Perceived injustice and school violence: An application of 
General Strain Theory. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 13, (2), 169‐189.  
 
PROFILES: Bully Prospects. (2015). American School & University, 87(10), 34.  
 
Randa, R., Nobles, M.R., & Reyns, B.W. (2015). Is Cyberbullying a Stand Alone Construct? Using 
Quantitative Analysis to Evaluate a 21st Century Social Question. Societies 5, 171‐186. 
 
Watkins, Nichole J. (2015). Situation Crime Prevention in Schools: Implications for Victimization, 
Delinquency, and Aviodance Behaviors. Thesis, George Mason University. 
 
2016 
Fisher, B. W., & Tanner‐Smith, E. E. (2016). Examining school security measures as moderators of the 
association between homophobic victimization and school avoidance. Journal Of School Violence, 15(2), 
234‐257. 
Greenwood, Ian D. (2016). Cyber‐Victimization and Delinquency: A General Strain Perspective. Thesis, 
University of Montana 

 
Mindrila, D., Moore, L., & Davis, P. (2016) Cyber‐victimization and Its Psychosocial Consequences: 
Relationships with Behavior Management and Traditional Bullying. Journal of Research in Education. 25, 
(2), 53‐67. 
 
Tanner‐Smith, E., & Fisher, B. (2016). Visible school security measures and student academic performance, 
attendance, and postsecondary aspirations. Journal Of Youth & Adolescence, 45(1), 195‐210. 
 
 

Attachment 7: 
Incoming introductory letter from Census (NCVS‐572(L)) 
 
 
 

 

NCVS-572(L) PHILADELPHIA
(1-2016)

DC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

FROM THE DIRECTOR
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting a survey for the U.S. Department of Justice to obtain
information on the type and amount of crime committed against households and individuals
throughout the country. A Census Bureau representative will be contacting you soon. Our
representative will show an official identification card and ask for some important information
on this subject from you and your household.
The information you provide our representative will help inform the country about how much
crime there is, where it occurs, when it occurs, what crime costs victims, and which segments
of the population are most frequently victimized. Since many crimes are never reported to the
police, information from this survey will show a more complete picture of the amount and types
of crime occurring in the United States. The survey results are used in many ways, including
by citizens to evaluate their vulnerabilities, by legislators and policymakers to develop
programs to aid crime victims and prevent crime, and by researchers to understand various
aspects of crime victimization.
Your address is part of a scientifically selected sample of addresses chosen throughout the
country for participation in this survey. Because this is a sample survey, your answers
represent not only you and your household, but also hundreds of other households like yours.
For this reason, your voluntary cooperation is very important. I hope you will answer all the
survey questions as completely and accurately as possible. Although there are no penalties for
failure to answer any question, each unanswered question substantially lessens the accuracy
of the final data. Your answers will be used only to prepare statistical summaries, and no
information about your household or you as an individual can be identified from these
statistics. The law completely protects your confidential answers from disclosure.
Answers to the most frequently asked survey questions are on the reverse side of this letter.
If you would like further information, contact the Census Bureau by writing or calling the
following office:
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
US CENSUS BUREAU
100 S INDEPENDENCE MALL W #410
PHILADELPHIA PA 19106-2320
Telephone: 1–800–262–4236
Thank you for your cooperation. The Census Bureau appreciates your help.
Sincerely,

John H. Thompson
Director

census.gov

What is the National Crime Victimization Survey all about?
This survey, called the National Crime Victimization Survey, collects data measuring the types
and amount of crime involving people age 12 or older. Periodically, the survey includes such
additional topics as crime in schools, contacts with law enforcement, and identity theft.
How was I selected for this survey?
Actually, we selected your living quarters, not you personally for this survey. We scientifically
selected a sample of addresses across the country to represent the entire population. At each
selected address, we interview household members age 12 or older. If your household should
move away while your address is still in the survey, we would interview the new family that
moves in.
Will information I provide be confidential?
We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.),
Section 8. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information about you and your
household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Also,
Title 42, U.S.C., Section 3732, authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of
Justice, to collect information using this survey. Title 42, U.S.C., Sections 3789g and 3735, also
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential.
(OMB Number: 1121-0111; Expiration Date: 08/31/2018.)
Do I have to participate?
The survey is voluntary, and there are no penalties for not participating. We expect the interview
to take about 25 minutes. Your interview may be somewhat shorter or longer than this
depending on your circumstances. If you have any comments about this survey or have
recommendations for reducing its length, send them to the Chief, Victimization Statistics Branch,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC 20531.
How are the data used?
Data from this survey are used to provide information on many topics related to crime and
victimization, including crime in schools, trends in violent crime, costs of crime, and the response
of law enforcement to reports of victimization. To see examples of reports, tables, and charts
that use data from the survey, you can visit the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Web site at
.
I thought that the Census Bureau only operated every 10 years, when they
counted people. What is the Census Bureau doing now?
In addition to the decennial census, which is conducted every 10 years, the Census Bureau
collects many different types of statistics. We conduct other censuses required by law on a
regular basis, including the censuses of business and manufacturers and the census of state
and local governments. Additionally, we collect data on a monthly basis to provide current
information on such topics as labor force participation, retail and wholesale trade, various
manufacturing activities, and trade statistics, as well as yearly surveys of business,
manufacturing and governments, family income, and education.

NCVS-572(L)

Attachment 8: 
Continuing household introductory letter from Census (NCVS‐573(L)) 
 
 

 

NCVS-573(L) PHILADELPHIA
(1-2016)

DC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

FROM THE DIRECTOR
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Several months ago, a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau contacted residents at your
address in connection with the National Crime Victimization Survey, which the Census Bureau
is conducting for the U.S. Department of Justice. The survey now calls for us to interview at
your address again. Our representative needs to update the characteristics and experiences of
the current residents of this address, whether we talked with you before or whether you moved
to this address since our last interview.
This survey collects important information on the extent to which individuals in this country are
victims of crime. The survey results are used in many ways, including by citizens to evaluate
their vulnerabilities, by legislators and policymakers to develop programs to aid crime victims
and prevent crime, and by researchers to understand various aspects of crime victimization.
A Census Bureau representative from our field office will contact you shortly to ask you and
other members of your household some questions on this subject. We conduct this survey
under the authority of Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 8. Section 9 of this law
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential. We may
use this information only for statistical purposes. Also, Title 42, U.S.C., Section 3732, authorizes
the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, to collect information using this
survey. Title 42, U.S.C., Sections 3789g and 3735, also requires us to keep all information
about you and your household strictly confidential.
Because this is a sample survey, your answers represent not only you and your household, but
also hundreds of other households like yours. For this reason, your participation in this voluntary
survey is extremely important to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the final results.
Although there are no penalties for failure to answer any question, each unanswered question
substantially lessens the accuracy of the final data.
Answers to the most frequently asked survey questions are on the reverse side of this letter.
If you would like further information, contact the Census Bureau by writing or calling the
following office:
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
US CENSUS BUREAU
100 S INDEPENDENCE MALL W #410
PHILADELPHIA PA 19106-2320
Telephone: 1–800–262–4236
Thank you for your cooperation. The Census Bureau appreciates your help.
Sincerely,

John H. Thompson
Director

census.gov

What is the National Crime Victimization Survey all about?
This survey, called the National Crime Victimization Survey, collects data measuring the types
and amount of crime involving people age 12 or older. Periodically, the survey includes such
additional topics as crime in schools, contacts with law enforcement, and identity theft.
How was I selected for this survey?
Actually, we selected your living quarters, not you personally for this survey. We scientifically
selected a sample of addresses across the country to represent the entire population. At each
selected address, we interview household members age 12 or older. If your household should
move away while your address is still in the survey, we would interview the new family that
moves in.
Will information I provide be confidential?
We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.),
Section 8. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information about you and your
household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Also,
Title 42, U.S.C., Section 3732, authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of
Justice, to collect information using this survey. Title 42, U.S.C., Sections 3789g and 3735, also
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential.
(OMB Number: 1121-0111; Expiration Date: 08/31/2018.)
Do I have to participate?
The survey is voluntary, and there are no penalties for not participating. We expect the interview
to take about 25 minutes. Your interview may be somewhat shorter or longer than this
depending on your circumstances. If you have any comments about this survey or have
recommendations for reducing its length, send them to the Chief, Victimization Statistics Branch,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC 20531.
How are the data used?
Data from this survey are used to provide information on many topics related to crime and
victimization, including crime in schools, trends in violent crime, costs of crime, and the response
of law enforcement to reports of victimization. To see examples of reports, tables, and charts
that use data from the survey, you can visit the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Web site at
.
I thought that the Census Bureau only operated every 10 years, when they
counted people. What is the Census Bureau doing now?
In addition to the decennial census, which is conducted every 10 years, the Census Bureau
collects many different types of statistics. We conduct other censuses required by law on a
regular basis, including the censuses of business and manufacturers and the census of state
and local governments. Additionally, we collect data on a monthly basis to provide current
information on such topics as labor force participation, retail and wholesale trade, various
manufacturing activities, and trade statistics, as well as yearly surveys of business,
manufacturing and governments, family income, and education.

NCVS-573(L)

Attachment 9: 
SCS brochure for parents in English 
 
 

 

Some findings from the 2013 SCS
include:
•	 About 22 percent of students ages 12–18
reported that they were bullied at school.
•	 About 7 percent of students ages 12–18
reported being cyber-bullied anywhere.
•	 The percentage of students bullied at
school who reported notifying an adult
(39 percent) was higher than the percentage
of students cyber-bullied anywhere who
reported notifying an adult (23 percent).
•	 About 33 percent of students who reported
bullying problems at school indicated that this
occurred at least once or twice a month.
•	 About 12 percent of students reported that
gangs were present at their school.
•	 About 3 percent of students ages 12–18
reported that they were victims of any crime
at school.
•	 About 2 percent of students ages 12–18
reported that they were victims of theft
at school.

Your
Child’s
Child’s
Experiences
at School
National Center for Education Statistics
Institute of Education Sciences
550 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20202
nces.ed.gov
202-403-5551

Publications
The NCES publishes a wide variety of reports on
crime and safety in schools, including the Crime,
Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public
Schools and Indicators of School Crime and
Safety. To learn more about these reports or the
SCS, please visit http:/nces.ed.gov/programs/crime.

Resources
•	 www.StopBullying.gov
•	 Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
•	 Child Help USA National Child
Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
•	 www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crimevictims/

The School Crime Supplement
(SCS) to the
National Crime Victimization
Survey for Students in
Grades 6 Through 12
Coming soon:
Your child will be contacted to complete the
survey between January and June 2017.

NCES 2016-132
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The School Crime Supplement (SCS) is a national survey that asks students in
grades 6 through 12 about experiences they had in school.
What is the purpose of this survey?

Who sponsors this survey?

The survey will collect information about
school-related crimes on a national level,
including crime and safety in schools and how
it affects students.

The National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
sponsor the SCS. The U.S. Census Bureau
collects data for the SCS.

Why is my child being asked to
complete this survey?

How often is this survey conducted?

Your household is one of the more than
50,000 households selected to participate
in the National Crime Victimization Survey
(NCVS). All students in grades 6 through 12 in
households selected for the NCVS are asked to
complete the 2017 School Crime Supplement
(SCS). Your child’s responses will represent the
opinions and experiences of hundreds of other
students who were not selected for the SCS.

What is the benefit of my child
answering the survey?
Your child’s answers will provide valuable
information that contributes to making schools
safer around the country. It will help people
make decisions about how to prevent and
reduce crime in schools.

The SCS is conducted every two years with the
NCVS. Your child is being asked to participate
in the 2017 SCS.

What will you ask my child?

Will anyone find out what my child’s
answers are?
No, your child’s answers to the survey are
confidential. Information about specific
individuals will not be revealed and the SCS
findings are released ONLY as statistical
summaries. Names will never be associated
with answers. Only Census Bureau employees
sworn to preserve this confidentiality may
see the completed questionnaires, and
respondents’ confidentiality is assured.

We will ask your child questions about his or
her school, including:

Does my child have to complete this
survey?

•	 perceptions of practices that the school uses
to prevent school-related crimes;
•	 perceptions of rules and equity at school;
•	 the availability of drugs, alcohol, and
weapons at school;
•	 the presence of gangs at school;
•	 whether he or she has been victimized at
school or bullied; and
•	 participation in extracurricular activities.

No, this survey is voluntary. There are no
penalties for not participating, but we hope
that your child will respond. Your child’s
responses will represent the opinions and
experiences of hundreds of other students who
were not selected for the SCS.

Who uses the information from
this survey?
The U.S. Department of Education and the
U.S. Department of Justice use information
from the SCS to help develop the Indicators of
School Crime and Safety. People who use this
information include legislators; policymakers;
academic researchers; and practitioners at the
federal, state, and local government levels.

Attachment 10: 
SCS brochure for students in English 
 
 

 

Publications
The NCES publishes a wide variety of
reports on crime in schools, including
Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety
in U.S. Public Schools and Indicators of
School Crime and Safety. To learn more
about these reports or the SCS, please
visit http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime.

Useful Information
•	

www.StopBullying.gov

•	

Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

•	

Child Help USA National Child
Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

•	

www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crimevictims/

The School Crime
Supplement (SCS) to the
National Crime Victimization
Survey for Students in
Grades 6 Through 12

National Center for Education Statistics
Institute of Education Sciences
550 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20202
nces.ed.gov
202-403-5551

NCES 2016-134
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The School Crime
Supplement (SCS) is a
national survey that asks
students in grades 6 through
12 about experiences they
have in school.

Do I have to
take the survey?
No, the survey is voluntary
and there are no penalties
for not participating, but we
hope that you will respond.

Why are my
answers to the
survey important?
Your answers will help school
administrators and others
interested in school crime make
important decisions about how
to keep schools safe.

What will the
survey ask me?
We will ask you about fighting, bullying,
weapons, drugs, and gangs at your
school, among other things.

Why am I being asked to
complete this survey?
Your household was one of more than 50,000
households selected to participate in the National Crime
Victimization Survey. We’re asking all students in grades
6 through 12 in those households to complete the SCS.
We will collect data about crime in schools and how it
affects students.

Will anyone find out
what my answers are?
Your answers will not be
shared with your parents,
teacher, or school. Your name
will not appear in any report.

Stay tuned!
You will be contacted to complete the survey between January and June 2017.

Attachment 11: 
SCS brochure for parents in Spanish 
 
 

 

Estas son algunas de los resultados del
SCS del 2013:
•	 Alrededor del 22% de los estudiantes entre las
edades de 12 y 18 años informaron haber sido
objeto de acoso escolar (“bullying”).
•	 Alrededor del 7% de los estudiantes entre las
edades de 12 y 18 años informaron haber sido
objeto de acoso a través de Internet dentro o
fuera de la escuela.
•	 El porcentaje de estudiantes víctimas del acoso
escolar en la escuela que informaron que se lo
habían contado a un adulto (39%) fue superior
al porcentaje de estudiantes víctimas de acoso
a través de Internet dentro o fuera de la escuela
que informaron que se lo habían contado a un
adulto (23%).
•	 Alrededor del 33% de los estudiantes que
informaron sobre problemas de acoso en la
escuela indicaron que estos ocurrían al menos
una o dos veces al mes.
•	 Alrededor del 12% de los estudiantes indicaron
la presencia de pandillas en su escuela.
•	 Alrededor del 3% de los estudiantes entre las
edades de 12 y 18 años informaron que fueron
víctimas de algún delito en la escuela.
•	 Alrededor del 2% de los estudiantes entre las
edades de 12 y 18 años informaron que fueron
víctimas de robos en la escuela.

Publicaciones
El NCES publica una amplia variedad de informes
sobre criminalidad y seguridad en las escuelas,
entre los que se encuentran Delitos, violencia,
disciplina y seguridad en las escuelas públicas en
los Estados Unidos e Indicadores de criminalidad
y seguridad en las escuelas. Para conocer más
acerca de estos informes o sobre el SCS, visite
http:/nces.ed.gov/programs/crime.

Recursos
•	 espanol.stopbullying.gov/
•	 Red de Prevención del Suicidio
(Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
1-888-628-9454
•	 Línea Directa Nacional de ChildHelp USA
para casos de maltrato infantile
(ChildHelp USA National Child Abuse
Hotline) 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
•	 www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crimevictims/

Child’s
Experiencias
de su hijo
en la escuela

El Centro Nacional para Estadísticas
de la Educación
Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación
550 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20202
nces.ed.gov
202-403-5551

Suplemento sobre Delitos Escolares
de la Encuesta Nacional de Víctimas de
Delitos para los estudiantes
de 6.º a 12.º grado

Próximamente:
Su hijo recibirá la invitación para completar la
encuesta entre enero y junio del 2017.

