Risk Factors For Bullying Research Articles

Heritability of Bullying and Victimization in Children and Adolescents: Moderation by the KiVa Antibullying Program

ABSTRACT Objective Bullying affects approximately a quarter of schoolchildren and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. Although distinct risk factors for bullying and victimization have been identified, few studies have investigated the genetic and environmental underpinnings of bullying and victimization. The aims of this study were twofold: first, to examine the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to bullying and victimization, and second, to analyze whether the KiVa antibullying program moderated the magnitude of these contributions by comparing estimates derived from the KiVa versus control groups. Method The sample comprised students from schools that participated in the evaluation of the KiVa antibullying program in Finland during 2007–2009. Bullying and victimization were measured using peer nominations by classmates. The sample for the twin analyses comprised of 447 twins (107 monozygotic and 340 dizygotic twins) aged 7–15. Results Genetic contributions accounted for 62% and 77% of the variance in bullying and in victimization at pre-intervention, respectively. There was a post-intervention difference in the overall role of genetic and environmental contributions between the intervention and the control group for bullying and victimization, with non-shared environmental effects playing a lesser role (and genes a larger role) in the intervention than in the control group context. Conclusions This study replicates previous findings on the genetic underpinnings of both bullying and victimization, and indicates that a school-based antibullying program reduces the role of non-shared environmental factors in bullying and victimization. The results indicate that prevention and intervention efforts need to target both environmental and (heritable) individual level factors to maximize effectiveness.

An Examination of Gender Differences in Bullying among Justice-involved Adolescents

ABSTRACT Most studies of bullying rely on school-based samples of youth; however, a few studies of justice-involved populations suggest delinquent youth experience higher rates of bullying than youth in the general population. Little is known about gender differences in bullying among justice-involved youth. Using data from a Health Coach service project for justice-involve youth implemented at two intake facilities, 312 female and 857 male newly arrested youth were included in the current study. The current study sought to determine gender differences in prevalence rates of bullying involvement. Logistic regression was used to explore gender differences in how key covariates of demographic, risk factors, and traumatic experiences related to bullying. Rates of bullying experiences were higher for girls (35%) than boys (17%), and these rates were higher than rates reported in studies using general population or school-based samples. Analysis revealed differences in risk factors of bullying by gender. For both arrested girls and boys, depressive symptoms and sexual assault victimization increased the odds of bullying. Justice-involved youth are at greater risk of bullying and experience multiple problems. Holistic treatment and prevention strategies that recognize the co-occurrence of mental health symptoms, serious victimization, and substance abuse with bullying experiences are needed.

Prevalence and correlates of bullying and victimization among school students in rural Egypt

ObjectivesKnowledge on risk factors of bullying and victimization among school students is crucial for the implementation of preventive measures. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and correlates of school bullying and victimization and their association with behavioral disorders among preparatory and secondary school students in rural Egypt.Study designCross-sectionalMethodsA total of 476 students from two mixed public schools in rural Egypt (one preparatory and one secondary) were enrolled. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic characteristics and correlates of bullying and victimization including personal and social, family, school, and community factors. Frequency of bullying and victimization was measured using the short version aggression and victimization scale. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used for screening behavioral problems.ResultsPrevalence of bullying behavior was high (77.8%) among the studied group, of those 9.5% were unique bullies, 10.5% were unique victims, and 57.8% were bully-victims. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, failure in previous scholastic years (OR = 11.1, 95% CI 1.1–101.4, P = 0.033), witnessing family members using weapons (OR = 6.1, 95% CI 1.1–34.0, P = 0.038), male gender (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.1–5.0, P = 0.027), and mothers’ education (university or higher) (OR = 0.1, 95% CI 0.02–0.7, P = 0.017) remained the significant predictors for bullying. However, only having a drug addict friend (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1–5.4, P = 0.025) was the significant predictor for victimization. The independent predictors for being bully-victims in order of importance were exposure to physical violence in the street (OR = 5.1, 95% CI 1.2–22.7, P = 0.031), male gender (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.8–5.6, P < 0.001), witnessing fights (OR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.7–5.7, P < 0.001) and insulting words (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.3–4.7, P = 0.007) among family members, exposure to insulting words in the street (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.7, P = 0.010), watching violent movies (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.4, P = 0.008), and younger age (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.6–0.8, P < 0.001).The self-reported SDQ revealed that the conduct problems scale scored significantly higher among bully-victims (2.8 ± 1.7 vs. 2.3 ± 1.6, P = 0.004).ConclusionsPrevalence of bullying behavior was high among rural adolescent school students. Establishment of a bullying prevention committee at school including all school personnel for addressing different factors associated with bullying behavior is recommended. Further follow-up and psychiatric assessment of students for predicting those prone to behavioral abnormalities are also recommended.

