When they did , " they were seldom aware of positive and effective response " .sx This paper reports on the results of answers to questions on teasing and fighting , which 11-year-olds gave in interviews about themselves and school .sx We consider the extent and nature of teasing and fighting in general , and in relation to age , sex and ethnic group differences .sx Method The sample consisted of 175 children who had taken part in an earlier study , known as the Infant School Project , which looked at sex and ethnic group differences in relation to children's progress through infant school ( Tizard et al .sx , 1988) .sx All the children had entered reception classes in 33 ILEA schools , in September 1982 .sx The schools were in areas which were predominantly multi-ethnic and working class .sx The two largest ethnic groups were white British children and black British children of Afro-Caribbean origin , subsequently referred to as white and black children .sx A subsample of children from these two ethnic groups had been interviewed about their views on school when aged seven and in the last year of infant schooling .sx As part of a follow-up study of the Infant School Project sample at 11 years , these same children who had been interviewed at seven and who had not moved out of ILEA during the interim period , a total of 114 children , were interviewed again .sx In order to increase the number of interviewees , additional white and black children from the sample were selected from the 33 study schools .sx Thus the 175 children comprised of 41 black girls ( BG ) , 38 black boys ( BB ) , 46 white girls ( WG ) and 50 white boys ( WB) .sx The interview was structured and explored children's attitudes and feelings about a range of topics to do with school .sx Most questions were open-ended and allowed for more than one response .sx Children also used the Smiley Face Scale ( see Figure 1 ) , pointing to the face which best described how they felt - e.g. " How do you feel about fighting ?sx " .sx In order to have comparability with the earlier interview , questions remained largely unchanged , although wording was occasionally altered to take account of the older age range and some additional questions included to expand areas of interest .sx figure&caption .sx Each child was interviewed individually at school and was assured that what they told us was confidential .sx The interviews took place in the Spring term of 1989 when the children were in their fourth year of junior school , and they were told that questions referred to this year in particular .sx There were three white interviewers ( two females and one male ) and interviews took approx. 45 min .sx Results In discussing our results , the children's own comments will be used to illustrate the quantitative data .sx Since one of our aims was to look at differences between the two age groups , we compare the two data sets where appropriate .sx It should also be noted that because children often gave more than one response to open-ended questions , figures in some tables do not total 100 per cent .sx We begin by considering the overall prevalence of teasing and fighting .sx table&caption .sx As can be seen from Table 1 , almost all the sample for both ages said that children at their school were teased .sx When asked if this happened to them , approx. two-thirds say that it had .sx Fewer children at age 11 agree that racial teasing occurs or that it happens to them .sx It should be remembered that children were answering with regard to the current academic year - this represents approx. one and a half terms for the 11-year-olds .sx When asked if they were teased more , less or about the same as other children , over two-thirds ( 72 per cent ) said they were teased less and nearly a third ( 27 per cent ) said about the same .sx In considering continuity over time , we found that for the 114 children who were interviewed twice , there was very little association between their responses at seven years and their responses at 11 .sx However , there was one exception .sx Children who at seven said they teased other children were more likely to say the same again at 11 .sx Prevalence of teasing and fighting :sx age , sex and ethnic differences .sx ( a ) TEASING .sx Extent and nature :sx More boys than girls at 11 said they had been teased ( 73 vs 58 per cent) .sx At age seven , it was the other way around - more girls than boys - largely due to the fact that 84 per cent of the white girls were teased .sx This figure had dropped to 61 per cent at the second interview .sx We allowed three responses when children were describing how children at their school were teased , and two responses when they described how they themselves were teased .sx As is shown in Table 2 , by far the most frequently mentioned form of teasing was that of name-calling and verbal abuse .sx Very few children mentioned other forms of teasing such as physical abuse or being ostracized .sx More black children than white children say that children are teased about their clothes and accessories , particularly girls .sx Half of the black girls said this , compared with just under a quarter of the white girls .sx When describing how they themselves are teased , more girls than boys mention physical appearance .sx Thus to give some examples of answers to these questions :sx caption&table .sx " They take the mickey out of their eyes , the way they speak , what colour they are and where they come from - take mickey out of [their] teeth , when they have gaps like me , and say you have big ears .sx " ( WG ) .sx " Make fun of your nose , even though its sic !sx normal size .sx Shape of their body or what they wear , e.g. no name sic !sx trainers .sx " ( BB ) .sx This is a similar picture to that found at age seven years , with one important difference .sx Whereas teasing in the form of family insults features prominently in the junior school , no reference was made to this when the children were infants .sx Why children think they are teased :sx Of the