Negative school perceptions and involvement in school bullying: a universal relationship across 40 countries

Bullying at School, Cyberbullying, and Loneliness: National Representative Study of Adolescents in Denmark

AIMS

The aim was to examine how loneliness was associated with bullying victimization at school and online.

METHODS

We used data from the Danish arm of the international Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from 2022. The study population was a nationally representative sample of 11-15-year-olds who completed the internationally standardized HBSC questionnaire at school, n = 5382. Multilevel logistic regression was applied to study the associations between bullying victimization and loneliness.

RESULTS

The prevalence of reporting loneliness often or very often was 9.0%; 6.3% of the sample experienced habitual bullying victimization at school, and 4.8% incurred cyberbullying. There was a strong and graded association between loneliness and bullying victimization at school and cyberbullying. The associations were significant for boys and girls, and the association between exposure to bullying at school and loneliness was steeper for boys than girls. The gradients were steeper for physical bullying than for cyberbullying. Students exposed to habitual bullying in both contexts had an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 11.21 (6.99-17.98) for loneliness.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to bullying at school and cyberbullying are strongly associated with loneliness. It is important to reduce bullying at school and on the internet and to promote effective interventions to reduce continuing loneliness.

Recurrent headache, stomachache, and backpain among adolescents: association with exposure to bullying and parents' socioeconomic status

OBJECTIVES

Recurrent pain is a prevalent and severe public health problem among adolescents and is associated with several negative health outcomes. In a representative sample of adolescents this study examined 1) whether exposure to bullying and low socioeconomic status (SES) were associated with recurrent headache, stomachache and backpain, 2) the combined effect of exposure to bullying and low SES on recurrent pain and 3) whether SES modified the association between bullying and recurrent pain.

METHODS

Data derived from the Danish contribution to the international collaborative study Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC). The study population was students in three age groups, 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds from nationally representative samples of schools. We pooled participants from the surveys in 2010, 2014 and 2018, n=10,738.

RESULTS

The prevalence of recurrent pain defined as pain 'more than once a week' was high: 11.7 % reported recurrent headache, 6.1 % stomachache, and 12.1 % backpain. The proportion who reported at least one of these pains 'almost every day' was 9.8 %. Pain was significantly associated with exposure to bullying at school and low parental SES. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR, 95 % CI) for recurrent headache when exposed to both bullying and low SES was 2.69 (1.75-4.10). Equivalent estimates for recurrent stomachache were 5.80 (3.69-9.12), for backpain 3.79 (2.58-5.55), and for any recurrent pain 4.81 (3.25-7.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrent pain increased with exposure to bullying in all socioeconomic strata. Students with double exposure, i.e., to bullying and low SES, had the highest OR for recurrent pain. SES did not modify the association between bullying and recurrent pain.

Single-Item Happiness Measure Features Adequate Validity Among Adolescents

Background

Happiness is becoming increasingly relevant in recent research, including adolescents. Many studies are using the single-item measure for adolescent happiness, however, its validity is not well known. We aimed to examine the validity of this measure among adolescents in three countries from distinct European regions - Eastern (Lithuania), Southern (Portugal), and Western (Scotland).

Materials and Methods

The analysis included data from Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from three countries and three last surveys (2009/10, 2013/14, and 2017/18). The total sample comprised 47,439 schoolchildren. For validity, the indicators reflecting subjective health, life satisfaction, quality of life, well-being, social support, health complaints, bullying, and self-directed violence were assessed. The calculations were conducted in the total sample and by gender, age, survey year, and country.

Results

The different indicators of concurrent and convergent validity revealed consistent correlations with happiness, with better well-being, health, and subjective perceptions being related to higher happiness. Meanwhile, health complaints, bullying behaviors, and self-directed violence were related to lower happiness. The subgroup differences were consistent across gender, age groups, countries, and survey rounds. The extent of differences was more expressed among girls.

Conclusion

The single item for adolescent happiness measurement features a consistent pattern of validity concerning indicators of concurrent and convergent validity. Higher self-reported happiness is associated with better mental and physical health and well-being, and less expressed negative factors (complaints, bullying, and self-directed violence). In addition, among girls the correlations tend to be stronger than boys.