Racial and ethnic differences in the risk factors associated with bully victimization

Bullying victimization has been recognized as a social issue facing a large proportion of America’s children and adolescents. Although important contributions to the knowledge base have been made regarding risk factors for bullying, little is known about whether a relationship between the potential victim’s race/ethnicity and their likelihood of bully victimization exists. Further, whether the factors that place persons at risk for bullying victimization are invariant across groups is unknown. The present study attempts to fill these voids in the literature by using a national sample and incorporating a more comprehensive list of predictors compared to what has been used in previous studies. Results indicate that risk factors for bullying are largely invariant across race and ethnicity.

Bullying Victimization Among Peruvian Children: The Predictive Role of Parental Maltreatment.

Bullying among schoolchildren is increasingly being recognized as a major problem. Although previous studies have examined parental maltreatment as a risk factor for bullying, the evidence on this topic remains limited in Latin America. The aim of this study was then to measure the prevalence of bullying victimization among a nationally representative sample of Peruvian children and to test the association between bullying victimization and parental maltreatment in Peru. This study used a pooled data set from the 2013 and 2015 Peru National Surveys on social relations. Participants were Peruvian children aged from 9 years to 11 years in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade of primary in both public and private schools nationwide. The results indicated that almost one third of Peruvian children have experienced physical bullying and nearly half of them psychological bullying. However, only a small percentage reported experiencing bullying very frequently. Furthermore, it was found that parental maltreatment in any form-physical or psychological-was strongly and positively associated with physical and psychological bullying victimization. The results also showed that the probabilities of being physically or psychologically bullied were higher among children who experienced physical or psychological parental maltreatment than among children who have not experienced such violence. The probabilities of being bullied were even higher among children who experienced both types of parental maltreatment. Consistent with previous research, these findings suggest that the relationship that children establish with their parents will largely determine how they interact with their peers.

Bullies, victims and bully-victims in South African schools: Examining the risk factors

School bullying is a complex social phenomenon that negatively impacts the psychosocial well-being of students, as well as the overall culture and climate of schools. Designing appropriate interventions to combat bullying in South African schools requires nuanced information about this phenomenon. This paper examines the extent and nature of bullying in schools located in different and unequal socio-economic contexts. It then examines the risk factors associated with being a victim of bullying. Self-reported data from a nationally representative sample of 12,514 Grade Nine South African students, who participated in the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, was used. Data were subjected to analysis using independent samples t-tests and hierarchical generalised linear modelling. The results revealed different patterns of bullying victimisation and perpetration by the socio-economic status (SES) of the school, with students attending schools with a low SES reporting higher levels of bullying. Factors resulting in higher odds of being a victim were students’ gender and psychosocial characteristics. Perpetration as a risk factor for victimisation (bully-victims) was found across bullying types. The results suggest that students play different participant roles as bully and victim, and that the two behaviours reinforce one another. Keywords: bullying; bullying risk factors; bully-victim; school safety; South Africa; TIMSS

Class-level risk factors for bullying and victimization in Portuguese middle schools