NCES 2016-133
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

El Suplemento sobre Delitos Escolares (School Crime Supplement, SCS)
es una encuesta nacional en la que se les pregunta a estudiantes de 6.º a 12.º
grado sobre sus experiencias en la escuela.
¿Cuál es el propósito de esta
encuesta?
La encuesta recopilará información a nivel
nacional sobre los delitos en las escuelas,
incluyendo la criminalidad y la seguridad en las
escuelas, y cómo estas afectan a los estudiantes.

¿Por qué se le pide a mi hijo que
conteste esta encuesta?
Su hogar es uno de los más de 50,000 hogares
seleccionados para participar en la Encuesta
Nacional de Víctimas de Delitos (National
Crime Victimization Survey, NCVS). A todos
los estudiantes de los grados entre 6 y 12
provenientes de hogares seleccionados para la
NCVS se les pedirá que llenen el Suplemento
sobre Delitos Escolares de 2017 (SCS). Las
respuestas de su hijo representarán las opiniones
y las experiencias de cientos de estudiantes que
no fueron seleccionados para el SCS.

¿Cuál será el beneficio si mi hijo
contesta la encuesta?
Las respuestas de su hijo aportarán información
valiosa que contribuirá a hacer que las
escuelas sean más seguras en todo el país.
Esa información ayudará a las personas
tomar decisiones para prevenir y reducir la
criminalidad en las escuelas.

¿Quién auspicia esta encuesta?
El Centro Nacional para Estadísticas de la
Educación (NCES) y la Oficina de Estadísticas
de Justicia (BJS) auspician el SCS. La Oficina del
Censo de los EE. UU. recopila datos para el SCS.

¿Con qué frecuencia se realiza esta
encuesta?
El SCS se realiza cada dos años al mismo tiempo
que la NCVS. A su hijo se le pedirá que conteste
el SCS del 2017.

¿Qué tipo de preguntas le harán a
mi hijo?

¿Sabrá alguien cuáles son las
respuestas de mi hijo?
No, las respuestas a la encuesta que su hijo
proporciona son confidenciales. No se revelarán
los datos de los participantes individuales y los
resultados del SCS se publicarán ÚNICAMENTE
en forma de resúmenes estadísticos. En ningún
momento se asociarán los nombres con las
respuestas. Solo los empleados de la Oficina
del Censo que han prestado juramento de
proteger esta confidencialidad podrán ver los
cuestionarios completados y se garantizará la
confidencialidad del encuestado.

Se le harán preguntas sobre su escuela, incluso
aspectos tales como:

¿Está mi hijo obligado a completar
la encuesta?

•	 sus percepciones sobre lo que hace su
escuela para prevenir delitos escolares;
•	 sus percepciones sobre las reglas y la
equidad en la escuela;
•	 la disponibilidad de drogas, alcohol y armas
en la escuela;
•	 la presencia de pandillas en la escuela;
•	 si ha sido víctima de un delito o de acoso
escolar y
•	 su participación en actividades
extracurriculares.

No, esta encuesta es voluntaria. No se aplicará
ninguna sanción por no participar en ella, pero
esperamos que su hijo la complete.

¿Quién usa la información que se
recopila con esta encuesta?
El Departamento de Educación y el
Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos
la usan para ayudar a producir los Indicadores
de criminalidad y seguridad en las escuelas.
Entre las personas que usan esta información
se encuentran legisladores responsables de
formular políticas, investigadores académicos y
profesionales a nivel federal, estatal y local.

Attachment 12: 
SCS brochure for students in Spanish 
 

 

Publicaciones
El NCES publica una amplia variedad
de informes sobre los delitos escolares
entre los que se encuentran Delitos,
violencia, disciplina y seguridad en las
escuelas públicas en los Estados Unidos e
Indicadores de criminalidad y seguridad en
las escuelas. Para conocer más acerca
de estos informes o sobre el SCS, visita
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime.

Información útil
•	

espanol.stopbullying.gov/

•	

Red de Prevención del Suicidio
(Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
1-888-628-9454)

•	

Línea Directa Nacional de ChildHelp
USA para casos de maltrato infantil
(ChildHelp USA National Child
Abuse Hotline) 1-800-4-A-CHILD
(1-800-422-4453)

•	

www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crimevictims/

Cuéntanos
tus

experiencias
en la

escuela
Suplemento sobre Delitos
Escolares de la Encuesta
Nacional de Víctimas de
Delitos para los estudiantes
de 6.º a 12.º grado

El Centro Nacional para Estadísticas de la Educación
Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación
550 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20202
nces.ed.gov
202-403-5551

NCES 2016-135
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

El Suplemento sobre Delitos
Escolares (School Crime
Supplement, SCS) es una
encuesta nacional en la que
se les pregunta a estudiantes
de 6.º a 12.º grado sobre sus
experiencias en la escuela.

¿Estoy obligada
a contestar
la encuesta?
No, la encuesta es voluntaria y
no se aplicará ninguna sanción
por no participar en ella, pero
esperamos que la contestes.

¿Por qué son
importantes mis
respuestas a esta
encuesta?
Sus respuestas ayudarán a los
administradores escolares y a otras
personas interesadas en el tema de los
delitos escolares a tomar decisiones
importantes para hacer que las escuelas
sean lugares seguros.

¿Qué preguntas me
harán en la encuesta?
Las preguntas serán sobre las peleas, el
acoso escolar (”bullying”), las armas, las
drogas y las pandillas en tu escuela, entre
otras cosas.

¿Por qué me están
pidiendo a mí que
complete esta encuesta?
Tu hogar fue uno de los más de 50,000 hogares
seleccionados para participar en la Encuesta Nacional de
Víctimas de Delitos (National Crime Victimization Survey).
Estamos pidiendo a todos los estudiantes de los grados
entre 6 y 12 de esos hogares que contesten el SCS. Vamos
a recopilar datos sobre los delitos en las escuelas y cómo
afectan a los estudiantes.

¿Sabrá alguien cuáles
son mis respuestas?
Tus respuestas no se compartirán
con tus padres, con tu maestro o
maestra ni con la escuela. Tu
nombre no aparecerá en ningún
informe.

¡No lo olvides!
Entre enero y junio del 2017, se comunicarán contigo para que respondas a la encuesta.

Attachment 13: 
Nonresponse Bias Report for the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization 
Survey 
 
 

 

Attachment 14: 
2017 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement Cognitive Pretesting Protocols 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
COGNITIVE	PRETESTING	OF	THE	
SCHOOL	CRIME	SUPPLEMENT	TO	THE	
NATIONAL	CRIME	VICTIMIZATION	SURVEY	

PROTOCOLS

2017 SCS to the NCVS
Round 1 Cognitive Interview Protocol

5/9/2016
2

Cognitive Testing of NCVS SCS
PARTICIPANT ID #: _________________________

DATE: ____ / ____ / 2016

INTERVIEWER’S NAME:_________________________________________________
START TIME: ______: ______

AM / PM

Hello, my name is ______ and I work for the Census Bureau. It’s nice to meet you and thank you very much for helping us out
today.
IF NECESSARY, CREATE SMALL TALK TO BUILD RAPPORT WITH THE STUDENT BY ASKING A QUESTION, SUCH AS:
 What is your favorite subject in school? RESPOND ACCORDINGLY (e.g., if the student responds with “science,” ask them
what they are studying in their science class).
Section 1: (If applicable) Observers:
Before we get started let me mention that there are some observers watching the interview in another room. They are only
watching to get an idea of how the questions in the survey we are going to talk about are working.
Section 2: Information about today’s survey
Let me start by telling you a little bit about what we're doing here. The Census Bureau conducts many surveys in addition to the
head count every 10 years. Since so many agencies rely on data from the Census Bureau, it is extremely important that this
information be as accurate as possible.
In order to help us improve our surveys, we turn to people like you to find out if our questions make sense and are easy to
understand and answer. The survey we'll talk about today is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is
part of the U.S. Department of Education, who recently made some changes to their questionnaire. The research we’re doing
today will help us figure out if those changes are working for students like you, and it will help us improve the accuracy of our
data.
I'm going to go through the questionnaire like a real interview, but I'm mainly interested in your reactions to the questions. So
after we go through some of the questions, I'll stop and ask you some follow up questions about the survey questions you
answered. For example, I might reread a question from the survey, and ask you what certain words or phrases in the question
mean to you, or what you were thinking about when you were answering. There are no right or wrong answers, we just want to
know your thoughts and reactions to the questions to help us make them better so that other students like you can easily
understand them.
The things we will talk about in the interview today will only be used in our research to help us improve the survey. Your name
will not be attached to anything you say. Direct quotes may be used in research papers and professional presentations, but your
name and any names you might mention today will never be used in our reports and presentations. Your participation in this
study is completely voluntary. You can refuse to answer or skip over any particular questions. If at any time you decide you do
not want to go on, that is your choice and you may stop. Please feel free to ask me any questions at anytime. I may not be able
to answer every question you have, but I will try.

3

Section 3: Taping:
I'd like to ask for your permission to audio tape the session today. The main reason we tape these interviews is so that we don't
have to rely on notes or our memories later. This allows me to concentrate on what you're saying during the interview. What you
say on the tape may be used only for research purposes and cannot be told to anybody else not working on this project except
as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573).
Do you have any questions about the recording?
AFTER ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND GIVING FURTHER EXPLANATION, CONTINUE. IF THE PARTICIPANT IS NO
LONGER INETERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, THANK THE PARTICIPANT FOR HIS/HER TIME AND END THE INTERVIEW.

Section 4: Informed Consent
[If student is under 18]:
Your parent signed a form giving you permission to participate today. I am going to tell you about what was in that document.
The document that your parent signed explains the purpose of the study and how we will protect your information. In addition to
what I have just mentioned about never sharing your name or any names you say during the interview, I would like to draw your
attention to the fact that:
•
•
•
•

Your participation is voluntary and you may stop the interview at any time
You can refuse to answer any of the questions asked or take a break at any time
Your responses in this study may be used only for research purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, except as required by law. (20 U.S.C. § 9573)
As stated in the form, we would like to record this interview to assist in our ability to write a report summarizing the
interview.

[If student is 18]:
Before we start, I’m going to give you a written consent form.
HAND 1 COPY OF THE INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT TO THE PARTICIPANT
This document explains the purpose of the study and how we will protect your information. In addition to what I have just
mentioned about never sharing your name or any names you say during the interview, I would like to draw your attention to the
fact that:
•
•
•
•

Your participation is voluntary and you may stop the interview at any time
You can refuse to answer any of the questions asked or take a break at any time
Your responses in this study may be used only for research purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, except as required by law. (20 U.S.C. § 9573)
As stated in the form, we would like to record this interview to assist in our ability to write a report summarizing the
interview.

Thank you for signing the consent form. I will also sign this form to show that I agree to everything in the form. At the end of the
interview, I’ll be sure to give you a copy for you to take with you.
1. ASK PARTICIPANT IF (S)HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT FORM.
2. IF PARTICIPANT AGREES, OBTAIN THE RESPONDENT’S SIGNATURE TO PROCEED ON ONE COPY OF THE
FORM; INTERVIEWER SHOULD ALSO SIGN THE FORM AT THIS TIME.
3. MAKE SURE RESPONDENT TAKES ONE COPY WITH THEM WHEN THE INTERVIEW IS OVER AT THE END OF
THE INTERVIEW.

4

[All students]:
Are you comfortable with me recording this interview?
IF PARTICIPANT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION AUDIO-TAPED:
I’m going to turn on the recorder now, and once it is on, I’m going to ask for your permission to record today, and then we will get
started.
TURN ON TAPE RECORDER, ASK FOR PERMISSION TO RECORD ON THE TAPE, AND BEGIN THE INTERVIEW.
OK, let’s begin.
INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTIONS:
NOTE ANY CONFUSION OR DIFFICULTIES RESPONDENTS HAVE WITH THE QUESTIONS.
RETROSPECTIVE PROBING (R=respondent):
IF YOU NOTICED R HAVING COGNITIVE DIFFICULTY ANSWERING ANY OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ARE PROBING ON,
MAKE SURE TO PROBE ON R’S DIFFICULTY WITH THE QUESTION. GO THROUGH THE SURVEY WITHOUT PROBING
UNTIL YOU GET TO QUESTION 34. GO THROUGH THE RETROSPECTIVE PROBES WITH R. BE SURE TO PROBE ON
ANY OF THE RESPONDENT’S APPARENT DIFFICULTY OR HESITATION. AFTER ALL PROBES, CONTINUE THE SURVEY
AT QUESTION 35, FOLLOWED BY THE DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS.

5

NOTICE - We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Section 8. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information
about you and your household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Also, Title 42, Section 3732, United States Code,
authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice, to collect information using this survey. Title 42, Sections 3789g and 3735, United States Code also
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential.

ASK OF ALL PEOPLE AGES 12-18

FORM

SCS-1

Economics and Statistics Administration

We estimate that it will take from 5 to 15 minutes to complete this interview with 10 minutes
being the average time. If you have any comments regarding these estimates or any other
aspect of this survey, send them to the Associate Director for Finance and Administration,
Room 2027, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington DC 20233, or to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. According to
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no such persons are required to respond to a collection
of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.

U.S. Census Bureau
ACTING AS COLLECTING AGENCY FOR THE
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
TO THE NATIONAL CRIME
VICTIMIZATION SURVEY
2017

Control number
Survey Code PSU Frame Code Sample Designation/Suffix Sequence # HH # Time of
Interview

Line No.



Age

002 

003 

005

C. Type of SCS Interview
1
2
3
4
5

Name

D. Reason for SCS noninterview

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Complete an SCS-1 form for all
NCVS interviewed people ages 12-18. Do NOT complete an
SCS-1 form for Type Z noninterview people or for people in
Type A noninterview households.

004

QUESTIONNAIRE

B. Respondent

A. FR Code
001

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Personal - Self
Telephone – Self
Personal - Proxy
Telephone - Proxy
Noninterview – SKIP to ITEM D

2  Refused – Respondent refused
For themselves
3  Not available
4  NCVS completed in a
Language other than
English or Spanish
5  Unknown reason (Internal
category created for post data
collection processing)
6  Refused – Parent or other
Person refused for respondent

SKIP to END

E. SCREEN QUESTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENT
E_ATTENDSCHOOL

1a.

Did you attend school at any time this school year?
_________________________________________

E_HOMESCHOOL

1b.

During that time, were you ever homeschooled?
That is, did you receive ANY of that schooling at
home, rather than in a public or private school?
_________________________________________

092

1  Yes - SKIP to END
2  No
___________________________________________

Was all of your schooling this school year
homeschooling?
____________________________________________

007

E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

1d.

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q1d

____________________________________________

E_ALLHOMESCHOOL

1c.

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to END
_____________________________________________
006

185SCS 1  One school
2  Two schools
3  Three or more schools

How many different schools have you
attended this school year?
Include your homeschooling as one school.
(only asked if student answered “yes” to being
homeschooled)

6

E_WHATGRADE

2b.

008

What grade are you in?

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

E_WHATGRADEOTHER

Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Other - Specify

SKIP to INTRO_2

9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible - SKIP to END
INTRO_2

INTERVIEWER - Read introduction if R was homeschooled part of the year (Q1b = “Yes” and Q1c = “No”); ELSE skip to Q6
The following questions pertain only to your attendance at a public or private school and not to being homeschooled.
6.

Grades:

What grades are taught in your school?
Pre-K or Kindergarten

00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
30

020

 (lowest) F_GRADES_LOW
TO

021

H.S. Senior
Post-graduate
All ungraded
All Special Education

7

 (highest) F_GRADES_HIGH

 
 

10. The next questions are about security measures that
some schools take.

 
Yes

Does your school have:

No

F_SAFETY_POLICE

a. Security guards or assigned police officers?

F_SAFETY_ METAL_DETECTORS

c. Metal detectors, including wands?
(The definition for the term ‘metal detector’ is a device used to
check for weapons students might be trying to bring onto school
property. The metal detector may be in a form of a doorframe,
which you are asked to walk through. It may also be in the form
of a hand-held metal detector that looks like a wand or paddle,
which is moved around your body.)

F_SAFETY_DOORS_LOCKED

d. Locked entrance or exit doors during the day?

029
 

1

2

3 

030

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

Yes

No

Don’t know

167

1

2

3

156

1
2
3
4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A requirement that visitors sign in AND wear
visitor badges or stickers?

032

 

F_SAFETY_LOCKER_CHECKS

Locker checks?

033

F_SAFETY_STUDENT_ID

 

g. A requirement that students wear badges or
picture identification?

094
 

F_SAFETY_CAMERAS

 

h. One or more security cameras to monitor
the school?

