School Bullying Research Articles

Teacher Bullying—Does It Have an Impact on Peer Bullying Victimization?

AbstractPeer bullying in schools is well-documented through international research. There is, however, limited knowledge about teachers who bully students and how this is related to peer bullying. In the school hierarchy, the teachers have a strong position of formal power. When this power is exercised positively, through authoritative classroom leadership, this will both prevent bullying and support and protect victims of bullying. However, we cannot neglect the possibility that teachers can use their formal power negatively, and in the worst cases bully students. This study aimed to explore how teacher bullying was associated with being bullied by peers. Data from the Norwegian Annual Pupil Survey (2018) was used. The sample consisted of 173,742 students (48.93% female). The participation rate was approximately 90%. A Likert scale was used to estimate the extent to which students were being bullied by peers and teachers. The main results showed that teacher bullying was positively associated with peer offline and online bullying victimization while statistically controlling for gender and grades. With a rather small effect size, the association of teacher bullying with offline bullying victimization was stronger than with online bullying victimization. Bullying was measured using self-reporting with a single question. In future research, it is recommended that several questions be used to capture the complexity of bullying. The results from this study show that it is necessary to develop and implement preventive measures not only against bullying among peers but also against teacher bullying.

Patterns of defender behaviors and outsider behaviors in school bullying among Chinese adolescents: based on latent profile analysis

Patterns of defender behaviors and outsider behaviors in school bullying among Chinese adolescents: based on latent profile analysis

Exposure to Violence at Home and Bullying in School: A Test of an Additional Layer of General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT School bullying continues to be a major concern in Trinidad and Tobago. Despite its prevalence and governmental efforts to reduce bullying, relatively few studies have examined the relationship between exposure to violence at home and school bullying in this nation. This study intends to examine the relationship between exposure to violence at home, anger, school culture toward bullying, and school bullying within the context of General Strain Theory. Using data collected from 1,248 students in ten primary schools in Trinidad, this study found that exposure to violence at home had significant influences on bullying in school. Further, anger significantly mediated the relationship between exposure to violence at home and school bullying while the moderating effects of anger and school culture favorable toward bullying were statistically significant.

Bullying victimization in schools in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDespite the implementation of antibullying policies, schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed an increase in bullying prevalence. The aim of our study was to assess bullying victimization in schools in the UAE, types of bullying, and factors and outcomes related to bullying behavior.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in randomly selected private and public schools in Al Ain City. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from students in grades 6–8 (Ages 10–15). We adapted the US CDC ‘Bully Survey’ for cultural relevance in the UAE through feedback from focus group meetings with teachers. Data analysis, conducted using R software, involved stratified analysis by school type and utilized Chi-Squared and Fisher’s exact tests to identify factors associated with school bullying.ResultsThe study sample consisted of 723 students of whom 68% were males, and 58% were Emirati nationals. The overall prevalence of bullying victimization in schools was 37%, with 40% in private schools and 35% in public schools. Cyberbullying was more prevalent in private schools (37%). Physical bullying was reported by 20% and verbal bullying by 12%, with a higher prevalence of physical bullying in private schools (24%) and among males (23%). The study’s findings showed significant emotional and academic impacts of bullying, including feelings of sadness and learning difficulties, contributing to a rise in school absenteeism.ConclusionsThe study reveals widespread bullying victimization in UAE schools, mainly in classrooms, with group exclusion and verbal abuse as key forms. It underscores bullying’s psychological impact and the greater awareness of parents compared to teachers. The effective intervention strategies should not only involve students, teachers, and school staff, but also actively engage parents by fostering stronger communication channels between schools and families, and providing parents with resources and training to recognize and address bullying. These strategies should aim to create a cohesive network involving the entire school community, thus fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for students. The findings stress the need for inclusive antibullying programs involving the entire school community to foster a safer environment.

