Scale Overview
The Handling Bullying Questionnaire – HBQ was developed by Ken Rigby & Sheri Bauman (2006). It is designed to measure School bullying intervention strategies. The scale is intended for use with Teachers, school counselors, and school administrators.
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 Strategy Use: 1 – 2
- Unsure / Neutral: 3 – 3
- High Likelihood of Strategy Use: 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 = .75); Working with the bully (alpha = .69); Ignoring the incident (alpha = .70); Enlisting other adults (alpha = .63); Disciplining the bully (alpha = .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.