Stress in adolescence as a first hit in stress-related disease development: Timing and context are crucial

The two-hit stress model predicts that exposure to stress at two different time-points in life may increase or decrease the risk of developing stress-related disorders later in life. Most studies based on the two-hit stress model have investigated early postnatal stress as the first hit with adult stress as the second hit. Adolescence, however, represents another highly sensitive developmental window during which exposure to stressful events may affect programming outcomes following exposure to stress in adulthood. Here, we discuss the programming effects of different types of stressors (social and nonsocial) occurring during adolescence (first hit) and how such stressors affect the responsiveness toward an additional stressor occurring during adulthood (second hit) in rodents. We then provide a comprehensive overview of the potential mechanisms underlying interindividual and sex differences in the resilience/susceptibility to developing stress-related disorders later in life when stress is experienced in two different life stages.

Bullying victimization and its associated factors among adolescents in Illu Abba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background

Bullying victimization is a repetitive exposure to negative actions from one or more students over time. Bullying victim adolescents have higher levels of mental health problems, worse mental health outcomes, and lowered social status than non-victim adolescents. Literature on bullying among adolescents in Ethiopia is limited. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of bullying victimization and its associated factors among adolescents.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 847 adolescents in Mettu town. A Stratified sampling technique was used to select eligible Study participants from September, 1 to 30, 2020. Linear regression analysis model was used; first bivariate analysis was performed to see the association of each independent variable with bullying victimization. Variables with (P < 0.25) in bivariate analysis were entered into a multivariate linear regression model to identify the association of each independent variable with bullying victimization. The statistical significance was considered at P value < 0.05.

Results

From the total of 847 adolescents 819 were voluntarily involved in the study giving the response rate of 96.7%. The prevalence of bullying victimization in this study was 30.4%. Being male (β = 1.135, p = 0.001), physical abuse (β = 0.622, p ≤ 0.001), emotional abuse (β = 0.512, p ≤ 0.001), current substance use (β = 1.153, p = 0.005), psychological distress (β = 0.406, p ≤ 0.001) and having medical illness (β = 3.500, p ≤ 0.001) were significantly associated with bullying victimization.

Conclusions

Bullying victimization is quite common among adolescents and has both short- and long-term consequences. Bullying prevention treatments should focus on male adolescents and those who report being bullied. Anti-bullying policies in schools are critical for educating teachers, parents, and students about bullying.

The representation of bullying in Italian primary school children: A mixed-method study comparing drawing and interview data and their association with self-report involvement in bullying events

Bullying continues to be a social issue affecting millions of students of all ages worldwide. Research on bullying seems to be dominated by quantitative research approaches employed standardized categories and measures, ultimately limiting our knowledge about children’s own view on bullying. Our research follows another direction, aiming to explore the representation of bullying in a sample of Italian primary school children by using and comparing the functioning of two qualitative research instruments: interviews, and children’s drawings. In addition, aided by quantitative analyses, we aimed to investigate whether students’ involvement in different bullying roles (as bullies, victims, or defenders), as measured by self-assessment, correlated with different characteristics of the representation of bullying emerging from children’s drawings and interviews. We recruited a convenient sample of 640 primary school students (mean age = 9.44; SD = 0.67), 53.3% of whom were male. The results showed that all forms of bullying, i.e., physical, verbal, and social bullying, could be identified in interview and drawing data, although references to all types of bullying were more frequent in interview data. In terms of bullying criteria, the presence of a power imbalance between the bully and the victim was most frequently detected in both the interview data and the drawing data, while repetition was more easily detected in the interview data. The interview data showed that sadness was the most frequently reported victim emotions, followed by fear, anger, and lack of emotion. The drawing data showed a similar pattern, although victims were more frequently described as lacking emotions compared to the interview data. In both interview and drawing data, age and female gender were positively associated with references to verbal bullying, and negatively associated with references to physical bullying. Additionally, bully/victim children were more likely than uninvolved children to depict physical bullying in the drawings, while this association was not detected in interview data. In summary, our study shows that, compared with drawings, interviews tend to provide a more comprehensive view of children’s own representation of bullying, while drawing data tend to show stronger connections with children’s current personal experiences of bullying.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Self-Testing Procedure against COVID-19 among Greek Students: A Pilot Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on health, economy, society and education. In the effort to return to normalcy, according to the instructions of the Greek Government for the resumption of the operation of schools, a screening Rapid Antigen Detection Test with the method of self-testing is required for students twice per week, for the early identification and isolation of positive cases. We aimed to pivotally investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to self-testing procedures against COVID-19 among Greek students. A questionnaire was distributed to a convenient sample of students in the region of Athens. Information about the vaccination coverage against SARS-CoV-2 was also obtained. Our study included 1000 students, with 70% of them having an average grade at school. Most of the participants were aware of coronavirus (98.6%) and the self-test (95.5%). The vast majority of students (97%) performed self-testing twice per week, with the 70% them being assisted by someone else. Nearly one sixth of the participants had been infected by COVID-19 (14%) while 36% of them have already been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, we report high compliance with the COVID-19 self-testing procedure among students in Attica, Greece. Older age adolescents are more likely to not comply with the regulations of self-testing. Consequently, tailored interventions targeted at older age adolescents are warranted in order to increase the acceptability of self-testing.