095
 

F_SAFETY_CODE_OF_CONDUCT

i.

3 

031

F_SAFETY_SIGN_IN

f.

2

 

b. Other adults supervising the hallway, such as
teachers, administrators, or parent volunteers?

e.

1

028

F_SAFETY HALLSTAFF

 

A code of student conduct, that is, a set of
written rules or guidelines that the school
provides you?

096

F_REPORT

11.

If you hear about a threat to school or student safety,
do you have a way to report it without having to give
your name?

F_DISTRACTED

12.

Don’t know School does not
have lockers

In your classes, how often are you distracted from
doing your schoolwork because other students are
misbehaving, for example, talking or fighting?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

8

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

4 

13.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

F_RULES_FAIR

a.

The school rules are fair.

F_PUNISHMENT_SAME

b.

The punishment for breaking school rules is the
same no matter who you are.

F_RULES_ENFORCED

c.

The school rules are strictly enforced.
(Strictly enforced rules means that the school
consistently carries out disciplinary actions against
any students who break school rules.)

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Strongly
Disagree Disagree

035

1

2

3

4

036

1

2

3

4

037

1

2

3

4

038

1

2

3

4

127

1

2

3

4

F_PUNISHMENT_KNOWN

d. If a school rule is broken, students know what
kind of punishment will follow.

F_TEACHERS_RESPECT

e. Teachers treat students with respect.

14.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree
Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

There is a TEACHER or other ADULT at school who…

F_ADULT_REALLYCARES

a.

173SCS 1 

2

3

4

Listens to you when you have something to
say.

175SCS 1 

2

3

4

Tells you when you do a good job.

176SCS 1 

2

3

4

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Really cares about you.

F_ADULT_LISTENS

b.

F_ADULT_GOOD_JOB

c.
15.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree
Agree

There is a STUDENT at school who…

186SCS 1 

a.

Really cares about you.

187SCS 1 

b.

Listens to you when you have something to say.

188SCS 1 

c.

Believes that you will be a success.

F_STUDENT_REALLYCARES

2

3

4

2

3

4

2

3

4

F_STUDENT_LISTENS

F_STUDENT_SUCCESS

18.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

Strongly
Agree
Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

F_SAFE_IN_SCHOOL

You feel safe in your school
SCS_INTRO 3

189SCS 1 

2

3

4

Now I have some questions about things that happen at school. For this survey, “at school”
includes the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from
school. Your answers will not be given to anyone.

9

19.

The following question refers to the availability of
drugs and alcohol at your school.

Yes

No

040

1

2

041

1

2

159

1

2

209SCS

1

2

Is it possible for students at your school to get…
F_ ALCOHOL

a. Alcoholic beverages?
F_MARIJUANA

b. Marijuana, also known as pot, weed or mary jane?
F_PRESCRIPTION_DRUGS

c. Prescription drugs illegally obtained without a
prescription, such as Oxycontin, Ritalin, or
Adderall?
F_OTHER_ILLEGAL

d. Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, uppers,
or heroin?

G. FIGHTING, BULLYING AND HATE BEHAVIORS
G_FIGHT_AT_SCHOOL

21a.

103

During this school year, have you been in one or
more physical fights at school?

G_FIGHT_HOW_OFTEN

21b.

104

During this school year, how many times have you
been in a physical fight at school?

10

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q22

 (Number of times)

22.

Now I have some questions about what students do
at school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to
you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You may
include events you told me about already. During
this school year, has any student bullied you?
That is, has another student...
(Read each category a-g.)

G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted
you, in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others
dislike you?

G_BULLY_RUMOR

Yes

No

134

1

2

135

1

2

G_BULLY_THREAT

c. Threatened you with harm?

136

1

2

d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you?

137

1

2

e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to
do, for example, give them money or other
things?

138

1

2

139

1

2

140

1

2  If all categories a-g are
marked “No” SKIP to
Q32

G_BULLY_CONTACT
G_BULLY_COERCED

G_BULLY_EXCLUDED

f.

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

G_BULLY_DESTROYED_PROP

g.

Destroyed your property on purpose?

23.

Thinking about the [time/times] you were bullied this
school year, did more than one person do these
things to you?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: Q25

24.

Did these people act alone or together as a team?

1  Alone
2  Together
3  Don’t know

11

G_BULLY_MORE_POWER

25.

Now I have some additional questions about the
time [another student/ other students] {behavior1},
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the
[person/ people] who did these things to you this
school year,
Yes

No

1

2

1

2

[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more money than you?

1

2

d. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more power than you in another
way?

1

2

a. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger
than you?
b. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] more popular than you?
c.

G_BULLY_HOW_OFTEN

26.

142

During this school year, how often were you
bullied?

1  Once or twice this school year
2  Once or twice a month - SKIP to: Q28
3  Once or twice a week, or - SKIP to: Q28
4  Almost every day - SKIP to: Q28

(READ CATEGORIES 1-4.)

G_BULLY_OVER_AND_OVER

27.

Did you think the bullying would happen over and
over?

G_BULLY_WHERE1 through G_BULLY_WHERE8

28.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur …
(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply

G_BULLY_WHERE_SPECIFY

Where is the other place where bullying occurred?

G_BULLY_ADULT_TOLD

29.

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school
about being bullied?

12

1  Yes
2  No

1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school
building? – Specify _____________
144
6  Outside on school grounds?
145
7  On the way to or from school such as on a
school bus or at a bus stop?
211SCS 8  Online or by text?
143
168
169
173
146

147

1  Yes
2  No

30.

Not
at all

This school year, how much has bullying had a
NEGATIVE effect on:
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

G_SCHOOL_WORK

1 2 3 4 

197SCS

1 2 3 4 

How you feel about YOURSELF.

198SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR physical health for example, caused
injuries, gave you headaches or stomach
aches.

199SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR school work.

b.

YOUR relationships with friends or family.

c.

d.

G_ABOUT_YOURSELF

G_PHYSICAL_HEALTH

 

When you were bullied in school this year, did
you ever think it was related to ...

Yes

No

1

2

 

201SCS

1

2

 

202SCS

1

2

 

203SCS

1

2

 

204SCS

1

2

 

205SCS


1

2

 

206SCS

1

2

 

G_BULLY_RACE

a.

YOUR race?

200SCS

G_BULLY_RELIGION

b.

 

YOUR religion?

G_BULLY_ETHNIC_ORIGIN

c.

 

YOUR ethnic background or national origin
- for example, people of Hispanic origin?

 

G_BULLYING_DISABILITY

d.

 

Any disability you may have – such as
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities?

 
 

G_BULLYING_GENDER

e.

YOUR gender?

f.

YOUR sexual orientation - by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or straight?

G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION
G_BULLYING_APPEARANCE

g.

YOUR physical appearance?
.

 

 


G_HATE

32.

A lot

196SCS

a.

G_RELATION_FRIEND_FAMILY

31.

Not very Somewhat
much

During this school year, has anyone called you an
insulting or bad name at school having to do with
your race, religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation? We
call these hate-related words.

13

065

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q34

33.

Yes

No

Don’t know

107SCS

1

2

3

108SCS

1

2

3

109SCS

1

2

3

110SCS

1

2

3

111SCS

1

2

3

112SCS

1

2

3

Were any of the hate-related words related to ...

G_HATE_RACE

a.

Your race?

G_HATE_RELIGION

b.

Your religion?

G_HATE_ETHNICITY

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin- for
example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_HATE_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as physical,
mental, or developmental disabilities?

G_HATE_GENDER

e.

Your gender?

G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION

f.

Your sexual orientation – by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual or straight?

G_HATE_WORDS

34.

During this school year, have you seen any
hate-related words or symbols written in school
classrooms, school bathrooms, school hallways, or
on the outside of your school building?

14

066

1  Yes
2  No

Probes (Q22):
Now I have a few questions about some of the items you just answered.
Earlier I asked you this question: [HAND R THE SINGLE PAGE OF Q22 TO REFERENCE, R WILL
REFERENCE THIS THROUGH THE INTERVIEW, SO DON’T TAKE IT BACK]
If any Q22 a – g = yes:
When I asked you if any student had bullied you and read a list of things bullies might do,
you said yes to items _______ [SAY WHICH LETTERS R SAID YES TO, DO NOT READ BEHAVIORS. Ex –
“you said yes to items b and d”].
a. Can you tell me about what happened?

If Q22 = no to all:
When I asked you if any student had bullied you and read a list of things bullies might do,
you said no to all items.
b. Did any of those things happen to you that you didn’t count as bullying? Can you tell me
more about why you didn’t include them here?
c. Did other students do any other things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you?
Can you tell me more about that?
d. [If applicable] Do you think those things they did count as bullying? (Why or Why not?)
All respondents:
e. Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be bullied?

f.

What kinds of behavior do you think count as bullying? (Why?)

g. Are there other examples of bullying that we didn’t ask about?

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO: PROBES (Q25).

15

Probes (Q24): (skipped if Q23 = no)
Interviewer note: We want to know if they experienced multiple isolated incidents by different
people, or if the same person did multiple things.

Now let’s think about this question: “Did these people act alone or together as a team?”
If Q24 = Alone:
a. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
b. How many different people bullied you?
c. Did any of these people do more than one thing or do the same thing more than once?

d. (If necessary) Can you tell me which people did the different things to bully you?

e. Even though these people acted alone, do you think that some of the things that
different people did to you were related in some way? Can you tell me more about that?

If Q24 = Together or DK:
f. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
g. (If necessary) Can you tell me more about the people who bullied you in each incident?

All respondents:
h. (If necessary) What bullying incidents were you thinking of when you were answering this
question?

16

Probes (Q25):
If any in Q22 = yes: Earlier I asked you about whether [the person was/ the people were
/anyone in the group was] bigger, stronger, more popular, had more money, or had more power
than you in some other way. Here are those questions for you to look at when I ask the next
questions. [HAND R PAGE WITH Q25 WITH APPROPRIATE FILLS]
If all in Q22 = no: Now I am
had been bullied. You do not
going to ask you some follow
questions for you to look at
Q25 WITH GROUP FILLS.

going to read you some questions you would have been asked if you
have to answer the questions. Instead, after I read them, I am
up questions to get your thoughts and opinions. Here are those
while I read them and ask follow up questions. HAND R PAGE WITH

If any in Q25a-c = yes:
[ASK PROBES A & B FOR EACH YES IN Q25A-C, THEN ASK PROBE C]
a. You said yes to __. Can you tell me more about that?

b. Did the fact that they [were bigger/ were more popular/ had more money] than you make
you feel like they were bullying you when they did the things you told me about? (Why or
why not?)

(REPEAT 1 & 2 FOR EACH YES BEFORE ASKING 3)
c. Which bullying incidents were you thinking of when you were answering these questions
[POINT TO Q25 HANDOUT]?

If Q25d = yes:
d. You said yes to Q25d. In what other way did they have more power than you?

All respondents:
e. One question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the group]
have more money than you?” What does the phrase “have more money than you” mean to you
in this question?

f.

Another question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the
group] have more power than you in another way?” What does the phrase “have more power
than you” mean to you in this question?

17

g. We gave three examples of having more power – being bigger or stronger, being more
popular, or having more money. Do you agree or disagree that these are ways bullies
have more power over someone? Why or why not? Can you think of other ways a bully can
have more power over someone?

h. If two students are about the same size, are just as strong, equally popular, and have
about the same amount of money, but one student is older than the other one, does the
older student have more power than the younger student? What about if one student was in
a higher grade than the other student, does the student in the higher grade have more
power?

i.

If a group of students are working together to bully a student named Mark, do you think
they would have more power over Mark? (IF yes): Is this true even if none of the
students in the group are bigger, stronger, more popular, or have more money than Mark?
(Why or why not?)

j.

Do you think that if 2 students have about the same power that one of them could bully
the other? (Why or why not?)

k. Do you think that if one student is smaller than another student (s)he could bully the
other student who is bigger? (Why or why not?)

l.

What about a less popular student, could they bully a student who is more popular? (Why
or why not?)

m. What about a student with less money, could they bully a student with more money? (Why
or why not?)
Interviewer note: We want to determine if respondent believes that given all else equal, the
outnumbering of students is considering having power.

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO: PROBES (Q28).

18

Probes (Q26):
Interviewer note: We want to know the frequency and pattern to see if these categories work
for most cases. For example, if they were bullied twice a week for a month and then it
stopped, how do they respond? Do they have trouble answering this question?
ALTERNATE Q26:
Now I am going to read you another question that I’d like you to answer.
During this school year, how many times were you bullied?
1  One time
2  Two times
3  Three to ten times
4  More than ten times
a. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
b. (If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?
c. (If necessary) What incident(s) were you thinking of when you answered this question?
Now I have another question I’d like you to answer.
During this school year, how many days were you bullied?
1  One day
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days
d. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
e. (If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?
f.

(If necessary) What incident(s) were you thinking of when you answered this question?

Earlier I asked you, “During this school year, how often were you bullied?” The options were
“Once or twice this school year,” “Once or twice a month,” “Once or twice a week,” or “Almost
every day.” You answered ______.
g. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
h. How long did the bullying go on? When did it start? When did it stop?
i.

When you answered this question, which parts of that time were you thinking of?

j.

(If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?

k. [HAND R PAGE WITH 3 VERSIONS OF Q26 AND A PEN] Please take a minute to read the
following situation. After you finish reading it, I’d like you to pretend that you are
Mark and answer all 3 questions how you think Mark would answer them. There are no right
or wrong answers. [WAIT FOR R TO ANSWER THEM] Can you tell me why you answered the way
you did for A? What about B? What about C?
l.

Which of these question makes more sense, if any? Why do you think that?

m. Is one of these questions easier to answer than the others? Why or why not?

19

Probes (Q27):
[If Q26 = “once or twice this school year]:
Now I’d like to ask you about another question I asked earlier - “Did you think the bullying
would happen over and over?”
a. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did? (If necessary) What does “over and
over” mean to you?

b. IF NO: Can you give me an example of a situation where a student does something hurtful
to another student only one time, but something about the incident makes them afraid
that it would happen over and over?
c. If someone did something that made you feel bad or was hurtful only one time and it is
not likely to happen again, could it be considered bullying? (Why or why not?)

d. (If necessary) Do you think of bullying as something that is repeated over and over?

Probes (Q28):
If any in Q22= yes: Earlier I asked, (read Q28 below)
If all in Q22 = no: Now I am going to read you another question you would have been asked if
you had been bullied. You do not have to answer the question. After I read it, I am going to
ask you some follow up questions to get your thoughts and opinions.

Q28. “Still thinking about all of the times that you were bullied, where did the bullying
occur?” One of the options I read was “online or by text.”
All respondents:
a. Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be bullied online or by text?

b. (If necessary) Were you thinking of social media apps when I asked if the bullying
occurred online or by text?

c. A little earlier I asked whether you were bullied (point to Q22 page if necessary). Were
you thinking of bullying that can happen online or by text when I first asked that
question, or just bullying that happens in person?

d. Did any kind of bullying happen to you online or by text that you did not think about or
didn’t mention when I first asked that question? (Why or why not?)

e. What if a schoolmate bullied you online or by text but it never happened in person at
school – do you think you would say yes or no to “online or by text” since all of the
other answer choices are places at school? Why?

f.

If bullying started at school but then continued online or by text – would you think of
the online or text bullying as being related to school in some way, even though it
didn’t actually happen at your school? (Why or why not?)

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO: H. AVOIDANCE (Q35)

20

Probes (Q29):
If no:
When I asked you, “Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school about being bullied?”
you said no.
a. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

b. Did somebody else tell a teacher or some other adult at school about you being bullied?

c. Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school about any things that other
students did that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you? If necessary: Can you tell
me more about that?

Probes (Q30):
I asked, “This school year, how much has bullying had a NEGATIVE effect on: YOUR school work,
YOUR relationships with friends or family, How you feel about YOURSELF, and YOUR physical
health for example, caused injuries, gave you headaches or stomach aches.”
All respondents:
a. Can you tell me, in your own words, what the phrase “had a negative effect” means to you
in this question?

If “Not at all” to 30a-d:
b. You answered “not at all” to all of the categories. Can you tell me why you answered
the way you did?

If “A lot” to any in 30a-d:
c. You answered “a lot” for item ___. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

d. (Repeat for each item R answered “a lot” - if necessary) You also answered “a lot”
for item ___. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did for that one?

Probes (Q31):
If no to all in 31a-g:
When I asked you, “When you were bullied in school this year, did you ever think it was
related to…” your race, your gender, your physical appearance, and so on, you said no to all
categories.
a. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did? I can re-read you all of the
categories if that would be helpful.

b. (If necessary) Did you feel you’d have to be certain that the incident was because you
had one of these characteristics for you to say “yes”? Or do you think you could say
“yes” even if you were not absolutely certain that was the reason you were bullied?

