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Giannakopoulos G, Zaravinos-Tsakos F, Mastrogiannakou M, Sourander A, Kolaitis G. Changes in Bullying Experiences and Mental Health Problems Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2025; 22:497. [PMID: 40283727 PMCID: PMC12026783 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph22040497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2025] [Revised: 03/13/2025] [Accepted: 03/22/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025]
Abstract
Bullying poses significant challenges to adolescent health and well-being. This time-trend study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bullying behaviors and associated emotional and behavioral difficulties among Greek adolescents. Data were collected from two cross-sectional surveys in 2016 (n = 1574) and 2023 (n = 5753) conducted in Greece. Both samples comprised students aged 12-16 years, with near-equal gender distribution (2016, 53.4% girls; 2023, 54.5% girls) and a predominance of urban residents (approximately 73% in both samples). Traditional and cyberbullying experiences were assessed via structured questionnaires, while mental health outcomes were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Post-pandemic findings revealed substantial increases in bullying involvement; traditional bullying victimization rose from 12.4% to 21.7%, and cyberbullying victimization increased from 4.0% to 11.6%. Correspondingly, mean SDQ total scores increased significantly from 8.59 to 14.16, reflecting heightened emotional and behavioral problems. Logistic regression analyses identified male gender, urban residence, and non-traditional family structures as significant predictors of bullying involvement. These results underscore the amplified burden of bullying and mental health difficulties in the post-pandemic era, highlighting the urgent need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies to address both traditional and cyberbullying within diverse sociodemographic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Giannakopoulos
- Department of Child Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Aghia Sophia” Children′s Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece; (F.Z.-T.); (M.M.); (G.K.)
| | - Foivos Zaravinos-Tsakos
- Department of Child Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Aghia Sophia” Children′s Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece; (F.Z.-T.); (M.M.); (G.K.)
| | - Maria Mastrogiannakou
- Department of Child Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Aghia Sophia” Children′s Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece; (F.Z.-T.); (M.M.); (G.K.)
| | - Andre Sourander
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Clinical Medicine, Turku University, 20521 Turku, Finland;
| | - Gerasimos Kolaitis
- Department of Child Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Aghia Sophia” Children′s Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece; (F.Z.-T.); (M.M.); (G.K.)
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Robinson LE, Watson KR, Fensterstock N, Hogenkamp S, Xu Y, Garner H, Warri VR, Morgan CH, Garcia AA, Wu C, Dunn D, Espelage DL, Astor RA, McMahon SD, Reddy LA, Anderman EM, Worrell FC, Martinez A. School Safety Concerns and Solutions: A Qualitative Analysis of U.S. School Psychologists' Perspectives. Behav Sci (Basel) 2025; 15:228. [PMID: 40001858 PMCID: PMC11852065 DOI: 10.3390/bs15020228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2025] [Revised: 02/05/2025] [Accepted: 02/08/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we analyzed qualitative survey data from 538 school psychologists across schools in the United States regarding their perceptions of school safety issues and potential strategies to address school safety. There are only a few studies exploring the experiences and perspectives of school psychologists that have been based on large-scale qualitative data. Using inductive coding, three themes for safety concerns emerged: (a) aggressive behaviors from students, (b) mental and behavioral needs, and (c) limited staffing. Three themes also emerged for potential solutions: (a) professional development/training, (b) school-family-community relationships, and (c) threat assessments. These findings from school psychologists have implications for addressing structural issues to prevent school violence in research and practice. Policy recommendations to inform resource allocation and improve school safety are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz E. Robinson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kate R. Watson
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Natalie Fensterstock
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sawyer Hogenkamp
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yinuo Xu
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hannah Garner
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Vanessa R. Warri
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Casie H. Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Anthony A. Garcia
- Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chaoyue Wu
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Danielle Dunn
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dorothy L. Espelage
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ron A. Astor
- Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan D. McMahon
- Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Linda A. Reddy
- Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Eric M. Anderman
- Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Frank C. Worrell
- Berkeley School of Education, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Andrew Martinez
- New York Center for Justice Innovation, New York, NY 10018, USA