Depressive Symptoms and Negative Experiences in School: A Network Analysis

Negative experiences in school predict adolescents' depression. However, the dynamic interactions of depressive symptoms with adolescents' negative experiences in school remain unclear. This study aims to applied network analysis to detect the complex relationships between early adolescents' depressive symptoms and negative experiences in school. We adopted the data from a Chinese national survey conducted in 2018. Eight hundred ninety-seven adolescents from 10 to 15 years old were included. The measurements include an 8-item depression screener scale and a 14-item scale assessing negative experiences in school. The centrality analysis suggests that Chinese early adolescents' core depressive symptoms are negative affections. Regarding "negative experiences in the school," the most central nodes are poor academic performance and peer relationships. The bridge-centrality results show negative emotions in school and difficulties in peer relationships are significantly linked to depression. Educators should pay attention to adolescents' negative affection and difficulties in peer relationships in school settings because they are potential signs of depression. Relevant peer support intervention aiming for adolescents' social development should be underscored.

Peer relationships and stress: Indirect associations of dispositional mindfulness with depression, anxiety and loneliness via ways of coping

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents higher in the trait of dispositional mindfulness report fewer socioemotional problems. Focusing on the domain of peer stressors, we tested a model of adolescents' mindfulness as a resource that undergirds more constructive stress coping responses, in turn resulting in fewer socioemotional problems.

METHOD

The participants were 361 Australian secondary school students (40% boys; ages 11 to 18; M = 14.9 years; SD = 1.4). Each completed a questionnaire to report four facets of dispositional mindfulness; engagement and disengagement coping and involuntary stress responses to recent peer interpersonal stressful events; and socioemotional problems of loneliness, social anxiety, and depression.

RESULTS

Adolescents who reported more dispositional mindfulness, including facets of awareness, describing, non-judgement and non-reactivity, were lower in involuntary peer stress responses, disengagement coping, loneliness, social anxiety, and depression; associations of mindfulness facets with engagement coping were mixed. Mediational path models showed that almost all the significant negative associations of dispositional mindfulness with loneliness, social anxiety and depression were fully indirect via peer stress coping responses. Further, an alternative model, which tested whether loneliness, social anxiety and depression were the instigators of stress coping responses via mindfulness, had an adequate but poorer fit.

CONCLUSION

As hypothesized, the benefit of adolescents' dispositional mindfulness for reducing loneliness, social anxiety and depression seems to be indirect, with positive peer stress coping responses key mediators in these indirect pathways. It is less likely that the alternative occurs, whereby adolescents' socioemotional problems are the foundation for mindfulness and peer stress coping responses.

The Role of Aggressive Peer Norms in Elementary School Children's Perceptions of Classroom Peer Climate and School Adjustment

Although prior research has indicated that peer norms for aggression enhance the spread of aggression in classrooms, it is unclear to date how these norms relate to students’ classroom climate perceptions and school adjustment. Aggressive descriptive norms reflect the average aggression of all students in classrooms, whereas aggressive popularity norms represent the extent to which aggressive behavior relates to popularity among peers. This study examined the role of aggressive descriptive and popularity norms in the classroom climate perceptions (cooperation, conflict, cohesion, isolation) and school adjustment (feelings of belonging; social, academic, and general self-esteem) of popular, well-liked, and victimized children. Self-reported and peer-nominated data were obtained from 1511 children (M_age = 10.60 years, SD = 0.50; 47.2% girls) from 58 fifth-grade classrooms. The results indicated that aggressive descriptive and popularity norms both matter in elementary school, but in diverging ways. Specifically, aggressive descriptive norms—rather than popularity norms—contributed to negative classroom climate perceptions irrespective of students’ social position. In addition, whereas descriptive norms contributed to between-classroom variations in some aspects of school adjustment, aggressive popularity norms related to increased school maladjustment for popular and victimized children specifically. Thus, aggressive descriptive norms and popularity norms matter in complementary ways for children’s classroom climate perceptions and adjustment in elementary education.

Childhood cancer patients' baseline for social affiliation as a determining factor for the self-reported impact of person-based exclusion

OBJECTIVE

Childhood cancer patients experience a challenging reentry to social activities after diagnosis. This study aims to generate knowledge about the challenges experienced by childhood cancer patients with peers during and after treatment.

DESIGN

This study is a qualitative mixed study.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 70 children - 34 boys and 36 girls - aged 3 to 17 years who are affiliated with a pediatric oncology unit in Denmark.

FINDINGS

Childhood cancer patients experience two types of exclusion: (1) unavoidable diagnosis-related exclusion and (2) person-based exclusion from teachers, peers, and peers' parents. Person-based exclusion is manifested through the perceived insecurity of peers, misconceptions, and bullying. The impact and degree of these interactions partly depend on the patients' social affiliation prior to cancer.

IMPLICATION FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL PROVIDERS

There is a need to understand the exclusion experiences of childhood cancer patients and identify particularly vulnerable children to reduce the self-reported impact of person-based exclusion.

