A meta-analysis of the relationship between bullying and non-suicidal self-injury among children and adolescents

The mediating effect of bullying on parental-peer support matching and NSSI behaviour among adolescents

BACKGROUND

Being subjected to bullying is a significant risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. Parental support, peer support, and social connectedness play protective roles in mitigating NSSI in this population. However, the precise impact of the combined effects of parental and peer support on bullying and NSSI requires further investigation.

METHODS

This study employed the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Delaware Bullying Victimisation Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory to survey 1277 Chinese adolescents. Polynomial regression analysis and response surface analysis were applied to examine the mediating role of bullying and social connectedness in the relationship between parental and peer support matching and NSSI.

RESULTS

The results indicate that parental support (r = 0.287, P < 0.001), peer support (r = 0.288, P < 0.001), and social connectedness (r = 0.401, P < 0.001) were protective factors against NSSI in adolescents. Conversely, bullying (r = 0.425, P < 0.001) acts as a risk factor for NSSI in this population. Adolescents with low parental and peer support experienced more bullying than those with high parental and peer support, while those with low parental but high peer support experienced less bullying than those with high parental but low peer support (R^2 = 0.1371, P < 0.001). Social connectedness moderated the effect between bullying and NSSI in this model (β = 0.006, P < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

Due to the under-representation of participants and lack of longitudinal data support, the explanatory power of causality between variables was limited. Future studies should include national samples and incorporate longitudinal studies to enhance the generalisability and robustness of the findings.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals the influence mechanism of parental and peer support matching experienced by adolescents on bullying and NSSI and the moderating role of social connectedness. These findings enrich the developmental theory of adolescent NSSI and provide reference for the prevention and intervention of adolescent NSSI behaviour.

Peer victimization and non-suicidal self-injury among high school students: the mediating role of social anxiety, mobile phone addiction, and sex differences

BACKGROUND

Peer victimization (PV) is one of the major causes of non-suicidal self-injury. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), peer victimization, social anxiety, and mobile phone addiction are significantly related; however, the interaction mechanism and effect of sex differences remain to be determined.

OBJECTIVE

Herein, we investigated the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI among Chinese high school students. We also explored the chain mediating roles of social anxiety and mobile phone addiction and the regulatory role of sex. The findings of this study provide insights for theoretical interventions based on internal mechanisms.

METHOD

A self-reported survey of 14,666 high school students from Sichuan County was conducted using a peer victimization scale, NSSI scale, social anxiety scale, and mobile phone addiction scale. A self-administered questionnaire was used to capture sociodemographic information.

RESULTS

Peer victimization, social anxiety, and mobile phone addiction were positively correlated with NSSI. Peer victimization had significant direct predictive effects on NSSI (95% CI: 0.341, 0.385) and significant indirect predictive effects on NSSI through social anxiety (95% CI: 0.008, 0.019) or mobile phone addiction (95% CI: 0.036, 0.053). Peer victimization had significant indirect predictive effects on NSSI through social anxiety as well as mobile phone addiction (95% CI: 0.009, 0.014). The first stage (predicting the effect of peer victimization on NSSI) and the third stage (predicting the effect of mobile phone addiction on NSSI) were both moderated by sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer victimization could directly predict NSSI and indirectly predict NSSI through social anxiety and mobile phone addiction. Thus, social anxiety and mobile phone addiction exhibited chain mediating effects between peer victimization and NSSI in high school students; moreover, sex might be involved in the regulation of the mediation process.

Online and school bullying roles: are bully-victims more vulnerable in nonsuicidal self-injury and in psychological symptoms than bullies and victims?

BACKGROUND

Bullying leads to adverse mental health outcomes and it has also been linked to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in community adolescents. It is not clear whether different roles of bullying (bully, victim, bully-victim) are associated with NSSI, furthermore the same associations in cyberbullying are even less investigated.

METHODS

The aim of the current study was to test whether students involved in school or online bullying differed from their not involved peers and from each other in psychological symptoms (externalizing and internalizing problems) and in NSSI severity (number of episodes, number of methods). Furthermore, mediation models were tested to explore the possible role of externalizing and internalizing problems in the association of school and online bullying roles with NSSI. In our study, 1011 high school students (66.07% girls; n = 668), aged between 14 and 20 years (Mage = 16.81; SD = 1.41) participated.

RESULTS

Lifetime prevalence of at least one episode of NSSI was 41.05% (n = 415). Students involved in bullying used more methods of NSSI than not involved adolescents. In general, victim status was associated mostly with internalizing symptoms, while bully role was more strongly associated with externalizing problems. Bully-victims status was associated with both types of psychological problems, but this group did not show a significantly elevated NSSI severity compared to other bullying roles. Externalizing and internalizing problems mediated the relationship between bullying roles and NSSI with different paths at different roles, especially in case of current NSSI that happened in the previous month.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight that students involved in bullying are more vulnerable to NSSI and to psychological symptoms compared to their peers who are not involved in bullying. It is suggested that bullying roles, especially bully-victim status, need to be identified in school and online settings and thus special attention should be addressed to them to reduce psychological symptoms and NSSI, for example by enhancing adaptive coping skills.

The impact of bullying in childhood and adolescence

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Bullying is a common adversity affecting many children and adolescents. It has been shown to negatively impact the psychological well being not only of targets of bullying, but also that of bullying perpetrators and those witnessing bullying. Bullying is linked to depression and poorer mental health and functioning among children and adolescents. Given the high prevalence of bullying among children and adolescents and the negative mental health sequelae of bullying, this is an area of urgent public health concern. This narrative review brings forth recent research findings in this arena, which could help shape public health policies for addressing and preventing bullying.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent findings demonstrate an association of bullying among children and adolescents with depression, nonsuicidal self-injury, sleep loss, reduced health-related quality of life, poorer rates of graduation from high school and later mental health problems. A recent systematic review also showed an association of peer-victimization among children and adolescents with activation of amygdala, left parahippocampal gyrus and fusiform gyrus, and alterations in other brain areas.

SUMMARY

Evidence indicates that bullying in childhood and adolescence is associated with higher odds of developing mental health problems; therefore, early identification and timely intervention is crucial.

Challenges for psychiatric nurses working with non-suicidal self-injury adolescents: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric nurses play a crucial role in treating and supporting adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in China. However, few studies have explored their experiences and challenges.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the challenges experienced by psychiatric nurses when working with adolescents having NSSI behaviors.

METHODS

This was a descriptive qualitative study using phenomenological approach. 18 psychiatric nurses from psychiatric wards were recruited from a tertiary hospital from Changsha, Hunan province, China. In-depth interview was performed for each participant collecting information about their feelings and experiences taking care of NSSI adolescents. ATLAS.ti 8 was used to enter data and perform thematic analysis following the six-phased process described by Braun and Clarke.

RESULTS

Two main themes and five sub-themes were summarized in this study. Nurses experienced both (1) Internal challenges (Lacking knowledge and skills to deal with NSSI adolescents and Feeling hard and stressful working with NSSI adolescents) and (2) External barriers (Unrealistic high expectations from family and schools, Uncooperative parents and Little help from communities and schools).

CONCLUSIONS

Psychiatric nurses had to face with their own negative feelings, insufficient knowledge and skills, alongside with pressures and little help from family, schools and communities when working with NSSI adolescents. Targeted training programs of treating NSSI adolescents and their supporting systems be performed in nurses, furthermore, family, schools and societies should also be raised.