The consequences of cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimization among adolescents: Gender differences in psychological symptoms, self-harm and suicidality

This study aimed to examine the effects of different types of bullying victimization (direct, relational, and cyber) on psychological symptoms, self-harm, and suicidality (including suicidal ideation and attempts) among adolescents, and to explore whether these effects may vary by gender. The data were obtained from a cross-sectional study of adolescents (n = 11,248, 46.7% females) with a mean age of 13.83 years from grade 5 to 12 in Henan, China. A series of binary logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the associations between different types of bullying victimization and psychological symptoms, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicidal attempts, after adjusting for demographic covariates. All three types of bullying victimization were significantly associated with psychological symptoms, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicidal attempts. Adolescents who suffered from cyberbullying victimization were more likely to commit self-harm and suicidal attempts as compared to direct and relational victimization. Female adolescents who suffered from relational bullying tend to have a higher risk of suicidal attempts than male adolescents. The current study demonstrated the negative effect of bullying victimization on adolescents' adverse psychological outcomes and gender difference need to be taken into account in developing targeted intervention strategies to address bullying victimization.

Bullying and Cyberbullying in Spain and Poland, and Their Relation to Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies

Bullying and cyberbullying have been intensively studied in many countries, and research on the topic has been fruitful. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to advance knowledge on bullying and cyberbullying in many geographical areas and to discover their risk and protective factors. The objective of this study was to describe and compare the involvement in different bullying and cyberbullying roles in Spain and Poland, identifying risk and protective factors such as moral disengagement, social and emotional competencies, moral emotions and empathy. This study was carried out with a sample of 2535 primary and secondary school students from Spain and Poland. More bullying and cyberbullying involvement were found in Poland in comparison with Spain. Different moral disengagement mechanisms were found to be risk factors for involvement in bullying and cyberbullying in both countries. Low moral emotions were a risk factor for bullying and cyberbullying perpetration in Spain and Poland. Different social and emotional competencies were protective against bullying and cyberbullying in both countries. These results suggest the need to design and implement more programs to promote social, emotional and moral competencies in Spain and Poland to protect children against bullying and cyberbullying.

Chinese American children's temperamental shyness and responses to peer victimization as moderated by maternal praise

This study examined the relations between Chinese American children's temperamental shyness and their assertive and submissive responses to peer victimization. The mediating role of children's anxious-withdrawn behavior in the association between their temperamental shyness and responses to peer victimization in school settings was assessed, as well as the moderating effect of observed maternal praise. Mothers of 153 Chinese American children (46.4% boys; Mage = 4.40 years, SDage = 0.79 years) reported on their children's temperamental shyness, and teachers rated children's display of anxious-withdrawn behavior and responses to peer victimization. Mothers' use of praise during their interactions with children in a free-play session was observed. Results showed that children's display of anxious-withdrawn behavior played a mediating role in the associations between their temperamental shyness and responses to peer victimization. Moreover, maternal praise moderated the relation between children's temperamental shyness and anxious-withdrawn behavior, such that more temperamentally shy children with mothers who used to praise more frequently displayed less anxious-withdrawn behavior, which, in turn, was associated with more assertiveness and less submissiveness in response to peer victimization. These findings highlight the importance of maternal praise in reducing children's display of anxious-withdrawn behavior, which in turn facilitates their capacity to cope with peer victimization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Verfügbare Ressourcen und Bullyingerfahrungen von Schülern und Schülerinnen mit und ohne sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarf

Zusammenfassung. Internationale Studien fanden, dass Schüler und Schülerinnen mit sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf (SPF) ein höheres Risiko haben, Bullying zu erleben, als Schüler und Schülerinnen ohne SPF. In Deutschland wurde Bullying bisher jedoch kaum vor dem Hintergrund der inklusiven Beschulung untersucht. Bei Betrachtung unterschiedlicher personaler und umgebungsbezogener Ressourcen wurden in vorangegangen Studien sowohl bei Schülern und Schülerinnen, die von Bullyingerfahrungen betroffen waren, als auch bei Schülern und Schülerinnen mit SPF häufig weniger zur Verfügung stehende Ressourcen gefunden als bei ihren Mitschülern und Mitschülerinnen. Im Rahmen einer Pilotstudie sollte daher untersucht werden, ob sich die Bullyingerfahrungen und die verfügbaren personalen und umgebungsbezogenen Ressourcen von Schülern und Schülerinnen mit und ohne SPF unterscheiden. Dazu wurden Fragebogendaten von N = 420 Schülern und Schülerinnen der 3. bis 10. Klasse ausgewertet, die angegeben haben, entweder Bullying erlebt zu haben oder nicht in Bullying involviert zu sein. Um zu prüfen, ob sich die verfügbaren Ressourcen in Abhängigkeit von den Bullyingerfahrungen und dem SPF unterscheiden, wurden aus der Gesamtstichprobe mittels Propensity Score Matching n = 45 Schüler und Schülerinnen ohne SPF ausgewählt und mit den Schülern und Schülerinnen mit SPF ( n = 45) verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass Schüler und Schülerinnen, die von Bullying betroffen waren, insbesondere über weniger umgebungsbezogene Ressourcen verfügten als ihre Mitschüler und Mitschülerinnen. Beim Vorliegen von Bullyingerfahrungen unterschieden sich Schüler und Schülerinnen mit SPF in der Verfügbarkeit von Ressourcen jedoch nicht von Schülern und Schülerinnen ohne SPF.

A multi-country analysis of the prevalence and factors associated with bullying victimisation among in-school adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from the global school-based health survey

BACKGROUND

Over the past few years, there has been growing public and research interest in adolescents' experiences with various forms of bullying victimisation because of their psychological, emotional, and/ or physical consequences. The present study examined the prevalence of bullying victimisation and its associated factors among in-school adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

Using data from the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) from 2010 to 2017 of eleven sub-Saharan African countries, a sample of 25,454 in-school adolescents was used for analysis. Statistical analyses included frequencies, percentages, Pearson chi-square and multivariable logistic regression. Results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of bullying victimisation among the respondents was 38.8%. The prevalence was lowest in Mauritius (22.2%) and highest in Sierra Leone (54.6%). Adolescents who felt lonely [aOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.53, 1.80], had history of anxiety [aOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.41, 1.66], suicidal ideation [aOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17, 1.39], suicidal attempt [aOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.72, 2.02], current users of marijuana [aOR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.38, 1.84], and truants at [aOR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.34, 1.52] were more likely to be victims of bullying. Conversely, adolescents who had peer support were less likely to be victims of bullying [aOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.73, 0.82]. Adolescents aged 15 years or older had lower odds of experiencing bullying victimization compared to their counterparts aged 14 years or younger [aOR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.69, 0.78].

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that age, loneliness, anxiety, suicidal ideation, suicidal attempt, and current use of marijuana are associated with increased risk of bullying victimisation. School-wide preventative interventions (e.g., positive behavioural strategies- Rational Emotive Behavioral Education, [REBE], peer educator network systems, face-face counseling sessions, substance use cessation therapy) are essential in promoting a positive school climate and reduce students' bullying victimisation behaviours.