Trait anxiety and bystander motivation to defend victims of school bullying

INTRODUCTION

School-based bullying is an omnipresent problem, but is less frequent when bystanders are inclined to defend victims. This makes it important to focus on motivation to intervene in bullying.

METHODS

202 students (M_age = 16.44 years, 52% boys) from public Swedish high schools participated in a vignette experiment. Students were randomized to one of two vignettes (victim belonging to/not belonging to ingroup). Self-report measures of motivation to defend and trait anxiety were used.

RESULTS

Participants reported more autonomous motivation when the victim belonged to the ingroup and more extrinsic motivation when the victim did not belong to the ingroup. Trait anxiety interacted with the manipulation: bystanders high in anxiety reported low levels of autonomous motivation when the victim did not belong to the ingroup and low levels of extrinsic motivation when the victim belonged to the ingroup.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that anti-bullying-programs should focus on how defender motivation is influenced by the way in which victim ingroup status is perceived and address the bystander's level of anxiety as this interacts with such perceptions.

Internalizing symptoms and loneliness: Direct effects of mindfulness and protection against the negative effects of peer victimization and exclusion

Drawing from dispositional mindfulness research and stress and coping theories, we tested whether adolescents’ dispositional mindfulness was associated with perceptions of peer victimization and exclusion and internalizing symptoms. We further explored the role of dispositional mindfulness as a protective factor buffering the impact of peer victimization and exclusion (PVE) on internalizing symptoms. Participants were 361 (40% boys) adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years ( M = 14.9, SD = 1.4) who completed a questionnaire to assess dispositional mindfulness, perceptions of PVE, social anxiety and depressive symptoms, and loneliness. As expected, more frequent experience of PVE was associated with reporting more symptoms of social anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Further, adolescents who reported higher dispositional mindfulness also reported fewer symptoms of social anxiety, depression, and loneliness, even after controlling for gender and experiences of PVE. Dispositional mindfulness was not protective against (i.e., did not buffer) the effects of PVE on internalizing symptoms. Instead, we found that PVE had a stronger association with symptoms of social anxiety, depression, and loneliness when mindfulness was high relative to when it was medium or low. Yet, victimization was associated with greater social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and loneliness at all levels of mindfulness.

The Role of School-Related Well-Being for Adolescent Subjective Health Complaints

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the prevalence of chronic specific-site and multisite pain in adolescents and to investigate how it can possibly be determined by school-related factors.

METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 in Lithuania as a Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample consisted of 5730 school children, aged 11, 13, and 15 years. The analyzed data focused on the school-related context (relations with family, peers, and teachers; school demand, satisfaction, and bullying) of adolescents and subjective health complaints. The relationships between social support and health complaint variables were estimated using multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The most common subjective health complaint among respondents was a headache. Backache, headache, and stomachache were more common among girls than boys. All somatic complaints were expressed more in younger ages. Multisite complaints were more common among girls and were associated with age-older ones reported more complaints. School-related bullying, school demand, satisfaction, and social support were the most relevant and independent factors for multisite somatic complaints among adolescents.

Test-retest reliability of selected HBSC items measuring problem behaviour among Slovak and Czech adolescents

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of selected items based on self-reports, measuring problem behaviour in the Slovak and Czech version of the HBSC survey questionnaire.

METHODS

The data from test-retest study, based on an international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study and consistent with its methodology, were analysed. A sample of 580 primary school pupils (51.2% of boys), grades five and nine participated in a test and retest with a four-week interval. Six items concerning problem behaviour were evaluated overall and stratified by gender and age.

RESULTS

Analyses of test-retest reliability indicated modest (0.30 to 0.49), moderate (0.50 to 0.69), or high (0.70 to 1.00) reliability across nearly all questions, with some reliability differences in analyses by gender and age. In general, findings of present study suggest the moderate reliability of measures of smoking, drunkenness, fighting and negative relationship to school, modest reliability of measures of bullying behaviour, and low reliability of measure of truancy.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall findings of this study suggest that most of selected indicators in the HBSC survey questionnaire have satisfactory test-retest reliability. Further test-retest studies in a large and diverse sample, as well as validity studies, should be considered for the future HBSC study.

Adolescents' multiple and individual risk behaviors: Examining the link with excessive sugar consumption across 26 industrialized countries

RATIONALE

Despite the public health importance and policy relevance, no cross-national studies using large representative samples of adolescents have examined the relationship between high sugar consumption and involvement in risk behaviors.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines the relationship between high sugar consumption, in the form of sweets and chocolates and non-diet soft drinks, and involvement in peer violence and substance use. It also examines whether any such relationship is moderated by low socio-economic status (SES) and psychological well-being.