Exploring In-School Adolescent Smoking Behaviors: A Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Contexts in Anambra, Nigeria

The use of tobacco among adolescents is a big public health issue in low- and middle-income countries of the world including Nigeria. The aim of this study was to compare prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among in-school adolescents’ resident in urban and rural secondary schools in Anambra State. A cross-sectional analytical design was observed using multi stage random sampling to sample 360 students from some selected schools. A pretested, semi structured questionnaire adapted from the Global School Health Survey (GSHS) was used to collect data. The data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Similar prevalence of tobacco use was found in both the urban (6.3%) and in the rural (6.5%) sites, without significance in either (p=1.000). Participation in protective factors including health education programs in which participants are educated on smoking dangers and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in particular was associated with non-smoking behavior significantly more in urban areas. On the other hand, being urban adolescents who reported tobacco use showed significantly association with risk factors such as poor school environment and bullying. Consequently, no difference in rates of tobacco use occur between urban and rural adolescents, despite differences in protective and risk factors. Recommendations aimed at strengthening health education, and improving school environments and reducing bullying are suggested to reduce adolescent smoking in these settings. Effective tobacco control of Nigerian adolescents requires targeting of public health interventions on the basis of the socio-cultural context.

Teachers Efforts in Preventing Bullying Behavior

This study describes the forms and efforts of teachers in preventing bullying behavior in students at Madrasah Ibtida'iyah At-Taqwa Bondowoso. Qualitative methods produce naturalistic data in the form of reasonable explanations. Data from observations, documentation, and interviews were analyzed descriptively. The results of the study indicate that teachers' efforts in preventing bullying behavior have been maximized and are very effective and can prevent and minimize the occurrence of bullying behavior. Schools become more conducive and the learning process can run well. The success of preventing bullying in schools can be seen from the attitudes and behavior of students in everyday life who respect each other, teachers, parents and people around them, do not say bad things, act compactly and dare to take responsibility, and fear Allah by avoiding all things that are forbidden and doing what He commands.

Cross-sectional study of bystander roles in school bullying incidents in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract Background School bullying is a widespread public health issue with far-reaching consequences on the psychological well-being and academic performance of students. This study focuses on the perspective of bystanders to better understand their role in the dynamics of bullying in school environments in the United Arab Emirates. Methods We employed a multi-stage random sampling approach to collect data from students in grades 6 to 9 at the sample of public and private schools in Al Ain, using a validated self-report questionnaire. IBM SPSS software version 28.0 was used for the analysis using appropriate statistical tests. Results Out of 728 surveyed students, 290 (40%) were from private and 438 (60%) from public schools. A total of 425 (58%) of students were bystanders observing bullying incidents across all schools, with 65% of males versus 45% of females witnessing such events. Physical bullying was the most frequent type of bullying observed by 67% of students. The classroom was most often location, 75% in private schools and 61% in public schools. Verbal abuses such as making fun and name-calling were commonly reported. Bullying targeting physical appearance was particularly noted, with 31% of bystanders stating that bullying was due to perceptions of a student’s face being ‘funny’ and 21% due to beliefs about weight. 59% felt sad, and 29% didn’t go to school as a result of the bullying. Reporting to teachers was limited (25%). Conclusions The high prevalence of bystanders in school bullying incidents in Al Ain was observed, especially among male students. The results emphasize the critical need for comprehensive anti-bullying programs that include bystander intervention strategies to promote a supportive and inclusive educational environment. Key messages • Many of students are witnessing bullying, highlighting the need for effective intervention programs. • Empowering bystanders is crucial in preventing bullying and enhancing the safety at schools.

Does competitive school climate really harm to students’ anti-bullying attitude: empirical evidence from China

BackgroundSchool bullying remains a social problem and changing students’ attitudes towards bullying is crucial for effective prevention in schools. Based on social-ecological system theory, this study examines how school climate influences anti-bullying attitudes among students. Specifically, it studies how a competitive school environment influences these attitudes, and how students’ competitive attitudes mediate these attitudes.MethodsThe data for this study comes from The Programmed for International Student Assessment (PISA), which is a global student assessment initiative led by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The sample consists of 12,058 Chinese students from the 2018 PISA survey. Data analysis was conducted using STATA (version 14.0) software.ResultsSchool competitive climate has a positive and substantial impact on their anti-bullying attitudes (r = 0.1551, p < 0.001). Students’ competitive attitudes are also positively and significantly correlated with their anti-bullying attitudes (r = 0.2249, p < 0.001). Competitive attitudes partially mediate the relationship between the school bullying climate and students’ anti-bullying attitudes.ConclusionIn the context of Chinese education, a competitive school climate clearly has a positive effect on students anti-bullying attitudes. Students’ competitive attitudes also act as partial mediator in this relationship. These findings suggest that a healthy school ecosystem that reflects sound value guidance and fair rules is imperative for fostering anti-bullying attitudes in students.