The aim of the present study was to examine whether class-level characteristics, such as class size and gender ratio, could contribute to explaining different levels of bullying, victimization, and perception of defending between classes. Seven-hundred-and-sixty-three students ( M age = 12.96, SD = 1.22; 54.4% boys) from 42 Portuguese middle school classes participated in the current study. Bullying, victimization, and perception of defending were assessed through a self-report questionnaire. In order to account for the clustered nature of the data with students nested within classes, multilevel models were used. After controlling for age and gender at the individual level, gender ratio contributed to explaining between-class variance in bullying and victimization, while class size was a significant predictor of the perception of defending. Thus, the results suggested that both bullying and victimization are more frequent in classes with a high concentration of boys, while in larger classes there is a higher perception of defending. The results of the present study support the importance of taking into account class-level characteristics when developing anti-bullying interventions, and of establishing gender balanced classes in middle school. The results also highlight the relevance of using multilevel modelling when conducting research on bullying and victimization in schools.

Factors associated with bullying at nurses' workplaces

To identify nurses who are subject to workplace bullying and its associated factors. Descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 199 nurses working in public and private sectors (N=388). For data collection, a graphic socio-professional questionnaire and the Leymann Inventory Psychological Terrorization were used, both in print or electronic format (May/September 2010). According to the data collected, 11.56% of the participants had been subject to bullying. Multivariate analysis showed that having children, working at Public Healthcare Units, working at an institution for a period between one and three years, currently dealing with acts of bullying and to feel bullied are risk factors for bullying. This study permitted a better understanding of the factors associated with bullying; however, a research based on samples of Brazilian nurses is only the first step to evaluate other factors of influence related to the organizational context.

Factors Associated with Bullying Behavior in Islamic Private Schools, Pattani Province, Southern Thailand

The purpose of this research was to investigate the associations between students’ bullying behaviors in Islamic private schools, Pattani province and classroom management factors (democracy, authoritarian, and permissive classroom management), family upbringing factors (strict, permissive, and democracy upbringing), environment violence factors (influence of peers violence, community violence, and parents violence), and to identify risk factors for bullying behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,500 students were interviewed to collect relevant data by using a screening inventory for students at risk of exposure to bullying behavior in Islamic private schools (Laeheem & Sungkharat, 2012). Pearson Product-moment correlation test was used to analyze the associations between bullying outcome and various determinants linked to classroom management factors, family upbringing factors, and environment violence factors. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for bullying. The study indicated that there were significant associations between bullying behavior and authoritarian classroom management, strict upbringing, influence of peers violence, and influence of parents violence. The influence of parents violence was clearly the most strongly associated predictors in explaining the students bullying behavior (Beta value= 2.26). The strict upbringing, authoritarian classroom management, and influence of peers violence were also made some contribution in explaining the variance in the students bullying behavior (Beta value= 1.93, 0.23, and -3.27), respectively.

Factores de riesgo de violencia escolar (bullying) severa en colegios privados de tres zonas de la sierra del Perú

Objective: To identify severe bullying risk factors in three highland Peruvian zones private school students. Design: Survey type study. Setting: Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. Participants: Fifth elementary school to fifth high school private school students. Interventions: A survey validated in previous studies to identify school violence (bullying) was applied to 736 students from Ayacucho, Huancavelica and Cusco (Sicuani) private schools between fifth year of elementary school and fifth year of high school. We considered severe bullying when they answered positively five or more of the nine questions referring to types of bullying. We compared 37 students with severe bullying and 74 students randomly selected from the group not having bullying. With bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analysis we identified factors significantly associated to severe bullying. Main outcome measures: Risk factors for severe bullying. Results: Severe bullying was significantly associated to parents’ reaction when knowing the fact, repeated threatening in spite of bullying communication, presence of school gangs, having gang friends, and possessing a physical defect. Logistic regression found significant association with parents’ reaction, gang presence, and possessing a physical defect. Conclusions: Severe bullying is associated to multiple risk factors that can and must be detected early because of the psychological damage generating in the students.

