Durban – The chances of being regularly bullied are higher for impoverished children, the HSRC says.

This is one of the “worrying trends” to emerge from an analysis of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss) data by the HSRC.

International studies have revealed that connections between status and bullying are subtle and it is more than just a question of who has a smartphone or designer shoes.

The chances of being regularly bullied at South African schools are highest among boys and girls at no-fee schools.

However, one fifth of pupils of low socio-economic status who attend independent schools are bullied weekly.