METHOD

The study included representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year olds in 26 countries (N = 137,284) using data from the Health Behaviors in School Aged Children (HBSC) 2013-14 study. The analysis involved multivariate logistic regression to predict involvement in both individual risk behaviors (physical fighting, bullying, cigarette use, alcohol use, and drunkenness) and multiple risk.

RESULTS

This study showed strong and consistent relationships between high sugar consumption and multiple and individual risk behaviors across 26 countries. With the exception of few countries, this relationship did not vary by family SES and adolescents' psychological health measured through psychosomatic health and life satisfaction, which had strong independent associations with multiple and individual risk behaviors. In the majority of countries, the association between high sugar consumption and multiple risk behavior was driven to a greater extent by the sugary drinks rather than sweets.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that unhealthy nutrition such as the intake of large quantities of sugary drinks and sweets and chocolates could be seen as a "red flag" signaling potential involvement in multiple risk behaviors.

Sufficient Social Support as a Possible Preventive Factor against Fighting and Bullying in School Children

Background: This study aims to explore how sufficient social support can act as a possible preventive factor against fighting and bullying in school-aged children in 9 European countries. Methods: Data for this study were collected during the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample consisted of 9 European countries, involving 43,667 school children in total, aged 11, 13 and 15 years. The analysed data focus on social context (relations with family, peers, and school) as well as risk behaviours such as smoking, drunkenness, fighting and bullying in adolescents. The relationships between social support and violent behaviour variables were estimated using multiple regression models and multivariate analyses. Results: Bullying, across 9 countries, was more prevalent than fighting, except for Armenia, Israel, and Poland. The prevalence among countries differed considerably, with fighting being most expressed in Armenia and bullying—in Latvia and Lithuania. The strongest risk factors for bullying and fighting were male gender (less expressed for bullying), smoking and alcohol consumption. In addition, for bullying the social support was similarly strong factor like above-mentioned factors, while for fighting—less significant, but still independent. All forms of social support were significantly relate with lower violent behaviour of school children, and family support was associated most strongly. Regardless the socioeconomic, historical, and cultural differences among selected countries, the enhancement and reinforcement of the social support from possible many different resources should be taken into consideration in prevention programs against school violence behaviours.

Student-teacher relationships and bullying: The role of student social status

Student-teacher relationships have been shown to influence bullying-related behaviors in students. This study considered the moderating role of students' social statuses in the classroom. The study sample included 435 students (48.7% females) taken from 18 Italian middle-school classrooms (i.e., sixth to eighth grade). A multigroup path analysis approach was employed to examine whether the effects of the student-teacher relationships on bullying-related behaviors differed among social statuses. The results showed that perceived conflict with the teacher was shown to have a significant positive effect on students' engagement in active bullying for students from all the statuses, except for neglected students. In particular, this effect was more relevant for rejected students. The results showed that social status and student-teacher relationships integrate and shed light on which roles are taken by young adolescents in school bullying, highlighting that it is important for the teachers to recognize these students.

Is Spiritual Well-Being Among Adolescents Associated with a Lower Level of Bullying Behaviour? The Mediating Effect of Perceived Bullying Behaviour of Peers

The aim of this study was to explore the association between spiritual well-being and bullying among Slovak adolescents, and whether perceived bullying behaviour of peers mediated this relationship. Data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study conducted in 2014 in Slovakia were used. Data were obtained from 9250 adolescents with a mean age of 13.48 years. The final sample consisted of 762 adolescents aged 15 years old (52.2% boys). We used logistic regression models and the Sobel test. Adolescents who reported a higher level of spiritual well-being were at lower risk of reporting that some or more schoolmates bully others or that they themselves bully others. These relationships were partially mediated by perceived norms about the bullying behaviour of schoolmates. Spiritual well-being was found to be negatively associated with bullying; in addition, a mediating role of perceived bullying behaviour of peers in this relationship was confirmed.