Acculturation Stress and Bullying Among Immigrant Youths in Spain

Few bullying studies focus on immigrant youths or acculturation stress as a risk factor for bullying and being bullied. Employing a sample of 1,157 foreign-born secondary students in Spain, we found that acculturation stress was widely experienced, although the average level of stress was moderate. Five percent of the sample reported being bully-victims; that is, simultaneously being a perpetrator and victim of bullying. Another 5% reported only victimization experience, and 12% reported only perpetration experience. Multinomial logistic regression results showed that acculturation stress was associated with increased odds of being a bully-victim but not with the odds of being just a victim or the odds of being just a perpetrator. The findings highlight areas for future research exploring the chronology of perpetration and victimization for bully-victims, whether bullies of immigrant youths are immigrants or natives, and relations between sources of acculturation stress and forms of bullying.

Workplace Bullying, Working Environment and Health

Improved work organisation could be of importance for decreased bullying in workplaces. Participants in the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) responded to questions about work and workplace and whether they had been bullied during the past year in 2006. Those in worksites with at least five employees who did not report that they had been bullied in 2006 and without workplace change between 2006 and 2008 constituted the final sample (n=1,021 men and 1,182 women). Work characteristics and workplace factors in 2006 were used in multiple logistic regression as predictors of bullying in 2008. Separate analyses were performed for work characteristics and workplace factors respectively. Adjustments for demographic factors were made in all analyses. The question used for bullying was: "Are you exposed to personal persecution by means of vicious words or actions from your superiors or your workmates?" Such persecution any time during the past year was defined as bullying. For both genders organisational change and conflicting demands were identified as risk factors, and good decision authority as a protective factor. Dictatorial leadership, lack of procedural justice and attitude of expendability were male and lack of humanity a female risk factor for bullying.

Bullying Update: Are We Making Any Progress?

1. Gwen M. Glew, MD, MPH* 2. Karin S. Frey, PhD† 3. William O. Walker, MD§ 1. *Assistant Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Developmental Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Wash. 2. †Research Associate Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. 3. §Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine; Chief, Division of Developmental Medicine, Director, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Wash. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Discuss the research definition of bullying, how it differs from what laypersons consider bullying, and how having two definitions can be problematic. 2. Identify recognized risk factors for bullying, especially those identified as such in the past 10 years. 3. Describe how to advise parents of children who bully as well as children who are victimized by bullying at school. 4. Understand the school's role in identifying bullying behaviors and their prevention. 5. Know the evidence-based school-wide interventions that have been effective in decreasing bullying. In 2000, my colleagues and I (GMG) at the University of Washington wrote an article for Pediatrics in Review to provide research-based information about the phenomenon of childhood bullying. (1) The purpose of that article was to enhance clinicians' understanding of bullying and to suggest how they might help their patients and families deal with it. Since that time, a substantial amount of research has been conducted. This review summarizes a subset of that literature from the last decade to answer this important question: Are we making any progress toward decreasing bullying among children? Cases presented are not real, and any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental. Rather, these cases are composites of characteristics and scenarios derived from our work designed to illustrate key concepts. The term bullying is problematic. The layperson, the medical practitioner, and the researcher on the subject of bullying may have different concepts of what bullying is. Bullying, for research purposes, is defined as repeated negative behavior by one or more individuals aimed at a person who is perceived as being weaker or more vulnerable. Bullying …

Individual risk factors for school bullying

This article reviews individual risk factors for bullying, especially gender, age, aggressiveness, low intelligence and achievement, hyperactivity‐impulsiveness, low empathy, low self‐esteem, depression, unpopularity, and physical and biological features. It also reports individual, family and socio‐economic predictors and correlates of bullying discovered in a longitudinal survey of 411 London boys. The most important individual risk factors are low impulsiveness and low empathy, and they could be targeted in cognitive‐behavioural skills training programmes.

Incidencia y factores de riesgo de la intimidación (bullying) en un colegio particular de Lima-Perú, 2007

Se estudió el bullying o agresión en 185 estudiantes comprendidos entre 4to de primaria y 5to de secundaria pertenecientes al CEP Jorge Polar del distrito de Pueblo Libre, Lima. El 54,7% de los encuestados mencionaron haber sufrido agresiones. El 91% señaló que el tipo más frecuente fue poner apodos. Se hicieron análisis univariados y bivariados. El único factor de riesgo que mostró asociación con bullying fue la falta de comunicación de las agresiones. La seguridad en el colegio apareció como factor protector. Se enfatizó el trabajo conjunto de padres y maestros en la construcción y fortalecimiento de valores para promover una cultura de paz.