Prevalence and nature of bullying in schools of Bangladesh: A pilot study

Bullying at schools is considered as the most contemptible anti-social behavior for students (Neto, 2005). There is little information about the prevalence and nature of bullying victimization experiences among Bangladeshi school students. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of bullying experienced by Bangladeshi school students. A sample of 556 students were surveyed utilizing the translated Bangla version of the Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale. Nearly half of the participants were bullying victims in schools over the last year. Results showed that the most commonly experienced forms of bullying were pushing or shoving, being made fun of, and having rumours spread. Students who were boys, from public schools, and lived in urban areas had significantly higher bullying victimization experiences. Findings of this present study would be helpful for the policymakers and other stakeholders to reform anti-bullying policies and appoint school psychologists to ascertain positive behavior and eliminate bullying entirely.

Moral Reasoning about Aggressive Behavior in Relation to Type of Aggression, Age and Gender in South Korean Pupils

Studies of moral reasoning in relation to aggressive behaviors have paid limited attention to different types of aggression, and have mainly been conducted in Western societies. We describe findings from a study of 157 children, aged 6 or 11 years, from two schools in South Korea. Using a cartoon scenario methodology, we assessed moral reasoning about eight types of aggression: verbal, physical individual, physical group, social exclusion, rumor spreading, breaking one’s belongings, sending a nasty text via mobile phone, and sending a nasty message/email via computer. Four aspects of moral reasoning were assessed: moral judgment, harmfulness, reason for judgment, and causal responsibility. Many significant differences by type of aggression were found, especially for social exclusion (seen as less wrong and harmful, and more the victim’s responsibility), physical group aggression (seen as more wrong or harmful, and a matter of fairness, especially in older children and boys), and cyber aggression (seen more as the aggressor’s responsibility). Older children gave more reasons based on welfare, and fewer “don’t know” responses for reasons and attributions. Gender differences were relatively few, but girls did make more use of welfare in the moral reasoning domain. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research and the cultural context in South Korea.

Direct Bullying and Cyberbullying: Experimental Study of Bystanders' Motivation to Defend Victims and the Role of Anxiety and Identification With the Bully

School bullying among young adolescents is a globally pervasive problem, but is less common when bystanders are motivated to defend victims. Thus, the focus of this experimental study is on motivation to defend victims of bullying. Methods: A total of 388 students (M age = 12.22 years, 49.7% girls) from two Turkish public schools (5th-8th grade) participated in a vignette experiment. Students were randomized to one of two vignettes (direct vs. cyberbullying). Self-report measures of motivation to defend, trait anxiety, depression, and identification with the victim or bully were used. Results: Participants reported more autonomous motivation in the cyberbullying condition, while those who witnessed direct bullying reported higher anxiety and depression. Results also revealed that this type of condition was associated with anxiety and depression, while anxiety was associated with autonomous motivation to defend. Finally, participants in the direct bullying condition were more likely to identify with the bully. Conclusion: Findings advance our understanding of when and why adolescents are motivated to help victims of bullying because they give a richer picture of what they assess when deciding whether or not they should intervene.

Effects of Implementing Multiple Components in a School-Wide Antibullying Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Elementary Schools

This study investigates the effectiveness of the PRIMA antibullying program for elementary education using a cluster-randomized trial with two experimental conditions (with and without student lessons) and a control group. Students of 31 schools participated in the study (N = 3,135; M_age  = 10 years). Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated positive effects of the program on peer-reported victimization and reinforcing behavior. Implementing multiple program components was related to stronger program effects. The results provide partial experimental evidence for the beneficial effects of combining student lessons and teacher training in antibullying programs. Future experimental research is needed to investigate other approaches that reduce not only peer-reported victimization, but also self-perceived bullying and victimization.

Peer-Victimization of Young Children With Developmental and Behavioral Difficulties-A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to investigate if young children with developmental and behavioral difficulties (DBDs) have greater risk of peer-victimization compared with typically developing (TD) children.

