Bullying in School: Importance of and Challenges Involved in Talking to the School Nurse

Abstract

Bullying has negative consequences for health and quality of life of students. This study is part of a pilot project, “School Health,” which included a web-based questionnaire completed by students before a consultation with the school nurse. The aim of this study was to explore how students experience answering questions about bullying before an individual consultation and how they talk about bullying with the school nurse. This study had qualitative design with individual and focus group interviews and involved 38 students aged 13–14 years, both boys and girls, from three schools. Data were analyzed according to Kvale’s three levels of interpretation within a phenomenological and hermeneutic perspective. The students found it difficult to report being bullied. They expressed confidence in the school nurse and liked talking with her. Some complained about the school environment and reported that having a friend was important.

Help-seeking behavior in Norwegian adolescents: the role of bullying and cyberbullying victimization in a cross-sectional study

“…Norwegian students participating in a qualitative study reported that seeking help for bullying was generally difficult, and that if they told a teacher, little or nothing would be done. Other barriers to seeking help were embarrassment, feelings of insecurity, and worries that the bullying might worsen ( 11 ). Help-seeking might not lead to better outcomes in as straightforward a manner as one thinks, especially when it comes to bullying victimization.…”

Prevalence and self‐report of bullying after in‐class police orientation talk

“…The overwhelming differences in bullying between genders might be the tip of the iceberg of the problem: bullying and cyberbullying are linked to violence, and the risk of physical and psychological health problems; however, violence prevention requires a more salutogenic view of adolescents’ relationships: while adults seek prevention of violence, adolescents seek interpersonal wellbeing, construction of their gender identity and belonging to a dominant group, meaning bullying and victimization can become normalized and minimized (Mishna et al., 2020). Public health nurses and school nurses have an active role in bullying detection (Kvarme et al., 2020), and violence prevention strategies require a more inclusive orientation to maintain health, with a focus that is not just on violence per se .…”

Mental Health Assessment of the Frequent Visitors in the School Setting—Part 1: An Overview

“…School nurses play a major role in identifying, counseling, and protecting the victims of bullying. Kvarme et al (2020) reported that youth experiencing bullying will seek a safe refuge to avoid the bully(s), and that refuge is often the school health office. The school nurse is often viewed by students as a confidant, someone who is outside the academic system and is in a position to help and give guidance.…”

“…The school nurse is often viewed by students as a confidant, someone who is outside the academic system and is in a position to help and give guidance. Victims of bullying visited the nurse more frequently and followed the recommendations/advice of the school nurse more often than advice/ recommendations given by other adults (Kvarme et al, 2020). Examples of school nurse interventions, including several important questions the school nurse can ask to determine if a youth's symptoms may be related to bullying, will be provided in our Part 2 article.…”