Prevalence and correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization among school-going adolescents in Chandigarh, North India

Disability and Bullying Victimization Among Adolescents in Nepal: The Influence of Community Gender Norms

PURPOSE

Bullying victimization affects the well-being and academic success of children and adolescents, especially those with disabilities. However, bullying victimization is underexplored in low-middle-income countries. This study investigates the relationship between disability status and bullying victimization while exploring the role of gender norms on this relationship and examining gender differences in Nepal.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 593 Nepali school-going adolescents across 19 municipalities. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between disability status, measured by Washington Group Short Set on Functioning, and bullying victimization, measured by Reduced-Aggression-Victimization Scale. We then tested if community gender norms moderated this relationship. Subgroup analyses were then conducted by gender.

RESULTS

Eight percent of adolescents reported disabilities and bullying, respectively. Adolescents with disabilities had significantly higher odds of experiencing bullying victimization compared to their nondisabled peers (B = 0.99, p = 0.01). Community gender norms moderated this relationship, such that adolescents with disabilities living in communities with more gender unequal norms had a heightened risk of bullying victimization (B = 6.84, p = 0.02). Subgroup analysis indicated that the relationship between disability status and bullying victimization was stronger for boys than girls.

DISCUSSION

Our findings highlight the vulnerability of adolescents with disabilities to bullying victimization and the need for gender-sensitive interventions in schools and communities. Targeting harmful gender norms in schools may mitigate bullying victimization for students with disabilities. Further research is needed in low-middle-income countries to explore the role of gender norms on bullying victimization in larger and diverse samples.

Student Suicide in India: An Analysis of Newspaper Articles (2019-2023)

AIM

Student suicide is one significant public health concern across the world, including India. In recent years, the surge in suicide cases has further worried mental health professionals and policymakers. The current study analysed the reported student suicide cases published in four leading Indian newspapers.

METHOD

Based on the analysis of newspaper reports published between 2019 and 2023, the study detected a total of 491 suicidal deaths of students.

RESULT

The result revealed that academic reasons (academic dissatisfaction, academic stress and academic failure), institutional reasons (bullying, caste discrimination, ragging, harassment and toxic institutional culture), mental health issues (depression, psychological stress and anxiety), financial crisis and online gaming are the most commonly reported reasons behind student suicides. The majority of suicide victims were within the age range of 16-21 years. The highest number of suicide cases are reported from Kota, a city often referred to as the coaching capital of India.

CONCLUSION

The study highlights considering changes in the academic curriculum to make academic programs less stressful for students. More importantly, policies should ensure that the academic campuses are free from harassment, bullying or similar aggressive experiences. Furthermore, emphasising students' mental health should be the education system's biggest priority.

Unmasking Bullying: A Cross-Sectional Study on Its Prevalence and Impact Among School-Aged Children

BACKGROUND

Bullying among school-going children is a significant public health issue that impacts mental and physical well-being. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the prevalence and factors contributing to bullying in school-going children. The study seeks to give data for policymakers and parents, as it can inform initiatives aimed at improving the mental health of bullied children.  Material and methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 1,000 students as study participants between the age group of 11 to 19 years. Both private and government schools were selected. Three different prevalidated questionnaires were utilised to gather data on the number of bullied students, their psychological health, and their social interactions. The data collected were quantitatively analysed to ascertain the number of students experiencing bullying and the psychiatric issues that may have arisen as a result.  Results: The prevalence of bullied students was 399 out of 856 (46.73%), which was similar in government and private settings. The proportion of bullied students reduced with higher age and grades. The mean age of bullied students was 14.27±1.68 years. The majority of students reported good self-esteem. However, about a quarter of the students reported clinically significant anxiety.  Conclusion: The findings of this study clearly indicate that bullying is alarmingly prevalent among school-aged children. The data suggest a strong correlation between bullying involvement and behavioural problems among adolescents. This underscores the urgent need to investigate the causes of bullying further and to implement targeted interventions within schools to reduce its prevalence.

Prevalence and correlates of physical bullying behaviours (on/off-school property) among adolescents in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

BACKGROUND

Bullying remains a serious public health and educational concern among school-going adolescents worldwide. However, no national survey has examined the prevalence and correlates of physical bullying (on and off-school property) among school-going adolescents in the Island country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This study sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of physical bullying among adolescents from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

METHODS

We analysed data from the 2018 Global School-based Student Health Survey using Pearson Chi-square and Binomial Logistic Regression, with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Among this population, physical bullying on/off-school property was prevalent among 24% and 18%, respectively. After adjusting for other predictors, we found that males were less likely to be bullied on school property than females. However, being a younger adolescent (≤ 15 years old), being physically attacked, cyberbullied, having close friends, and having suicidal ideas were associated with increased odds of being physically bullied on school property. Also, being physically attacked, cyberbullied, worried, and having suicidal plans increased the odds of being physically bullied off school property.