METHOD

The sample was drawn from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). MoBa has collected population-based data on children's health and development for 114,500 children. We included children that were 5 years of age (n = 41,609). Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of different DBDs and of co-occurring DBDs on peer-victimization compared with TD children. Categories of DBDs included autistic traits, emotional difficulties, behavioral difficulties, general learning difficulties, attention difficulties/impulsive behavior, motor development difficulties, language difficulties, and hearing and vision difficulties. Results were adjusted for socioeconomic status and the child's sex.

RESULTS

Peer-victimization was 2.8% (933) among TD children, and 8.0% (615) among children with DBD. The highest risk of peer-victimization was found among children with autistic traits and children with five or more co-occurring DBDs (adjusted odds ratios [ORs] = 12.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.64-18.84; p ≤ .001) and 17.37 (95% CI 12.15-24.82; p ≤ .001)], respectively. The lowest risk was found among children with hearing and vision difficulties and children with only one DBD [adjusted ORs = 1.98 (95% CI 1.71-2.29; p ≤ .001) and 1.95 (95% CI 1.70-2.22; p ≤ .001)].

CONCLUSION

Children with DBD have a substantially higher risk of peer-victimization compared with TD children. Peer-victimization varies with type of DBD and increases cumulatively by number of DBDs.

Early pathways to bullying: A prospective longitudinal study examining the influences of theory of mind and social preference on bullying behaviour during the first 3 years of school

Research has focused on the role of theory of mind (ToM) for positive social behaviour, while the association between ToM and negative social behaviours is less well understood. This longitudinal study compares two mediation models examining the role of ToM and peer-rated social preference at ages 5 and 6 for bullying at age 7. Participants were 114 children (58 boys, M_age  = 67 months) at entry to primary school (T1). At Time 2 (T2), 106 children and, at Time 3 (T3), 96 children remained. Teacher-rated externalizing problems and children's language ability were controlled at T1. Poor ToM was found to indirectly predict later bullying via poor social preference, while for boys only, greater earlier ToM directly predicted greater bullying 2 years later. These results suggest that there are different pathways to bullying via ToM and social preference, which has implications for interventions to prevent the development of bullying behaviour.

Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives on Young Children's Bullying Roles in Relation to Dominance and Peer Relationships: A Short-Term Longitudinal Approach in South Korea

There are several studies on young children's bullying roles in relation to dominance or peer relationships. Although those are closely related, few studies examined this from longitudinal view and the influence of bullying role change on dominance and peer relationships. This study aimed to examine (1) the relationship between bullying roles and dominance, (2) the relationship between bullying roles and peer relationships, (3) the percentage of bullying role change over time, and (4) the changes in bullying roles in relation to changes in dominance and peer relationships. Sixty-three South Korean kindergarten teachers completed questionnaires regarding bullying roles, dominance, and peer relationships about 1312 children aged 3-5. The data were collected in mid-October 2017 and January 2018. The results showed that bullies had the highest dominance. No-role children had the most positive peer relationships, followed by bullies. About 10% of all sampled children remained involved in bullying over time. Their role changes related to changes in dominance rather than to changes in peer relationships. The findings imply that dominance should be considered to prevent young children's bullying, in which peer relationships are interrelated. Intervention should be implemented as soon as possible to stop repeated victimization or bullying in early childhood.

Helping children in bullying situations: The role of intersubjective understanding and co-regulation

Contemporary definitions of bullying are strikingly in agreement that bullying represents aggressive behaviour involving premeditation, time span, power imbalance and clear role assignment. Even though useful in some situations, these premises are not as helpful if the aim is to improve the social environment in educational contexts. The aim of the present article is to argue that educators need alternative theoretical tools when attempting to improve relations between children. We argue that interpretations of bullying in educational contexts are not ‘owned’ by any specific party, but rather involve (1) intersubjective negotiation and (2) the co-regulative competence of educators and children. The present theoretical proposition suggests that the role of educators is not to establish who did what, how and why, but rather to acknowledge and respect the children’s profound subjective experiences of the bullying situation, regardless of assigned roles in the conflict. We therefore suggest that intersubjective understanding of situations and the sensitive co-regulative competence of educators represent useful theoretical tools when dealing with systematic conflicts between children. The conclusion points out that nonpartial understanding of bullying and emotional recognition of experiences might increase children’s self-awareness, making them a part of the solution rather than ‘a part of the problem’.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Bullying: Review and Implications for Intervention

