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Objective: This paper investigates the relationships between physical activity (PA), school bullying, emotion regulation self-efficacy (ERS), and interpersonal relationship distress (IRD) among junior high school students. It also examines the underlying mechanisms of school bullying to provide insights into reducing adolescent bullying and to lay the groundwork for preventing and controlling aggressive behaviors. Methods: A survey was conducted on 484 students (240 males, 12.18 ± 0.8 years) from 4 secondary schools using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS), Emotional Management Self-Efficacy Scale (EMSS), Interpersonal Relationship Distress Scale (IRDS), and Campus Bullying Scale (CBS) to examine the effects among the variables. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample, and data were collected with a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0 statistical software. The analysis included Pearson correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap methods. Results: (1) PA negatively predicts IRD, which in turn has an indirect effect on bullying (PA → IRD → Bullying), ES = -0.063. Additionally, EM and IRD act as mediators between PA and school bullying (PA → EM → IRD → Bullying), ES = 0.025. (2) PA negatively predicts IRD, which has an indirect effect on being bullied (PA → IRD → Being bullied), ES = -0.044. EM and IRD serve as chain mediators between PA and being bullied (PA → EM → IRD → Being bullied), ES = -0.071. Conclusion: PA can positively predict bullying, but it can be mitigated through EM to reduce IRD, thereby decreasing the occurrence of campus bullying and being bullied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective This paper investigates the relationships between physical activity (PA), school bullying, emotion regulation self-efficacy (ERS), and interpersonal relationship distress (IRD) among junior high school students. It also examines the underlying mechanisms of school bullying to provide insights into reducing adolescent bullying and to lay the groundwork for preventing and controlling aggressive behaviors. Methods A survey was conducted on 484 students (240 males, 12.18 ± 0.8 years) from 4 secondary schools using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS), Emotional Management Self-Efficacy Scale (EMSS), Interpersonal Relationship Distress Scale (IRDS), and Campus Bullying Scale (CBS) to examine the effects among the variables. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample, and data were collected with a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0 statistical software. The analysis included Pearson correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap methods. Results (1) PA negatively predicts IRD, which in turn has an indirect effect on bullying (PA → IRD → Bullying), ES = -0.063. Additionally, EM and IRD act as mediators between PA and school bullying (PA → EM → IRD → Bullying), ES = 0.025. (2) PA negatively predicts IRD, which has an indirect effect on being bullied (PA → IRD → Being bullied), ES = -0.044. EM and IRD serve as chain mediators between PA and being bullied (PA → EM → IRD → Being bullied), ES = -0.071. Conclusion PA can positively predict bullying, but it can be mitigated through EM to reduce IRD, thereby decreasing the occurrence of campus bullying and being bullied.

Many studies have examined that bullying bystander intervention refers to a positive, pro-social bystander behavior that prevents the sustained development of bullying incidents in the face of school bullying. Limited research has investigated the different roles of bystanders and the factors that influence their behavior. This study attempts to explore the association between being bullied and intervention by bystanders in adolescent school bullying, the role of moral disengagement, and the status of only children in this context. For this purpose, 2113 middle school students completed the Being Bullied Behavior Scale, Bystander Intervention Scale, and Moral Disengagement Scale. The study findings indicate that (1) being bullied positively anticipates the intervention by bystanders in school bullying; (2) further, moral disengagement plays an essential role in mediating the effects of bullying on bystander intervention, and being bullied "masks" the related positive influence on the bystander intervention through the negative mediation of moral disengagement; and (3) finally, the status of being an only child moderates the first half of this mediating effect. Based on this, this study implies that being bullied is more effective at predicting moral disengagement for only children. Consequently, the influence of being bullied on bystander intervention in school bullying is revealed in this study, which exhibits significant practical implications for improving the ecological environment of school bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundRecent years have seen an increase in school refusal behavior among adolescents, potentially due to factors like excessive short-form video viewing, bullying, and school anxiety. Limited research has investigated how these factors contribute to school refusal behavior. This study used random forest regression, path analysis, and network analysis to identify key variables and pathways leading to school refusal behavior.MethodsIn this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, 2,056 (996 male, 1,060 female, mean age: 14.79 ± 1.24 years) middle and senior high school students were asked to complete the School Refusal Behavior Assessment questionnaire to assess school refusal behavior features, the Excessive Short-Form Video Viewing Scale as well as self-reported viewing times during leisure days to assess excessive short-form video viewing, the SNAP-IV Rating Scale to assess the severity of inattention symptoms, and the self-administered questionnaires to assess experiences of being bullied and school anxiety.ResultsThe prevalence of school refusal behavior in the surveyed adolescents was found to be 31.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 29.8–33.9%]. In terms of significance, the severity of inattention symptoms exhibited the greatest predictive power, while excessive short-form video viewing accounted for the most variance. Path analysis revealed that excessive short-form video viewing not only directly affects school refusal behavior features but also does so indirectly through severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety. Key bridge factors in this pathway include intense fear and anxiety associated with school attendance, manifesting as somatic symptoms and avoidance behaviors.ConclusionThe findings indicate that not only does excessive short-form video viewing directly influence school refusal behavior features in adolescents, but it also indirectly impacts these features through mechanisms involving severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety. The bridge factors highlight potential targets for interventions among the SRB features and predictors.