CONCLUSION

We recommend a multidisciplinary approach to adolescent bullying prevention in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and countries with similar characteristics based on our findings.

TRAIL REGISTRATION

Global School-Based Student Health Survey 2018 (VCT_2018_GSHS_v01) Registered August 20, 2021, https://extranet.who.int/ncdsmicrodata/index.php/catalog/878.

Experiences, Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Bullying Among School-Going Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study from South India

Bullying victimisation affects an estimated 30% of individuals worldwide. While the prevalence and risk factors of bullying have been studied in India, comprehensive research on the phenomenon of bullying itself remains scarce. Our objective was to study the experiences, perceptions, and attitudes towards bullying among seventh to ninth-grade students. The study included all seventh to ninth graders (N = 205) from two schools in the Udupi district of South India. To collect information on bullying, we used the Bully Survey - Student Version with appropriate modifications for our context. The mean age of the participants was 13 (1.05) years, with 58% being females. Our findings showed that almost half of the students had bullying roles. Students attending private schools and residing in urban areas were more likely to be victims, bullies, and bully-victims. Seventh and eighth graders experienced higher rates of bullying, whereas ninth graders were more likely to engage in bully behaviours or be bully-victims. Verbal bullying, including name calling, playing jokes, and making fun of others, was more prevalent. No gender differences were observed in verbal or physical bullying. School teachers, staff, and parents were unaware of bullying incidents almost half of the time. Anti-bullying programs should consider these aspects of bullying to be effective.

Beyond the screen: Examining the associations between cyberbullying, social media addiction, and mental health outcomes among medical students: A cross-sectional study

Background

Cyberbullying and excessive social media use are emerging issues among medical students, with potential implications for mental health. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cyberbullying, social media addiction, and their associated mental health conditions, as well as to explore the associated factors among medical students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 418 medical students in Gujarat using a self-administered questionnaire. Cyberbullying was assessed using the Revised Cyberbullying Inventory (RCI-R), social media addiction was measured using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and mental health issues were evaluated using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were performed. A P value of <0.05 was considered significant.

Results

The prevalence of cyberbullying, social media addiction, depression, anxiety, and stress among participants was 27.5% (95% CI: 23.4%-31.9%), 32.1% (95% CI: 27.8%-36.7%), 37.6% (95% CI: 33.1%-42.2%), 41.9% (95% CI: 37.3%-46.6%), and 46.2% (95% CI: 41.6%-50.9%), respectively. Factors associated with increased risk of being a cyber victim included older age, female gender, later years of study, increased daily mobile and social media usage, social media as the preferred mobile usage, and social media addiction. Factors associated with being a cyberbully were similar, except for the male gender. Both cyber victimization and social media addiction were significantly associated with higher odds of depression [aOR-2.5 (1.6-3.9) and 2.1 (1.4-3.2)], anxiety [aOR-2.2 (1.4-3.4) and 1.9 (1.3-2.8)] and stress [aOR-2.8 (1.8-4.3) and 2.4 (1.6-3.6)].

Conclusions

Cyberbullying, social media addiction, and mental health issues are prevalent among medical students. Targeted interventions addressing excessive social media use, promoting responsible online behaviour, and supporting mental well-being are crucial for this population. Further research is needed to establish causal relationships and develop effective prevention and support strategies.

The Relationship Between Negative Self-Concept, Trauma, and Maltreatment in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Experiencing trauma in childhood is a global public health issue linked to worse physical and mental health outcomes, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Self-concept is a transdiagnostic concept linked to various psychopathologies and understanding its unique relationship to trauma is important. This meta-analysis aimed to understand the size of the effect between trauma and maltreatment and self-concept in children and adolescents. The current meta-analysis searched PubMed, PILOTS, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases. Inclusion criteria involved studies with defined trauma exposure, valid measures of self-concept, and participants' mean age under 18 years old. One-hundred-and-thirty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis (N = 255,334). A random-effects meta-analysis was performed. A small negative relationship was observed between trauma exposure and self-concept (r = - 0.20, 95% CI - 0.22, - 0.18). This relationship was significantly moderated by some variables (type and nature of trauma exposure) but not others (participant gender, type of self-concept measure, quality of studies, country economic status). A small relationship between trauma exposure and negative self-concept in children and adolescents was detected, with repeated trauma exposure and type of trauma exposure moderating this relationship. This provides important directions for clinical practice around providing support for those exposed or most vulnerable to experiencing trauma.

