The Association between Externalizing and Internalizing Problems with Bullying Engagement in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Social Skills

Effects of three prophylactic interventions on French middle-schoolers' mental health: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Adolescence is a strategic developmental stage in terms of preventing later difficulties and ensuring good mental health. Prophylactic interventions, which are conducted before the onset, prolongation, or worsening of difficulties, and aim to prevent or reduce symptoms or to promote wellbeing, therefore appear particularly appropriate for adolescents. However, existing prophylactic interventions conducted with adolescents have several weaknesses, including sparse theoretical frameworks, ambivalent evidence of their efficacy, and implementation and dissemination difficulties. In addition, no data are currently available on the effectiveness of such interventions in France. To fill this gap, a four-arm randomized controlled trial will be performed to assess the effectiveness of three prophylactic interventions targeting reactive, proactive and interpersonal adaptation in fourth-grade middle-school students, together with participants' experience and perception of the interventions. Based on existing knowledge about adolescents, their learning mechanisms, and field constraints, these three interventions have been designed to promote their learning and receptiveness to interventions. Compared with baseline (i.e., before the intervention), we expect to observe a significant decrease in the level of distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and psychosocial difficulties) and a significant increase in the level of wellbeing after the intervention, across the three intervention groups, but not in the control group. In addition, we expect to observe post-intervention improvements in the processes targeted by the reactive adaptation intervention (operationalized as coping strategy use and flexibility), those targeted by the proactive adaptation intervention (operationalized as the tendency to engage in committed actions and general self-efficacy), and those targeted by the interpersonal adaptation intervention (operationalized as assertiveness in interactions), but only in the corresponding groups, with no change in any of these processes in the control group. The results of this research will not only enrich our knowledge of the processes involved in adolescents' distress and wellbeing, but also provide clues as to the best targets for intervention. Moreover, the material for these interventions will be freely available in French on request to the corresponding author, providing access to innovative and fully assessed interventions aimed at promoting adolescents' mental health in France.This clinical trial is currently being registered under no. 2023-A01973-42 on https://ansm.sante.fr/ . This is the first version of the protocol.

The hidden curves of risk: a nonlinear model of cumulative risk and school bullying victimization among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

School bullying victimization (SBV) occurs more frequently in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in general education than in special classes, and there is a cumulative risk effect on SBV exposure among young people with ASD reported by their parents and teachers. However, SBV is a personal experience, the predictive patterns of cumulative risk on SBV reported by themselves and its psychological mechanism remain unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between cumulative risk and SBV based on self-report, and to test whether internalizing problems mediates this relationship among adolescents with ASD placed in regular classes.

METHODS

This study used data from the Taiwan Special Needs Education Longitudinal Study (SNELS) in 2011. The analysis included 508 adolescents with ASD who were in regular classes across Taiwan. The primary variables under study were the quality of friendship interactions, teacher-student relationship, school connection, perceived stigma, the impact caused by the disabilities, internalizing problem, and whether the participants had experienced SBV over the past semester, while control variables were adaptability and social-emotional skills. Established risk factors were summed to form a cumulative risk score.

RESULTS

The cumulative risk was positively associated with SBV. The relationship was characterized by the nonlinear pattern of the quadratic function (negative acceleration model) between cumulative risk and SBV. Internalizing problem played a partial mediating role in the effect of cumulative risk on SBV.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention measures to reduce SBV should include the strategies to reduce the number of risks to which adolescents with ASD in regular classes are exposed, comprehensive prevention targeting each risk factor is needed specially when the number of risks is one or two, and more attention needs to be given to their internalizing problem in various ways.

The Role of Empathy in Alcohol Use of Bullying Perpetrators and Victims: Lower Personal Empathic Distress Makes Male Perpetrators of Bullying More Vulnerable to Alcohol Use

Bullying often results in negative coping in victims, including an increased consumption of alcohol. Recently, however, an increase in alcohol use has also been reported among perpetrators of bullying. The factors triggering this pattern are still unclear. We investigated the role of empathy in the interaction between bullying and alcohol use in an adolescent sample (IMAGEN) at age 13.97 (±0.53) years (baseline (BL), N = 2165, 50.9% female) and age 16.51 (±0.61) years (follow-up 1 (FU1), N = 1185, 54.9% female). General empathic distress served as a significant moderator of alcohol use in perpetrators (F9, 493 = 17.978, p < 0.01), which was specific for males and FU1. Male perpetrators, who are generally less sensitive to distress, might thus be more vulnerable to alcohol abuse.

The Origins of the Dark—Hyperactivity and Negative Peer Relationships, an Objectively Lower Sleep Efficiency, and a Longer Sleep Onset Latency at Age Five Were Associated with Callous-Unemotional Traits and Low Empathy at Age 14

Background: Within the spectrum of emotional competencies, callous-unemotional traits are socially discouraged, while empathy is considered a socially much more accepted emotional trait. This holds particularly true for adolescents, who are still building up their social and emotional competencies. The aims of the present study were two-fold: First, longitudinally, to identify traits of behavioral problems and objective sleep dimensions at the age of 5 years to predict callous-unemotional traits and empathy at the age of 14 years. Second, cross-sectionally, to associate callous-unemotional traits and empathy with current insomnia, stress, and mental toughness. Methods: Preschoolers at the age of 5 years were contacted nine years later at the age of 14 years. At 5 years, parents rated their children’s behavior (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ); in parallel, children underwent a one-night sleep-EEG assessment. At the age of 14 years, adolescents completed a series of questionnaires covering callous-unemotional traits, insomnia, empathy, stress, and mental toughness. Results: A total of 77 adolescents (38.1% females) took part in the present study. Longitudinally, higher scores for hyperactivity at age 5 significantly predicted higher callous-unemotional traits at age 14. A higher score for negative peer relationships at age 5 significantly predicted lower scores for cognitive empathy at age 14. Further, objective sleep-EEG measures showed that a higher sleep efficiency and a shorter sleep latency was associated with lower scores for callousness. Cross-sectionally, higher scores for callous-unemotional traits were associated with higher insomnia and stress, while lower insomnia was associated with higher empathy. Mental toughness was unrelated to callous-unemotional traits and empathy. Conclusions: It appears that hyperactivity traits and negative peer relationships and more unfavorable objective sleep patterns at 5 years predicted socially discouraged callous-unemotional traits and low empathy during adolescence. Further, cross-sectionally at the age of 14, callous-unemotional traits, subjective poor sleep, and higher stress were associated.

