Abstract
PurposeThe negative effects of peer aggression on mental health are key issues for public health. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between cyberbullying and school bullying victimization with suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among middle and high school students, and to test whether these relationships were mediated by reports of depression.MethodsData for this study are from the 2011 Eastern Ontario Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, which is a cross-sectional regional school-based survey that was conducted among students in selected Grade 7 to 12 classes (1658 girls, 1341 boys; mean±SD age: 14.3±1.8 years).ResultsVictims of cyberbullying and school bullying incurred a significantly higher risk of suicidal ideation (cyberbullying: crude odds ratio, 95% confidence interval = 3.31, 2.16–5.07; school bullying: 3.48, 2.48–4.89), plans (cyberbullying: 2.79, 1.63–4.77; school bullying: 2.76, 2.20–3.45) and attempts (cyberbullying: 1.73, 1.26–2.38; school bullying: 1.64, 1.18–2.27) compared to those who had not encountered such threats. Results were similar when adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, and sedentary activities. Mediation analyses indicated that depression fully mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and each of the outcomes of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts. Depression also fully mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and suicide attempts, but partially mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and both suicidal ideation and plans.ConclusionThese findings support an association between both cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and risk of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts. The mediating role of depression on these links justifies the need for addressing depression among victims of both forms of bullying to prevent the risk of subsequent suicidal behaviours.
Highlights
Suicide is a significant public health problem worldwide
The Eastern Ontario Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a regional cross-sectional school-based survey that has been conducted by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) for several years, and this paper uses the most recent data that was collected between November 2010 and March 2011 [26]
Participants who reported spending a lot of time on the computer or in other sedentary activities reported cyberbullying victimization more often than those who used computers for less time or spent less time in sedentary activities
Summary
Suicide is a significant public health problem worldwide. It is the second leading cause of death for Canadian youth aged 10–24. On average, 294 youths die from suicide [1]. A recent report indicated that Eastern Ontario has a suicide attempt rate two times greater than the provincial average (6.78 vs 2.96 per 1,000) [2]. Females aged 15 to 19 years in Eastern Ontario have a 50 per cent higher rate of suicide than the rest of the province. These alarming data support the crucial need for research data to understand the determinants of suicide and suicidal behaviour among children and adolescents. Experience of bullying victimization is one of many possible determinants of suicidal ideation and suicide-related behaviours
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