Bullying among immigrant and non-immigrant early adolescents: School- and student-level effects

We examined the association between school immigrant concentration and bullying among immigrant and non-immigrant early adolescents, and identified potential explanatory factors. First generation immigrant students had reduced odds of victimization and perpetration in schools with high (20–60%), compared to low, levels of immigrant concentration. Second generation immigrant students had reduced odds of ethnic/racial victimization in moderately concentrated schools; while non-immigrants had increased odds in the same schools. Non-white students had increased odds of ethnic/racial victimization compared to White students. While students' sense of school belonging and perceived teacher cultural sensitivity were negatively associated with bullying, they did not account for the differential associations noted above. Results demonstrate the importance of immigrant density as a protective school characteristic for immigrant and ethnic minority youth. Additional social processes operating in schools that may explain bullying behaviors among immigrant and non-immigrant youth should be explored to inform programs for promoting inclusion in schools.     

Relationships between perceived teachers' controlling behaviour,psychological need thwarting,anger and bullying behaviour in high-school students

We tested a model of the associations between students' perceptions of their physical education teacher's controlling behaviour, perceptions of basic psychological need thwarting, anger and bullying behaviour. School students (N = 602; M age = 12.88, SD = 1.37) from 10 schools completed measures of perceived teachers' controlling behaviour and perceived thwarting of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in physical education context and self-reported bullying and anger. A well-fitting structural equation model demonstrated that students' perceptions of the negative conditional regard and intimidation exhibited by the teacher had significant indirect effect on students' feelings of anger and bullying behaviour through the perceived psychological need thwarting in physical education. Findings suggest that physical education teachers who avoid the use of negative conditional regard and intimidation in their classes have students who perceive less need thwarting and report less bullying behaviour.     

Social comparison,competition and teacher–student relationships in junior high school classrooms predicts bullying and victimization

This cross-sectional research examines how social comparison, competition and teacher–student relationships as classroom characteristics are associated with bullying and victimization among junior high school students in grades 7 and 8 in Canada. The study tests a conceptual model of youth outcomes that highlights the importance of modeling the effects of teaching practices as proximal structural conditions at the classroom level (N = 38) that affect bullying outcomes at the individual level (N = 687). Results of Hierarchal linear modeling (HLM) revealed significant classroom-level effects in that increased social comparison, competition and teacher–student relationships were related to bullying and victimization. An interaction for teacher–student relationships and gender also emerged. These findings may guide future intervention programs for junior high schools that focus on enhancing cooperation and pro-social behavior in classrooms. The findings could also inform programs that focus on building strong relationships between students and teachers to help prevent bullying and victimization, particularly among boys.     

Brief report: Associations between in-person and electronic bullying victimization and missing school because of safety concerns among U.S. high school students

Although associations between bullying and health risk behaviors are well-documented, research on bullying and education-related outcomes, including school attendance, is limited. This study examines associations between bullying victimization (in-person and electronic) and missing school because of safety concerns among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. We used logistic regression analyses to analyze data from the 2013 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey of students in grades 9–12. In-person and electronic victimization were each associated with increased odds of missing school due to safety concerns compared to no bullying victimization. Having been bullied both in-person and electronically was associated with greater odds of missing school compared to electronic bullying only for female students and in-person bullying only for male students. Collaborations between health professionals and educators to prevent bullying may improve school attendance.     

Influences of peers,teachers, and climate on students' willingness to intervene when witnessing anti-transgender harassment

Transgender young people are at increased risk for bullying, harassment, and negative mental health and academic outcomes compared to the general population as well as compared to other members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and similarly identified (LGBTQQ) communities. To inform interventions to support transgender students, the present study investigates students' willingness to intervene when witnessing anti-transgender harassment, using data collected from a participatory action research project investigating school climate. Multi-step linear regression was used to test the impacts of hearing transphobic language and witnessing teachers and others students intervene, while controlling for demographics and school. Hostile climate negatively predicted intervention intentions while witnessing peer intervention positively predicted likelihood to intervene. Witnessing teacher intervention did not significantly predict the outcome. These findings suggest that youth-led interventions in peer networks might be effective in diminishing transphobic bullying and supporting the healthy development of transgender young people.     