Social poverty indicators with school bullying victimization: evidence from the global school-based student health survey (GSHS)

BACKGROUND

School bullying is prevalent in children and adolescents. Bullying victims are seen higher risk of negative psychological outcomes. Previously published studies suggested that social indicators may pose significant influence on bullying victimization. However, the association between social poverty and bullying victimization has not been exclusively discussed.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the association between 6 commonly used social poverty indicators (Poverty Headcount Ratio, PHR; Poverty Gap, PG; Squared Poverty Gap, SPG; monthly household per capita income, PCI; Watts' Poverty Index, WPI; the Gini Index, Gini) and the prevalence of school bullying at country level by using the Global school-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) database.

RESULTS

Altogether 16 countries were included into the final analysis, with school bullying victimization prevalence ranged from 12.9 to 47.5%. Bubble plots revealed statistically significant associations between the three indicators measuring absolute poverty level (PHR, PCI, WPI) and bullying victimization. Subsequently performed principal component regression indicated that, for all types of bullying victimization, the increase of absolute poverty level was related to elevated prevalence rates, and the association was particularly strong for verbal bullying victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study results may suggest that absolute social poverty is an important parameter for constructing and implementing school bullying victimization intervention strategies and measures.

Survey data on bullying involvement among school-going adolescents in India

The data was collected from 169 school-going adolescents of grades sixth to twelfth from two cities in South India. The data set contains information of the frequency and type of bullying involvement (perpetration and victimization; physical, verbal, and social) among the participants in traditional and virtual classrooms. The data set can be used by all stakeholders to identify the frequency and types of bullying involvement among Indian adolescents. Further, relevant policies and programs can be developed that is tailored to the Indian adolescent population and the specific sociodemographic groups that are most vulnerable. Researchers can also replicate the study in various parts of India to compare bullying involvement among school-going adolescents across different parts of the nation.

Pattern of lifestyle behaviors and associated risk of being bullied at schools: A latent class analysis of 25,379 adolescents in Jiangsu Province of China

School bullying is a worldwide problem. Although previous studies examined the association between different lifestyle behaviors and bullying victimization, the complex co-occurrence of these behaviors was not identified, and their association with the risk of being bullied remains unclear. We aimed to identify the behavioral patterns of adolescents and to explore their association with bullying victimization. This cross-sectional study employed data from the "Surveillance for Common Diseases and Health Risk Factors among Students" project implemented in Jiangsu Province of China in 2019, and a total of 25,379 school-enrolled students were included. We used a latent class analysis to identify behavioral patterns and a regression mixture model to explore various demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, and family structure in relation to bullying victimization across different patterns. We considered respondents having targeted behaviors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, sugar consumption, no fruit consumption, low physical activity, electronic media use, and insufficient sleep. Four behavioral patterns were identified, including the "adolescents without apparent targeted behaviors" (19.65%), "substance and electronic media users" (12.76%), "typical electronic media users" (54.49%), and "typical substance users" (8.10%). The risk of being bullied was the highest in the "substance and electronic media users" (probability: 0.33), tripled that in "adolescents without apparent targeted behaviors" (odds ratio: 3.60, 95% confidence interval: 3.01-4.30). Risk of being bullied was reduced for those "substance and electronic media users" living with a nuclear family. Behavioral patterns and their association with being bullied differ between groups of school-aged adolescents. To better inform decision-making based on the current real-world findings, the implementation of bullying prevention programs could target specific behavioral patterns.

Prevalence of violent communication within Indian organisations- A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Considering the normalisation of moderate aggression within organisations and the concern of violent occurrences being under-reported in India, violence reflected through coercive language appears to be more frequent than explicit acts of organisational violence.

Aim

To bring-forth consolidated evidence on the prevalence of violent communication within Indian organisations.

Method

1433 articles obtained from four major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and Google scholar), complemented by 4 records identified through manual searching, were screened according to the PRISMA guidelines. Thirty-four finalised cross-sectional studies (published since 2000) reporting significant findings on the prevalence of violent communication within Indian organisations, underwent a systematic review (by narrative synthesis) and meta-analysis (using the random-effects model in STATA version 17).

