Search

Rationale: Substantial evidence indicates that involvement in school bullying has been linked to lower quality of life (QoL). Yet there is little information elucidating the link between bullying involvement and QoL in different cultures., Objective: This study investigated the associations between different types of bullying involvement and QoL among adolescents. The moderating roles of cultural values in the relationship between bullying involvement and QoL were examined., Methods: This study included representative samples from 35 countries (N = 184,017) using data from the 2017/2018 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey and the new 2023 World Cultural Map Scores from the World Values Survey Wave 7 (2017/2021). Multilevel mixed-effects analysis was employed to examine individual-level and country-level effects simultaneously., Results: All types of bullying involvement were associated with lower QoL, with being a victim having the lowest QoL. Adolescents in societies that prioritize higher self-expression values exhibited a reduced propensity to engage in school bullying. In countries with higher self-expression values, there was a more pronounced negative association between bullying involvement and QoL. Traditional/Secular-rational values had no significant and consistent moderating effect on the association between bullying involvement and QoL. Those results were quite similar for both traditional bullying and cyberbullying., Conclusion: These findings imply that cultural values are closely intertwined with adolescent bullying and quality of life. Therefore, prevention and intervention programs should pay more attention to addressing bullying and promoting the QoL of adolescents according to various cultural values., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

School bullying is a widespread public health issue that negatively impacts the mental health of children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate associations between school bullying involvement and anxiety of children and adolescents. A survey covering all types of pre-college schools (primary, middle, high, and vocational school) was conducted in an ethnic autonomous county in China. 1,943 students participated in this study. Being a victim of verbal (OR=3.08, 95%CI = [2.43,3.91]), physical (OR=3.24, 95%CI = [2.46,4.27]), relational (OR=3.72, 95%CI = [2.90,4.76]), or cyberbullying (OR=3.47, 95%CI = [2.61,4.61]) were associated with increased symptoms of generalized anxiety. Similarly, being a perpetrator of verbal (OR=2.12, 95%CI = [1.45,3.10]), physical (OR=1.85, 95%CI = [1.22,2.79]), relational (OR=1.78, 95%CI = [1.15,2.74]), or cyber-bullying (OR=1.59, 95%CI = [1.08,2.33]) were related to a higher degree of anxiety. Moreover, in both victims and perpetrators higher levels of anxiety were associated with a greater number of types of bullying they were involved in, suggesting a dose-response relation between school bullying involvement and anxiety. Therefore, both bullying victims and perpetrators need mental health support and anti-bullying strategies should address different forms of bullying evenhandedly., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This article examined the associations between weight status (body mass index [BMI] and perceived weight measures) and school bullying experiences (being bullied and bullying others) of children and adolescents in urban China. A national representative sample ( n = 3,675) of all types of pre-college schools from seven Chinese cities was employed for the analysis. Students from all grades in high school, vocational school, middle school, and primary grades 4 to 6 were surveyed. Height, weight, perceived weight status, and experiences of being bullied and bullying others were obtained. The results demonstrated that the objective weight status (BMI) was neither associated with being bullied overall by others nor associated with bullying others, but the subjective/perceived weight status was significantly related to being bullied. Regarding the specific forms of being bullied, underweight (measured by BMI) students were less likely to be cyberbullied, whereas obese (measured by BMI) students were more likely to be cyberbullied. Students who perceived themselves as slightly fat and too fat were more likely to be verbally bullied. Overweight and obese students were more likely to bully others physically and relationally, and the students who perceived themselves as too thin were positively associated with physically bullying others. Moreover, BMI had a role in the involvement in school bullying for boys, whereas perceived weight status had a role in school bullying involvement in girls. These results indicate that school bullying prevention and intervention should consider weight status, as well as gender differences.

The aim of this study is to examine the link between bullying and the tendency toward suicide (suicidality). In particular, we tested the interaction effect of teacher-student relationships on the association between bullying and suicidality among urban youth in China. A total of 3,675 participants were recruited from 7 provinces in urban China. Three questions were used to capture suicidality-related measures: suicide ideation, suicide planning, and attempting suicide. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying were used to measure the effect of being bullied. The results show that being bullied, traditionally or online, is significantly associated with suicidality. The interaction effect between traditional bullying and the teacher-student relationship for suicidal ideation is significant (odds ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.74). However, no significant interaction effects in teacher-student relationships have been found in the association between cyberbullying and suicidality. The results indicate that teacher-student relationships have a significant protective, but limited, effect on the relationship between bullying and suicidality. Future development of suicidality intervention strategies adapted to the development of society will be beneficial.

School violence and bullying in China is under investigated, though it has become a national concern recently. Using updated national representative survey data collected in 2016 from seven provinces across China, covering students from all pre-college school types (primary, middle, high and vocational schools), this paper analyzes the prevalence of school bullying and the correlation with several school attributes. The incidences of reported bullying, bullying others and witnessing bullying are 26.10%, 9.03% and 28.90%, respectively. Primary school students are more likely to be involved in bullying behaviors. Students from elite schools (leading schools) are also more likely to be involved. Relation with teachers, relation with peers and perceived academic achievement are protective factors. Being a boy is the only significant predictor of school bullying among the family and demographic characteristics used. The results highlight the importance of school climate on preventing school violence and bullying, and a whole-school intervention approach is needed for future intervention., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