21

H. AVOIDANCE
35.

During this school year, did you ever STAY AWAY
from any of the following places because you
thought someone might attack or harm you there?

H_AVOID_SHORTCUT

Yes

No

For example, did you ever stay away from the
shortest route to school, because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

068

1

2

b.

The entrance into the school?

069

1

2

c.

Any hallways or stairs in school?

070

1

2

d.

Parts of the school cafeteria or lunchroom?

071

1

2

e.

Any school restrooms?

072

1

2

f.

Other places inside the school building?

073

1

2

g.

School parking lot?

074

1

2

h.

Other places on school grounds?

075

1

2

i.

School bus or bus stop?

208SCS

1

2

a.

H_AVOID_ENTRANCE

H_AVOID_HALLWAYS

H_AVOID_CAFETERIA

H_AVOID_RESTROOMS

H_AVOID_OTHER_PLACES
H_AVOID_PARKING_LOT

H_AVOID_OTHER_SCHOOL
H_SCHOOL_BUS_STOP

H_AVOID_ACTIVITIES

36a.

Did you AVOID any activities at your school because
you thought someone might attack or harm you?

H_AVOID_CLASSES

36b.

Did you AVOID any classes because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

H_STAY_HOME

36c.

076

1  Yes
2  No

077

1  Yes
2  No

078

1  Yes
2  No

Did you stay home from school because you
thought someone might attack or harm you in the
school building, on school property, on a school
bus, or going to or from school?
I. FEAR

I_INTRO_FEAR: Sometimes, even if you can’t avoid a place, you may still be afraid of what might happen there.
I_AFRAID
37a.
How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you in the school building or on school
property?

079

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

080

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES.)
I_AFRAID_ON_BUS

37b.

How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you on a school bus or on the way to and from
school?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

22

I_AFRAID_NONSCHOOL

37c.

081

Besides the times you are in the school building, on
school property, on a school bus, or going to or from
school, how often are you afraid that someone will
attack or harm you?

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
L. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
L_GRADES

42.

116

During this school year, across all subjects have you
gotten mostly (READ CATEGORIES 1-5)

44.

Thinking about the future, do you think you will ...

A's
B's
C's
D's
F's
School does not give grades/no alphabetic
grade equivalent

Yes

No

117

1

2  -- END

3

118

1

2

3

L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL

a. Attend school after high school, such as a college
or technical school? . . . . . . . . . .

1
2
3
4
5
6

Don't know

L_GRADUATE_4YR

b.

Graduate from a 4-year college? . . . . . . . . . . .

23

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:
[IF R SEEMED UNCOMFORTABLE OR WOULDN’T SAY MUCH WHEN ANSWERING PROBES, PUT DOWN PEN/PROTOCOL
AND MAKE THE DB Qs FEEL MORE LIKE A CONVERSATION. THIS HAS MADE SOME Rs MORE COMFORTABLE AND
THEY THEN PROVIDED INFORMATION THEY DIDN’T SAY WHEN PROBED. SAY SOMETHING LIKE “Really, what
we’re trying to figure out today is how kids think about bullying. It’s just been a while
since I was in school, and we want to make sure that what we think kids think about bullying
is actually right.” FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE DB Qs SO THAT YOU CAN ASK THEM NATURALLY
WITHOUT READING FROM THE PROTOCOL IN THESE SITUATIONS.]
a. Overall, what did you think of this interview? Was it easy or difficult?

b. Do adults at your school talk to students about bullying? What do they say?

c. Do kids talk about bullying? What kinds of things do they say about it?

d. I asked you all of those questions about different kinds of power (point to Q25
page). Do you think kids ever think about power when they think about bullying?

e. If your friends were doing those hurtful things to you (point to Q22 page),
would you think of it as bullying? (If no) What would have to happen for you to
think of that as bullying?
f.

(If R skipped Q27) If someone did something that made you feel bad or was hurtful only
one time and it is not likely to happen again, could it be considered bullying? (Why or
why not?)

g. Were there any questions you think some people might find difficult to answer?

h. Did you have any other thoughts about the topics we discussed today, or the
questions on this survey?

Those are all of the questions that I had for you today. Thank you very much for your participation.
Here is an envelope containing your $25.
Here is a voucher form that verifies I gave you the money.
Please complete the information in the highlighted areas and sign and date
TURN OFF THE TAPE RECORDER.
HAND THE CASH INCENTIVE TO THE PARTICIPANT.

24

2017 SCS to the NCVS
Round 2 Cognitive Interview Protocol

6/06/16

25

Cognitive Testing of NCVS SCS
PARTICIPANT ID #: _________________________

DATE: ____ / ____ / 2016

INTERVIEWER’S NAME:_________________________________________________
START TIME: ______: ______

AM / PM

Hello, my name is ______ and I work for the Census Bureau. It’s nice to meet you and thank you very much for helping us out
today.
IF NECESSARY, CREATE SMALL TALK TO BUILD RAPPORT WITH THE STUDENT BY ASKING A QUESTION, SUCH AS:
 What is your favorite subject in school? RESPOND ACCORDINGLY (e.g., if the student responds with “science,” ask them
what they are studying in their science class).
Section 1: (If applicable) Observers:
Before we get started let me mention that there are some observers watching the interview in another room. They are only
watching to get an idea of how the questions in the survey we are going to talk about are working.
Section 2: Information about today’s survey
Let me start by telling you a little bit about what we're doing here. The Census Bureau conducts many surveys in addition to the
head count every 10 years. Since so many agencies rely on data from the Census Bureau, it is extremely important that this
information be as accurate as possible.
In order to help us improve our surveys, we turn to people like you to find out if our questions make sense and are easy to
understand and answer. The survey we'll talk about today is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is
part of the U.S. Department of Education, who recently made some changes to their questionnaire. The research we’re doing
today will help us figure out if those changes are working for students like you, and it will help us improve the accuracy of our
data.
I'm going to go through the questionnaire like a real interview, but I'm mainly interested in your reactions to the questions. So
after we go through some of the questions, I'll stop and ask you some follow up questions about the survey questions you
answered. For example, I might reread a question from the survey, and ask you what certain words or phrases in the question
mean to you, or what you were thinking about when you were answering. There are no right or wrong answers, we just want to
know your thoughts and reactions to the questions to help us make them better so that other students like you can easily
understand them.
The things we will talk about in the interview today will only be used in our research to help us improve the survey. Your name
will not be attached to anything you say. Direct quotes may be used in research papers and professional presentations, but your
name and any names you might mention today will never be used in our reports and presentations. Your participation in this
study is completely voluntary. You can refuse to answer or skip over any particular questions. If at any time you decide you do
not want to go on, that is your choice and you may stop. Please feel free to ask me any questions at anytime. I may not be able
to answer every question you have, but I will try.

26

Section 3: Taping:
I'd like to ask for your permission to audio tape the session today. The main reason we tape these interviews is so that we don't
have to rely on notes or our memories later. This allows me to concentrate on what you're saying during the interview. What you
say on the tape may be used only for research purposes and cannot be told to anybody else not working on this project except
as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573).
Do you have any questions about the recording?
AFTER ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND GIVING FURTHER EXPLANATION, CONTINUE. IF THE PARTICIPANT IS NO
LONGER INETERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, THANK THE PARTICIPANT FOR HIS/HER TIME AND END THE INTERVIEW.

Section 4: Informed Consent
[If student is under 18]:
Your parent signed a form giving you permission to participate today. I am going to tell you about what was in that document.
The document that your parent signed explains the purpose of the study and how we will protect your information. In addition to
what I have just mentioned about never sharing your name or any names you say during the interview, I would like to draw your
attention to the fact that:
•
•
•
•

Your participation is voluntary and you may stop the interview at any time
You can refuse to answer any of the questions asked or take a break at any time
Your responses in this study may be used only for research purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, except as required by law. (20 U.S.C. § 9573)
As stated in the form, we would like to record this interview to assist in our ability to write a report summarizing the
interview.

[If student is 18]:
Before we start, I’m going to give you a written consent form.
HAND 1 COPY OF THE INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT TO THE PARTICIPANT
This document explains the purpose of the study and how we will protect your information. In addition to what I have just
mentioned about never sharing your name or any names you say during the interview, I would like to draw your attention to the
fact that:
•
•
•
•

Your participation is voluntary and you may stop the interview at any time
You can refuse to answer any of the questions asked or take a break at any time
Your responses in this study may be used only for research purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, except as required by law. (20 U.S.C. § 9573)
As stated in the form, we would like to record this interview to assist in our ability to write a report summarizing the
interview.

Thank you for signing the consent form. I will also sign this form to show that I agree to everything in the form. At the end of the
interview, I’ll be sure to give you a copy for you to take with you.
4. ASK PARTICIPANT IF (S)HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT FORM.
5. IF PARTICIPANT AGREES, OBTAIN THE RESPONDENT’S SIGNATURE TO PROCEED ON ONE COPY OF THE
FORM; INTERVIEWER SHOULD ALSO SIGN THE FORM AT THIS TIME.
6. MAKE SURE RESPONDENT TAKES ONE COPY WITH THEM WHEN THE INTERVIEW IS OVER AT THE END OF
THE INTERVIEW.

27

[All students]:
Are you comfortable with me recording this interview?
IF PARTICIPANT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION AUDIO-TAPED:
I’m going to turn on the recorder now, and once it is on, I’m going to ask for your permission to record today, and then we will get
started.
TURN ON TAPE RECORDER, ASK FOR PERMISSION TO RECORD ON THE TAPE, AND BEGIN THE INTERVIEW.
OK, let’s begin.
INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTIONS:
NOTE ANY CONFUSION OR DIFFICULTIES RESPONDENTS HAVE WITH THE QUESTIONS.
RETROSPECTIVE PROBING (R=respondent):
IF YOU NOTICED R HAVING COGNITIVE DIFFICULTY ANSWERING ANY OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ARE PROBING ON,
MAKE SURE TO PROBE ON R’S DIFFICULTY WITH THE QUESTION. GO THROUGH THE SURVEY WITHOUT PROBING
UNTIL YOU GET TO QUESTION 34. GO THROUGH THE RETROSPECTIVE PROBES WITH R. BE SURE TO PROBE ON
ANY OF THE RESPONDENT’S APPARENT DIFFICULTY OR HESITATION. AFTER ALL PROBES, CONTINUE THE SURVEY
AT QUESTION 35, FOLLOWED BY THE DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS.

28

NOTICE - We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Section 8. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information
about you and your household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Also, Title 42, Section 3732, United States Code,
authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice, to collect information using this survey. Title 42, Sections 3789g and 3735, United States Code also
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential.

ASK OF ALL PEOPLE AGES 12-18

FORM

SCS-1

Economics and Statistics Administration

We estimate that it will take from 5 to 15 minutes to complete this interview with 10 minutes
being the average time. If you have any comments regarding these estimates or any other
aspect of this survey, send them to the Associate Director for Finance and Administration,
Room 2027, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington DC 20233, or to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. According to
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no such persons are required to respond to a collection
of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.

U.S. Census Bureau
ACTING AS COLLECTING AGENCY FOR THE
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
TO THE NATIONAL CRIME
VICTIMIZATION SURVEY
2017

Control number
Survey Code PSU Frame Code Sample Designation/Suffix Sequence # HH # Time of
Interview

Line No.



Age

002 

003 

005

C. Type of SCS Interview
1
2
3
4
5

Name

D. Reason for SCS noninterview

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Complete an SCS-1 form for all
NCVS interviewed people ages 12-18. Do NOT complete an
SCS-1 form for Type Z noninterview people or for people in
Type A noninterview households.

004

QUESTIONNAIRE

B. Respondent

A. FR Code
001

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Personal - Self
Telephone – Self
Personal - Proxy
Telephone - Proxy
Noninterview – SKIP to ITEM D

2  Refused – Respondent refused
For themselves
3  Not available
4  NCVS completed in a
Language other than
English or Spanish
5  Unknown reason (Internal
category created for post data
collection processing)
6  Refused – Parent or other
Person refused for respondent

SKIP to END

E. SCREEN QUESTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENT
E_ATTENDSCHOOL

1a.

Did you attend school at any time this school year?
_________________________________________

E_HOMESCHOOL

1b.

During that time, were you ever homeschooled?
That is, did you receive ANY of that schooling at
home, rather than in a public or private school?
_________________________________________

092

1  Yes - SKIP to END
2  No
___________________________________________

Was all of your schooling this school year
homeschooling?
____________________________________________

007

E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

1d.

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q1d

____________________________________________

E_ALLHOMESCHOOL

1c.

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to END
_____________________________________________
006

185SCS 1  One school
2  Two schools
3  Three or more schools

How many different schools have you
attended this school year?
Include your homeschooling as one school.
(only asked if student answered “yes” to being
homeschooled)

29

E_WHATGRADE

2b.

008

What grade are you in?

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

E_WHATGRADEOTHER

Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Other - Specify

SKIP to INTRO_2

9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible - SKIP to END
INTRO_2

INTERVIEWER - Read introduction if R was homeschooled part of the year (Q1b = “Yes” and Q1c = “No”); ELSE skip to Q6
The following questions pertain only to your attendance at a public or private school and not to being homeschooled.
6.

Grades:

What grades are taught in your school?
Pre-K or Kindergarten

00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
30

020

 (lowest) F_GRADES_LOW
TO

021

H.S. Senior
Post-graduate
All ungraded
All Special Education

30

 (highest) F_GRADES_HIGH

 
 

10. The next questions are about security measures that
some schools take.

 
Yes

Does your school have:

No

F_SAFETY_POLICE

j.

Security guards or assigned police officers?

k. Other adults supervising the hallway, such as
teachers, administrators, or parent volunteers?

F_SAFETY_ METAL_DETECTORS

l. Metal detectors, including wands?
(The definition for the term ‘metal detector’ is a device used to
check for weapons students might be trying to bring onto school
property. The metal detector may be in a form of a doorframe,
which you are asked to walk through. It may also be in the form
of a hand-held metal detector that looks like a wand or paddle,
which is moved around your body.)

F_SAFETY_DOORS_LOCKED

m. Locked entrance or exit doors during the day?
A requirement that visitors sign in AND wear
visitor badges or stickers?

029
 

1

2

3 

030

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

Yes

No

Don’t know

167

1

2

3

156

1
2
3
4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
032

 

Locker checks?

033

F_SAFETY_STUDENT_ID

 

p. A requirement that students wear badges or
picture identification?

094
 

F_SAFETY_CAMERAS

 

q. One or more security cameras to monitor
the school?

095
 

F_SAFETY_CODE_OF_CONDUCT

r.

3 

 

F_SAFETY_LOCKER_CHECKS

o.

2

 

031

F_SAFETY_SIGN_IN

n.

1

028

F_SAFETY HALLSTAFF

 

A code of student conduct, that is, a set of
written rules or guidelines that the school
provides you?

096

F_REPORT

11.

If you hear about a threat to school or student safety,
do you have a way to report it without having to give
your name?

F_DISTRACTED

12.

Don’t know School does not
have lockers

In your classes, how often are you distracted from
doing your schoolwork because other students are
misbehaving, for example, talking or fighting?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

31

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

4 

13.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

F_RULES_FAIR

a.

The school rules are fair.

F_PUNISHMENT_SAME

b.

The punishment for breaking school rules is the
same no matter who you are.

F_RULES_ENFORCED

c.

The school rules are strictly enforced.
(Strictly enforced rules means that the school
consistently carries out disciplinary actions against
any students who break school rules.)

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Strongly
Disagree Disagree

035

1

2

3

4

036

1

2

3

4

037

1

2

3

4

038

1

2

3

4

127

1

2

3

4

F_PUNISHMENT_KNOWN

d. If a school rule is broken, students know what
kind of punishment will follow.

F_TEACHERS_RESPECT

e. Teachers treat students with respect.

14.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree
Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

There is a TEACHER or other ADULT at school who…

F_ADULT_REALLYCARES

b.

173SCS 1 

2

3

4

Listens to you when you have something to
say.

175SCS 1 

2

3

4

Tells you when you do a good job.

176SCS 1 

2

3

4

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Really cares about you.

F_ADULT_LISTENS

b.

F_ADULT_GOOD_JOB

c.
15.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree
Agree

There is a STUDENT at school who…

186SCS 1 

a.

Really cares about you.

187SCS 1 

b.

Listens to you when you have something to say.

188SCS 1 

c.

Believes that you will be a success.