Affective lability is an important feature of psychopathology. However, there is limited relevant research involving adolescents. To fill this research gap, the present study assessed the relationship between childhood trauma and affective lability among adolescents using a moderated mediation model. A total of 3738 students were recruited from four high schools in Shenzhen, China, between September and December 2019. The participants completed self-reported questionnaires measuring childhood trauma, affective lability, body image dissatisfaction, and the experience of being bullied. Linear regression and moderated mediation analyses were used in this study. Linear regression analysis showed that emotional abuse and body image dissatisfaction positively predicted affective lability in boys and girls (all p < 0.001). Body image dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and affective lability. In the moderated mediation model, being bullied moderated the direct path from emotional abuse to affective lability (p = 0.0236, p = 0.0188), and gender did not have a significant moderating effect on any direct or indirect path (all p > 0.05). A causal relationship could not be ascertained due to the cross-sectional design, and the results cannot be generalized to other populations. The findings support that childhood trauma has an impact on affective lability in adolescents. Specifically, body image dissatisfaction and being bullied affect the relationship between emotional abuse and affective lability. • Emotional abuse positively predicted affective lability among adolescents. • Body image dissatisfaction mediates the relationship between emotional abuse and affective lability among adolescents. • Experiences of being bullied moderate the relationship between emotional abuse and affective lability among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the independent and interactive associations of being bullied and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) with suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt) among junior and senior high school students in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 4 cities from November 2017 to January 2018 and a total of 18,900 students were enrolled in this study. Being bullied, NSSI and suicidal behaviors were measured by self-reported questionnaires. Analyses were conducted with Chi-square tests, multivariable logistic regression, and additive interaction models. Results showed that the prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt was 26.4%, 13.2% and 5.2%, respectively. Being bullied was significantly associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 2.17–2.55), suicidal plan (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 2.03–2.48) and suicidal attempt (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.96–2.62). NSSI was significantly positively correlated with suicidal ideation (OR = 3.92, 95% CI: 3.64–4.21), suicidal plan (OR = 3.72, 95% CI: 3.39–4.08) and suicidal attempt (OR = 3.29, 95% CI: 2.86–3.79). Additive interaction models indicated that NSSI was associated with an increase in the risk of suicidal behaviors among adolescents being bullied than those not being bullied. Namely, additive interactions of NSSI and being bullied on suicidal behaviors were found. The NSSI and being bullied have synergistic effects, and co-victimization, rather than single. Meanwhile, considering the perpetrator is critical to intervening suicidal behaviors in adolescence. Ideally, intervention programs should take action from multiple aspects according to different types of factors, including individual level, social environment and institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent years have seen an increase in school refusal behavior among adolescents, potentially due to factors like excessive short-form video viewing, bullying, and school anxiety. Limited research has investigated how these factors contribute to school refusal behavior. This study used random forest regression, path analysis, and network analysis to identify key variables and pathways leading to school refusal behavior., Methods: In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, 2,056 (996 male, 1,060 female, mean age: 14.79 ± 1.24 years) middle and senior high school students were asked to complete the School Refusal Behavior Assessment questionnaire to assess school refusal behavior features, the Excessive Short-Form Video Viewing Scale as well as self-reported viewing times during leisure days to assess excessive short-form video viewing, the SNAP-IV Rating Scale to assess the severity of inattention symptoms, and the self-administered questionnaires to assess experiences of being bullied and school anxiety., Results: The prevalence of school refusal behavior in the surveyed adolescents was found to be 31.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 29.8-33.9%]. In terms of significance, the severity of inattention symptoms exhibited the greatest predictive power, while excessive short-form video viewing accounted for the most variance. Path analysis revealed that excessive short-form video viewing not only directly affects school refusal behavior features but also does so indirectly through severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety. Key bridge factors in this pathway include intense fear and anxiety associated with school attendance, manifesting as somatic symptoms and avoidance behaviors., Conclusion: The findings indicate that not only does excessive short-form video viewing directly influence school refusal behavior features in adolescents, but it also indirectly impacts these features through mechanisms involving severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety. The bridge factors highlight potential targets for interventions among the SRB features and predictors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Du, Wang, Wang, Liu, Li, Lv, Peng, Chang, Li, Liu, Liu, Yu and Li.)