Parental reported bullying among Nordic children: a population‐based study

Bullying has been shown to be a serious problem amongst school children, but few studies have been population-based and included pre-school children. The study is part of a cross-sectional comparative study in 1984 and 1996, focusing on children's and their families' health and welfare in the Nordic countries. At each point of time parents of 3000 randomly selected children aged 2-17 years in each of five Nordic countries received a postal questionnaire. Altogether approximately 20,000 questionnaires were completed. The prevalence of bullying, risk factors for bullying and possible effect factors were analysed. Parents reported bullying of their child in 15.1% of the cases. Bullying varied from 7.2% in Sweden to about 20% in Denmark and Finland. There was a small increase in bullying from 13.7% in 1984 to 16.4% in 1996. Bullying was most frequent in boys (OR: 1.4) and in children 2-6 and 7-12 years old (OR: 2.0 and 2.2 compared with older children). Children of single parents and of parents with low education had increased risks (OR: 1.4 and 1.4). Children with chronic conditions had higher risks for being bullied (OR: 2.3). In 1996 children with psychiatric/nervous problems and hyperactivity had high risks for being bullied (OR: 8.8 and 10.5) and for bullying others (3.9 and 3.5). Being bullied was associated with poor thriving and psychosomatic and psychological problems. No countries had national interventions before 1984, but Sweden had early focused on the problem and implemented a strong national policy before 1996. After 1996 national anti-bullying policies were strengthened in the Nordic countries, most in Sweden and Norway. Bullying is common among Nordic children, including pre-school children. Bullying is a threat to children's health, and augments problems in children with chronic conditions. The low prevalence of bullying in Sweden may be a result from sustained, strong anti-bullying policies. There is still a need for continuing interventions.

Bullying, Self-Control, and Adhd

We investigated the influence of low self-control and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on bullying and bully victimization in a sample of 1,315 middle school students using a school survey. Students who reported taking medication for ADHD were at increased risk for bullying as well as victimization by bullies. The correlation between ADHD status and bullying could be explained by low self-control, a construct theorized by Gottfredson and Hirschi to be the most important determinant of criminality. In contrast, the correlation between ADHD status and bullying victimization was independent of self-control. Subsequent analyses found that self-control influenced bullying victimization through interactions with student gender and measures of physical size and strength. These findings identify low self-control and ADHD as potential risk factors for bullying and victimization and have implications for research on self-control in young adolescents.

Parental maltreatment and emotion dysregulation as risk factors for bullying and victimization in middle childhood.

G, C. L.Editor(s): TEPLIN , STUART W. M.D., Editor; GRUS , CATHERINE L. Ph.D.; SANDLER , ADRIAN D. M.D.; REIFF , MICHAEL I. M.D. Author Information

Parental Maltreatment and Emotion Dysregulation as Risk Factors for Bullying and Victimization in Middle Childhood

Examined whether children who were maltreated by caregivers were more likely to bully others and to be at risk for victimization by peers. An additional focus was to investigate emotion's role in bullying and victimization among children at risk. Participants were 169 maltreated and 98 nonmaltreated boys and girls attending a summer day camp for inner-city children. As predicted, maltreated children were more likely than nonmaltreated children to bully other children. Bullying was especially prevalent among abused children who experienced maltreating acts of commission (physical or sexual abuse). Maltreatment also placed children at risk for victimization by peers. Gender did not moderate these findings, in that maltreated boys and girls appeared to be at similar risk for bullying and victimization. As expected, both bullies and victims evidenced problems with emotion regulation. Furthermore, logistic regression analyses suggested that emotion dysregulation made a unique contribution toward differentiating bullies and victims from children who did not evidence bully-victim problems. In addition, maltreatment's effects on children's risk for bullying and victimization were mediated by emotion dysregulation.