F_STUDENT_REALLYCARES

2

3

4

2

3

4

2

3

4

F_STUDENT_LISTENS

F_STUDENT_SUCCESS

18.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

Strongly
Agree
Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

F_SAFE_IN_SCHOOL

You feel safe in your school

189SCS 1 

32

2

3

4

SCS_INTRO 3

Now I have some questions about things that happen at school. For this survey, “at school”
includes the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from
school. Your answers will not be given to anyone.

19.

The following question refers to the availability of
drugs and alcohol at your school.

Yes

No

040

1

2

041

1

2

159

1

2

209SCS

1

2

Is it possible for students at your school to get…
F_ ALCOHOL

a. Alcoholic beverages?
F_MARIJUANA

b. Marijuana, also known as pot, weed or mary jane?
F_PRESCRIPTION_DRUGS

c. Prescription drugs illegally obtained without a
prescription, such as Oxycontin, Ritalin, or
Adderall?
F_OTHER_ILLEGAL

d. Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, uppers,
or heroin?

G. FIGHTING, BULLYING AND HATE BEHAVIORS
G_FIGHT_AT_SCHOOL

21a.

103

During this school year, have you been in one or
more physical fights at school?

G_FIGHT_HOW_OFTEN

21b.

104

During this school year, how many times have you
been in a physical fight at school?

33

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q22

 (Number of times)

22.

Now I have some questions about what students do
at school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to
you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You may
include events you told me about already. During
this school year, has any student bullied you?
That is, has another student...
(Read each category a-g.)

G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted
you, in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others
dislike you?

G_BULLY_RUMOR

Yes

No

134

1

2

135

1

2

G_BULLY_THREAT

c. Threatened you with harm?

136

1

2

d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you?

137

1

2

e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to
do, for example, give them money or other
things?

138

1

2

139

1

2

140

1

2  If all categories a-g are
marked “No” SKIP to
Q35

G_BULLY_CONTACT
G_BULLY_COERCED

G_BULLY_EXCLUDED

f.

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

G_BULLY_DESTROYED_PROP

g.

23.

Destroyed your property on purpose?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: Q25

During this school year, did any of these things
happen on more than one day?

G_BULLY_HOW_OFTEN

24.

142

During this school year, how often were you
bullied?

1  Once or twice this school year
2  Once or twice a month
3  Once or twice a week, or
4  Almost every day

(READ CATEGORIES 1-4.)

G_BULLY_OVER_AND_OVER

25.

Did you think the bullying would happen again?

1  Yes
2  No

26.

Thinking about the [time/times] you were bullied this
school year, did more than one person do these
things to you?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: Q28

34

27.

1  Alone
2  Together
3  Both
3  Don’t know

Did these people act alone, together as a team, or
both?

G_BULLY_MORE_POWER

28.

Now I have some additional questions about the
time [another student/ other students] {behavior1},
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the
[person/ people] who did these things to you this
school year,
Yes

No

1

2

f. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] more popular than you?

1

2

g. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more money than you?

1

2

h. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have the ability to influence what other
students think of you?

1

2

i.

1

2

e. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger
than you?

[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more power than you in another
way?

G_BULLY_WHERE1 through G_BULLY_WHERE8

29.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur …
(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply

G_BULLY_WHERE_SPECIFY

Where is the other place where bullying occurred?

G_BULLY_ADULT_TOLD

30.

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school
about being bullied?

35

1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school
building? – Specify _____________
144
6  Outside on school grounds?
145
7  On the way to or from school such as on a
school bus or at a bus stop?
211SCS 8  Online or by text?

143
168
169
173
146

147

1  Yes
2  No

31.

Not
at all

This school year, how much has bullying had a
NEGATIVE effect on:
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

G_SCHOOL_WORK

1 2 3 4 

197SCS

1 2 3 4 

How you feel about YOURSELF.

198SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR physical health for example, caused
injuries, gave you headaches or stomach
aches.

199SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR school work.

e.

YOUR relationships with friends or family.

f.

d.

G_ABOUT_YOURSELF

G_PHYSICAL_HEALTH

 

When you were bullied in school this year, did
you ever think it was related to ...

Yes

No

1

2

 

201SCS

1

2

 

202SCS

1

2

 

203SCS

1

2

 

204SCS

1

2

 

205SCS


1

2

 

206SCS

1

2

 

G_BULLY_RACE

h.

YOUR race?

200SCS

G_BULLY_RELIGION

i.

 

YOUR religion?

G_BULLY_ETHNIC_ORIGIN

j.

 

YOUR ethnic background or national origin
- for example, people of Hispanic origin?

 

G_BULLYING_DISABILITY

k.

 

Any disability you may have – such as
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities?

 
 

G_BULLYING_GENDER

l.

YOUR gender?

G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION

m. YOUR sexual orientation - by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or straight?

G_BULLYING_APPEARANCE

n.

YOUR physical appearance?
.

 

 


G_HATE

33.

A lot

196SCS

d.

G_RELATION_FRIEND_FAMILY

32.

Not very Somewhat
much

During this school year, has anyone called you an
insulting or bad name at school having to do with
your race, religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation? We
call these hate-related words.

36

065

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q35

34.

Yes

No

Don’t know

107SCS

1

2

3

108SCS

1

2

3

109SCS

1

2

3

110SCS

1

2

3

111SCS

1

2

3

112SCS

1

2

3

Were any of the hate-related words related to ...

G_HATE_RACE

a.

Your race?

G_HATE_RELIGION

b.

Your religion?

G_HATE_ETHNICITY

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin- for
example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_HATE_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as physical,
mental, or developmental disabilities?

G_HATE_GENDER

e.

Your gender?

G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION

f.

Your sexual orientation – by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual or straight?

G_HATE_WORDS

35.

During this school year, have you seen any
hate-related words or symbols written in school
classrooms, school bathrooms, school hallways, or
on the outside of your school building?

37

066

1  Yes
2  No

Probes (Q22):
Now I have a few questions about some of the items you just answered.
Earlier I asked you this question: [HAND R THE SINGLE PAGE OF Q22 TO REFERENCE, R WILL
REFERENCE THIS THROUGH THE INTERVIEW, SO DON’T TAKE IT BACK]
If any Q22 a – g = yes:
When I asked you if any student had bullied you and read a list of things bullies might do,
you said yes to items _______ [SAY WHICH LETTERS R SAID YES TO, DO NOT READ BEHAVIORS. Ex –
“you said yes to items b and d”].
h. Can you tell me about what happened?

If Q22 = no to all:
When I asked you if any student had bullied you and read a list of things bullies might do,
you said no to all items.
i.

Did any of those things happen to you that you didn’t count as bullying? Can you tell me
more about why you didn’t include them here?

j.

Did other students do any other things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you?
Can you tell me more about that?

k. [If applicable] Do you think those things they did count as bullying? (Why or Why not?)
All respondents:
l. Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be bullied?

m. What kinds of behavior do you think count as bullying? (Why?)

n. Are there other examples of bullying that we didn’t ask about?
o. Can you tell me, in your own words, what the phrase “at school” means to
you in the first sentence of this question? (point to Q22 handout)

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO: PROBE K (Q28) on page 18.

38

Probes (Q24):
IF R SAID NO TO Q23 (MORE THAN ONE DAY), SKIP TO PROBES K & L BELOW
Interviewer note: We want to know the frequency and pattern to see if these categories work
for most cases. For example, if they were bullied twice a week for a month and then it
stopped, how do they respond? Do they have trouble answering this question?
ALTERNATE Q24:
Now I am going to read you another question that I’d like you to answer.
During this school year, how many times were you bullied?
1  One time
2  Two times
3  Three to ten times
4  More than ten times
n. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
o. (If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?
p. What does it mean to you to be bullied just one time?
q. (If necessary) What incident(s) were you thinking of when you answered this question?
Now I have another question I’d like you to answer.
During this school year, how many days were you bullied?
1  One day
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days
r.

Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

s. (If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?
t.

(If necessary) What incident(s) were you thinking of when you answered this question?

Earlier I asked you, “During this school year, how often were you bullied?” The options were
“Once or twice this school year,” “Once or twice a month,” “Once or twice a week,” or “Almost
every day.” You answered ______.
u. How long did the bullying go on? When did it start? When did it stop?
v. (IF DURATION IN PROBE H DOESN’T ALIGN WITH CATEGORY THEY CHOSE FOR Q24) Can you tell me
why you answered the way you did?
w. (If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?
ASK PROBES K & L IF R SAID NO TO Q23 (MORE THAN ONE DAY)
x. [HAND R PAGE WITH 3 VERSIONS OF Q24 AND A PEN] Please take a minute to read the
following situation. After you finish reading it, I’d like you to pretend that you are
Mark and answer all 3 questions how you think Mark would answer them. There are no right
or wrong answers. [WAIT FOR R TO ANSWER THEM] Can you tell me why you answered the way
you did for A? What about B? What about C?
y. Is one of these questions easier to answer than the others? Why or why not?

39

Probes (Q25):
Now I am going to read you another question that I’d like you to answer.
“Did you think the bullying would happen over and over?”
1  Yes
2  No
e. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
f.

What does the phrase “over and over” mean to you in this question?

g. Do you think of bullying as something that is repeated over and over?
Earlier I asked you, “Did you think the bullying would happen again?” You answered ___.

h. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

i.

If someone did something that made you feel bad or was hurtful only one time and it is
not likely to happen again, could it be considered bullying? (Why or why not?)

40

Probes (Q27): (skipped if Q26 = no)
Interviewer note: We want to know if they experienced multiple isolated incidents by different
people, or if the same person did multiple things.

Now let’s think about this question: “Did these people act alone, together as a team, or
both?” You answered ____.
All respondents:
i. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
j.

How many different people bullied you?

k. What does the phrase “together as a team” mean to you in this question?

If Q27 = Alone or Both:

l.

Did any of the people acting alone do more than one thing or do the same thing more than
once?

m. (If necessary) Can you tell me which people did the different things to bully you?

n. Even though these people acted alone, do you think that some of the things that
different people did to you were related in some way? Can you tell me more about that?

If Q27 = Together or DK:

o. (If necessary) Can you tell me more about the people who bullied you in each incident?

All respondents:
p. (If necessary) What bullying incidents were you thinking of when you were answering this
question?

41

Probes (Q28):
If any in Q22 = yes: Earlier I asked you about whether [the person was/ the people were
/anyone in the group was] bigger, stronger, more popular, had more money, had the ability to
influence what other students think of you, or had more power than you in some other way. Here
are those questions for you to look at when I ask the next questions. [HAND R PAGE WITH Q28
WITH APPROPRIATE FILLS]
If all in Q22 = no: Now I am going to read you some questions you would have been asked if
other students had done things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you at school. You do
not have to answer the questions. Instead, after I read them, I am going to ask you some
follow up questions to get your thoughts and opinions. Here are those questions for you to
look at while I read them and ask follow up questions. HAND R PAGE WITH Q28 WITH GROUP FILLS.
All respondents:
n. One question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the group]
have more money than you?” What does the phrase “have more money than you” mean to you
in this question?

o. Another question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the
group] have the ability to influence what other students think of you?” Can you tell
me, in your own words, what this question is asking?
p. Another question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the
group] have more power than you in another way?” What does the phrase “have more power
than you” mean to you in this question?

If any in Q28a-d = yes:
[ASK PROBES D & E FOR EACH YES IN Q25A-D, THEN ASK PROBE F]
q. You said yes to __. Can you tell me more about that?

r.

Did the fact that they [were bigger than you / were more popular than you / had more
money than you /had the ability to influence what other students think about you] make
you feel like the things you told me about were bullying? (Why or why not?)

(REPEAT A & B FOR EACH YES BEFORE ASKING C)
s. Which bullying incidents were you thinking of when you were answering these questions
[POINT TO Q28 HANDOUT]?

If Q28e = yes:
t. You said yes to Q28e. In what other way did they have more power than you?

All respondents:
u. We gave four examples of having more power – being bigger or stronger, being more
popular, having more money, or being able to influence what others think of you. Do you
agree or disagree that these are ways bullies have more power over someone? Why or why
not? Can you think of other ways a bully can have more power over someone?

42

v. If two students are about the same size, are just as strong, equally popular, have about
the same amount of money, and equal ability to influence others, can one of those
students bully the other one? What about if one of those students is older than the
other one, does the older student have more power than the younger student? What about
if one of those students was in a higher grade than the other student, does the student
in the higher grade have more power?

w. If a group of students are working together to bully a student named Mark, do you think
they would have more power over Mark? (IF yes): Is this true even if none of the
students in the group are bigger, stronger, more popular, have more money, or can
influence what others think of Mark? (Why or why not?)

x. Do you think that if one student is smaller than another student (s)he could bully the
other student who is bigger? (Why or why not?)

y. What about a less popular student, could they bully a student who is more popular? (Why
or why not?)

z.

What about a student with less money, could they bully a student with more money? (Why
or why not?)

aa. What about a student without the ability to influence what other students think of
people, could they bully a student with the ability to influence what other students
think of people? (Why or why not?)

Interviewer note: We want to determine if respondent believes that given all else equal, the
outnumbering of students is considering having power.

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, CONTINUE TO: PROBES (Q29).

43

Probes (Q29):
If any in Q22= yes: Earlier I asked, “Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur?” One of the options I read was “online or by text.”

If all in Q22 = no: Now I am going to show you another question you would have been asked if
you said that other kids had done things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you at
school. You do not have to answer the question. After you finish reading the question and
answer choices , I am going to ask you some follow up questions to get your thoughts and
opinions. [HAND R PAGE WITH Q29, WAIT FOR R TO FINISH READING, THEN ASK PROBES]

All respondents:
g. Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be bullied online or by text?

h. (If necessary) Were you thinking of social media apps when I asked if the bullying
occurred online or by text?

i.

A little earlier I asked whether you were bullied (point to Q22 page if necessary). Were
you thinking of bullying that can happen online or by text when I first asked that
question, or just bullying that happens in person?

j.

Did any kind of bullying happen to you online or by text that you did not think about or
didn’t mention when I first asked that question (point to Q22 page if necessary)? (Why
or why not?)

k. What if a schoolmate bullied you online or by text but it never happened in person at
school – do you think you would say yes or no to “online or by text” since all of the
questions are asking about bullying that happens at school? Why?

l.

If bullying started at school in person but then continued online or by text, would you
think of the online or text bullying as being related to school in some way, even though
it didn’t actually happen at your school? (Why or why not?)

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO SURVEY QUESTIONS ON PAGE 22: H. AVOIDANCE (Q36)

44

Probes (Q30):
If no:
When I asked you, “Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school about being bullied?”
you said no.
d. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

e. Did somebody else tell a teacher or some other adult at school about you being bullied?

f.

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school about any things that other
students did that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you? If necessary: Can you tell
me more about that?

Probes (Q31):
I asked, “This school year, how much has bullying had a NEGATIVE effect on: YOUR school work,
YOUR relationships with friends or family, How you feel about YOURSELF, and YOUR physical
health for example, caused injuries, gave you headaches or stomach aches.”
All respondents:
e. Can you tell me, in your own words, what the phrase “had a negative effect” means to you
in this question?

If “Not at all” to 31a-d:
f. You answered “not at all” to all of the categories. Can you tell me why you answered
the way you did?

If “A lot” to any in 31a-d:
g. You answered “a lot” for item ___. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

h. (Repeat for each item R answered “a lot” - if necessary) You also answered “a lot”
for item ___. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did for that one?

Probes (Q32):
If no to all in 32a-g:
When I asked you, “When you were bullied in school this year, did you ever think it was
related to…” your race, your gender, your physical appearance, and so on, you said no to all
categories.
c. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did? I can re-read you all of the
categories if that would be helpful.

d. (If necessary) Did you feel you’d have to be certain that the incident was because you
had one of these characteristics for you to say “yes”? Or do you think you could say
“yes” even if you were not absolutely certain that was the reason you were bullied?

45

H. AVOIDANCE
36.

During this school year, did you ever STAY AWAY
from any of the following places because you
thought someone might attack or harm you there?

H_AVOID_SHORTCUT

Yes

No

For example, did you ever stay away from the
shortest route to school, because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

068

1

2

b.

The entrance into the school?

069

1

2

c.

Any hallways or stairs in school?

070

1

2

d.

Parts of the school cafeteria or lunchroom?

071

1

2

e.

Any school restrooms?

072

1

2

f.

Other places inside the school building?

073

1

2

g.

School parking lot?

074

1

2

h.

Other places on school grounds?

075

1

2

i.

School bus or bus stop?

208SCS

1

2

a.

H_AVOID_ENTRANCE

H_AVOID_HALLWAYS

H_AVOID_CAFETERIA

H_AVOID_RESTROOMS

H_AVOID_OTHER_PLACES
H_AVOID_PARKING_LOT

H_AVOID_OTHER_SCHOOL
H_SCHOOL_BUS_STOP

H_AVOID_ACTIVITIES

37a.