children who said they were teased , 13 per cent were unable or unwilling to say why they thought this was .sx In Table 3 we list the most common responses given as to why children think they themselves are teased .sx These are that the teaser is being provocative , wanting a confrontation or even a fight ; that they think it is fun to tease and enjoy doing so ; that the teaser is in some way jealous ; that their prestige is enhanced ; and that what they say is accurate , or they dislike the person they are teasing .sx However , there was no significant difference between boys and girls and ethnic groups in the responses to this question .sx table&caption .sx Racial teasing :sx Although racial name-calling and verbal abuse was identified as a means of teasing , as shown in Tables 2 and 3 , we also asked specific questions to do with this type of teasing - e.g. " Do any children get teased because of the colour of their skin ?sx " .sx The following answers elucidate the situation :sx " Very much .sx Call you black this , black that .sx More whites than blacks , so I don't say anything to them .sx My friend is white , but others do it .sx For example , Paul goes over the limit - cusses Hannah's colour and then she gets really angry and then families get involved .sx Paul will get his dad who will have a go at Hannah and so it goes on .sx Sometimes they say they are joking but I say it's not a joking matter , shouldn't say things like that .sx " ( BB ) .sx " .sx .. it's white people teasing black or other way round .sx All colours tease each other - most of it swearing , some get expelled if really bad .sx " ( WG ) .sx For both age groups , significantly more black children than white children say they have been subjected to racist name-calling and verbal abuse :sx for the 11-year-olds , 27 per cent of black children , compared with 9 per cent of white children .sx However , it should be remembered that 42 per cent of the sample did not agree that children at their school were racially teased , and only 17 per cent admitted it happened to them .sx We shall return to this point in the discussion .sx What children do about being teased :sx One can see from Table 4 that in answer to the question " What do you do when you are teased ?sx " , retaliation of either a verbal or physical nature was the most frequent response .sx Verbal retaliation ( e.g. name-calling ) was cited more than physical retaliation .sx Reporting the incident to an adult ( i.e. " telling the teacher " ) was recorded less often .sx table&caption .sx Black boys were more likely to say they would retaliate verbally and less likely to say they would ignore being teased .sx Although not significant , more girls than boys mentioned physical retaliation , but this was often due to an escalation of the incident , which had started out with verbal abuse or name-calling , for example :sx " Tell them to shut up .sx If they keep going on , do it back to them and if they still go on , I'll hit them .sx " ( WG ) .sx How children compare themselves with others :sx Significantly more black children than white children say they are teased less than others ( 83 vs 62 per cent) .sx The two most frequent responses given as to why they were teased less were that other children were afraid of them and what they might do ( 44 per cent ) and/or they were popular and well - liked amongst their peers , which meant that they wouldn't be teased by them ( 35 per cent) .sx Thus to illustrate :sx " I'm the tallest in school therefore taken for granted that if they say something to me , I'll turn and whack them in the head .sx " ( BG ) .sx " Because the people who do it [tease] like me , they mostly do it to people they don't like .sx " ( WB ) .sx More boys than girls gave fear as the reason ( 49 vs 39 per cent ) for being teased less than others , and over half the black children in this group compared with a third of white children , although this disguises the fact that there were more black girls ( 58 per cent ; n = 15 ) and very few white girls ( 15 per cent ; n = 3) .sx More white girls in the 'teased less' group gave popularity than black girls ( 60 vs 19 per cent) .sx Being a tormentor :sx When it comes to being teasers themselves , 57 per cent admitted that they sometimes tease other children .sx This was often qualified , usually by saying that they only did it when it had been done to them or if they were angry or annoyed :sx " Sometimes if they call me names first , call them same names they call me .sx " ( BB ) .sx " Sometimes when they are really getting on my nerves - if they push me and keep on I get annoyed - [say] 'move you spasm' - when they stare at you or trip you up , I'll call them a name then .sx " ( BG ) .sx More white boys admitted to teasing than any of the other sex/ethnic groups ( 70 per cent for WB and approx. 50 per cent for each of the other three groups) .sx ( b ) FIGHTING .sx Extent and nature :sx Of the 104 children ( 59 per cent ) who said they were involved in fighting at school , there were significantly more boys than girls ( 74 vs 45 per cent) .sx A similar result was reported for the seven-year-olds .sx White boys ( 78 per cent ) got into fights more than black boys ( 68 per cent) .sx As to the reasons why they fought , the most frequently mentioned ( 75 per cent ) was that of provocation , either physical or verbal :sx " They say something about your mum and you don't really like it , so it gets into a fight from there .sx I'm not actually happy about fighting , but I'll do it if I have to - sometimes in your life you have to do it .sx " ( BB ) .sx How children feel about fighting :sx Using the Smiley Face Scale , 83 per cent of the sample pointed to faces indicating that they hated or disliked fighting .sx Reasons given for feeling like this were that fighting causes distress and/or pain ( 41 per cent ) ; for example :sx " Because it's horrible - sometimes you end up in tears .sx I'd rather be their friends than fight them .sx Sometimes it goes on for days .sx " ( WG ) .sx