Body image and peer relationships: Unique associations of adolescents' social status and competence with peer- and self-reported appearance victimization

Adolescents were asked to nominate peers who experience appearance-related victimization or engage in appearance-related aggression, in order to examine the peer social status and competency correlates of receiving more nominations. Moreover, the correlates of peer-report vs. self-report appearance-related victimization were considered. Participants were 371 young Australian adolescents (55% girls, M_age = 12.0 years) who completed surveys. Results showed that victimized adolescents were rated as less liked, prosocial, popular and good-looking, and perceived themselves to be less attractive, less competent at sport and more teased by peers about appearance. Aggressive adolescents were rated as more popular and better looking, but also less prosocial. Aggressive adolescents also perceived themselves to be less academically but more romantically competent, and reported more appearance anxiety symptoms. Findings from peer-report measures generally support previous research findings using self-report measures, but the significant correlates did appear to differ between peer- and self-report of appearance victimization.

Democratic school health education in a post-communist country

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings of an intervention program built on the concept of children’s health literacy, particularly on its citizenship component. This intervention program employed the Investigation-Vision-Action-Change model for action-oriented teaching, where children were supported to investigate different health issues that affect them, create visions about desirable changes, and act toward desirable change. The intervention was implemented in the conditions of a post-communist country (Slovakia) where the majority of health education programs are behaviorally oriented, without giving space to children’s own perceptions and decisions. The study seeks to explore whether fostering children’s participation in forming the school environment improves the three selected factors of school well-being, namely, children’s perception of school, their subjective well-being, and violent behavior in school.

Design/methodology/approach

A cluster-randomized controlled trial design was used where ten classes of children aged nine to ten years were randomly assigned to either experimental (n=89) or control group (n=96). The dependent variables were pre- and post-tested using measures drawn from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study for Slovakia.

Findings

The intervention program was shown to yield empirically robust effects, given the significant improvement in children’s perceptions about school, violent behavior, and their well-being, with medium-to-large effect sizes (Hedges’s g ranging from 0.74 to 0.96).

Originality/value

The present study offers an effective approach to enhance the respect for the children’s views on issues that affect them, particularly within post-communist conditions.

National Time Trends in Bullying among Adolescents in the Czech Republic from 1994 to 2014

OBJECTIVE

Bullying in school is a public health concern which continues to be a serious threat to physical and emotional health of children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to examine trends in bullying behaviour among school-aged children in the Czech Republic.

METHODS

Data were obtained from cross-sectional self-report surveys in the years 1994-2014 as a part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC) from a representative sample of 11-, 13-, and 15-year olds.

RESULTS

The highest proportion of children who bullied others (20-47%) occurred during the years 1994 and 1998. The logistic regression models showed significant decreasing trends in bullying others and also in being bullied, regardless of age and gender.

CONCLUSION

The decreasing trend in bullying may be the consequence of a preventive policy in the Czech Republic, but also a change in the understanding of the concept of bullying in society.

Determinants of Bullying at School Depending on the Type of Community: Ecological Analysis of Secondary Schools in Poland

Ecological studies, when the school is the unit of analysis, may help to design and evaluate school intervention programs. The paper discusses selected contextual determinants of bullying, using data collected in Poland in 2015 and aggregated to school level (4085 students; 70 junior high schools). The main hypothesis is related to the neighborhood social capital as protective factor and the type of community as a modifier. The main dependent variable was the combined index of bullying which included three perspectives (victim, perpetrator, bystander). Student delinquent behavior was taken into account as potential determinant, along with selected characteristics of the school and neighborhood. The analyses were adjusted for the percentage of the surveyed boys. The overall bullying index ranged, depending on the school, from 0.88 to 4.07 points (out of 12 possible); intraclass coefficient ICC = 2.8%. In the entire sample, the main predictors of bullying were student delinquent behaviors as a risk factor and the school social climate as a protective factor (R² = 56.3%). The stratification of schools due to their location influences the inference regarding those main determinants. The dominating influence of delinquent behavior is visible only in big cities where bullying index showed the highest dispersion. In smaller towns and rural areas, the neighborhood social capital becomes an important protective factor; highly correlated with the school climate. We can conclude that strong social bonds in the community are supportive for school climate and can reduce the level of bullying at schools.

Adolescent cybervictimization - Who they turn to and their perceived school climate

The purpose of this study was to understand how adolescent cybervictims perceive their school climate and whether telling school community members, such as teachers, play a significant role in these perceptions. Another objective was to understand whether age and gender played a significant role in the relation between whom cybervictims told and their perceived school climate. The Cybervictims Scale for Adolescents and Children and the Perceived School Climate Scale were applied to 3525 Portuguese students of whom 218 were cybervictims attending 6th, 8th^, and 11th grades. Results showed that even though adolescent cybervictims reported cybervictimization more to friends and parents, those who told teachers about their experience, tended to report more positive perceptions of their school climate. Gender and age did not play a significant role in the relationship between cybervictimization and perceived school climate. Implications of the findings are discussed with regards to the role of teachers and in-service training in preventing cyberbullying.

