Bullying, Mental Health, and the Moderating Role of Supportive Adults: A Cross-National Analysis of Adolescents in 45 Countries

The healthy context paradox: a cross-country analysis of the association between bullying victimisation and adolescent mental health

Bullying victimisation is an increasing global health problem among adolescents and is associated with short- and long-term adverse mental health outcomes. Investigating whether associations with mental health vary across national contexts and why, can provide insights into mechanisms underlying those associations and inform policy. We used data from 479,685 adolescents participating in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) cross-sectional survey and examined whether the associations between bullying victimisation, psychological distress and life satisfaction vary across 63 countries. We further tested the modifying role of country-level factors - bullying prevalence, income inequality and national wealth, by implementing multilevel cross-country analyses. We found significant associations between bullying victimisation, increased psychological distress (β = 0.181; 95%CI: 0.178, 0.184) and decreased life satisfaction (β = -0.158; 95%CI: -0.162, -0.155). Associations between bullying victimisation, psychological distress and life satisfaction among adolescents were consistent across countries in terms of direction but effect sizes varied substantially. The effects ranged from β = 0.08 in the Philippines to β = 0.40 in South Korea for psychological distress and from β = -0.05 in the Philippines to β = -0.36 in the United Kingdom for life satisfaction. In addition, consistent with the "healthy context paradox" effect, associations between bullying and mental health were larger in countries where the prevalence of bullying was lower, as well as in higher-income countries. Interventions aiming to reduce bullying victimisation should aim to provide additional targeted support for those who still experience bullying after the intervention.

Traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and quality of life among adolescents in 35 countries: Do cultural values matter?

RATIONALE

Substantial evidence indicates that involvement in school bullying has been linked to lower quality of life (QoL). Yet there is little information elucidating the link between bullying involvement and QoL in different cultures.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the associations between different types of bullying involvement and QoL among adolescents. The moderating roles of cultural values in the relationship between bullying involvement and QoL were examined.

METHODS

This study included representative samples from 35 countries (N = 184,017) using data from the 2017/2018 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey and the new 2023 World Cultural Map Scores from the World Values Survey Wave 7 (2017/2021). Multilevel mixed-effects analysis was employed to examine individual-level and country-level effects simultaneously.

RESULTS

All types of bullying involvement were associated with lower QoL, with being a victim having the lowest QoL. Adolescents in societies that prioritize higher self-expression values exhibited a reduced propensity to engage in school bullying. In countries with higher self-expression values, there was a more pronounced negative association between bullying involvement and QoL. Traditional/Secular-rational values had no significant and consistent moderating effect on the association between bullying involvement and QoL. Those results were quite similar for both traditional bullying and cyberbullying.

CONCLUSION

These findings imply that cultural values are closely intertwined with adolescent bullying and quality of life. Therefore, prevention and intervention programs should pay more attention to addressing bullying and promoting the QoL of adolescents according to various cultural values.

An eighteen-year longitudinal examination of school victimization and weapon use in California secondary schools

BACKGROUND

School safety has been a major public health issue in the United States and internationally for more than three decades. Many policies and programs have been developed and implemented to prevent school violence, improve the school climate, and increase safety. There are only a few peer-reviewed studies of changes in school violence over time. The study examined changes over time in school victimization, weapon involvement and school climate, comparing change trajectories by gender and race and different change trajectories among schools.

METHODS

A longitudinal study of the biennial California Healthy Kids Survey in secondary schools from 2001 to 2019. The representative sample included 6,219,166 students in grades 7, 9, and 11 (48.8% male) from 3253 schools (66% high schools).

RESULTS

All victimization and weapon involvement items had significant and substantial linear reductions. The largest reduction involved being in a physical fight (from 25.4% to 11.0%). There were reductions in weapon involvement (d = 0.46) and victimization (d = 0.38). Biased-based victimization only declined slightly (d = -0.05). School belongingness and safety increased (d = 0.27), adult support increased a small amount (d = 0.05), and student participation declined (d = -0.10). Changes were smallest among White students. Ninety-five percent of the schools showed the same pattern of reductions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings are in contrast to the public's concerns that school violence is a growing problem. Reductions in school violence may result from social investment in school safety. A distinction should be made between school shootings and other forms of school violence.

Similarities and Differences between Psychosocial Determinants of Bullying and Cyberbullying Perpetration among Polish Adolescents

Despite the extensive literature on the psychosocial determinants of bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents, there is not sufficient comprehensive analysis of the differences between perpetrators. This study aims to assess the psychosocial similarities and differences between bullies and cyberbullies. Data of 3650 students from two grades, K9 and K11 (47% females, mean age = 16.53), were used from a survey conducted in Poland in 2018 as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Perpetration was measured by questions adapted from the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. The following predictors were analyzed: demographic, socioeconomic status measured with the Family Affluence Scale-III (FAS), and individual and social factors. Multiple binary logistic regression was applied. The random sampling design was based on stratification according to the local deprivation index of the region where the school was located. Male gender, younger age, and non-intact family were associated with a higher risk of bullying and cyberbullying. Family support, empathy, school performance, and school attachment had a protective effect against both aggressive behaviors. Life dissatisfaction and high FAS were revealed as determinants of cyberbullying and local deprivation of bullying only. Bullying and cyberbullying school prevention programs should take into account these psychosocial differences and consider the economic deprivation of the region.

Global trends and regional differences in the burden of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributed to bullying victimisation in 204 countries and territories, 1999-2019: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study

AIM

This study aimed to analyse the temporal and spatial trends in the burden of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder related to bullying victimisation on global, regional and country scales.

METHODS

Data were from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study. We assessed the global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs, per 100 000 population) of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation by age, sex and geographical location. The percentage changes in age-standardised rates of DALYs were used to quantify temporal trends, and the annual rate changes across 204 countries and territories were used to present spatial trends. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between the sociodemographic index (SDI) and the burden of anxiety disorders as well as major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation and its spatial and temporal characteristics globally.

RESULTS

From 1990 to 2019, the global DALY rates of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation increased by 23.31 and 26.60%, respectively, with 27.27 and 29.07% for females and 18.88 and 23.84% for males. Across the 21 GBD regions, the highest age-standardised rates of bullying victimisation-related DALYs for anxiety disorders were in North Africa and the Middle East and for major depressive disorder in High-income North America. From 1990 to 2019, the region with the largest percentage increase in the rates of DALYs was High-income North America (54.66% for anxiety disorders and 105.88% for major depressive disorder), whereas the region with the slowest growth rate or largest percentage decline was East Asia (1.71% for anxiety disorders and -25.37% for major depressive disorder). In terms of SDI, this study found overall upward trends of bullying-related mental disorders in areas regardless of the SDI levels, although there were temporary downward trends in some stages of certain areas.

CONCLUSIONS

The number and rates of DALYs of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation increased from 1990 to 2019. Effective strategies to eliminate bullying victimisation in children and adolescents are needed to reduce the burden of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder. Considering the large variations in the burden by SDI and geographic location, future protective actions should be developed based on the specific cultural contexts, development status and regional characteristics of each country.