Multiple informants in the assessment of psychological, behavioral, and academic correlates of bullying and victimization in middle school

The present study assessed agreement between student self-report and teacher ratings of bullying and victimization relative to psychological, behavioral, and academic correlates. Middle school students (N=1442) and teachers completed surveys evaluating peer relationships and psychosocial adjustment. Analyses of variance and logistic regressions were used to examine rater agreement on bullying/victimization and adjustment among groups (bullies, victims, bully/victims, and uninvolved) identified by rater (student self-report only, teacher-report only, concordant reports, and controversial reports). Concordant and controversial groups had among the greatest psychosocial and academic difficulties. Student learning difficulties and moodiness interacted with teacher reports of bullying and victimization, respectively, with agreement between teacher and student self reports of bullying greater at higher levels of learning problems and agreement for victimization lower at higher levels of moodiness. The results indicate biases in rater perspective of student behavior and continue to support the need for multiple raters of student functioning.     

Early adolescents' motivations to defend victims in school bullying and their perceptions of student–teacher relationships: A self-determination theory approach

The aim of this study was to investigate whether various dimensions of student–teacher relationships were associated with different types of motivation to defend victims in bullying and to determine the association between these types of motivations and various bystander behaviors in bullying situations among early adolescents in Italy. Data were collected from 405 Italian adolescents who completed a survey in their classroom. Results showed that warm student–teacher relationships were positively associated with defending victims and with autonomous motivation to defend victims. In contrast, conflictual student–teacher relationships were positively associated with passive bystanding and with extrinsic motivation to defend victims. Different forms of motivation to defend were found to be mediators between student–teacher relationship qualities and bystander behaviors in school bullying. Our findings suggest that teachers should build warm and caring student–teacher relationships to enhance students' autonomous motivation to defend victims of bullying as well as their inclination to defend the victims in practice.     

Parental Messages,School Belonging,Social Skills,and Personal Control as Predictors of Bullying in Ethnic Minority Adolescents

While evidence of the mental health effects of bullying has amassed in recent years, less scholarship explores the dynamics of bullying as it manifests in culturally diverse environments. The purpose of this study was to determine how contextual factors influence participation in bullying behaviors in a sample of urban, low-income, ethnic minority students. Using structural equation modeling, researchers tested whether social competence mediates the relationship between (a) parents’ messages about aggression, (b) school belonging, (c) personal control and the outcome of bullying. Results of the study support evidence for a direct relationship between parental messages and bullying, social skills and bullying, parental messages and social skills, and personal control and social skills. Findings also indicate an indirect relationship between personal control and bully perpetration. Implications and directions for future research on contextual factors associated with bullying are discussed.     

Measuring help-seeking behaviors: Factor structure,reliability, and validity among youth with disabilities

Existing measures of help-seeking focus on assessing attitudes and beliefs, rather than specific behaviors, toward help-seeking. This study described the development of a self-report measure of informal help-seeking behaviors (HSB). Participants were 228 high school students (148 males, 80 females) with disabilities from four states. Factor analyses revealed three underlying factors, each addressing a different source of help: parent, peer, and teacher. The HSB had good internal reliability and moderate validity. Results from regression analyses suggested that help-seeking behaviors toward parents and teachers contributed uniquely to students' self-ratings of school bonding, life satisfaction, and career outcome expectations. Help-seeking behaviors toward peers was a negative predictor of career outcome expectations. The value of the HSB as a research instrument was discussed.     

Peer Victimization,Teacher Unfairness,and Adolescent Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles of Sense of Belonging to School and Schoolwork-Related Anxiety

Adolescents spend substantial time learning and socializing at school. Peer victimization (a negative peer relationship) and teacher unfairness (a negative student–teacher relationship), which are commonly embedded within the school environment, could exert negative effects on adolescent life satisfaction (ALS). Although an emerging line of research has revealed the independent effects of peer victimization and teacher unfairness on ALS, scant research has analyzed how peer victimization and teacher unfairness could influence ALS using nationally representative data. A sample of 5712 15-year-old adolescents from the USA who participated in the 2015 program for international student assessment was used in the present study. The results of structural equation modeling showed that both peer victimization and teacher unfairness had significant and negative effects on ALS; sense of belonging to school partially mediated the effect of peer victimization on ALS, and schoolwork-related anxiety partially mediated the effects of both peer victimization and teacher unfairness on ALS. The research findings extended our understanding of the mechanisms underlying peer victimization, teacher unfairness, and ALS.