School Indicators of Violence Experienced and Feeling Unsafe of Dutch LGB Versus Non-LGB Secondary Students and Staff, 2006-2010

Gender and sexual orientation are expressed in heterosexual, lesbian (L), gay (G), bisexual (B), transgender (T), or queer (Q) interests and behavior. Compared with heterosexual persons, LGBTQ persons seem to experience more antisocial behavior, including negative discrimination and violence. To assess differences in LGBTQ-related discrimination in schools, the question for this research is "Do the degrees of violence experienced and feeling unsafe of LGBTQ students and staff in a school differ from those of non-LGBTQ students and staff in the same school?" Secondary analysis was carried out on data from a Dutch national digital monitor survey on safety in secondary schools. In 2006, 2008, and 2010, participation amounted to 570 schools, 18,300 teaching and support staff, and 216,000 students. Four indicators were constructed at the school level: two Mokken Scale means assessing severity of violence experienced and two Alpha Scale means assessing feeling unsafe. Analysis of mean differences showed that LGB students experienced more violence and felt less safe than non-LGB students; LGB staff felt less safe in school than non-LGB staff. When LGB students experienced more violence at school than non-LGB students, LGB students also felt less safe than non-LGB students for all 3 years. No such relationships existed for LGB staff, or between LGB staff and LGB students. No significant relationships were found between the four LGB school indicators and contextual school variables. The outcomes and uniqueness of the study are discussed. Recommendations are made to improve assessment and promote prosocial behavior of students and staff in schools.

Early adolescents' motivations to defend victims in school bullying and their perceptions of student-teacher relationships: A self-determination theory approach

The aim of this study was to investigate whether various dimensions of student-teacher relationships were associated with different types of motivation to defend victims in bullying and to determine the association between these types of motivations and various bystander behaviors in bullying situations among early adolescents in Italy. Data were collected from 405 Italian adolescents who completed a survey in their classroom. Results showed that warm student-teacher relationships were positively associated with defending victims and with autonomous motivation to defend victims. In contrast, conflictual student-teacher relationships were positively associated with passive bystanding and with extrinsic motivation to defend victims. Different forms of motivation to defend were found to be mediators between student-teacher relationship qualities and bystander behaviors in school bullying. Our findings suggest that teachers should build warm and caring student-teacher relationships to enhance students' autonomous motivation to defend victims of bullying as well as their inclination to defend the victims in practice.

A latent class approach to understanding patterns of peer victimization in four low-resource settings

BACKGROUND

Peer victimization is a common form of aggression among school-aged youth, but research is sparse regarding victimization dynamics in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Person-centered approaches have demonstrated utility in understanding patterns of victimization in the USA.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to empirically identify classes of youth with unique victimization patterns in four LMIC settings using latent class analysis (LCA).

METHODS

We used data on past-year exposure to nine forms of victimization reported by 3536 youth (aged 15 years) from the Young Lives (YL) study in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states), Peru, and Vietnam. Sex and rural/urban context were examined as predictors of class membership.

RESULTS

LCA supported a 2-class model in Peru, a 3-class model in Ethiopia and Vietnam, and a 4-class model in India. Classes were predominantly ordered by severity, suggesting that youth who experienced one form of victimization were likely to experience other forms as well. In India, two unordered classes were also observed, characterized by direct and indirect victimization. Boys were more likely than girls to be in the highly victimized (HV) class in Ethiopia and India. Urban contexts, compared with rural, conferred higher risk of victimization in Ethiopia and Peru, and lower risk in India and Vietnam.

CONCLUSION

The identified patterns of multiple forms of victimization highlight a limitation of common researcher-driven classifications and suggest avenues for future person-centered research to improve intervention development in LMIC settings.

Associações entre Bullying Escolar e Conduta Infracional: Revisão Sistemática de Estudos Longitudinais

RESUMO O presente estudo consiste de uma revisão sistemática de estudos longitudinais que investigaram a associação entre bullying escolar e conduta infracional na adolescência e criminosa na idade adulta. Realizou-se uma busca bibliográfica em cinco bases de dados internacionais (ERIC, LILACS, Scopus, PsycINFO e Web of Science) e uma biblioteca eletrônica nacional (Scielo). Foram selecionados 13 estudos que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão. A maioria dos trabalhos encontrou associação estatisticamente significativa entre bullying e cometimento de atos contrários à lei por adolescentes e adultos. Em alguns deles, a associação permaneceu significativa após o controle de outros fatores de risco na infância, sinalizando, assim, ser o bullying um fator de risco independente. Isso reforça a necessidade de se prevenir e enfrentar precocemente o bullying escolar.