Did you AVOID any activities at your school because
you thought someone might attack or harm you?

H_AVOID_CLASSES

37b.

Did you AVOID any classes because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

H_STAY_HOME

37c.

076

1  Yes
2  No

077

1  Yes
2  No

078

1  Yes
2  No

Did you stay home from school because you
thought someone might attack or harm you in the
school building, on school property, on a school
bus, or going to or from school?
I. FEAR

I_INTRO_FEAR: Sometimes, even if you can’t avoid a place, you may still be afraid of what might happen there.
I_AFRAID
38a.
How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you in the school building or on school
property?

079

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

080

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES.)
I_AFRAID_ON_BUS

38b.

How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you on a school bus or on the way to and from
school?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

46

I_AFRAID_NONSCHOOL

38c.

081

Besides the times you are in the school building, on
school property, on a school bus, or going to or from
school, how often are you afraid that someone will
attack or harm you?

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
L. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
L_GRADES

43.

116

During this school year, across all subjects have you
gotten mostly (READ CATEGORIES 1-5)

45.

Thinking about the future, do you think you will ...

A's
B's
C's
D's
F's
School does not give grades/no alphabetic
grade equivalent

Yes

No

117

1

2  -- END

3

118

1

2

3

L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL

a. Attend school after high school, such as a college
or technical school? . . . . . . . . . .

1
2
3
4
5
6

Don't know

L_GRADUATE_4YR

b. Graduate from a 4-year college? . . . . . . . . . . .

47

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:
[IF R SEEMED UNCOMFORTABLE OR WOULDN’T SAY MUCH WHEN ANSWERING PROBES, PUT DOWN PEN/PROTOCOL
AND MAKE THE DB Qs FEEL MORE LIKE A CONVERSATION. THIS HAS MADE SOME Rs MORE COMFORTABLE AND
THEY THEN PROVIDED INFORMATION THEY DIDN’T SAY WHEN PROBED. SAY SOMETHING LIKE “Really, what
we’re trying to figure out today is how kids think about bullying. It’s just been a while
since I was in school, and we want to make sure that what we think kids think about bullying
is actually right.” FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE DB Qs SO THAT YOU CAN ASK THEM NATURALLY
WITHOUT READING FROM THE PROTOCOL IN THESE SITUATIONS.]
i.

Overall, what did you think of this interview? Was it easy or difficult?

j.

Do adults at your school talk to students about bullying? What do they say?

k. Do kids talk about bullying? What kinds of things do they say about it?

l.

I asked you all of those questions about different kinds of power (point to Q25
page). Do you think kids ever think about power when they think about bullying?

m. If your friends were doing those hurtful things to you (point to Q22 page),
would you think of it as bullying? (If no) What would have to happen for you to
think of that as bullying?

n. Were there any questions you think some people might find difficult to answer?

o. Did you have any other thoughts about the topics we discussed today, or the
questions on this survey?

Those are all of the questions that I had for you today. Thank you very much for your participation.
Here is an envelope containing your $25.
Here is a voucher form that verifies I gave you the money.
Please complete the information in the highlighted areas and sign and date
TURN OFF THE TAPE RECORDER.
HAND THE CASH INCENTIVE TO THE PARTICIPANT.

48

2017 SCS to the NCVS
Round 3 Cognitive Interview Protocol

6/27/16

49

Cognitive Testing of NCVS SCS
PARTICIPANT ID #: _________________________

DATE: ____ / ____ / 2016

INTERVIEWER’S NAME:_________________________________________________
START TIME: ______: ______

AM / PM

Hello, my name is ______ and I work for the Census Bureau. It’s nice to meet you and thank you very much for helping us out
today.
IF NECESSARY, CREATE SMALL TALK TO BUILD RAPPORT WITH THE STUDENT BY ASKING A QUESTION, SUCH AS:
 What is your favorite subject in school? RESPOND ACCORDINGLY (e.g., if the student responds with “science,” ask them
what they are studying in their science class).
Section 1: (If applicable) Observers:
Before we get started let me mention that there are some observers watching the interview in another room. They are only
watching to get an idea of how the questions in the survey we are going to talk about are working.
Section 2: Information about today’s survey
Let me start by telling you a little bit about what we're doing here. The Census Bureau conducts many surveys in addition to the
head count every 10 years. Since so many agencies rely on data from the Census Bureau, it is extremely important that this
information be as accurate as possible.
In order to help us improve our surveys, we turn to people like you to find out if our questions make sense and are easy to
understand and answer. The survey we'll talk about today is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is
part of the U.S. Department of Education, who recently made some changes to their questionnaire. The research we’re doing
today will help us figure out if those changes are working for students like you, and it will help us improve the accuracy of our
data.
I'm going to go through the questionnaire like a real interview, but I'm mainly interested in your reactions to the questions. So
after we go through some of the questions, I'll stop and ask you some follow up questions about the survey questions you
answered. For example, I might reread a question from the survey, and ask you what certain words or phrases in the question
mean to you, or what you were thinking about when you were answering. There are no right or wrong answers, we just want to
know your thoughts and reactions to the questions to help us make them better so that other students like you can easily
understand them.
The things we will talk about in the interview today will only be used in our research to help us improve the survey. Your name
will not be attached to anything you say. Direct quotes may be used in research papers and professional presentations, but your
name and any names you might mention today will never be used in our reports and presentations. Your participation in this
study is completely voluntary. You can refuse to answer or skip over any particular questions. If at any time you decide you do
not want to go on, that is your choice and you may stop. Please feel free to ask me any questions at anytime. I may not be able
to answer every question you have, but I will try.

50

Section 3: Taping:
I'd like to ask for your permission to audio tape the session today. The main reason we tape these interviews is so that we don't
have to rely on notes or our memories later. This allows me to concentrate on what you're saying during the interview. What you
say on the tape may be used only for research purposes and cannot be told to anybody else not working on this project except
as required by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573).
Do you have any questions about the recording?
AFTER ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND GIVING FURTHER EXPLANATION, CONTINUE. IF THE PARTICIPANT IS NO
LONGER INETERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, THANK THE PARTICIPANT FOR HIS/HER TIME AND END THE INTERVIEW.

Section 4: Informed Consent
[If student is under 18]:
Your parent signed a form giving you permission to participate today. I am going to tell you about what was in that document.
The document that your parent signed explains the purpose of the study and how we will protect your information. In addition to
what I have just mentioned about never sharing your name or any names you say during the interview, I would like to draw your
attention to the fact that:
•
•
•
•

Your participation is voluntary and you may stop the interview at any time
You can refuse to answer any of the questions asked or take a break at any time
Your responses in this study may be used only for research purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, except as required by law. (20 U.S.C. § 9573)
As stated in the form, we would like to record this interview to assist in our ability to write a report summarizing the
interview.

[If student is 18]:
Before we start, I’m going to give you a written consent form.
HAND 1 COPY OF THE INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT TO THE PARTICIPANT
This document explains the purpose of the study and how we will protect your information. In addition to what I have just
mentioned about never sharing your name or any names you say during the interview, I would like to draw your attention to the
fact that:
•
•
•
•

Your participation is voluntary and you may stop the interview at any time
You can refuse to answer any of the questions asked or take a break at any time
Your responses in this study may be used only for research purposes and will not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable
form for any other purpose, except as required by law. (20 U.S.C. § 9573)
As stated in the form, we would like to record this interview to assist in our ability to write a report summarizing the
interview.

Thank you for signing the consent form. I will also sign this form to show that I agree to everything in the form. At the end of the
interview, I’ll be sure to give you a copy for you to take with you.
7. ASK PARTICIPANT IF (S)HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT FORM.
8. IF PARTICIPANT AGREES, OBTAIN THE RESPONDENT’S SIGNATURE TO PROCEED ON ONE COPY OF THE
FORM; INTERVIEWER SHOULD ALSO SIGN THE FORM AT THIS TIME.
9. MAKE SURE RESPONDENT TAKES ONE COPY WITH THEM WHEN THE INTERVIEW IS OVER AT THE END OF
THE INTERVIEW.

51

[All students]:
Are you comfortable with me recording this interview?
IF PARTICIPANT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION AUDIO-TAPED:
I’m going to turn on the recorder now, and once it is on, I’m going to ask for your permission to record today, and then we will get
started.
TURN ON TAPE RECORDER, ASK FOR PERMISSION TO RECORD ON THE TAPE, AND BEGIN THE INTERVIEW.
OK, let’s begin.
INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTIONS:
NOTE ANY CONFUSION OR DIFFICULTIES RESPONDENTS HAVE WITH THE QUESTIONS.
RETROSPECTIVE PROBING (R=respondent):
IF YOU NOTICED R HAVING COGNITIVE DIFFICULTY ANSWERING ANY OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ARE PROBING ON,
MAKE SURE TO PROBE ON R’S DIFFICULTY WITH THE QUESTION. GO THROUGH THE SURVEY WITHOUT PROBING
UNTIL YOU GET TO QUESTION 37. GO THROUGH THE RETROSPECTIVE PROBES WITH R. BE SURE TO PROBE ON
ANY OF THE RESPONDENT’S APPARENT DIFFICULTY OR HESITATION. AFTER ALL PROBES, CONTINUE THE SURVEY
AT QUESTION 38, FOLLOWED BY THE DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS.

52

NOTICE - We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Section 8. Section 9 of this law requires us to keep all information
about you and your household strictly confidential. We may use this information only for statistical purposes. Also, Title 42, Section 3732, United States Code,
authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice, to collect information using this survey. Title 42, Sections 3789g and 3735, United States Code also
requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential.

ASK OF ALL PEOPLE AGES 12-18

FORM

SCS-1

Economics and Statistics Administration

We estimate that it will take from 5 to 15 minutes to complete this interview with 10 minutes
being the average time. If you have any comments regarding these estimates or any other
aspect of this survey, send them to the Associate Director for Finance and Administration,
Room 2027, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington DC 20233, or to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. According to
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no such persons are required to respond to a collection
of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.

U.S. Census Bureau
ACTING AS COLLECTING AGENCY FOR THE
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT
TO THE NATIONAL CRIME
VICTIMIZATION SURVEY
2017

Control number
Survey Code PSU Frame Code Sample Designation/Suffix Sequence # HH # Time of
Interview

Line No.



Age

002 

003 

005

C. Type of SCS Interview
1
2
3
4
5

Name

D. Reason for SCS noninterview

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Complete an SCS-1 form for all
NCVS interviewed people ages 12-18. Do NOT complete an
SCS-1 form for Type Z noninterview people or for people in
Type A noninterview households.

004

QUESTIONNAIRE

B. Respondent

A. FR Code
001

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Personal - Self
Telephone – Self
Personal - Proxy
Telephone - Proxy
Noninterview – SKIP to ITEM D

2  Refused – Respondent refused
For themselves
3  Not available
4  NCVS completed in a
Language other than
English or Spanish
5  Unknown reason (Internal
category created for post data
collection processing)
6  Refused – Parent or other
Person refused for respondent

SKIP to END

E. SCREEN QUESTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENT
E_ATTENDSCHOOL

1a.

Did you attend school at any time this school year?
_________________________________________

E_HOMESCHOOL

1b.

During that time, were you ever homeschooled?
That is, did you receive ANY of that schooling at
home, rather than in a public or private school?
_________________________________________

092

1  Yes - SKIP to END
2  No
___________________________________________

Was all of your schooling this school year
homeschooling?
____________________________________________

007

E_DIFFSCHOOL_ATTENDED

1d.

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q1d

____________________________________________

E_ALLHOMESCHOOL

1c.

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to END
_____________________________________________
006

185SCS 1  One school
2  Two schools
3  Three or more schools

How many different schools have you
attended this school year?
Include your homeschooling as one school.
(only asked if student answered “yes” to being
homeschooled)

53

E_WHATGRADE

2b.

008

What grade are you in?

0  Fifth or under - SKIP to END
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

E_WHATGRADEOTHER

Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Other - Specify

SKIP to INTRO_2

9  College/GED/Post-graduate/
Other noneligible - SKIP to END
INTRO_2

INTERVIEWER - Read introduction if R was homeschooled part of the year (Q1b = “Yes” and Q1c = “No”); ELSE skip to Q6
The following questions pertain only to your attendance at a public or private school and not to being homeschooled.
6.

Grades:

What grades are taught in your school?
Pre-K or Kindergarten

00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
30

020

 (lowest) F_GRADES_LOW
TO

021

H.S. Senior
Post-graduate
All ungraded
All Special Education

54

 (highest) F_GRADES_HIGH

 
 

10. The next questions are about security measures that
some schools take.

 
Yes

Does your school have:

No

F_SAFETY_POLICE

s. Security guards or assigned police officers?
t.

Other adults supervising the hallway, such as
teachers, administrators, or parent volunteers?

F_SAFETY_ METAL_DETECTORS

u. Metal detectors, including wands?
(The definition for the term ‘metal detector’ is a device used to
check for weapons students might be trying to bring onto school
property. The metal detector may be in a form of a doorframe,
which you are asked to walk through. It may also be in the form
of a hand-held metal detector that looks like a wand or paddle,
which is moved around your body.)

F_SAFETY_DOORS_LOCKED

v. Locked entrance or exit doors during the day?

029
 

1

2

3 

030

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

1

2

3 

Yes

No

Don’t know

167

1

2

3

156

1
2
3
4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
032

 

F_SAFETY_LOCKER_CHECKS

Locker checks?

033

F_SAFETY_STUDENT_ID

 

y. A requirement that students wear badges or
picture identification?

094
 

F_SAFETY_CAMERAS

z.

3 

 

A requirement that visitors sign in AND wear
visitor badges or stickers?

x.

2

 

031

F_SAFETY_SIGN_IN

w.

1

028

F_SAFETY HALLSTAFF

 

One or more security cameras to monitor
the school?

095
 

F_SAFETY_CODE_OF_CONDUCT

 

aa. A code of student conduct, that is, a set of
written rules or guidelines that the school
provides you?

096

F_REPORT

11.

If you hear about a threat to school or student safety,
do you have a way to report it without having to give
your name?

F_DISTRACTED

12.

Don’t know School does not
have lockers

In your classes, how often are you distracted from
doing your schoolwork because other students are
misbehaving, for example, talking or fighting?

(READ CATEGORIES.)

55

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

4 

13.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

F_RULES_FAIR

a.

The school rules are fair.

F_PUNISHMENT_SAME

b.

The punishment for breaking school rules is the
same no matter who you are.

F_RULES_ENFORCED

c.

The school rules are strictly enforced.
(Strictly enforced rules means that the school
consistently carries out disciplinary actions against
any students who break school rules.)

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Strongly
Disagree Disagree

035

1

2

3

4

036

1

2

3

4

037

1

2

3

4

038

1

2

3

4

127

1

2

3

4

F_PUNISHMENT_KNOWN

d. If a school rule is broken, students know what
kind of punishment will follow.

F_TEACHERS_RESPECT

e. Teachers treat students with respect.

14.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree
Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

There is a TEACHER or other ADULT at school who…

F_ADULT_REALLYCARES

c.

173SCS 1 

2

3

4

Listens to you when you have something to
say.

175SCS 1 

2

3

4

Tells you when you do a good job.

176SCS 1 

2

3

4

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Really cares about you.

F_ADULT_LISTENS

b.

F_ADULT_GOOD_JOB

c.
15.

Still thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following…

Strongly
Agree
Agree

There is a STUDENT at school who…

186SCS 1 

a.

Really cares about you.

187SCS 1 

b.

Listens to you when you have something to say.

188SCS 1 

c.

Believes that you will be a success.

F_STUDENT_REALLYCARES

2

3

4

2

3

4

2

3

4

F_STUDENT_LISTENS

F_STUDENT_SUCCESS

18.

Thinking about your school, would you strongly
agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following...

Strongly
Agree
Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

F_SAFE_IN_SCHOOL

You feel safe in your school

189SCS 1 

56

2

3

4

SCS_INTRO 3

Now I have some questions about things that happen at school. For this survey, “at school”
includes the school building, on school property, on a school bus, or going to and from
school. Your answers will not be given to anyone.

19.

The following question refers to the availability of
drugs and alcohol at your school.

Yes

No

040

1

2

041

1

2

159

1

2

209SCS

1

2

Is it possible for students at your school to get…
F_ ALCOHOL

a. Alcoholic beverages?
F_MARIJUANA

b. Marijuana, also known as pot, weed or mary jane?
F_PRESCRIPTION_DRUGS

c. Prescription drugs illegally obtained without a
prescription, such as Oxycontin, Ritalin, or
Adderall?
F_OTHER_ILLEGAL

d. Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, uppers,
or heroin?

