Handling Bullying Questionnaire – HBQ
Measures the self-reported likelihood of school personnel using different strategies to handle school bullying incidents.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Handling Bullying Questionnaire – HBQ was developed by Ken Rigby & Sheri Bauman (2006). It is designed to measure Bullying intervention strategies. The scale is intended for use with School teachers, counselors, and school staff.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 22 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Working with the victim, Working with the bully, Ignoring the incident, Enlisting other adults, Disciplining the bully.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Working with the victim | 6,11,17,22 | 4 |
| Working with the bully | 5,9,12,19,21 | 5 |
| Ignoring the incident | 2,8,10,16,18 | 5 |
| Enlisting other adults | 4,13,14,15,20 | 5 |
| Disciplining the bully | 1,3,7 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = I definitely would not, 2 = I probably would not, 3 = I'm unsure, 4 = I probably would, 5 = I definitely would.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low likelihood of using this strategy: 1 – 2
- Unsure about using this strategy: 3 – 3
- High likelihood of using this strategy: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Working with the victim (alpha = 0.75); Working with the bully (alpha = 0.69); Ignoring the incident (alpha = 0.70); Enlisting other adults (alpha = 0.63); Disciplining the bully (alpha = 0.45).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.