Results

The pooled prevalence of any type of violent communication was 41%. The prevalence of violent communication was higher among males than females (44% vs 28%). Verbal violence was more prevalent than non-verbal violence (36% vs 20%). Subgroup analysis proved prevalence estimate to remain consistent irrespective of the organisational sector, type of organisation, sample size and publication year. However, meta-regression analysis confirmed the sampling method and type of violent communication as potential variables influencing the prevalence rates reported across the studies. All the identified factors influencing the occurrence of violent communication and the corresponding detrimental consequences faced by victims within each organisational sector, endeavour scope for the development of more context-specific prevention strategies.

Conclusion

As evident from the results, the prevalence of any type of violent communication within Indian organisations is quite high. The present review informs Indian entrepreneurs about the necessity for advocating practices to protect their human resources from the experience of violent communication. Practical implications have been presented for healthcare and educational organisations.

Efficacy of an anti-bullying video literacy program in Pakistani primary school children

With a scarcity of research looking at violent and extremist tendencies in primary school children in Pakistan, this study aimed to look at the effects of emotional resilience education through the means of cartoon-based learning. Children have a limited attention span and research on video/cartoon-based literacy projects has indicated greater efficacy with more retention and engagement. The cartoon based on the theme of anti-bullying was used in a 6-week intervention program in an experimental design setup with 120 experimental and 40 control group students recruited from the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area (ages 9-11). The behaviours and awareness about the concepts of physical and verbal bullying, coercion and damaging others' property, as well as qualitative information about the cartoon themes were assessed before and after the program for pre- and post-test comparison. The cartoon was accompanied with teaching aids, worksheets and activity-based learning. The results indicated that only 3.3% students were aware about bullying and its various types to begin with and after intervention 98.7% understood the concept clearly. Before the intervention, 65.8% students didn't understand that they were bullies - after the intervention it reduced to 22.5% who thought they were not bullies. Effectiveness of the results from this video literacy program will enable development of more emotional resilience education courses in the curriculum to create a more resilient society in the long run and curb bullying in schools.

Bullying victimization and its associated factors among adolescents in Illu Abba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Bullying victimization is a repetitive exposure to negative actions from one or more students over time. Bullying victim adolescents have higher levels of mental health problems, worse mental health outcomes, and lowered social status than non-victim adolescents. Literature on bullying among adolescents in Ethiopia is limited. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of bullying victimization and its associated factors among adolescents.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 847 adolescents in Mettu town. A Stratified sampling technique was used to select eligible Study participants from September, 1 to 30, 2020. Linear regression analysis model was used; first bivariate analysis was performed to see the association of each independent variable with bullying victimization. Variables with (P < 0.25) in bivariate analysis were entered into a multivariate linear regression model to identify the association of each independent variable with bullying victimization. The statistical significance was considered at P value < 0.05.

RESULTS

From the total of 847 adolescents 819 were voluntarily involved in the study giving the response rate of 96.7%. The prevalence of bullying victimization in this study was 30.4%. Being male (β = 1.135, p = 0.001), physical abuse (β = 0.622, p ≤ 0.001), emotional abuse (β = 0.512, p ≤ 0.001), current substance use (β = 1.153, p = 0.005), psychological distress (β = 0.406, p ≤ 0.001) and having medical illness (β = 3.500, p ≤ 0.001) were significantly associated with bullying victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Bullying victimization is quite common among adolescents and has both short- and long-term consequences. Bullying prevention treatments should focus on male adolescents and those who report being bullied. Anti-bullying policies in schools are critical for educating teachers, parents, and students about bullying.

Bullying among children and adolescents in the SAARC countries: A scoping review

Background

Bullying is defined as repetitive and intentional aggression by an individual or group towards other individuals that happens in a power differential between the individuals being bullied and the bullies. There is increasing recognition of how bullying occurs among children and adolescents and its long-term effects. There is a dearth of research on bullying from the Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). This scoping review focused on the research from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations that share a common history, similar demographics, and socio-cultural background.

Methodology

Various databases were searched using specific search terms and articles reviewed from the past 5 years.

Results

Of 194 articles identified, 53 met the criteria for inclusion in the review. There is a wide variation in the number of studies done across the SAARC nations. The prevalence of bullying victimization ranged from 4.1% to 95% and from 16 to 85% for perpetration. Only 3 interventions conducted in India and Pakistan showed some efficacy of play, the teaching of skills and multicomponent interventions to deal with bullying, each made culturally relevant.

Discussion

This review highlights the lacunae in the research conducted on bullying in the Indian sub-continent. It also highlights the need for contextually appropriate definitions, long term effects on the health and well-being of bullying, and socially appropriate interventions to address bullying.

