Association of In-School and Electronic Bullying with Suicidality and Feelings of Hopelessness among Adolescents in the United States

Relationships Among Self-Esteem, Bullying, and Cyberbullying in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

The current systematic review explored relationships among self-esteem, bullying, and cyberbullying in adolescents. Three databases were used to search for articles pertaining to mental health, health care, and the social sciences. Keywords, including "bully," "victim," "victimization," "harassment," "aggression," and "abuse," were used to describe victims of cyberbullying and locate relevant articles. A total of 861 articles were found during the initial search, 110 were assessed for eligibility, and 10 ultimately met inclusion criteria. Most studies found correlations among self-esteem, bullying, and cyberbullying. Self-esteem was linked to being a victim of cyberbullying but not to being a perpetrator of cyberbullying or bullying in general. Students with high self-esteem at the beginning of the school year were more likely to become bullies as they got older, whereas those with low self-esteem were less likely to do so. In addition, self-esteem was found to have direct negative effects on victimization and cybervictimization, and victimization and cybervictimization were found to have direct negative effects on peer difficulties. Findings suggest that adolescent bullying and cyberbullying perpetration may be mitigated by higher levels of self-esteem. Parents should pay close attention to and limit adolescents' exposure to bullying and cyberbullying and stressful life events. Psychiatric nurses should routinely screen adolescents and develop interventions to enhance self-esteem and reduce bullying and cyberbullying. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 62(5), 11-17.].

Unveiling the silent crisis: global burden of suicide-related deaths among children aged 10-14 years

BACKGROUND

The rise in suicides among children aged 10-14 years demands urgent attention globally. This study aims to assess the global burden of suicide-related deaths in this age group from 1990 to 2019, considering factors such as sex, geography, and sociodemographics, to inform prevention strategies and interventions.

METHODS

The data from Global Burden of Disease 2019, encompassing 204 countries and territories, were analyzed to investigate deaths and years of life lost (YLLs) due to suicide among children aged 10-14 years. Statistical analyses, including mortality rates, YLLs, and the sociodemographic index (SDI), were conducted using standardized tools.

RESULTS

In 2019, a total of 8327 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) = 7073-9685] children aged 10-14 years died globally due to suicide, with a mortality rate of 1.30 (95% UI = 1.10-1.51) per 100,000. The rates varied across countries/territories ranging between 0.05 (95% UI = 0.02-0.10) in South Africa and 7.49 (95% UI = 5.13-10.57) in Greenland. The contribution of suicide-related deaths to all-cause mortality ranged from 0.07% (95% UI = 0.04%-0.15%) in South Africa to 33.02% (95% UI = 24.36%-41.53%) in Greenland. Worldwide, there were approximately 636,196 (95% UI = 540,383-740,009) YLLs due to suicide, with a rate of 99.07 (95% UI = 84.15-115.23) per 100,000. The association between SDI and suicide-related deaths was evident, with higher contributions observed in countries with higher SDI.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals a concerning global burden of suicide-related deaths among children aged 10-14 years. Despite progress in reducing mortality rates, suicide remains a significant issue. While overall rates have declined, the percentage of deaths caused by suicide in this age group is increasing.

Pathways From Bullying Victimization to Suicidal Thoughts Among Urban African American Adolescents: Applying the General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT

The present study explores the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal thoughts among African American adolescents in urban neighborhoods. The study, which was guided by the general strain theory, proposed and tested potential pathways that link bullying victimization with suicidal thoughts through the mediators including emotional distress, low future orientation, hopelessness, and drug use. The study sample included 414 African American adolescents who were between ages 12 and 22 years and residing in low-income Chicago's South Side neighborhoods. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and path analyses were conducted. Bullying victimization was not significantly related to suicidal thoughts, although it was positively associated with emotional distress and drug use. The association between low future orientation and hopelessness was bidirectional. The study findings have implications for practice, which is important as resources to assist adolescents who are affected by violence tend to be limited.

Bullying before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

The rates of bullying during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of unprecedented public health and social restrictions, were compared to earlier times when students attended school in person. Several studies indicated a notable decrease in the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration during the pandemic, particularly when online learning was implemented. But studies from countries with fewer social restrictions indicated increases in rates of bullying during the pandemic. Mixed results regarding prevalence rates for some bullying forms (e.g., cyberbullying) were also found. Racialized youth and LGBTQ+ youth reliably reported higher rates of bullying victimization during the pandemic, consistent with pre-pandemic patterns. Reasons for the inconsistencies in findings likely relate to diverse methods, timeframes, and sampling techniques, as well as different experiences with pandemic social restrictions. More longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether bullying involvement did in fact "change" during, compared to before, the pandemic. The findings point to the importance of peer relationships and hint at the potential of increased teacher supervision as a bullying prevention strategy.