Psychometric evaluation of the revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire in Japanese adolescents

School bullying is a major public health concern and is associated with adolescent mental health status. Although validated instruments exist to assess bullying victimization and witnessing in Japan, the psychometric validity of perpetration measures remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric validity of the revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ-R), focusing particularly on its perpetration subscale.

Data from a cross-sectional online self-report survey were collected from 339 students in Grades 4-9 from four private schools in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Participants completed the Japanese versions of the OBVQ-R, the Japan Ijime Scale (JaIS), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We conducted reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.

From the original 39-item OBVQ-R, all 10 victimization items were retained, whereas 6 perpetration items were included after excluding 4 items due to insufficient variability and low variance. The 16-item OBVQ-R total scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency overall, with satisfactory reliability for the victimization subscale but lower reliability for the perpetration subscale. Despite this, the two-factor OBVQ model showed excellent fit [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.995, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.018]. The JaIS model also demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = 0.973, RMSEA = 0.038). OBVQ-R perpetration was strongly associated with JaIS perpetration (β = 0.70) and significantly associated with conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems, as well as lower prosocial behavior.

Although the OBVQ-R victimization subscale demonstrated satisfactory reliability, the perpetration subscale showed limited internal consistency despite clear construct relevance and meaningful associations with psychosocial difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of assessing perpetration alongside victimization and witnessing, and the need for culturally sensitive adaptation of perpetration subscales to reduce reporting reluctance in the Japanese context and thus inform bullying prevention and intervention strategies.