Feeling Unsafe at School Among Adolescents in 13 Asian and European Countries: Occurrence and Associated Factors

BACKGROUND

Research on perceived school safety has been largely limited to studies conducted in Western countries and there has been a lack of large-scale cross-national studies on the topic.

METHODS

The present study examined the occurrence of adolescents who felt unsafe at school and the associated factors of perceived school safety in 13 Asian and European countries. The data were based on 21,688 adolescents aged 13-15 (11,028 girls, 10,660 boys) who completed self-administered surveys between 2011 and 2017. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

FINDINGS

The number of adolescents who felt unsafe at school varied widely across countries, with a mean occurrence of 31.4% for the total sample: 31.3% for girls, and 31.1% for boys. The findings revealed strong independent associations between feeling unsafe and individual and school-related factors, such as being bullied, emotional and behavioral problems and feeling that teachers did not care. The study also found large variations in perceived school safety between schools in many countries.

CONCLUSION

The findings emphasize the need to create safe educational environments for all students, based on positive relationships with teachers and peers. School-based interventions to prevent bullying and promote mental health should be a natural part of school safety promotion.

Bullying victimization and its associated factors among adolescents in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India: a mixed-methods study [version 1; peer review: 1 approved]

Background

Bullying victimization among adolescents is a serious concern as it leads to poor psycho-social adjustments in the future. Literature on bullying at schools in Kerala is limited. This study aimed to investigate the magnitude of bullying and the factors associated with it among adolescents.

Methods

A sequential explanatory study design was used. A cross-sectional study among 764 adolescents (mean age 13.3 years, males 58.5%) selected through multistage cluster sampling was done. We used the Olweus Bully-Victim Questionnaire, Global School Health Survey, and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 for data collection. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of bullying victimization. After this, in-depth interviews were carried out among key stakeholders.

Results

About 117 (15.3%) respondents reported being bullied at least twice a month. Verbal bullying was reported by 30% (n=229), physical bullying by 23.3% (n=178), sexual bullying by 11% (n=89) and cyber-bullying by 3.3% (n=25). Adolescents aged 14 years and above (OR 2.09, 95% CI: 1.34-3.26), being male (OR 3.50, 95% CI: 1.97-5.87), the parent's response to bullying (OR 5.27, 95% CI: 2.44-11.36), the victim's reaction to being bullied (OR 8.101, CI: 4.53-14.36) and the teacher's action against the bully (OR 3.59, CI: 1.91-6.73) were major predictors of bullying. Qualitative exploration of pathways of bullying phenomena revealed the influence of parenting on a child being a victim or a bully, and a lack of competence and training among teachers to address bullying at school.

Conclusions

Bullying is highly prevalent among adolescents in schools and has short- and long-term implications. Targeted interventions for bullying prevention should focus on older adolescent boys and those who report being bullied. Anti-bullying policies at school are vital to sensitize teachers, parents, and students to bullying.

Correlates of bullying perpetration among Lebanese adolescents: a national study

Background

Presently, 1 in 4 Lebanese adolescents is involved in bullying, with 12% being perpetrators. In Lebanon, around 90% of bullying incidents occur in schools. Given the lack of studies tackling bullying perpetration in Lebanon, this study aims to identify and target risk factors of bullying perpetration among Lebanese adolescents, which would serve future prevention and intervention programs.

Methods

This cross-sectional study took place between January and May 2019 in a proportionate random sample of schools from all Lebanese districts. A total of 1810 (90.5%) out of 2000 students accepted to participate.

Results

Results showed that 831 (49.1%, CI: 0.46–0.51) participants had bullied other people. A stepwise linear regression, using as the dependent variable the bullying perpetration score, showed that higher psychological (β = 0.12; 95% CI 0.083–0.176), sexual (β = 0.26; 95% CI 0.128–0.411), neglect (β = 0.08; 95% CI 0.051–0.120), physical abuse (β = 0.13; 95% CI 0.036–0.235), higher internet addiction (β = 0.07; 95% CI 0.057–0.097), higher social fear (β = 0.10; 95% CI 0.075–0.140), and having separated parents (β = 1.60; 95% CI 0.561–2.650) were significantly associated with more bullying perpetration. Higher social avoidance (β = − 0.03; 95% CI -0.062- -0.003) was significantly associated with less bullying perpetration.

Conclusion

The results revealed that bullying perpetration is significantly associated with parental status, child abuse, internet addiction, and social fear. Educational and relevant governmental institutions could use our findings to develop and implement efficient bullying prevention and intervention programs for all involved parties.