Bullying involvement of Korean children in Germany and in Korea

This study compared bullying involvement of Korean or Korean-German children living in Germany with children in Korea, and examined children’s perceptions of school environment associated with bullying involvement of the children. This study included 105 Korean or Korean-German children living in the Bayern State of Germany as the study sample and 95 Korean children in Gyeongnam Province of Korea as the control group. Korean children in Germany were significantly less likely to be exposed to and less likely to be engaged in bullying behaviors than those in Korea, except relational bullying. Overall 21.0% of Korean or Korean-German children were being bullied and 18.1% of children were bullying peers in Germany, whereas 33.7% of children were exposed to being bullied and 35.8% of children were involved in bullying peers in Korea. Children’s perceptions of school environment as being more favorable were significantly associated with decreased bullying involvement of children. Policy implications were suggested based on the findings.

Belongingness in Early Secondary School: Key Factors that Primary and Secondary Schools Need to Consider

It is unknown if, and how, students redefine their sense of school belongingness after negotiating the transition to secondary school. The current study used longitudinal data from 266 students with, and without, disabilities who negotiated the transition from 52 primary schools to 152 secondary schools. The study presents the 13 most significant personal student and contextual factors associated with belongingness in the first year of secondary school. Student perception of school belongingness was found to be stable across the transition. No variability in school belongingness due to gender, disability or household-socio-economic status (SES) was noted. Primary school belongingness accounted for 22% of the variability in secondary school belongingness. Several personal student factors (competence, coping skills) and school factors (low-level classroom task-goal orientation), which influenced belongingness in primary school, continued to influence belongingness in secondary school. In secondary school, effort-goal orientation of the student and perception of their school's tolerance to disability were each associated with perception of school belongingness. Family factors did not influence belongingness in secondary school. Findings of the current study highlight the need for primary schools to foster belongingness among their students at an early age, and transfer students' belongingness profiles as part of the hand-over documentation. Most of the factors that influenced school belongingness before and after the transition to secondary are amenable to change.

Is subjective perception of negative body image among adolescents associated with bullying?

Adolescents' body image dissatisfaction has an adverse effect on peer relationships. It may lead to changes in behaviour (aggressive or passive) and consequently to bullying behaviour. Our aim was to assess the association between body image dissatisfaction and involvement in bullying and whether this differs by gender. We used data from the Slovak part of the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. The final sample comprised 8050 adolescents aged 11 to 15 years old (mean age 13.57), less than half of whom were boys. The association between self-reported body image and involvement in bullying was determined using multinomial logistic regression. We found a significant association between body dissatisfaction and involvement in bullying. Adolescents dissatisfied with their bodies because due to feeling overweight were more likely to become passive or reactive victims. Self-reported thinness was found to be significantly associated with bully-victims only in boys.

CONCLUSION

Adolescent body dissatisfaction is strongly associated with bullying behaviour. Our findings point out the importance of incorporating at schools different types of intervention programmes supporting positive self-perceptions of adolescents and reducing bullying behaviour.

Do school resources influence the relationship between adolescent financial background and their school perceptions?

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status (SES) influences students' school perceptions and affects their performance, engagement, and personal beliefs. This study examined the effects of school population SES and school resources on the association between student SES and student perceptions.

METHODS

School liking, classmate social relationships, family affluence, and experience of hunger were assessed in a nationally representative sample of 12,642 students (grades 5-10) in the 2009-2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. School characteristics included school meal program, Title 1 dollars received per student, school resources, and urban/rural status. Multilevel analysis was used.

RESULTS

At the individual level, both school liking and social relationships were negatively associated with student grade level. Boys liked school less and had more positive perceptions of social relationships than girls. Students in rural schools and who experienced hunger liked schools less and had poorer perceptions of social relationships than their respective counterparts. School-level percentage of students eligible for free/reduced meals accounted for 33% of the between-school variance in social relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Family and school economic characteristics and grade level influenced students' school perceptions. The associations between student SES, school population SES, and school perceptions suggests that school health professionals should recognize and address student economic issues at school.

The role of community, family, peer, and school factors in group bullying: implications for school-based intervention

BACKGROUND

Although an ecological perspective suggests the importance of multiple levels of intervention, most bullying research has emphasized individual- and school-focused strategies. This study investigated community and family factors that influence school efforts to reduce odds of group bullying behavior and victimization.

