1
|
Nguyen TH, Shah GH, Kaur R, Muzamil M, Ikhile O, Ayangunna E. Factors Predicting In-School and Electronic Bullying among High School Students in the United States: An Analysis of the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:788. [PMID: 39062237 DOI: 10.3390/children11070788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bullying is a global public health problem with severe adverse effects on behavioral health. Understanding the predictors of victimization by bullying is essential for public policy initiatives to respond to the problem effectively. In addition to traditional in-person bullying, electronic bullying has become more prevalent due to increasing social interaction and identity formation in virtual communities. This study aims to determine the predictors of in-school and electronic bullying. METHODS We employed multivariable logistic regression to analyze a nationally representative sample of 17,232 high school students in the United States, the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System national component. The survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, from September through December 2021. The factors examined included sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, race), appearance (obesity), physically active lifestyles (being physically active, spending a long time on digital games), and risk-taking behavior (using marijuana). RESULTS Our results indicated that sociodemographic characteristics were strong predictors of being bullied in school and electronically. Being obese is more likely to result in bullying in school (AOR = 1.32, p = 0.003) and electronically (AOR = 1.30, p = 0.004). Adolescent students showing marijuana use had higher odds of being bullied in school (AOR = 2.15, p < 0.001) and electronically (AOR = 1.81, p < 0.001). While spending a long time on digital devices raises the risk of being electronically bullied (AOR = 1.25, p = 0.014), being physically active is not associated with being bullied. Neither of the two lifestyle factors was associated with in-school bullying. CONCLUSIONS Interventions addressing violence among adolescents can benefit from empirical evidence of risk factors for bullying victimization in high school.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tran H Nguyen
- Department of Health Management, Economics & Policy, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Gulzar H Shah
- Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Ravneet Kaur
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
| | - Maham Muzamil
- Department of Education, Kinnaird College for Women's University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Osaremhen Ikhile
- Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ayangunna
- Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kourgiantakis T, Vicknarajah R, Logan J, Edwards T, Lee E, Craig S, Kaura A, Williams CC, Marshall S. Understanding youth and young adult cannabis use in Canada post-legalization: a scoping review on a public health issue. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2024; 19:30. [PMID: 38886804 PMCID: PMC11184772 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-024-00615-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, and one of the primary objectives of the Cannabis Act was to protect youth by reducing their access to cannabis and providing public education. Canada has the highest prevalence of cannabis use worldwide, particularly among youth and young adults under the age of 25. Cannabis use is linked with many adverse effects for youth and young adults including psychosis, anxiety, depression, respiratory distress, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, and impaired cognitive performance. Despite the high prevalence of cannabis use and the evolution of policies in Canada and globally, significant knowledge and research gaps remain regarding youth and young adult cannabis use. The aim of this scoping review is to map the extent, nature, and range of evidence available on youth and young adult cannabis use in Canada since its legalization, in order to strengthen policies, services, treatments, training, and public education strategies. METHODS Using a scoping review framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, along with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a rigorous search in five academic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection. We included empirical studies that collected data in Canada after the legalization of recreational cannabis (October 2018) and focused on youth or young adults < 30. Two reviewers independently screened articles in two stages and extracted relevant information from articles meeting the inclusion criteria. RESULTS Of the 47 articles meeting our inclusion criteria, 92% used quantitative methods, 6% were qualitative, and 2% used a mixed-methods approach. Over two-thirds (68%) used secondary data. These studies were categorized into six focus areas: (1) prevalence, patterns, and trends, (2) cannabis-related injuries and emergency department (ED) visits, (3) rates and patterns during the pandemic, (4) perceptions of cannabis use, (5) prevention tools, and (6) cannabis-related offenses. Key findings from the studies reviewed include an increase in cannabis use among 18-24-year-olds post-legalization, with mixed results for youth under 18. ED visits for intentional and unintentional cannabis-related injuries have increased in young children and teens. Perception studies show a mix of concern and normalization of cannabis use. Though limited, prevention studies are promising in raising awareness. A decline in cannabis-related offenses was noted by one study. The review highlights several research gaps, including the need for more qualitative data, disaggregation of demographic data, intervention research, and comprehensive studies on the physical and mental health impacts of cannabis use among youth and young adults. CONCLUSION Maintaining a public health approach is critical, with a focus on reducing the high prevalence of cannabis use among youth and young adults. This involves implementing prevention strategies to minimize harms, enhancing public education, minimizing commercialization, reducing youth access to cannabis, promoting guidelines for lower-risk cannabis use and harm reduction strategies, and increasing training for healthcare providers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toula Kourgiantakis
- École de travail social et de criminologie, Université Laval, 1030, avenue des Sciences-Humaines, Pavillon Charles-De-Koninck (local 6489), Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Ragave Vicknarajah
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Judith Logan
- John P. Robarts Library, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Travonne Edwards
- School of Child and Youth Care, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Eunjung Lee
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shelley Craig
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashima Kaura
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Charmaine C Williams
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Savannah Marshall