This paper investigates the ethnic differences of being traditionally bullied and cyberbullied in China. Two datasets are used. One is a national survey including 3675 participants from seven cities (Study-N) while the other covers 2155 students in one minority autonomous county in northwest China (Study-L). All types of pre-college schools are included in both surveys, but students from grade one to grade three in primary schools are excluded. Overall, being an ethnic minority is less likely to be traditionally bullied in the national survey, though this effect becomes insignificant when the control variables are included. In the ethnic diversity area (Study-L), the dominant majority in this county who are a national minority (Yugur) has a significantly lower probability of being traditional bullied than the national majority (Han), while the differences between Han and Tibetans and other minorities are insignificant. No significant differences regarding being cyberbullied are founded between the minorities and the majority in both studies. Besides, being a boy is a risk factor, while better academic performance and social relations are protective factors. Elementary schools have the highest prevalence of school bullying. This paper indicates that ethnicity plays little effect on school bullying involvement in China. • The ethnic differences in being traditionally bullied and being cyberbullied are examined. • Both the situation in cities across China and the situation in an ethnic diversity area are investigated. • There is no significant difference in being traditionally bullied in cities. • The dominated minority group (Yugur) in the ethnic diversity area have a lower probability of being traditional bullied than Han. • No significant difference regarding being cyberbullied is found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study compared the differences of school bullying definitions between teachers, students, and parents in China. • Compared to verbal, physical, and cyberbullying, relational bullying was less likely to be regarded as school bullying. • Students, parents, and teachers do not use the three characteristics defined by Olweus as criteria for defining bullying. • Adults' (parents' and teachers') criteria for defining school bullying were different from students' definition. This study aims to determine whether the four types of bullying (verbal, physical, relational, and cyberbullying) are equally likely to be regarded as school bullying by students, parents, and teachers, and whether all three characteristics of bullying (repetitiveness, intentionality, and power imbalance) are part of the definition of school bullying in China. Students (N = 1,943), parents (N = 1,957), and teachers (N = 409) in pre-college schools in China participated in survey experiments. Multi-level models and ordinary linear models were used to perform data analysis. Results indicated that compared with verbal, physical, and cyberbullying, relational bullying was less likely to be considered as school bullying. Neither students and parents, nor teachers used all three characteristics as criteria for identifying school bullying, although parents and teachers considered more characteristics than students when defining school bullying. Therefore, the three characteristics of bullying may not be the gold standard for defining school bullying. Practical investigation should give more attention to relational bullying, and parents and teachers should view school bullying through the students' broader lens when responding to bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the unique patterns of school bullying involvement among adolescents is critical to developing efficient interventions for reducing school violence. The present study identifies latent classes of school bullying victimization and perpetration, focusing on traditional and cyberbullying among student peer networks. Data came from a national school bullying survey (N = 3,675) among students from 4th grade (primary school) to 12th grade (high school) across seven provinces in Mainland China. Latent class models identified latent subgroups of students by gender (1,903 females and 1,772 males) using four binary indicators: traditional bullying victimization, cyberbullying victimization, traditional bullying perpetration, and cyberbullying perpetration. We found four distinct latent classes for both genders, respectively. Three classes emerged in both male and female students (1) traditional and cyberbullying perpetrator-victims, (2) traditional bullying victims, and (3) minimal involvement. Although a bullying perpetrator class was identified in both male and female groups, male students in this class had a high probability of engaging in both traditional and cyberbullying behaviors against their school peers, whereas the bullying perpetrator class emerged in the female group was mainly involved only in traditional bullying. The findings revealed gender similarities and differences in the patterns of school bullying involvement in Chinese adolescents. In addition, covariates significantly associated with school bullying patterns included (a) attending boarding school, (b) level of schooling (e.g., primary, middle, and high school), and (c) self-perceived academic performance. Recommendations for school bullying interventions and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a nationally representative survey of urban areas from China collected in 2016, we examine two research questions: (1) how is school bullying victimization associated with self-rated health and life satisfaction; and (2) how do relationships with parents, teachers, and peers mediate those associations? We find that, among students of higher primary, middle, high, and vocational schools, bullying victims are more likely to report poor self-rated health and life satisfaction, regardless of whether the victims experience traditional bullying or cyberbullying. In addition, both traditional bullying and cyberbullying victims are associated with poor relationships with parents, teachers, and peers, which, in turn, partially mediate the effect of bullying victimization on poor self-rated health and life satisfaction. The present study underscores that the impact of adults and peers might be an important mechanism contributing to the health and well-being disparities by school bullying victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ample work has established the adverse impact of school bullying victimization on health and well-being outcomes. However, few studies have explored the potential coping mechanisms. To address this shortcoming, the present study examines three questions. First, how is school bullying victimization associated with self-rated health and life satisfaction? Second, how do educational expectations moderate those associations? Third, do any observed patterns further differ for boys and girls? Using a nationally representative survey of urban areas from China collected in 2016, we found that traditional bullying victims were more likely than non-victims to report poor self-related health and life satisfaction We observed similar patterns for cyberbullying victims. Interestingly, traditional bullying victimization fully explained the effect of cyberbullying victimization on poor self-rated health and life satisfaction among boys. The patterns for girls remained less clear. Finally, educational expectations appeared to buffer the effect of cyberbullying victimization on poor self-rated health and life satisfaction for boys only. Overall, our findings underscored the complexity of documenting health and well-being disparities by bullying victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]