Primary school bullying: Factors, forms and solutions

This research is motivated by the rampant cases of bullying in schools caused by various factors and forms of bullying behavior played by students in schools. This study describes the forms, factors, and solutions the school has implemented. The researcher used a descriptive qualitative method to write the findings. Data collection was carried out using interviews, observations, and filling out questionnaires. The results illustrate that bullying behavior that occurs at school can be verbal by mocking, insinuating, and instigating. While social bullying, such as ostracising friends. In response, primary schools in Malang City formed an anti-bullying task force to minimize bullying and educate students regarding it in the school environment. The task force's role is to educate (remind) what bullying is for all students in the school and to model positive behavior (role model).

The impact of bullying cognition on school bullying among Chinese primary school students: a moderated mediation model of resilience and sex.

Previous studies have shown the positive effects of bullying cognition on school bullying behavior among young people, but the mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 5,903 primary school students in grades 3-5 in Luzhou city. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to test the mediating effect of psychological resilience and the moderating effect of sex on the relationship between bullying cognition and school bullying after controlling for grade. Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between school bullying cognition and victimization (β = -0.0174, 95% CI: -0.0219 to -0.0132) and between perpetration (β = -0.0079, 95% CI: -0.0104 to -0.0055). This study revealed that sex moderated the relationship between school bullying cognition and perpetration (β = 0.0383, p < 0.001) and victimization behavior (β = 0.0400, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that it is crucial for education regulators, schools, and families to cultivate students' school bullying cognitions and psychological resilience, which may help to decrease the prevalence of school bullying. Especially for boys, improving their bullying cognition may largely decrease its perpetration.

School Staff Strategies for Identifying, Dealing with and Preventing Cyberbullying Among Swedish Primary School Pupils

This study, using a socio-ecological model of bullying, examines how school staff, in a Swedish municipality, identify and deal with cyberbullying among primary school pupils, focusing on gender differences to better inform staff participation in the municipality’s anti-bullying strategy. Twenty-five (25) semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff members (including non-teaching staff). Results indicate that cyberbullying, predominantly occurring outside school, impacts educational activities and practices within it. Results also suggest a higher prevalence of cyberbullying among girls. Seven anti-­cyberbullying strategies employed by school staff to identify, intervene in, prevent and deal with cyberbullying among primary school pupils were indicated, providing additional insights into the unique socio-ecological context in which cyberbullying takes place, characterized by ubiquitous ‘twenty-four-seven’ availability. The implications of identifying cyberbullying and addressing initiatives related to this form of bullying in schools are also discussed.

Escaping the Bondage of Bullying: A Game-based Learning Approach

School bullying is a phenomenon of great concern worldwide, with profound implications for the emotional development of those involved. Leveraging the interactive nature of game-based learning provides a unique opportunity for active student engagement that goes beyond traditional pedagogical methods. This article aims to explore students' perceptions of bullying and present a digital game as an alternative educational approach to raising students' awareness, empathy, and empowerment. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated how an art-based virtual museum game engages students in exploring and understanding the phenomenon. A needs assessment on bullying was conducted on a student population sample during the school year 2023 - 2024. Subsequently, a digital 3D escape room type game (named "e-BOB") was used, which was redesigned and reconstructed by the students from an initial project within the Panhellenic Students Competition of Onassis Foundation "Hack the Art: Yiannoulis Halepas". The game was developed using Unity, Blender, and Krita platforms and is set in an art museum. Players interact with the sculptor's exhibits through micro-scenarios and quizzes drawn from the sculptor's life and artwork that tackle the issue of bullying. Key game features include goal achievement within a time limit and discovery of hidden elements. The analysis of the needs assessment data found that all students had been involved in bullying behaviors either as victims, perpetrators or observers. The majority of students focused mainly on direct forms of bullying and less on indirect forms, and most were unable to distinguish bullying from 'simple teasing', demeaning bullying behavior. Those at greater risk are the ones who show some element of differentiation in relation to the stereotypes of the social context in which they live. Several students indicated that the school environment needs to address the issue sufficiently. Finally, the game contributed to students' empathy about bullying, enhancing their self-reflection and managing strategies. Raising awareness, mental empowerment, and empathy for bullying requires dynamic and innovative approaches. With its potential for self-awareness and student activation, game-based learning should be incorporated into educational programs for bullying prevention and management within schools.