G. FIGHTING, BULLYING AND HATE BEHAVIORS
G_FIGHT_AT_SCHOOL

21a.

103

During this school year, have you been in one or
more physical fights at school?

G_FIGHT_HOW_OFTEN

21b.

104

During this school year, how many times have you
been in a physical fight at school?

57

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q22

 (Number of times)

22.

Now I have some questions about what students do
at school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to
you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You may
include events you told me about already. During
this school year, has any student bullied you?
That is, has another student...
(Read each category a-g.)

G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted
you, in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others
dislike you?

G_BULLY_RUMOR

Yes

No

134

1

2

135

1

2

G_BULLY_THREAT

c. Threatened you with harm?

136

1

2

d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you?

137

1

2

e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to
do, for example, give them money or other
things?

138

1

2

139

1

2

140

1

2  If all categories a-g are
marked “No” SKIP to
Q37 on page 13

G_BULLY_CONTACT
G_BULLY_COERCED

G_BULLY_EXCLUDED

f.

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

G_BULLY_DESTROYED_PROP

g.

Destroyed your property on purpose?

23.

During this school year, did any of these things
happen on more than one day?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: Q27 on page 11

24.

During this school year, what month did the bullying
start?

1  January
2  February
3  March
4  April
5  May
6  June
7  July
8  August
9  September
10  October
11  November
12  December

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE – If the respondent says that the
bullying started before this school year, ask the respondent
what month school started this year.

58

25.

1  January
2  February
3  March
4  April
5  May
6  June
7  July
8  August
9  September
10  October
11  November
12  December
13  Still happening

What month did the bullying stop?

IF START AND STOP MONTH ARE THE SAME, then go to Q26a. Else SKIP to Q26b.
G_BULLY_HOW_OFTEN

26a.

During {start/stop month} of this school year, how
often were you bullied?

142

1  Almost every day
2  About 3 to 4 times a week
3  About once a week
4  About once or twice in {start/stop month}

142

1  Almost every day
2  About 3 to 4 times a week
3  About once a week
4  About once or twice a month, or
5  About once or twice between {start month}
and {stop month}.

(READ CATEGORIES 1-4.)
G_BULLY_HOW_OFTEN

26b.

Between {start month} and {stop month} of this
school year, how often were you bullied?

(READ CATEGORIES 1-5.)

G_BULLY_OVER_AND_OVER

27.

Did you think the bullying would happen again?

1  Yes
2  No

28.

Thinking about the [time/times] you were bullied this
school year, did more than one person do these
things to you?

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: Q30 on page 12

29.

Did these people act alone, together as a team, or
both?

1  Alone
2  Together
3  Both
3  Don’t know

59

G_BULLY_MORE_POWER

30.

Now I have some additional questions about the
time [another student/ other students] {behavior1},
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the
[person/ people] who did these things to you this
school year,
Yes

No

1

2

1

2

[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more money than you?

1

2

m. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have the ability to influence what other
students think of you?

1

2

1

2

j. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger
than you?
k.[Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] more popular than you?
l.

n. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more power than you in another
way?
G_BULLY_WHERE1 through G_BULLY_WHERE8

31.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur …
(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply

G_BULLY_WHERE_SPECIFY

Where is the other place where bullying occurred?

G_BULLY_ADULT_TOLD

32.

33.

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school
about being bullied?

1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school
building? – Specify _____________
144
6  Outside on school grounds?
145
7  On the way to or from school such as on a
school bus or at a bus stop?
211SCS 8  Online or by text?

143
168
169
173
146

147

1  Yes
2  No

Not
at all

This school year, how much has bullying had a
NEGATIVE effect on:
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

G_SCHOOL_WORK

Not very Somewhat
much

A lot

196SCS

1 2 3 4 

197SCS

1 2 3 4 

How you feel about YOURSELF.

198SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR physical health for example, caused
injuries, gave you headaches or stomach
aches.

199SCS

1 2 3 4 

g.

YOUR school work.

h.

YOUR relationships with friends or family.

i.

d.

G_RELATION_FRIEND_FAMILY
G_ABOUT_YOURSELF

G_PHYSICAL_HEALTH

60

34.

 

When you were bullied in school this year, did
you ever think it was related to ...

Yes

No

1

2

 

201SCS

1

2

 

202SCS

1

2

 

203SCS

1

2

 

204SCS

1

2

 

205SCS


1

2

 

206SCS

1

2

 

G_BULLY_RACE

o.

YOUR race?

200SCS

G_BULLY_RELIGION

p.

 

YOUR religion?

G_BULLY_ETHNIC_ORIGIN

q.

 

YOUR ethnic background or national origin
- for example, people of Hispanic origin?

 

G_BULLYING_DISABILITY

r.

 

Any disability you may have – such as
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities?

 
 

G_BULLYING_GENDER

s.

YOUR gender?

t.

YOUR sexual orientation - by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or straight?

G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION
G_BULLYING_APPEARANCE

u.

YOUR physical appearance?
.

 

 


G_HATE

35.

36.

During this school year, has anyone called you an
insulting or bad name at school having to do with
your race, religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation? We
call these hate-related words.

065

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to Q37

Were any of the hate-related words related to ...

Yes

No

Don’t know

107SCS

1

2

3

108SCS

1

2

3

109SCS

1

2

3

110SCS

1

2

3

111SCS

1

2

3

112SCS

1

2

3

G_HATE_RACE

a.

Your race?

G_HATE_RELIGION

b.

Your religion?

G_HATE_ETHNICITY

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin- for
example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_HATE_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as physical,
mental, or developmental disabilities?

G_HATE_GENDER

e.

Your gender?

G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION

f.

Your sexual orientation – by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual or straight?

G_HATE_WORDS

37.

During this school year, have you seen any
hate-related words or symbols written in school
classrooms, school bathrooms, school hallways, or
on the outside of your school building?

61

066

1  Yes
2  No

Probes (Q22):
Now I have a few questions about some of the items you just answered.
Earlier I asked you this question: [HAND R THE SINGLE PAGE OF Q22 TO REFERENCE, R WILL
REFERENCE THIS THROUGH THE INTERVIEW, SO DON’T TAKE IT BACK]
If any Q22 a – g = yes:
When I asked you if any student had bullied you and read a list of things bullies might do,
you said yes to items _______ [SAY WHICH LETTERS R SAID YES TO, DO NOT READ BEHAVIORS. Ex –
“you said yes to items b and d”].
p. Can you tell me about what happened?

If Q22 = no to all:
When I asked you if any student had bullied you and read a list of things bullies might do,
you said no to all items.
q. Did any of those things happen to you that you didn’t count as bullying? Can you tell me
more about why you didn’t include them here?
r.

Did other students do any other things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you?
Can you tell me more about that?

s. [If applicable] Do you think those things they did count as bullying? (Why or Why not?)
All respondents:
t. Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be bullied?

u. What kinds of behavior do you think count as bullying? (Why?)

v. Are there other examples of bullying that we didn’t ask about?
w.

When you were answering this question (point to Q22, were you thinking
of any things that other students did that made you feel bad or were
hurtful to you that didn’t happen at school?

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO: PROBE E (Q26) on page 15.
Probes (Q24):
When I asked, “During this school year, what month did the bullying start?” You answered
______.

a. Was it easy or difficult for you to answer this question?

Why?

Probes (Q25):
When I asked, “During this school year, what month did the bullying stop?” You answered
______.
a. (If R answered current month) Can you tell me why you answered the way you did? (If
necessary) Is the bullying still going on?
b. (If R answered the same month for start and stop months) Can you tell me why you
answered the way you did?
c. Was it easy or difficult for you to answer this question? Why?

62

Probes (Q26a & 26b):
Interviewer note: We want to know the frequency and pattern to see if these categories work
for most cases. For example, if they were bullied twice a week for a month and then it
stopped, how do they respond? Do they have trouble answering this question?
IF R SAID YES TO Q23:
ALTERNATE Q26:
Now I am going to read you another question that I’d like you to answer.
During this school year, how many days were you bullied?
1  One day
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days
z.

Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

aa. (If necessary) Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this
question? Why?
IF R ANSWERED Q26A (SAME START/STOP MONTH):
Earlier I asked you, ”DURING {start/stop month} of this school year, how often were you
bullied?” The options were ”Almost every day, About 3 to 4 times a week, About once a week, or
About once or twice in {start/stop month}.” You answered ______.
bb. Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this question? Why?
IF R ANSWERED Q26B (DIFFERENT START/STOP MONTH):
Earlier I asked you, ”Between {start month} and {stop month} of this school year, how often
were you bullied?” The options were ”Almost every day, About 3 to 4 times a week, About once a
week, About once or twice a month, or About once or twice between {start month} and {stop
month}.” You answered ______.
cc. Was it easy or difficult for you to come up with your answer to this question? Why?
ALL RESPONDENTS:
dd. [HAND R PAGE WITH 2 VERSIONS OF Q26 AND A PEN] Please take a minute to read the
following situation. After you finish reading it, I’d like you to pretend that you are
Mark and answer both questions how you think Mark would answer them. There are no right
or wrong answers.
[WAIT FOR R TO ANSWER Qs] Can you tell me why you answered the way you did for A? What
about B?
ee. Is one of these questions easier to answer than the other? Why or why not?

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO: PROBES (Q30) ON PAGE 17.

63

Probes (Q27):
Earlier I asked you, “Did you think the bullying would happen again?” You answered ___.

j.

Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

k. If someone did something that made you feel bad or was hurtful only one time and it is
not likely to happen again, could it be considered bullying? (Why or why not?)

Probes (Q29): (skipped if Q28 = no)
Interviewer note: We want to know if they experienced multiple isolated incidents by different
people, or if the same person did multiple things.

Now let’s think about this question: “Did these people act alone, together as a team, or
both?” You answered ____.
All respondents:
q. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?
r.

How many different people bullied you?

s. What does the phrase “together as a team” mean to you in this question?

If Q29 = Alone or Both:

t.

Did any of the people acting alone do more than one thing or do the same thing more than
once?

u. (If necessary) Can you tell me which people did the different things to bully you?

v. Even though these people acted alone, do you think that some of the things that
different people did to you were related in some way? Can you tell me more about that?

If Q29 = Together or DK:

w. (If necessary) Can you tell me more about the people who bullied you in each incident?

All respondents:
x. (If necessary) What bullying incidents were you thinking of when you were answering this
question?

64

Probes (Q30):
If any in Q22 = yes: Earlier I asked you about whether [the person was/ the people were
/anyone in the group was] bigger, stronger, more popular, had more money, had the ability to
influence what other students think of you, or had more power than you in some other way. Here
are those questions for you to look at when I ask the next questions. [HAND R PAGE WITH Q30
WITH APPROPRIATE FILLS]
If all in Q22 = no: Now I am going to read you some questions you would have been asked if
other students had done things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you at school. You do
not have to answer the questions. Instead, after I read them, I am going to ask you some
follow up questions to get your thoughts and opinions. Here are those questions for you to
look at while I read them and ask follow up questions. HAND R PAGE WITH Q30 WITH GROUP FILLS.
All respondents:
bb. Another question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the
group] have the ability to influence what other students think of you?” Can you tell
me, in your own words, what this question is asking?
cc. Another question asks “[Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone in the
group] have more power than you in another way?” What does the phrase “have more power
than you” mean to you in this question?

If Q30e = yes:
dd. You said yes to Q30e. In what other way did they have more power than you?

All respondents:
ee. We gave four examples of having more power – being bigger or stronger, being more
popular, having more money, or being able to influence what others think of you. Do you
think that these are ways bullies have more power over someone? Why or why not?
ff. If a group of students are working together to bully a student named Mark, do you think
they would have more power over Mark? (IF yes): Is this true even if none of the
students in the group are bigger, stronger, more popular, have more money, or can
influence what others think of Mark? (Why or why not?)

Interviewer note: We want to determine if respondent believes that given all else equal, the
outnumbering of students is considering having power.

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, CONTINUE TO: PROBES (Q31).

65

Interviewer note: We want to determine if respondent believes that given all else equal, the
outnumbering of students is considering having power.

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, CONTINUE TO: PROBES (Q31).
Probes (Q31):
If any in Q22= yes: Earlier I asked, “Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur?” One of the options I read was “online or by text.”

If all in Q22 = no: Now I am going to show you another question you would have been asked if
you said that other kids had done things that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you at
school. You do not have to answer the question. After you finish reading the question and
answer choices , I am going to ask you some follow up questions to get your thoughts and
opinions. [HAND R PAGE WITH Q31, WAIT FOR R TO FINISH READING, THEN ASK PROBES]

All respondents:
m. Can you tell me, in your own words, what it means to be bullied online or by text?

n. A little earlier I asked whether you were bullied (point to Q22 page if necessary). Were
you thinking of bullying that can happen online or by text when I first asked that
question, or just bullying that happens in person?

o. Did any kind of bullying happen to you online or by text that you did not think about or
didn’t mention when I first asked that question (point to Q22 page if necessary)? (Why
or why not?)

IF R SAID NO TO ALL ITEMS IN Q22, SKIP TO SURVEY QUESTIONS ON PAGE 20: H. AVOIDANCE (Q38)

66

Probes (Q32):
If no:
When I asked you, “Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school about being bullied?”
you said no.
g. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

h. Did somebody else tell a teacher or some other adult at school about you being bullied?

i.

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school about any things that other
students did that made you feel bad or were hurtful to you? If necessary: Can you tell
me more about that?

Probes (Q33):
I asked, “This school year, how much has bullying had a NEGATIVE effect on: YOUR school work,
YOUR relationships with friends or family, How you feel about YOURSELF, and YOUR physical
health for example, caused injuries, gave you headaches or stomach aches.”
All respondents:
i. Can you tell me, in your own words, what the phrase “had a negative effect” means to you
in this question?

If “Not at all” to 33a-d:
j. You answered “not at all” to all of the categories. Can you tell me why you answered
the way you did?

If “A lot” to any in 33a-d:
k. You answered “a lot” for item ___. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did?

l.

(Repeat for each item R answered “a lot” - if necessary) You also answered “a lot”
for item ___. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did for that one?

Probes (Q34):
If no to all in 34a-g:
When I asked you, “When you were bullied in school this year, did you ever think it was
related to…” your race, your gender, your physical appearance, and so on, you said no to all
categories.
e. Can you tell me why you answered the way you did? I can re-read you all of the
categories if that would be helpful.

f.

(If necessary) Did you feel you’d have to be certain that the incident was because you
had one of these characteristics for you to say “yes”? Or do you think you could say
“yes” even if you were not absolutely certain that was the reason you were bullied?

67

H. AVOIDANCE
38.

During this school year, did you ever STAY AWAY
from any of the following places because you
thought someone might attack or harm you there?

H_AVOID_SHORTCUT

Yes

No

For example, did you ever stay away from the
shortest route to school, because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

068

1

2

b.

The entrance into the school?

069

1

2

c.

Any hallways or stairs in school?

070

1

2

d.

Parts of the school cafeteria or lunchroom?

071

1

2

e.

Any school restrooms?

072

1

2

f.

Other places inside the school building?

073

1

2

g.

School parking lot?

074

1

2

h.

Other places on school grounds?

075

1

2

i.

School bus or bus stop?

208SCS

1

2

a.

H_AVOID_ENTRANCE

H_AVOID_HALLWAYS

H_AVOID_CAFETERIA

H_AVOID_RESTROOMS

H_AVOID_OTHER_PLACES
H_AVOID_PARKING_LOT

H_AVOID_OTHER_SCHOOL
H_SCHOOL_BUS_STOP

H_AVOID_ACTIVITIES

39a.

Did you AVOID any activities at your school because
you thought someone might attack or harm you?

H_AVOID_CLASSES

39b.

Did you AVOID any classes because you thought
someone might attack or harm you?

H_STAY_HOME

39c.

076

1  Yes
2  No

077

1  Yes
2  No

078

1  Yes
2  No

Did you stay home from school because you
thought someone might attack or harm you in the
school building, on school property, on a school
bus, or going to or from school?
I. FEAR

I_INTRO_FEAR: Sometimes, even if you can’t avoid a place, you may still be afraid of what might happen there.
I_AFRAID
40a.
How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you in the school building or on school
property?

079

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

080

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES.)
I_AFRAID_ON_BUS

40b.

How often are you afraid that someone will attack or
harm you on a school bus or on the way to and from
school?

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

68

I_AFRAID_NONSCHOOL

40c.

081

Besides the times you are in the school building, on
school property, on a school bus, or going to or from
school, how often are you afraid that someone will
attack or harm you?