     

The experience of friendship,victimization and bullying in children with an autism spectrum disorder: Associations with child characteristics and school placement

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be vulnerable to social isolation and bullying. We measured the friendship, fighting/bullying and victimization experiences of 10–12-year-old children with an ASD (N = 100) using parent, teacher and child self-report. Parent and teacher reports were compared to an IQ-matched group of children with special educational needs (SEN) without ASD (N = 80) and UK population data. Parents and teachers reported a lower prevalence of friendships compared to population norms and to children with SEN without an ASD. Parents but not teachers reported higher levels of victimization than the SEN group. Half of the children with an ASD reported having friendships that involved mutuality. By teacher report children with an ASD who were less socially impaired in mainstream school experienced higher levels of victimization than more socially impaired children; whereas for more socially impaired children victimization did not vary by school placement. Strategies are required to support and improve the social interaction skills of children with an ASD, to enable them to develop and maintain meaningful peer friendships and avoid victimization.     

Bullying and victimization behaviors in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and correlates of bullying and victimization behaviors in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools. METHOD: In a cross-sectional survey, 1,344 fourth-grade primary school children completed a questionnaire on self-reported bullying and victimization behaviors, depression, anxiety, body image, coping strategies, and self-esteem as well as the self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parents completed a questionnaire on demographic data, the General Health Questionnaire-12, and the Korean version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of bullies, victims, and bullies/victims was 12.0%, 5.3%, and 7.2%, respectively. Boys were significantly more likely to be bullies and bullies/victims. In the multivariate analyses, bullying and victimization behaviors were associated with gender, greater than average height, higher depression, higher trait anxiety, lower self-esteem, and total difficulties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Differences in the associations were found between boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found that bullying is common among South Korean primary school students and that bullying and victimization behaviors are related to various emotional, behavioral, and social problems; some gender-related differences are also evident.     

The protective role of supportive friends against bullying perpetration and victimization

A crossed-lagged regression model was tested to investigate relationships between friendship support, bullying involvement, and its consequences during adolescence. Students, 12-16 years (N?=?880), were administered questionnaires twice, one year apart. Using structural equation modeling, a model was specified and higher levels of support from friends were related to lower levels of bullying and victimization one year later. Additionally, a bidirectional relationship between victimization and depression was found, and greater property crimes commission was related to higher levels of future bullying. These findings support the 'friendship protection hypothesis' and suggest the quality of support in friendships can protect against bullying victimization and perpetration. Prior research has shown that friendships can protect against victimization; however this is one of the few longitudinal studies to focus on the quality of friendship, rather than other characteristics of the friends. It is suggested that interventions should focus on increasing perceptions of support within existing friendships.     

School,Neighborhood, and Family Factors Are Associated With Children's Bullying Involvement: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study

ObjectivesTo test whether school, neighborhood, and family factors are independently associated with children's involvement in bullying, over and above their own behaviors that may increase their risk for becoming involved in bullying.MethodWe examined bullying in the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative 1994–1995 birth cohort of 2,232 children. We used mother and teacher reports to identify children who experienced bullying between the ages of 5 and 7 years either as victims, bullies, or bully-victims. We collected information about school characteristics from the Department for Children, Schools and Families. We collected reports from mothers about children's neighborhood and home environments and reports from mothers and teachers about children's internalizing and externalizing problems when they were 5 years old.ResultsMultinomial logistic regressions showed that over and above other socioenvironmental factors and children's behavior problems, school size was associated with an increased risk for being a victim of bullying, problems with neighbors was associated with an increased risk for being a bully-victim, and family factors (e.g., child maltreatment, domestic violence) were associated with all groups of children involved in bullying.ConclusionsSocioenvironmental factors are associated with children's risk for becoming involved in bullying over and above their own behaviors. Intervention programs amend at reducing bullying should extend their focus beyond schools to include local communities and families.     

Externalizing Problems and Mental Health Symptoms Mediate the Relationship Between Bullying Victimization and Addictive Behaviors

Victims of bullying are more likely to engage in addictive behaviors and experience mental health problems. However, the pathway by which bullying victimization and mental health problems predict engagement in multiple addictive behaviors remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare two mediation models in their prediction of engagement in multiple addictive behaviors. Survey responses were collected from 6641 high-school students aged 12 to 19. Measures include frequency of bullying victimization, past month use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, past year gambling, and the presence of anxiety, depression, and externalizing problems. Results indicate that the model with mental health symptoms and externalizing problems as mediators provided the better prediction of engagement in multiple addictive behaviors. Overall, the comparison of these mediation models clarifies the relationship between bullying victimization and addictive behaviors and the role of mental health symptoms and externalizing problems in this relationship.