The Relationship between Campus Bullying and Depression: The Mediating Role of Personality.

School bullying and depression have a great negative psychological impact on college students, and personality analysis is the key to the detection of psychopathological states. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the mediating effect of personality on depression and school bullying in college students. This cross-sectional study investigated the bullying situation in colleges and universities by using the Olweus Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The participants were 1200 college students. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the data and the mediating effect of exposure, and the mediating effect was tested. Spearman correlation analysis showed that bullying experience was associated with introversion (r = 0.702), neuroticism (r = 0.219) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.600), but was negatively correlated with extraversion (r = -0.537). Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with neuroticism (r = 0.279) and introversion (r = 0.611), but negatively correlated with extraversion (r = -0.469). In relationship between bullying and depression, neuroticism showed positively partially mediating effect and mediating effect ratio was 4.39% (β = 0.161, p < 0.05), and introversion had an obvious mediating effect and the ratio was 40% (β = 0.611, p < 0.001). Otherwise, extraversion partially mediated between campus bullying and depression adversely and mediating ratio is 8.75% (β = -0.359, p < 0.05). Campus bullying is significantly associated with depression and personality, and personality has a remarkable mediating effect in campus bullying and depression.

The Mediating Role of School Adaptation in the Impact of Adolescent Victimization from Bullying on Mental Health: A Gender Differences Perspective.

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of school adaptation in the impact of adolescent bullying victimization on mental health, as well as the gender differences therein. These findings offer a novel perspective for parents and educators, aiding bullied adolescents in managing and addressing mental health concerns. The primary data source for this study was the 2020/2021 Adolescent Health Theme Database from the China Population Health Data Center (PHDA). The research sample consisted of high school students from 16 cities in Shandong Province. Descriptive statistics, reliability and validity testing, structural equation modeling, as well as mediation analysis and multiple group analysis were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0. School adaptation serves as a mediating variable between adolescent bullying and mental health. The model fit indices are as follows: GFI=0.946, AGFI=0.922, RMSEA=0.070, NFI=0.978, IFI=0.979, CFI=0.97. Even when considering gender, the model still demonstrates good fit. School bullying has significant negative effects on the mental health of both male and female victims (p<0.05). For female victims, the mitigating effect of school adaptation on mental health is slightly lower than that for males (-2.256). Regarding cyberbullying, male victims face a greater threat to mental health (-3.234), with a impact of -0.109 from cyberbullying on male mental health and -0.065 from school bullying on female mental health. The school is found to mediate between school bullying, cyberbullying, and mental health. Schools may play a greater role in improving female mental health than male mental health. The impact of campus bullying on female mental health is greater than that of cyberbullying, whereas the opposite is true for males. Enhancing adolescents' school adaptation levels helps mitigate the adverse effects of school and cyberbullying on adolescent mental health.

Unveiling the shadows: School bullying and students' ability erosions in Chinese compulsory schools

Drawing upon data from the National Children's Study of China, this research investigates the school bullying victimization and its associations with the ability erosions among students in Chinese schools. Three key findings emerge. First, results suggest that the primary factors affecting bullying victimization mainly include authoritarian parenting, limited positive social interactions on campus, adverse experiences, and exposure to teacher and peer smoking. Second, estimates indicate that bullying victimization is significantly associated with ability erosions, particularly among students from relatively advantaged backgrounds. The further Oster's test, falsification test, and reverse causality check confirm the validity of the associations and suggest some causal effect of victimization on the student outcomes. Lastly, the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition shows that lower human capital investments derived from social interactions are the most significant contributors to the ability erosion linked to bullying victimization. These findings highlight the critical importance of social interactions both at home and in schools.

