Epidemiological Pattern of Bullying Among Schoolchildren in Mazandaran Province, Iran

Abstract

Background:School bullying, the most common type of school violence, comprises a spectrum of aggressive behaviors that involve both perpetrators and victims.Objectives:The current study aimed to investigate the extent and nature of school bullying among middle school students in the North of Iran.Patients and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 834 Iranian middle school students. Participants completed a self-report anonymous questionnaire measuring bullying and victimization (Iranian-Olweus bullying questionnaire). Descriptive statistics and the Pearson's chi-squared test and multinomial logistic regressions with area, gender and grade variables were applied.Results:Prevalence rates of bullying behaviors based on the cut-off point at 2 or 3 times a month were 5.4% for only bully, 22.1% for only victim and 11% for both bully-victim. The prevalence of each form of victimization were 24.7% verbal, 15% relational, 10.3% physical and for each form of bullies 11% verbal, 5.3% relational, 6.4% physical. Boys were more involved in all forms of bullying behaviors. The students from rural areas were more involved in bullying .The most common places of victimization were the playground or athletic fields. The majority of victims were bullied by their classmates.Conclusions:Different forms of bullying have a distinct nature and the epidemiological pattern indicates that bullying exists in the Iranian schools. Thus, the effective bullying prevention and appropriate intervention programs are recommended.

A Survey on Standardization of Olweus Bullying Questionnaire in Iran

“…Bullying is the misuse of power, and one of the old-known phenomena [1]. Statistics from various studies indicate that bullying is an improper behavior which has become a usual and common behavior in schools [2].…”

Estratégias de intervenção para adolescentes em situações de bullying escolar: uma revisão sistemática

“…O bullying é um fenômeno comum, especialmente entre os estudantes (Bauer et al, 2007;Rezapour et al, 2014). Costuma ocorrer entre colegas de forma deliberada, com agressões físicas, verbais e psicológicas.…”

“…Costuma ocorrer entre colegas de forma deliberada, com agressões físicas, verbais e psicológicas. É um tipo de violência que persiste ao longo do tempo, ocorrendo em decorrência do desequilíbrio de poder em favor dos agressores (Olweus, 2013;Rezapour et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2009).…”

Verbal Bullying Changes Among Students Following an Educational Intervention Using the Integrated Model for Behavior Change

“…Bullying in adolescents reported in several studies globally highlights the individual and public health problem it poses among the youth. The reported prevalence of bullying in studies ranges from a low of 4.8% to a high of 96.7% . There does not appear to be much difference in bullying prevalence between Western and other societies …”

“…These actions are distressing to the individual in the presence of a power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim. Common forms include verbal, physical, and relational bullying . Verbal bullying is characterized by name calling, mocking, insulting, and being humiliated .…”