METHODS

We used multilevel logistic regression to analyze data from the 2009 Youth in Iceland population school survey (N = 7084, response rate: 83.5%, 50.8% girls).

RESULTS

Parental support and time spent with parents were protective against group bullying behavior while worsening relationships with teachers and disliking school increased the likelihood of such behavior. Knowing kids in the area increased the likelihood of group bullying while intergenerational closure was a protective factor. Normlessness was consistently positively related to group bullying. We found no indication of higher-level relationships across the bullying models. Parental support was protective against victimization. Disliking school, intergenerational closure, and anomie/normlessness were strongly and negatively related to victimization. We found some indication of multilevel relationships for victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support efforts to increase family and community connection, closure, and support as a part of school-based intervention. These factors become more important as young people participate in or experience greater odds of group bullying behavior and victimization.

Emotions of students involved in cases of bullying

The objective was to estimate the prevalence of school bullying and identify the emotions of students involved. In this cross-sectional and descriptive study, a questionnaire was applied to 232 sixth-grade students of a public school. The results show a large number of students involved in bullying (39.6%): 22.2% were victims and 17.4% were aggressors. Anger was the most frequent emotion experienced by the victims when suffering aggression, while most aggressors reported that no emotions were experienced when abusing their peers. The high prevalence of bullying, its characteristics and the negative consequences that arise make it a public health problem. This study covers the importance of identifying emotions associated with school bullying, a subject seldom explored, which can contribute to the development of integral healthcare delivered to students.

Bullying as a risk for poor sleep quality among high school students in China

Objective

To determine whether involvement in bullying as a bully, victim, or bully-victim was associated with a higher risk of poor sleep quality among high school students in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 23,877 high school students were surveyed in six cities in Guangdong Province. All students were asked to complete the adolescent health status questionnaire, which included the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and bullying involvement. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate sleep quality and the prevalence of school bullying. Multi-level logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between being victimized and bullying others with sleep quality.

Results

Among the 23,877 students, 6,127 (25.66%) reported having poor sleep quality, and 10.89% reported being involved in bullying behaviors. Of the respondents, 1,410 (5.91%) were pure victims of bullying, 401 (1.68%) were bullies and 784 (3.28%) were bully-victims. Frequently being involved in bullying behaviors (being bullied or bullying others) was related to increased risks of poor sleep quality compared with adolescents who were not involved in bullying behaviors. After adjusting for age, sex, and other confounding factors, the students who were being bullied (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.81-2.32), bullied others (OR=2.30, 95%CI=1.85-2.86) or both (OR=2.58, 95%CI=2.20-3.03) were at a higher risk for poor sleep quality.

Conclusions

Poor sleep quality among high school students is highly prevalent, and school bullying is prevalent among adolescents in China. The present results suggested that being involved in school bullying might be a risk factor for poor sleep quality among adolescents.

Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of After-School Activities among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Using a cross-sectional design, this study (a) explores the prevalence of after-school activities among Chinese early adolescents and (b) assesses the relationships between participation in after-school activities, personal well-being, and family functioning. A total of 3,328 Grade 7 students (mean age = 12.59 years, SD = 0.74) completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that the majority of adolescents returned home under adult supervision. Further analyses showed the associations between after-school activities, positive youth development qualities, academic and school competence, family functioning, and risky behavior. Implications regarding efforts aimed at designing high quality and structured after-school youth programs are discussed.

The prevalence of very frequent physical fighting among boys and girls in 27 countries and cities: regional and gender differences

OBJECTIVE

Using nationally representative data, this study examined the prevalence of very frequent physical fighting (≥12 times per year) among youth in 27 countries and cities. Frequent physical fighting has rarely been reported in the previous literature despite the implications for research and practice.

METHODS

Analyses were based on the Global School-based Student Health Survey (2003-2008) and the 2009 US Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted to determine gender differences in frequent fighting. Countries were categorized into five regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, and the United States), and one-way ANOVA tests were used to determine regional differences.

RESULTS

The prevalence of frequent fighting was highest in Zambia (7.7%) and lowest in Myanmar (0.5%). Gender differences were found in 20 countries, with boys being more likely to report frequent fighting than girls. The prevalence of frequent fighting varied by region (F(3,22) = 4.78, P = .01), with the Eastern Mediterranean having a significantly higher prevalence of frequent fighting than Asia (P < .01).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of frequent fighting varies by gender in many countries and varies across world regions. More cross-national research is needed to better understand the sociocultural context of frequent fighting and to inform youth violence prevention efforts.