Despite increased research on bullying over the past few decades, researchers still have little understanding of how bullying differentially affects racial and ethnic minority and immigrant youth. To facilitate efforts to better evaluate the impact of bullying among racial and ethnic minority youth and improve interventions, we integrated research from multiple disciplines and conducted a systematic search to review relevant cross-cultural research on the prevalence of bullying, risk and protective factors, and differences in behaviors and outcomes associated with bullying in these populations. Studies measuring differences in bullying prevalence by racial and ethnic groups are inconclusive, and discrepancies in findings may be explained by differences in how bullying is measured and the impact of school and social environments. Racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants are disproportionately affected by contextual-level risk factors associated with bullying (e.g., adverse community, home, and school environments), which may moderate the effects of individual-level predictors of bullying victimization or perpetration (e.g., depressive symptoms, empathy, hostility, etc.) on involvement and outcomes. Minority youth may be more likely to perpetrate bullying, and are at much higher risk for poor health and behavioral outcomes as a result of bias-based bullying. At the same time, racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants may be protected against bullying involvement and its negative consequences as a result of strong ethnic identity, positive cultural and family values, and other resilience factors. Considering these findings, we evaluate existing bullying interventions and prevention programs and propose directions for future research.

How Do You Think the Victims of Bullying Feel? A Study of Moral Emotions in Primary School

The important role of morality in the transgressive behavior which occurs within peer groups, such as bullying, has often been observed. However, little attention has been paid to this kind of violence in the initial stages of primary education. This study aims to analyze the attribution of moral emotions (self and other) to victims in different bullying types (verbal, physical, relational, and exclusion) and roles (aggressor and victim). An ad hoc questionnaire with supporting stick-figure cartoons was used. In total, 1150 schoolchildren between the ages of 6 and 11 years took part in the study (50.3% girls). The results showed that over 80% of schoolchildren had been involved in any type of aggressive behavior, and that there were significant differences by gender, year, and involvement in self- and other-attributed moral emotions. Aggressors showed less shame in general. In self-attribution situations, there was a greater indifference in aggressors. Victims had less shame and greater indifference in self-attributions for verbal and physical aggression. Girls recognized higher percentages of guilt in victims. The main moral emotion in the first stage was shame. This tendency changed to guilt as the children got older in both situations. Results support the need for the study of moral emotions development of victims and aggressors. How the experience of being involved in bullying biases the moral interpretation toward from the feelings of the victim is discussed.

Effects of an intervention to prevent the bullying in first-grade secondary schools of Palermo, Italy: the BIAS study

BACKGROUND

Bullying is one of the most common expressions of violence in the peer context during school years. This study investigates the prevalence of bullying and the short-term effects on students' bullying perceptions of a preventive intervention conducted among teachers of first-grade secondary schools in Palermo, Sicily (Italy).

METHODS

Between the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 school years, a pre-post intervention study was conducted among nine school institutions, sampled and categorized by neighbourhood socioeconomic index. A questionnaire investigating physical, verbal, and indirect bullying, the role of observers, prosociality, and resiliency in bullying was administered before and after intervention with formative cascade training of the teachers of the selected classes. Three different methods (sentinel questions, the five-question method, the 'score of seven' method) were used to detect the baseline level of bullying.

RESULTS

A total of 402 students participated in the study (72.7% response rate). A decrease in the number of bullying episodes after the intervention was reported by the students in all types of bullying explored (physical, verbal, and indirect bullying, observers, resiliency, and prosociality), with all three methods. In particular, a statistically significant decrease in all the bullying areas investigated (except for resiliency) was reported for students attending schools of an intermediate socioeconomic level.

CONCLUSIONS

Even if many school-based interventions have been implemented to reduce school bullying throughout the world, this is one of the first conducted in Europe and it assesses the effectiveness among students of an anti-bullying intervention tailored for teachers. The encouraging results in reducing the number of bullying episodes together with the low cost in terms of human and economic resources could suggest an extension of this research on a regional/national scale.

