Bullying and Victimization in Adolescence: Concurrent and Stable Roles and Psychological Health Symptoms

Abstract

From an initial sample of 1278 Italian students, the authors selected 537 on the basis of their responses to a self-report bully and victim questionnaire. Participants' ages ranged from 13 to 20 years (M = 15.12 years, SD = 1.08 years). The authors compared the concurrent psychological symptoms of 4 participant groups (bullies, victims, bully/victims [i.e., bullies who were also victims of bullying], and uninvolved students). Of participants, 157 were in the bullies group, 140 were in the victims group, 81 were in the bully/victims group, and 159 were in the uninvolved students group. The results show that bullies reported a higher level of externalizing problems, victims reported more internalizing symptoms, and bully/victims reported both a higher level of externalizing problems and more internalizing symptoms. The authors divided the sample into 8 groups on the basis of the students' recollection of their earlier school experiences and of their present role. The authors classified the participants as stable versus late bullies, victims, bully/victims, or uninvolved students. The authors compared each stable group with its corresponding late group and found that stable victims and stable bully/victims reported higher degrees of anxiety, depression, and withdrawal than did the other groups. The authors focus their discussion on the role of chronic peer difficulties in relation to adolescents' symptoms and well-being.

Investigating Bullying Determinants and Typologies with Social Network Analysis

“…[20] supported that most high levels of bullying which are mostly associated with male students at schools, lower levels of empathy, and belong to the most authoritarian or violent families. Bullies presented a higher level of externalization, while victims more internalizing symptoms [21]. In fact, bullies usually motivate others against the target, and the identities of the perpetrators are often known to them [22].…”

Developmental trajectories of adolescent victimization: Predictors and outcomes

“…Persistent victimization is a strong predictor of the onset of depression and anxiety (Bond et al, 2001) with those chronically victimized showing more negative effects (Menesini, 2009) than those only recently victimized. In this study, the mental health outcomes of adolescents in the different victimization trajectory groups will be compared.…”

Koulukisaaminen ja psykosomaattinen oireilu 4. – 6.-luokkalaisilla tytöillä ja pojilla

“…Lukuisat tutkimukset osoittavat, että koulukiusaaminen on yhteydessä lasten hyvinvointiin ja terveyteen. Kiusaamisessa osallisena olevilla lapsilla on todettu enemmän psykosomaattisia oireita (13,14,15,(37)(38)(39)(40)(41) sekä psyykkisiä ja sosiaalisia ongelmia (12,39,41,42) verrattuna ei kiusattuihin ikätovereihin. Kiusatuilla lapsilla on havaittu monenlaisia oireita: päänsärkyä (38), vatsakipua (13,37,43,44), yö-kastelua (13,43), alakuloisuutta, univaikeuksia (13,15,43), jännittyneisyyttä, huimausta, väsy-mystä (15) sekä huonoa ruokahalua (13,45).…”