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sekeris A, Algahtani T, Aldabergenov D, Rock KL, Auwal F, Aldewaissan F, Williams BD, Kalk NJ, Copeland CS. Trends in deaths following drug use in England before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1232593. [PMID: 37841731 PMCID: PMC10570433 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1232593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim This research aimed to describe how the characteristics of deaths following drug use changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, and how this can inform future strategy to support the health and social care of people who use drugs in future emergency scenarios. Method All deaths reported to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths which occurred between January 2018 and December 2021 inclusive were extracted for analysis. Exponential smoothing models were constructed to determine any differences between forecasted vs. actual trends. Key results Following the first lockdown period in England there were significant increases in the proportion of people who died at home beyond the 95% confidence bounds of the exponential smoothing model and concurrent decreases in the proportion of people who died in hospital. Whilst the overall proportion of deaths attributable to opioids did not significantly deviate from the forecasted trend, there were significant increases in methadone-related deaths and decreases in heroin/morphine-related death beyond the 95% confidence bounds. The proportion of deaths concluded as suicide increased, as did those implicating antidepressant use. There were no changes in the proportion of deaths following use of other drug classes, alcohol use in combination with psychoactive drugs, or on decedent demographics (gender, age, and drug user status). A small number of deaths due to drug use had COVID-19 infection itself listed as a cause of death (n = 23). Conclusion For people who use drugs, the impact of the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic was greater than that of infection from the virus itself. The health and social care strategy for these people needs to be pre-emptively adapted to mitigate against the specific risk factors for fatal drug overdose associated with future emergency scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Sekeris
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thikra Algahtani
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniyar Aldabergenov
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsten L. Rock
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fatima Auwal
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Farah Aldewaissan
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bryn D. Williams
- Department of Anaesthetics, Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Kalk
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline S. Copeland
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sorrentino A, Sulla F, Santamato M, di Furia M, Toto GA, Monacis L. Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization Prevalence among Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105825. [PMID: 37239552 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In light of the alarming results emerging from some studies and reports on the significant increase in aggressive online behaviors among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the current research aimed at providing a more detailed evaluation of the investigations focusing on the cyberbullying prevalence rates published between 2020 and 2023. To this purpose, systematic searches were conducted on four databases (Web of Science, APA PsycInfo, Scopus and Google Scholar), and following PRISMA guidelines, 16 studies were included and qualitatively reviewed. Although studies were characterized by a large variety in cyberbullying operationalization and measurement, and by different methodologies used for data collection, the prevalence rates of the involvement in cyberbullying and/or cybervictimization generally revealed opposite trends: an increase in many Asian countries and Australia and a decrease in Western countries. The findings were also discussed by considering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, some suggestions were provided to policy makers for promoting prevention and intervention anti-cyberbullying programs in school contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sorrentino
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Francesco Sulla
- Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Margherita Santamato
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Marco di Furia
- Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Monacis
- Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jia X, Wang J, Zhang Y. Parental support and bullying bystander behaviors in Chinese adolescents: Longitudinal mediation through social harmony. Front Public Health 2023; 11:994658. [PMID: 36969631 PMCID: PMC10037195 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.994658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Bullying in schools is a serious concern worldwide. The active defending or passive bystanding behaviors of bullying bystanders significantly contributes to the prevention of bullying. Relevant studies have increasingly adopted a social-ecological system approach in bullying research. However, the role of parental factors (microsystem) and cultural value (macrosystem) factors in adolescents' bullying behaviors in non-western culture contexts is unclear. Social harmony, which is closely related to social behavior, is a core value in Chinese culture. Exploring the role of social harmony in bullying bystanders in China could enhance our understanding of bullying, and enrich the diversity of the literature. This study aimed to examine the mediation effects of social harmony on the associations between parental support and the bullying bystanders among Chinese adolescents. Materials and methods The participants comprised 445 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.41, SD = 0.51) from Beijing City, China. A 17-month, two-point longitudinal study was conducted. Parental support, social harmony, and the behavior of bullying bystanders were evaluated at two time points. The hypothesized mediation model was examined using a structural equation modeling approach using bootstrapping techniques. Results The results showed that social harmony partly mediated the positive relationship between adolescents' parental support and active defending behaviors, and fully mediated the negative relationship between adolescents' parental support and passive bystanding behaviors. Conclusion These results highlight the importance of studying parental and cultural values in research on bullying bystanders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Jia
- College of Teacher Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Child Cognition & Behavior Development of Hainan Province, Haikou, China
- Chinese Department, Qiongtai Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yuchi Zhang
- Department of Educational Technology, School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|