Internalizing and Externalizing Disorder Levels among Adolescents: Data from Poland

This article concerns internalizing and externalizing behaviors among Polish adolescents attending primary schools in a medium-sized city in Poland. The aim of the study was to examine the levels of select problem behaviors (i.e., depression, withdrawal, somatic complaints, aggressive behaviors, delinquent behaviors, thought problems, and internalizing and externalizing disorders) in early adolescence. Another important aim was to establish the ranges of the norm and deviation which would indicate the need for intervention aimed at internalizing and externalizing disorders in the sample. The relationships between variables such as age, gender, and school achievement (grade average) and the groups of problem behaviors and externalizing and internalizing disorders were also examined. To diagnose the occurrence of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, a sample of 550 students (55.3% girls, 46.7% boys) were measured using the Youth Self-Report (YSR) questionnaire. The results showed statistically significant differences in internalizing and externalizing behaviors between boys and girls. Girls achieved higher scores on most of the YSR scales, including internalizing and externalizing disorders, as well as on the total score. The student subgroup scores were also differentiated in terms of age and their average grades. The results also have practical implications; namely, the need for obligatory screening tests of students' emotional states; encouraging preventive measures in schools, including diagnosis and psychological support in the context of depression; monitoring aggressive behaviors and social problems, both in boys and girls; and implementing universal, selective, and indicated prevention through complex, empirically validated educational-therapeutic programs.

The prevalence of peer bullying and psychiatric symptoms among high school students in southeast Turkey

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of bullying among high school students, its associated factors, and the effects of engaging in bullying behaviors on mental health.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 in the province with the highest population of children in the Southeast Anatolia region of Turkey. The data of the study were collected using the Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire prepared by the researchers, Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 42 (DASS-42).

RESULTS

Of the 880 students who participated in the study, 34.2% reported being a victim of bullying and 13.9% reported bullied someone. Regression analysis revealed that overweight/obesity was a risk factor for both victims and bullies. On the other hand, male gender and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with bullying. Scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher in both the victim and the bullying groups compared to students who did not fall into this cycle.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that bullying in school creates problems not only for the bullying victims but also for the bullies. Health professionals assessing youth should be aware of the characteristics of young people who may be involved in bullying.

Bullying Victimization Moderates the Association between Social Skills and Self-Esteem among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in International Schools

Background. Bullying is a major school problem. Victims of bullying often experience low self-esteem, whereas social skills are positively associated with the level of self-esteem. This research examined whether the victim's condition impacted their social skills and self-esteem. Methods. International school students in Thailand aged 13 to 18 years old completed the Olweus bullying questionnaire, social capital questionnaire (SC), social skills questionnaire (SS), adolescent discrimination index (ADDI), and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES). Moderation analyses and visual presentations were carried out using IBM SPSS ver. 22 and PROCESS, ver. 4.0. Results. A total of 102 students participated (63% female). The mean age of the participants was 16.57 (SD = 1.42). The number of victims was 16 (15.7%), the mean (SD) for the SC, SS, ADDI, and RSES was 7.82 (2.37), 44.45 (9.40), 12.33 (9.82), and 27.85 (5.31), respectively. As predicted, those with high social skills reported greater self-esteem when they had never been bullied. The moderation effect was significant: B = 0.458, standard error = 0.203, 95% CI = -0.836 to -0.054. Additionally, the ADDI and SC were found to predict self-esteem. Conclusions. The significant moderation effect suggests the importance of identifying the victim's condition when the association between social skills and self-esteem is not observed (as expected) among school adolescents. A longitudinal study to confirm the causal relationship should be encouraged. Further research on providing appropriate interventions along with social skill training for the victim group is warranted.

Exploring Multivariate Profiles of Psychological Distress and Empathy in Early Adolescent Victims, Bullies, and Bystanders Involved in Cyberbullying Episodes

(1) Background: Adolescents may be involved in cyberbullying as victims, perpetrators, or to a lesser extent, victim-perpetrators simultaneously. The present research investigated differences between participants acting in different bullying roles-namely, bully, victim, or bully/victim-and bystander roles-namely, defending, passive bystander, and passive/defending; (2) Methods: We used multivariate analysis of covariance to determine how, in the same individuals, direct involvement in cyberbullying episodes compares to participating in them as by-standers in relation to both psychological distress and empathy; (3) Results: Both victims and bully/victims were found to be at increased risk for suicidal ideation, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and emotional dysregulation compared with students who were neither victims nor perpetrators of cyberbullying episodes. Additionally, victims showed higher empathy scores when compared with bullies and bully/victims. All bystander roles showed increased emotional dysregulation compared with uninvolved students, but no differences emerged on other psychological distress measures. Finally, defending bystanders showed increased cognitive empathy. (4) Conclusions: During early adolescence, the direct experience of cyberbullying, as a bully or a victim (or both), show a stronger association with psychological distress than the mere participation in cyberbullying as a witness, regardless of the witness acting defensive toward the victim, or passive. However, both cyberbullying and bystanding roles provide a similar (small) explicative power over empathy variables.