     

The importance of teacher support: Differential impacts by gender and sexuality

Teachers play an important role in shaping the experiences of high school students with regard to patterns of heteronormativity and binary gender norms, particularly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. A climate survey of high school students (n = 953) in the United States examined the association between students' well-being and their relationships with teachers. The sample was majority white (65.8%) and multiracial (14.1%). Cisgender (cis)-girls (49.6%), cis-boys (41.2%), and trans students (9.2%), as well as heterosexual (78.4%) and LGBQ students (21.6%) were represented. Regression models indicate teachers' use of oppressive language and their intervention in situations of bias and students' trust and comfort with teachers were significantly associated with students' self-esteem. Teachers' use of biased language was directly associated with student self-reported grades. Moderation tests indicate teacher relationships are strongly associated with heterosexual and cisgender students' wellbeing. Recommendations for teacher education and future research are discussed.     

Bullying,Cyberbullying, and Suicide

Empirical studies and some high-profile anecdotal cases have demonstrated a link between suicidal ideation and experiences with bullying victimization or offending. The current study examines the extent to which a nontraditional form of peer aggression—cyberbullying—is also related to suicidal ideation among adolescents. In 2007, a random sample of 1,963 middle-schoolers from one of the largest school districts in the United States completed a survey of Internet use and experiences. Youth who experienced traditional bullying or cyberbullying, as either an offender or a victim, had more suicidal thoughts and were more likely to attempt suicide than those who had not experienced such forms of peer aggression. Also, victimization was more strongly related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors than offending. The findings provide further evidence that adolescent peer aggression must be taken seriously both at school and at home, and suggest that a suicide prevention and intervention component is essential within comprehensive bullying response programs implemented in schools.     

The Functionality of Four Bullying Involvement Classification Schemas: Prevalence Rates and Associations with Mental Health and School Outcomes

The present study used the 2009–2010 sample of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey (N = 12,642) to investigate the incremental validity of four competing bullying involvement classification schemas, which differ as a function of relative rates of endorsing victimization and perpetration behaviors at school: the standard four-group model, an alternative four-group model, a nine-group model, and a sixteen-group model. The prevalence rates and associations with concurrent mental health and school functioning outcomes were explored for each of the four bullying involvement classification schemas, which were derived using a categorical analytic approach that relied on the same two self-report items—one targeting victimization and one targeting perpetration—in the HBSC self-report survey. Results indicated substantially different prevalence rates among the four schemas and that schemas which differentiated between higher frequencies of perpetration and victimization involvement were associated with greater odds of being at risk of psychological distress, psychological well-being, academic performance, and attitudes toward school. Findings also suggested that a continuous approach to deriving bullying involvement classifications may be useful, yet preliminary post hoc analyses indicated that this approach would yield redundant results given the parameters of the present study. Implications for school mental health practice and future research are discussed.     

National trends in school victimization among Asian American adolescents

The “model minority” perception of Asian American students often ignores the academic and social challenges that many face in schools. One area that has received less attention is the school victimization experiences of Asian American adolescents. While some qualitative researchers have explored factors contributing to school victimization in recent years, missing in the literature is the scope of these incidents among Asian Americans. This paper contributes to this literature by (1) examining national trends in the victimization of Asian American adolescents in schools over the last decade and (2) investigating how victimization varies according to their gender, socioeconomic status, and achievement levels. The results show that although Asian American adolescents are consistently less likely to be bullied relative to other students, they are more likely to report experiences of racial discrimination. Victimization incidents for Asian Americans also differ by gender and academic achievement levels.     

Childhood Bullying Behaviors as a Risk for Suicide Attempts and Completed Suicides: A Population-Based Birth Cohort Study

ObjectiveThere are no previous studies about the association of childhood bullying behavior with later suicide attempts and completed suicides among both sexes. The aim was to study associations between childhood bullying behaviors at age 8 years and suicide attempts and completed suicides up to age 25 years in a large representative population-based birth cohort.MethodThe sample includes 5,302 Finnish children born in 1981. Information about bullying was gathered at age 8 years from self-report, as well as parent and teacher reports. Information about suicide attempts requiring hospital admission and completed suicides was gathered from three different Finnish registries until the study participants were 25 years old. Regression analyses were conducted to determine whether children who experience childhood bullying behaviors are at risk for later suicide attempts and completed suicides after controlling for baseline conduct and depression symptoms.ResultsThe association between bullying behavior at age 8 years and later suicide attempts and completed suicides varies by sex. Among boys, frequent bullying and victimization are associated with later suicide attempts and completed suicides but not after controlling for conduct and depression symptoms; frequent victimization among girls is associated with later suicide attempts and completed suicides, even after controlling for conduct and depression symptoms.ConclusionsWhen examining childhood bullying behavior as a risk factor for later suicide attempts and completed suicides, each sex has a different risk profile.