Bullying in preschool children

The present article aims to shed light on exploring the issue of bullying in preschool children, with a special focus on early forms of anti-social and aggressive behaviour and suggestions about the role of the school, based on the presentation of prevention and intervention programmes in preschool education settings. The most typical forms of bullying in preschool education settings are physical aggressiveness, social exclusion and rumor spreading. Most studies indicate that physical aggressiveness is prevalent in boys, while relational and verbal aggressiveness is prevalent in girls. The role of preschool educators is crucial, as they need to learn to identify and manage early forms of aggressiveness. Therefore, their training is imperative, as they need to carefully evaluate each incident, while creating a positive learning environment and applying strategies for bullying prevention and intervention.

Development and Validation of ICT Self-Efficacy Scale: Exploring the Relationship with Cyberbullying and Victimization

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the ICT Self-Efficacy Scale and the association of cyberbullying and victimization with ICT self-efficacy. Sample 1 (436 university students) was used to identify the factor structure of the Scale, and sample 2 (1115 university students) provided the data to confirm the factor structure (CFA), and to compute the internal consistency reliability, and convergent validity of the scale. Findings demonstrate that the new scale is a reliable and valid domain-specific measure to assess ICT Self-Efficacy for university students. Suggestions for further research with the scale are provided.

The Role of School Context in Implementing a Statewide Anti-Bullying Policy and Protecting Students

Bullying is a significant problem in U.S. schools. Policies have been developed to reduce bullying, yet policy implementation by educators is an essential yet difficult and complex process. Few studies have investigated factors that act as barriers to or facilitators of bullying policy implementation and teacher protection of students. This study examined the influence of school context on educators' capacity to implement a statewide bullying law and protect students from bullying following the enactment of the policy. Data were collected from 505 educators in 324 schools. School administrators tended to rate fidelity of policy implementation and teacher protection of students higher than teachers, education support professionals, and student service professionals. Policy implementation fidelity scores were higher in high schools than elementary schools. School size and the prevalence of student suspensions were inversely related to implementation fidelity. Higher levels of teacher protection were reported in elementary schools.

The assessment of bystander intervention in bullying: Examining measurement invariance across gender

Research on bystander intervention in bullying has indicated that prosocial helping behavior is not consistent across gender, with girls engaging in more bystander intervention; however, a search of the literature does not reveal any studies that have examined the validity of bystander intervention measurement across subpopulations. The purpose of the current study was to investigate measurement invariance across gender in both the elementary and middle school versions of the Bystander Intervention Model in Bullying measure among a sample of 682 fourth to eighth grade students (46% girls, 47% low income, 87% White). Results suggest evidence of measurement equivalence of the five-step bystander intervention model across gender in the elementary and middle school samples. Given this, there is evidence that the measure can be used for research and practical purposes in these grade levels and that comparisons between boys and girls are appropriate.

Bullying in schools: the state of knowledge and effective interventions

During the school years, bullying is one of the most common expressions of violence in the peer context. Research on bullying started more than forty years ago, when the phenomenon was defined as 'aggressive, intentional acts carried out by a group or an individual repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him- or herself'. Three criteria are relevant in order to define aggressive behaviour as bullying: (1) repetition, (2) intentionality and (3) an imbalance of power. Given these characteristics, bullying is often defined as systematic abuse of power by peers. It is recognised globally as a complex and serious problem. In the present paper, we discuss the prevalence, age and gender differences, and various types of bullying, as well as why it happens and how long it lasts, starting from the large surveys carried out in western countries and to a lower extent in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence rates vary widely across studies; therefore, specific attention will be devoted to the definition, time reference period and frequency criterion. We will also focus on risk factors as well as short- and long-term outcomes of bullying and victimisation. Finally, a section will be dedicated to review what is known about effective prevention of bullying.