“Just Because I’m Different!”: The Call for Socio-Cultural Transformation of Covert Bullying Practices in Jamaican High Schools

With the growth of technology and social media, many forms of bullying in Jamaican high schools have intensified and remained covert, while promoting a climate of socio-cultural differences and relational aggression. The purpose of this article is to use the insights and implications garnered from a covert bullying study to share recommended transformational approaches and strategies that will reduce bullying practices and negative socio-cultural differences within local school communities, while also engendering a culture of equality and social justice.

Amplifying Player Experience to Facilitate Prosocial Outcomes in a Narrative-Based Serious Game

The rise and development of serious games have shown promise in addressing critical social issues, including school bullying. However, prior work often compares game-based interventions with the conventional non-game approach, failing to generate insights about which game features should be emphasized to create more effective games. To bridge this research gap, in light of video games’ advantages for creating immersive experiences that benefit persuasion, we created a narrative-based serious game addressing school bullying and conducted two studies (Study 1, &lt;em&gt;N&lt;/em&gt; = 130; Study 2, &lt;em&gt;N&lt;/em&gt; = 250) to explore the persuasive effects of two game features, respectively player–avatar similarity and in-game control, on player experience (including player–avatar identification, narrative engagement, and empathy) and prosocial intention. We found mixed results subject to player perspective such that only when players took the bully’s perspective did one of the game features—in-game control—successfully create the intended empathy via amplified narrative engagement toward the desirable prosocial intention.

A Study on the Correlation between Adolescent Deviance and School Bullying Perpetration

A Study on the Correlation between Adolescent Deviance and School Bullying Perpetration

Feeling better now? Being defended diminishes daily mood problems and self-blame in victims of bullying.

School bullying is a group phenomenon in which being defended by peer bystanders may buffer against the development of psychological problems in victims. This registered report examines whether being defended diminished victims' daily mood problems and self-blame, both from a within- and between-person perspective. Daily diary data were collected from n = 1669 Finnish 7th-9th grade students (M age = 14.45; 55.5% girl) across 3 weeks. In n = 1329 out of 12,366 assessments (10.7%), students indicated that schoolmates victimized them on the day of bullying. Multi-level regression analyses indicated that students reported lower depressed mood, greater positive mood and lower self-blame on days that they were victimized and defended as compared to days when they were victimized but non-defended. Effect sizes were medium for depressed mood and small for positive mood and self-blame. Repeated victims (n = 144) were less likely to blame themselves for victimization on days they were defended, which, in turn, diminished feelings of humiliation (mediation). Our findings indicate that being defended benefits victims of bullying by mitigating mood problems, both directly and indirectly via diminished self-blame. Anti-bullying programmes that encourage peer defending have the potential to improve victims' psychological adjustment, even on a daily basis.

Bullying Prevention Practices and Child Stress in Public Elementary Schools

This quantitative study employed surveys to assess the extent of bullying prevention efforts from schools and parents, and to measure levels of child stress in terms of distress, lack of well-being, and absence of social support. The sample consisted of students from multiple public elementary schools. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, correlation coefficients, and regression analysis. The study found that both school and parental bullying prevention efforts were very extensive. Child stress levels were generally low across various indicators. A significant negative relationship was found between bullying prevention practices and child stress, indicating that effective prevention efforts are associated with reduced stress levels in children. Both school-based and parental efforts were identified as significant predictors in reducing child stress. The findings suggest that comprehensive bullying prevention efforts are effective in reducing child stress. The study emphasizes the importance of a multi-faceted approach involving both schools and parents in bullying prevention programs. The study concludes that effective bullying prevention practices are associated with lower levels of child stress, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts between schools and parents. Recommendations are made for researchers, the Department of Education, school heads, and teachers to enhance bullying prevention programs.