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Yang Y, Lin Y, Wang F, Wang SJ, Wang JH, Tong F, Gong QH. Comparison of bullying victimization and depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents before and after the end of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy: a repeated cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 2025; 25:92. [PMID: 39901119 PMCID: PMC11792695 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-06525-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2025] [Indexed: 02/05/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the physical and mental health of human beings. Most adolescents in mainland of China have been infected with COVID-19 after the adjustment of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic effect and depressive symptoms among adolescents in mainland China. METHODS This school-based repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on students aged 11-19 years from September to October 2022 and September to October 2023 in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, using a stratified cluster, multistage sampling method. Data analysis occurred from January to June 2024. Depression symptoms and bullying victimization, exclusion of cyberbullying, were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Bully/Victim Questionnaire, respectively. RESULTS In the first survey wave in 2022 during the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy period in Mainland China, 10,224 participants completed the questionnaires. In wave 2 survey in 2023 which was the first year after lifting of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy, 11,604 participants completed the questionnaires. This resulted in a sample of 10,224 in wave 1 and 11,604 in wave 2. The mean age in wave 1 was 15.2 (SD = 1.7) and 15.1 (SD = 1.8) in wave 2. The prevalence of depression symptoms in adolescents in wave 2 was higher than in wave 1 (17.0% vs. 14.6%, P < 0.05). The prevalence of bullying victimization and types of bullying victimization in school among adolescents were higher in 2023 than in 2022. A total of 3.2% of the 2023 participants and 1.7% of the 2022 participants experienced bullying victimization in school (P < 0.05). The odds ratio of experiencing depression (CES-D Score ≧ 16) and bullying victimization in school were 1.18 (95% CI, 1.10-1.28) and 1.86 (95% CI, 1.55-2.24) times higher, respectively, in 2023 than in 2022 (P < 0.01). The mediated regression analysis revealed that after lifting of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 had a significant association with an increase in depression symptoms, which was partially mediated by bullying victimization in school (total association:β = 0.175; SE = 0.038; P < 0.001; direct association:β = 0.138; SE = 0.039; P < 0.001; indirect association: a*b = 0.037; P < 0.001; the proportion of mediation: 20.88%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this repeated cross-sectional study suggest that an increased risk of depression symptoms or bullying victimization has been associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China after lifting the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy. In addition, bullying victimization may play a mediating role in the associations between the pandemic and depression symptoms. These findings indicated that additional support should be offered to Chinese adolescents in the period of post-pandemic COVID-19. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER Not applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Yang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yi Lin
- Center for Health Economics, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Si Jia Wang
- Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jing Hui Wang
- Department of Children and Adolescents Health, Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, China
| | - Feng Tong
- Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Qing Hai Gong
- Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Department of Children and Adolescents Health, Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, China.
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Stewart SL, Withers A, Poss JW. School Closures on Bullying Experiences of Treatment-Seeking Children and Youth: The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic Within Ontario, Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:1673. [PMID: 39767512 PMCID: PMC11675720 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21121673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2024] [Revised: 12/06/2024] [Accepted: 12/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025]
Abstract
Amongst school-aged children and youth, bullying is a significant problem warranting further investigation. The current study sought to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic waves and school closures on the bullying experiences of 22,012 children aged 4-18-years-old who were referred and assessed at mental health agencies in Ontario, Canada. Individual, familial, and mental health variables related to bullying experiences were also investigated. Data were collected from January 2017 to February 2022. The pre-pandemic period of study included January to June 2017, September 2018/2019 to June 2019/2020. The pandemic period was divided into categories of remote learning (17 March 2020 to 30 June 2020, 8 January 2021 to 16 February 2021, 12 April 2021 to 30 June 2021) and in-person learning (remaining pandemic dates). The summer holidays pre-pandemic were in July-August 2017, 2018, 2019 and during the pandemic they were in July-August 2020 and 2021. Logistic regressions were conducted to analyze data. Findings related to COVID-19 showed bullying rates to be lower during the pandemic when compared to pre-pandemic levels (bullied others during pandemic in school: OR = 0.44, CI = 0.34-0.57; victim of bullying during pandemic in school: OR = 0.41, CI = 0.33-0.5). Furthermore, bullying rates were lower during the pandemic periods when schools were closed for in-person learning (bullied others during pandemic remote: OR = 0.62, CI = 0.45-0.85; victim of bullying during pandemic remote: OR = 0.24, CI = 0.17-0.34). Children who lived in lower income areas, experienced home life challenges, exhibited mental health difficulties, or had behavioural concerns were more likely to be involved in bullying experiences. Finally, classroom type and school program impacted the child's likelihood of bullying others or being bullied. These findings further our understanding of the impact of school closures on children's mental health and behaviour during the pandemic. Public health and policy implications such as bullying prevention, supervision, and conflict management are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L. Stewart
- Faculty of Education, Western University, 1137 Western Rd, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada;
| | - Abigail Withers
- Faculty of Education, Western University, 1137 Western Rd, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada;
| | - Jeffrey W. Poss
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5, Canada;
