Abstract
The use of alcohol and other substances among underage adolescents continues to cause social concern nowadays, but it is not the only challenge that professionals face while working with this population. School bullying and cyberbullying remain another main issue affecting the well-being and development of the students. The main objective of the present study was to analyse the possible relationship between both school bullying and cyberbullying with substance use. A selective methodology was used, administering a survey among students from state funded Secondary schools in the Autonomous Community of Galicia (Spain), and obtaining a sample of 3,173 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. The questionnaire included items referring to the consumption of several substances, specific screening scales for the evaluation of risky consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Cannabis Abuse Screening Test and CRAFFT Abuse Screening Test) and validated multi-item scales to assess school bullying and cyberbullying involvement (European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire and European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire). The results showed that the most consumed substances were alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, finding also high risky consumption rates. Adolescents involved in either school bullying or cyberbullying in any role (victims, perpetrators and bully-victims) presented significantly higher rates in the consumption habits and risky consumptions analysed. These results highlight the need for a comprehensive prevention approach that addresses both school bullying, cyberbullying, and addictions at the same time.
Highlights
IntroductionAt the European level, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs [ESPAD], reveals that 79% of students aged 15–16 years old have drunk alcohol at least once in their lives and 41% have smoked tobacco (The ESPAD Group, 2020)
One for school bullying and another for cyberbullying, revealed that the roles of victims, perpetra tors and bully-victims seemed to be strongly associated with a pattern of alcohol abuse
Regarding the risk consumption of cannabis, the models at univariate level reflected significantly higher Odds Ratio (OR) for the different profiles of people involved in school bullying and cyberbullying, implying proneness of Substance use habits
Summary
At the European level, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs [ESPAD], reveals that 79% of students aged 15–16 years old have drunk alcohol at least once in their lives and 41% have smoked tobacco (The ESPAD Group, 2020). Cannabis is the third most consumed substance, with 19% of 15–24-year-olds having consumed it in the past year and 10% in the past month (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2020). In Spain, alcohol and tobacco consumption rates are similar, while there seems to be an upward trend in cannabis, with 1 in 4 students (27.5%) using cannabis in the past year and 19.3% in the past month (Plan Nacional sobre Drogas, 2020). The rates of con sumption among adolescents detected could be worrisome by them selves, these are aggravated by risky consumptions (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). The non-medical use of drugs such as tranquilizers, sedatives and painkillers seems to be rapidly gaining popularity among adoles cents (The ESPAD Group, 2020), and the same goes for new ways of accessing certain substances, as in the case of nicotine via e-cigarettes (Boston Children’s Hospital, 2021)
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