1
2
3
4

Never
Almost never
Sometimes
Most of the time

(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)
L. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
L_GRADES

45.

116

During this school year, across all subjects have you
gotten mostly (READ CATEGORIES 1-5)

47.

Thinking about the future, do you think you will ...

A's
B's
C's
D's
F's
School does not give grades/no alphabetic
grade equivalent

Yes

No

117

1

2  -- END

3

118

1

2

3

L_SCHOOL_AFTER_SCHOOL

a. Attend school after high school, such as a college
or technical school? . . . . . . . . . .

1
2
3
4
5
6

Don't know

L_GRADUATE_4YR

b. Graduate from a 4-year college? . . . . . . . . . . .

69

Questions about brochure (before debriefing questions):
Hand R the brochure. “I have this brochure about the survey for you.” Pause for a second as they look over it. Do
not tell them to read it yet. If they start reading it without prompting, wait for them to finish before starting probes. If
they glance at it and look back up, begin with probe 1 below.
1. What is your first impression of the brochure? Would you read it if your parent gave it to you?
If the respondent has not yet read the brochure: “Please take a few minutes to look over the brochure.”
2. Having just answered this survey, does this brochure do a good job of explaining what the survey is about?
3. Is there anything you read that stands out about the brochure?
4. Is there anything that you do not like about the brochure?
5. What does the phrase “stay tuned” mean to you in this brochure?
Continue on to debriefing questions

70

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:
[IF R SEEMED UNCOMFORTABLE OR WOULDN’T SAY MUCH WHEN ANSWERING PROBES, PUT DOWN PEN/PROTOCOL
AND MAKE THE DB Qs FEEL MORE LIKE A CONVERSATION. THIS HAS MADE SOME Rs MORE COMFORTABLE AND
THEY THEN PROVIDED INFORMATION THEY DIDN’T SAY WHEN PROBED. SAY SOMETHING LIKE “Really, what
we’re trying to figure out today is how kids think about bullying. It’s just been a while
since I was in school, and we want to make sure that what we think kids think about bullying
is actually right.” FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE DB Qs SO THAT YOU CAN ASK THEM NATURALLY
WITHOUT READING FROM THE PROTOCOL IN THESE SITUATIONS.]
p. Overall, what did you think of this interview? Was it easy or difficult?

q. Do adults at your school talk to students about bullying? What do they say?

r.

Were there any questions you think some people might find difficult to answer?

s. Did you have any other thoughts about the topics we discussed today, or the
questions on this survey?

Those are all of the questions that I had for you today. Thank you very much for your participation.
Here is an envelope containing your $25.
Here is a voucher form that verifies I gave you the money.
Please complete the information in the highlighted areas and sign and date
TURN OFF THE TAPE RECORDER.
HAND THE CASH INCENTIVE TO THE PARTICIPANT.

71

Attachment 15: 
2017 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement Cognitive Pretesting Handouts 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

COGNITIVE PRETESTING OF THE
SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT TO THE
NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY

HANDOUTS USED DURING INTERVIEWS

	

Round 1 Handouts
Bullying prevalence question for reference during probing
22.

Now I have some questions about what students do at school that make you feel bad or
are hurtful to you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You may include events you told
me about already. During this school year, has any student bullied you?
That is, has another student...
a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others dislike you?
c. Threatened you with harm?
d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on you?
e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to do, for example, give them money or
other things?
f.

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

g. Destroyed your property on purpose?

2

Power imbalance question with different fills for students who were
bullied
25.

Now I have some additional questions about the time another student _________.
Thinking about the person who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was this person physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Was this person more popular than you?
c.

Did this person have more money than you?

d. Did this person have more power than you in another way?

(One)

25.

Now I have some additional questions about the time other students __________.
Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Were any of these people physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Were any of these people more popular than you?
c.

Did any of these people have more money than you?

d. Did any of these people have more power than you in another way?

(Multiple)

25.

Now I have some additional questions about the time other students __________.
Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was anyone in the group physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Was anyone in the group more popular than you?
c.

Did anyone in the group have more money than you?

d. Did anyone in the group have more power than you in another way?

(Group)

3

Hypothetical power imbalance question for students who were not
bullied
Q25. Now I have some additional questions about the time other students made fun of you, called
you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way, and Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you. Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was anyone in the group physically bigger or stronger than you?

b. Was anyone in the group more popular than you?

c.

Did anyone in the group have more money than you?

d. Did anyone in the group have more power than you in another way?

4

Frequency question with vignette and alternate versions
(order of question versions is varied in interviews)
A group of students made fun of Mark’s shoes every day for the first two weeks of school.
Because of this, Mark got his parents to buy him new shoes. When Mark started wearing his new
shoes the third week of school, the students stopped making fun of him for the rest of the school
year.

Pretend you are Mark. Answer all three questions how you think Mark would answer them.

A. During this school year, how many times were you bullied?
1  One time
2  Two times
3  Three to ten times
4  More than ten times

B. During this school year, how many days were you bullied?
1  One day
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days

C. During this school year, how often were you bullied?
1  Once or twice this school year
2  Once or twice a month
3  Once or twice a week
4  Almost every day

5

Round 2 Handouts
Bullying prevalence for reference during probing
22.

Now I have some questions about what students do at school that make you feel bad or
are hurtful to you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You may include events you told
me about already. During this school year, has any student bullied you?
That is, has another student...
a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others dislike you?
c. Threatened you with harm?
d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on you?
e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to do, for example, give them money or
other things?
f.

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

g. Destroyed your property on purpose?

6

Frequency question with vignette and alternate versions
(order of versions is varied in interviews)
A group of students made fun of Mark’s shoes every day for the first two weeks of school.
Because of this, Mark got his parents to buy him new shoes. When Mark started wearing his new
shoes the third week of school, the students stopped making fun of him for the rest of the school
year.

Pretend you are Mark. Answer all three questions how you think Mark would answer them.

A. During this school year, how many times were you bullied?
1  One time
2  Two times
3  Three to ten times
4  More than ten times

B. During this school year, how many days were you bullied?
1  One day
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days

C. During this school year, how often were you bullied?
1  Once or twice this school year
2  Once or twice a month
3  Once or twice a week
4  Almost every day

7

Power imbalance question with different fills for students who were
bullied
28.

Now I have some additional questions about the time another student _________.
Thinking about the person who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was this person physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Was this person more popular than you?
c.

Did this person have more money than you?

d. Did this person have the ability to influence what other students think of you?
e. Did this person have more power than you in another way?

(One)

28.

Now I have some additional questions about the time other students __________.
Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Were any of these people physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Were any of these people more popular than you?
c.

Did any of these people have more money than you?

d. Did any of these people have the ability to influence what other students think of you?
e. Did any of these people have more power than you in another way?

(Multiple)

28.

Now I have some additional questions about the time other students _____. Thinking
about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was anyone in the group physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Was anyone in the group more popular than you?
c.

Did anyone in the group have more money than you?

d. Did anyone in the group have the ability to influence what other students think of you?
e. Did anyone in the group have more power than you in another way?

8

(Group)

Hypothetical power imbalance question for students who were not
bullied
Q28. Now I have some additional questions about the time other students made fun of you, called
you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way, and Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you. Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was anyone in the group physically bigger or stronger than you?

b. Was anyone in the group more popular than you?

c.

Did anyone in the group have more money than you?

d. Did anyone in the group have the ability to influence what other students think of you?

e. Did anyone in the group have more power than you in another way?

Location of bullying question for reference for students who were not
bullied
29.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were bullied, where did the bullying occur?
Did it occur …
1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school building?
Where is the other place where bullying occurred?_____________
6  Outside on school grounds?
7  On the way to or from school such as on a school bus or at a bus stop?
8
Online or by text?

9

Round 3 Handouts
Bullying prevalence question for reference during probing
22.

Now I have some questions about what students do at school that make you feel bad or
are hurtful to you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You may include events you
told me about already. During this school year, has any student bullied you?
That is, has another student...
a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way?
b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others dislike you?
c. Threatened you with harm?
d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on you?
e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to do, for example, give them money or
other things?
f.

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

g. Destroyed your property on purpose?

10

Frequency question with vignette and alternate versions
(order of versions is varied in interviews)
A group of students made fun of Mark’s shoes every day for the first two weeks of school in
August. Because of this, Mark got his parents to buy him new shoes. When Mark started wearing
his new shoes the third week of school, the students stopped making fun of him for the rest of the
school year.

Pretend you are Mark. Answer both questions how you think Mark would answer them. There are
no right or wrong answers.

A. During this school year, how many days were you bullied?
1  One day
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days

B. During August of this school year, how often were you bullied?
1  Almost every day
2  About 3 to 4 times a week
3  About once or twice a week
4  About once or twice in August

11

Power imbalance question with different fills for students who were
bullied
30.

Now I have some additional questions about the time another student _________.
Thinking about the person who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was this person physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Was this person more popular than you?
c.

Did this person have more money than you?

d. Did this person have the ability to influence what other students think of you?
e. Did this person have more power than you in another way?

(One)

30.

Now I have some additional questions about the time other students __________.
Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Were any of these people physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Were any of these people more popular than you?
c.

Did any of these people have more money than you?

d. Did any of these people have the ability to influence what other students think of you?
e. Did any of these people have more power than you in another way?

(Multiple)

30.

Now I have some additional questions about the time other students _____. Thinking
about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was anyone in the group physically bigger or stronger than you?
b. Was anyone in the group more popular than you?
c.

Did anyone in the group have more money than you?

d. Did anyone in the group have the ability to influence what other students think of you?
e. Did anyone in the group have more power than you in another way?

12

(Group)

Hypothetical power imbalance question for students who were not
bullied
Q30. Now I have some additional questions about the time other students made fun of you, called
you names, or insulted you, in a hurtful way, and Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you. Thinking about the people who did these things to you this school year,

a. Was anyone in the group physically bigger or stronger than you?

b. Was anyone in the group more popular than you?

c.

Did anyone in the group have more money than you?

d. Did anyone in the group have the ability to influence what other students think of you?

e. Did anyone in the group have more power than you in another way?

Location of bullying question for reference for students who were not
bullied
31.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were bullied, where did the bullying occur?
Did it occur …
1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school building?
Where is the other place where bullying occurred?_____________
6  Outside on school grounds?
7  On the way to or from school such as on a school bus or at a bus stop?
8  Online or by text?

13

School Crime Supplement student brochure

14

15

Attachment 16: 
2017 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement finalized bullying section 
 

FINALIZED BULLYING SECTION 
22.

Now I have some questions about what students do
at school that make you feel bad or are hurtful to
you. We often refer to this as being bullied. You
may include events you told me about already.
During this school year, has any student bullied
you?
That is, has another student...
(Read each category a-g.)

G_BULLY_MADE_FUN

Yes

No

a. Made fun of you, called you names, or insulted
you, in a hurtful way?

134

1

2

b. Spread rumors about you or tried to make others
dislike you?

135

1

2

c. Threatened you with harm?

136

1

2

d. Pushed you, shoved you, tripped you, or spit on
you?

137

1

2

e. Tried to make you do things you did not want to
do, for example, give them money or other
things?

138

1

2

f.

139

1

2

140

1

2  If all categories a-g are
marked “No” SKIP to
G_HATE

G_BULLY_RUMOR

G_BULLY_THREAT

G_BULLY_CONTACT
G_BULLY_COERCED

G_BULLY_EXCLUDED

Excluded you from activities on purpose?

G_BULLY_DESTROYED_PROP

g.

Destroyed your property on purpose?

G_BULLY_DAY_PLUS
23a.
During this school year, how many days were you
bullied?
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

214SCS
1  One day – Go to G_BULLY_TIMES
2  Two days
3  Three to ten days
4  More than ten days

G_BULLY_TIMES
23b.
In that one day, how many times would you say
other students did those things that made you feel
bad or were hurtful to you?
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES 1-4)

215SCS
1
2
3
4
5
6

Once
Two to ten times
Eleven to fifty times
More than fifty times
Too many times to count
Don’t know

SKIP to G_BULLY_
HAPPEN_AGAIN

G_BULLY_HAPPEN_AGAIN

24.

Did you think the bullying would happen again?

216SCS
1  Yes
2  No

G_BULLY_MULTI_PERS
25.
Thinking about the [time/times] you were bullied this
school year, did more than one person do
[this/these things] to you?

G_BULLY_HOW_ACT
26.
Did these people act alone, together as a team, or
both?

217SCS
1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to: G_BULLY_STRONGER

218SCS
1  Alone
2  Together
3  Both
4  Don’t know

27.

Now I have some additional questions about the
time [another student/ other students] {behavior1},
{behavior2}, and {behaviorx…}. Thinking about the
[person/ people] who did [this/these things] to you
this school year,

G_BULLY_STRONGER
a. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] physically bigger or stronger
than you?

Yes

No

219SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_POPULAR
b. [Was this person/ Were any of these people/ Was
anyone in the group] more popular than you?

220SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_MONEY
c. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more money than you?

221SCS

1

2

G_BULLY_INFLUENCE
d. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have the ability to influence what other
students think of you?

222SCS

1

2

223SCS

1

2 

G_BULLY_OTHER_POWER
e. [Did this person/ Did any of these people/ Did anyone
in the group] have more power than you in another
way?

2

G_BULLY_WHERE1 through G_BULLY_WHERE8

28.

Still thinking about all of the times that you were
bullied, where did the bullying occur? Did it occur …
(READ CATEGORIES) Mark (X) all that apply

G_BULLY_WHERE_SPECIFY

Where is the other place where bullying occurred?

G_BULLY_ADULT_TOLD

29.

30.

Did you tell a teacher or some other adult at school
about being bullied?

1  In a classroom at school?
2  In a hallway or stairwell at school?
3  In a bathroom or locker room at school?
4  In a cafeteria or lunch room at school?
5  Somewhere else inside the school
building? – Specify _____________
144
6  Outside on school grounds?
145
7  On the way to or from school such as on a
school bus or at a bus stop?
211SCS 8  Online or by text?

143
168
169
173
146

147

1  Yes
2  No

Not
at all

This school year, how much has bullying had a
NEGATIVE effect on:
(READ ANSWER CATEGORIES)

G_SCHOOL_WORK

1 2 3 4 

197SCS

1 2 3 4 

How you feel about YOURSELF.

198SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR physical health for example, caused
injuries, gave you headaches or stomach
aches.

199SCS

1 2 3 4 

YOUR school work.

b.

YOUR relationships with friends or family.

c.

d.

G_RELATION_FRIEND_FAMILY
G_ABOUT_YOURSELF

G_PHYSICAL_HEALTH

31. When you were bullied in school this year, did you ever
think it was related to ...

 
Yes

No

1

2

 

201SCS

1

2

 

202SCS

1

2

 

203SCS

1

2

 

204SCS

1

2

 

205SCS


1

2

 

206SCS

1

2

 

G_BULLY_RACE

YOUR race?

200SCS

G_BULLY_RELIGION

b.

Your ethnic background or national origin for example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_BULLYING_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities?

G_BULLYING_GENDER

e.

YOUR gender?

f.

YOUR sexual orientation - by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or straight?

G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION
G_BULLYING_APPEARANCE

g.

 

YOUR religion?

G_BULLY_ETHNIC_ORIGIN

c.

A lot

196SCS

a.

a.

Not very Somewhat
much

YOUR physical appearance?
.

 
 

 
 
 
 

 


G_HATE

32.

During this school year, has anyone called you an
insulting or bad name at school having to do with
your race, religion, ethnic background or national
origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation? We
call these hate-related words.

065

1  Yes
2  No - SKIP to G_HATE_WORDS

3

33.

Yes

No

Don’t know

107SCS

1

2

3

108SCS

1

2

3

109SCS

1

2

3

110SCS

1

2

3

111SCS

1

2

3

112SCS

1

2

3

Were any of the hate-related words related to ...

G_HATE_RACE

a.

Your race?

G_HATE_RELIGION

b.

Your religion?

G_HATE_ETHNICITY

c.

Your ethnic background or national origin- for
example, people of Hispanic origin?

G_HATE_DISABILITY

d.

Any disability you may have – such as physical,
mental, or developmental disabilities?

G_HATE_GENDER

e.

Your gender?

G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION

f.

Your sexual orientation – by this we mean gay,
lesbian, bisexual or straight?

G_HATE_WORDS

34.

During this school year, have you seen any
hate-related words or symbols written in school
classrooms, school bathrooms, school hallways, or
on the outside of your school building?

066

1  Yes
2  No

4


File Typeapplication/pdf
File TitleMicrosoft Word - 2017 SCS OMB Part C. List of Attachments.docx
Authormorganra
File Modified2016-09-13
File Created2016-08-26

© 2024 OMB.report | Privacy Policy