An Analysis of Adverse Beliefs About Cyberbullying Among Taiwanese Adolescents

Cyberbullying has emerged as a new threat to adolescents' well-being in modern society; yet, little is known about adolescents' alternative views on this virtual form of aggression. This study investigated Taiwanese students' misconceptions about cyberbullying and the logics behind. We first surveyed 8,547 students nationwide (4th-12th grades) on potential misconceptions. Then, we administrated 6 focus group interviews to further explore students' adverse beliefs on justifying cyberbullying, not reporting, and disseminating cyberbullying contents. We also found that students did not associate cyberbullying with anonymity as past research suggested. These findings extend the existing knowledge about cyberbullying in school-age youth in East Asian contexts and could lead to appropriate and effective intervention and prevention.

Cyberbullying and adolescent mental health: systematic review

Cyberbullying is a new form of violence that is expressed through electronic media and has given rise to concern for parents, educators and researchers. In this paper, an association between cyberbullying and adolescent mental health will be assessed through a systematic review of two databases: PubMed and Virtual Health Library (BVS). The prevalence of cyberbullying ranged from 6.5% to 35.4%. Previous or current experiences of traditional bullying were associated with victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying. Daily use of three or more hours of Internet, web camera, text messages, posting personal information and harassing others online were associated with cyberbullying. Cybervictims and cyberbullies had more emotional and psychosomatic problems, social difficulties and did not feel safe and cared for in school. Cyberbullying was associated with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, substance use, ideation and suicide attempts. Health professionals should be aware of the violent nature of interactions occurring in the virtual environment and its harm to the mental health of adolescents.

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.

Understanding and defining bullying - adolescents' own views

BACKGROUND

The negative consequences of peer-victimization on children and adolescents are major public health concerns which have been subjected to extensive research. Given all efforts made to analyze and estimate the social and health consequences of peer-victimization, the adolescents' own experiences and understandings have had surprisingly little impact on the definition of bullying. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to explore adolescents' definitions of bullying.

METHODS

A questionnaire study (n = 128) and four focus group interviews (n = 21) were conducted among students aged 13 and 15. First, gender and age differences were analyzed with respect to what behaviors are considered bullying (questionnaire data). Second, analysis of what bullying is (focus group interviews) was conducted using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The adolescents own understanding and definition of bullying didn't just include the traditional criteria of repetition and power imbalance, but also a criterion based on the health consequences of bullying. The results showed that a single but hurtful or harmful incident also could be considered bullying irrespective of whether the traditional criteria were fulfilled or not. Further, girls and older students had a more inclusive view of bullying and reported more types of behaviors as bullying compared to boys and younger students.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study adds to the existing literature by showing that adolescents consider the victim's experience of hurt and harm as a criterion for defining bullying and not only as consequences of bullying. This may be of special relevance for the identification and classification of bullying incidents on the internet where devastating consequences have been reported from single incidents and the use of the traditional criteria of intent, repetition and power imbalance may not be as relevant as for traditional bullying. It implies that the traditional criteria included in most definitions of bullying may not fully reflect adolescents' understanding and definition of bullying. Assessments of bullying behaviors that ask adolescents to strictly adhere to the traditional definition of bullying might not identify all adolescents experiencing peer victimization and therefore not provide estimates of prevalence rates reflecting adolescents' own understanding of bullying.

Bullying and victimization: Predictive role of individual, parental, and academic factors

This study explored the roles of individual factors (age, gender, locus of control, self-esteem, and loneliness), parenting style, and academic achievement in discriminating students involved in bullying (as bullies, victims, and bully/victims) from those not involved. Participants comprised 742 middle school students (393 females, 349 males). The results of multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that a higher locus of control, lower strictness/supervision scores, increased age, and being male increased the likelihood of being a bully; a higher locus of control, higher loneliness score, and a lower acceptance/involvement score increased the likelihood of being a victim; and higher loneliness and psychological autonomy scores and lower acceptance/involvement, strictness/supervision, and academic achievement scores increased the likelihood of being a bully/victim. Although parental style variables play an important role in involvement in bullying, the individual factor loneliness is a more powerful predictor than other predictors in discriminating victims and bully/victims from uninvolved students. Age and gender are stronger predictors than other predictors in discriminating bullies from uninvolved students.