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Wang Y, Wang T, Wang J, Zeng L, Li G, Li J, Zhou Y, Wang Y. The School Bullying Victimization in Adolescents With Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: The Role of Coping Strategies and Emotion Regulation. Stress Health 2024; 40:e3506. [PMID: 39530264 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 09/28/2024] [Accepted: 11/01/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between school bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) frequency, taking into consideration the mediating roles of coping strategies and emotional regulation. Participants were 12-18-year-old outpatients and inpatients who met the NSSI and depressive disorder criteria according to the DSM-5. Assessments included the Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale, Coping Style Scale for Middle School Students, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, and the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation to examine the bullying victimization, coping strategies, emotion regulation, and NSSI behaviour. Serial multiple mediation effects of coping strategies and emotion regulation between bullying victimization and NSSI frequency were analysed using the SPSS macro PROCESS programme. A total of 2335 participants were included in this study. Bullying victimization significantly predicted NSSI frequency (B = 0.191, p < 0.001). Both coping strategies and emotion regulation were important mediators in the relationship between bullying victimization and NSSI frequency. Bullying victimization indirectly affected NSSI through two serial mediation pathways: (1) bullying victimization → problem-focused coping → cognitive reappraisal → NSSI frequency, and (2) bullying victimization → emotion-focused coping→ expressive suppression → NSSI frequency. The study revealed a positive association between bullying victimization and the frequency of NSSI among adolescents with depressive disorder. Strategies of coping and emotional regulation significantly mediated the link between bullying victimization and the frequency of NSSI. The findings suggested that supporting adolescents in adopting effective coping and emotional regulation strategies could be a crucial approach to mitigate the impact of bullying victimization on the frequency of NSSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tingwei Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiesi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingyun Zeng
- Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guohua Li
- Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Junchang Li
- College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yongjie Zhou
- Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanni Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Manis J, Stewart SL. A Snapshot of Peer Relationships in Children and Youth: Pre- Versus During COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:1552. [PMID: 39767395 PMCID: PMC11675896 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21121552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2024] [Revised: 11/19/2024] [Accepted: 11/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025]
Abstract
Strong peer relationships are an essential component of a healthy, happy, and long lifetime. Given that there is little understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on peer relationships, this study explored the effects of the COVID waves on peer relationships for clinically referred children and youth while controlling for age, sex, and income. 11,281 children and youth between the ages of 4 and 18 years, who were receiving services from mental health agencies across Ontario from January 2018-March 2022, were assessed using the interRAI ChYMH. Chi-square tests of independence and logistic regression analysis was performed. Overall, as expected, there were significantly fewer peer relationship difficulties during COVID-19 compared to the pre-pandemic period. Despite the general decline of peer issues, individuals between the ages of 8-18, particularly males, were more likely to experience peer relationship difficulties compared to those 4-7 years old. Additionally, children from the lowest income households experienced greater peer relationship difficulties during COVID-19 when compared to those from the highest income households. The findings from this study demonstrate the nuanced changes in social behaviours due to the ongoing pandemic for children and youth and highlight those youth who are most in need of social and behavioural interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordyn Manis
- Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, 1137 Western Rd, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada;
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Helton JJ, Hong JS, Kong V. Bullying victimisation and perpetration of foster and kinship youth in the USA. Inj Prev 2024:ip-2024-045294. [PMID: 39358040 DOI: 10.1136/ip-2024-045294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood bullying can result in serious injury. Our objective was to compare bullying victimisation and perpetration of school-aged youth from 2018 to 2022 in different households: foster care, kinship care and birth families. A second objective examined correlations between bullying and adverse childhood experiences, child gender, age and race while stratifying by household type. METHODS The 2018-2022 samples of the National Surveys of Children's Health were used. Bullying victimisation and perpetration were reported by caregivers and ranged from none, yearly, monthly to weekly or daily. Adversities include parental separation, death or incarceration; witnessing or experiencing violence; living with an adult with a substance problem or severe mental illness; or racial discrimination. Pearson χ2 and ordinal logistic regression models were used. RESULTS Pre-COVID-19, 69% of foster youth were victimised compared with 44% of kinship and 48% of birth-family youth, and 57% of foster youth perpetrated compared with 21% of kinship and 20% of birth-family youth. During COVID-19, the relative risk of both victimisation and perpetration flipped between groups: 25% of fosters were victimised compared with 34% of both kinship and birth youth, and 24% of fosters perpetrated compared with 35% of kinship and 33% of birth youth. In 2022, younger foster youth were at a higher risk of victimisation and perpetration, while males were at risk of perpetration. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Foster youth are at high risk for victimisation and perpetration compared with youth living with kinship or birth families. Results indicate that prevention efforts in school settings may be the most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse J Helton
- School of Social Work, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jun Sung Hong
- Wayne State University School of Social Work, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Social Welfare, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Vibol Kong
- School of Social Work, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
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Nguyen TH, Shah GH, Kaur R, Muzamil M, Ikhile O, Ayangunna E. Factors Predicting In-School and Electronic Bullying among High School Students in the United States: An Analysis of the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:788. [PMID: 39062237 PMCID: PMC11276582 DOI: 10.3390/children11070788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bullying is a global public health problem with severe adverse effects on behavioral health. Understanding the predictors of victimization by bullying is essential for public policy initiatives to respond to the problem effectively. In addition to traditional in-person bullying, electronic bullying has become more prevalent due to increasing social interaction and identity formation in virtual communities. This study aims to determine the predictors of in-school and electronic bullying. METHODS We employed multivariable logistic regression to analyze a nationally representative sample of 17,232 high school students in the United States, the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System national component. The survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, from September through December 2021. The factors examined included sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, race), appearance (obesity), physically active lifestyles (being physically active, spending a long time on digital games), and risk-taking behavior (using marijuana). RESULTS Our results indicated that sociodemographic characteristics were strong predictors of being bullied in school and electronically. Being obese is more likely to result in bullying in school (AOR = 1.32, p = 0.003) and electronically (AOR = 1.30, p = 0.004). Adolescent students showing marijuana use had higher odds of being bullied in school (AOR = 2.15, p < 0.001) and electronically (AOR = 1.81, p < 0.001). While spending a long time on digital devices raises the risk of being electronically bullied (AOR = 1.25, p = 0.014), being physically active is not associated with being bullied. Neither of the two lifestyle factors was associated with in-school bullying. CONCLUSIONS Interventions addressing violence among adolescents can benefit from empirical evidence of risk factors for bullying victimization in high school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran H. Nguyen
- Department of Health Management, Economics & Policy, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Gulzar H. Shah
- Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Ravneet Kaur
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
| | - Maham Muzamil
- Department of Education, Kinnaird College for Women’s University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Osaremhen Ikhile
- Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ayangunna
- Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
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Fischer SM, Bilz L, for the HBSC Study Group Germany. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying at schools in Germany: Results of the HBSC study 2022 and trends from 2009/10 to 2022. JOURNAL OF HEALTH MONITORING 2024; 9:42-61. [PMID: 38559684 PMCID: PMC10977470 DOI: 10.25646/11872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Background Bullying is a form of violence that is carried out repeatedly, with the intention of causing harm and with an imbalance of power between those involved. Bullying has serious negative effects on the mental health of adolescents and thus represents a significant health risk in childhood and adolescence. Methods Based on data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from the survey year 2022 in Germany (N = 6,475), the prevalence of school bullying and cyberbullying among 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds in Germany was analysed. In addition, the prevalence of school bullying and cyberbullying was analysed as a trend from 2009/10 to 2022 (bullying) and from 2017/18 to 2022 (cyberbullying). Results Around 14 % of the learners surveyed reported direct experience of bullying at school, and around 7 % reported cyberbullying experiences as bullied and/or bullying victims. Adolescents who identified as gender diverse were particularly likely to report bullying experiences. School bullying decreased over time, but remained stable between 2017/18 and 2022. Cyberbullying, on the other hand, increased in 2022 compared to 2017/18. Conclusions Experiencing bullying at school and online is an everyday experience for many children and young people, so there is still a need for the broad implementation of effective anti-bullying measures in schools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia M. Fischer
- Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Department of Health
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Ballarin G, Gallè F, Dinacci L, Liberti F, Liguori F, Nisco MC, Cunti A, Valerio G. Bullying Victimization, Real and Perceived Physical Fitness, and Self-Perception Profiles in Middle-School Students with Overweight or Obesity. Nutrients 2023; 15:5019. [PMID: 38140278 PMCID: PMC10746020 DOI: 10.3390/nu15245019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bullying victimization has been associated with body weight and physical fitness. In order to compare the prevalence of victimization among adolescents with normal weight or overweight/obesity and to evaluate the association between real or perceived physical fitness and self-perception profiles, a sample of 128 middle-school youths (mean age: 12.2 ± 0.8 years, 61% males) was recruited. The body mass index (BMI) Z score was calculated. Physical fitness was assessed by hand grip strength (HGS), long jump (LJ), and a 3 min step test (3MST). Perceived physical fitness, self-perception profiles (social competence, athletic competence, and physical appearance), and experiences of victimization (teasing about physical appearance, verbal offenses, and exclusion from group activities) were explored using validated questionnaires. Eighty youths (62.5%) showed overweight/obesity. Compared to their counterparts, normal-weight subjects showed lower HGS and perceived muscular strength; higher LJ and 3MST performance; higher perceived overall fitness, speed and flexibility, and physical appearance. Teasing and verbal offences were more frequent among students with overweight/obesity. Being teased about physical aspects was positively related with the BMI Z score. Exclusion from groups was positively associated with LJ performance. All the types of victimization investigated were inversely related to perceived social competence. These findings suggest that self-perception may protect one from victimization, regardless of nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Giuliana Valerio
- Department of Medical, Movement and Wellbeing Sciences, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80133 Naples, Italy; (G.B.); (F.G.); (L.D.); (F.L.); (F.L.); (M.C.N.); (A.C.)
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