Internet addiction among adolescents is an emerging public health issue. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between being bullied and internet addiction, and further to test the mediating effect of adult attachments on this relationship among Chinese rural adolescents. A total of 1,270 adolescents from three high schools in Henan province were recruited as subjects. Internet addiction was measured by Young's internet addiction scale. This study showed that the prevalence of being bullied and addictive internet use among the recruited Chinese rural adolescents were 41.97% and 11.34%, respectively. Being bullied was significantly associated with internet addition. Adult attachment was found to mediate the association between being bullied and internet addiction. Higher anxiety attachment and lower close-dependent attachment partially explained the higher risk of internet addiction among the Chinese rural adolescents being bullied. This study suggests that the experience of being bullied can increase the risk of addictive internet use and that this risk can be mediated through adult attachments. This discovery supports the adoption of effective prevention programs to decrease school bullying and to improve adult attachments for adolescents in China and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe aim is to examine associations between bullying involvement in adolescence and mental health problems in adulthood.MethodsInformation on bullying-involvement (being bullied, bully-victim, aggressive toward others) and non-involved was collected from 2464 adolescents in Mid-Norway at mean age 13.7 and again at mean age 14.9. Information about mental health problems and psychosocial functioning was collected about 12 years later at mean age 27.2 (n = 1266).ResultsAll groups involved in bullying in young adolescence had adverse mental health outcomes in adulthood compared to non-involved. Those being bullied were affected especially regarding increased total sum of depressive symptoms and high levels of total, internalizing and critical symptoms, increased risk of having received help for mental health problems, and reduced functioning because of a psychiatric problem in adulthood. While those being aggressive toward others showed high levels of total and internalizing symptoms. Both those being bullied and bully-victims showed an increased risk of high levels of critical symptoms. Lastly, all groups involved in bullying on adolescence had increased risk of psychiatric hospitalization because of mental health problems.ConclusionInvolvement in bullying in adolescence is associated with later mental health problems, possibly hindering development into independent adulthood.

Background: Suicidal behaviors are seriously social issues among adolescents in the world. Exposed to smoking and being bullied are risk factors of suicidal behaviors. The present study was aimed to examine the interaction of smoking and being bullied on suicidal behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Methods: A total of 18,900 students were involved in the questionnaire study, in four cities of China from November 2017 to January 2018. Suicidal behaviors, smoking, and being bullied were measured by self-reported validated instruments. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to analyze the associations of suicidal ideation (SI)/suicidal plan (SP)/suicidal attempt (SA), smoking, and being bullied. Results: The prevalence of smoking, being bullied, SI/SP/SA, were 3.1%, 20.6%, 26.4%, 13.2%, and 5.2% respectively. Interaction analysis indicated that being bullied was associated with a greater increase in the likelihood of suicidal behaviors for adolescents with smoking than for those without smoking. Conclusions: These finding suggest that smoking exacerbates the association between being bullied and suicidal behaviors. Future research should explore how and why smoking appears to more bully-victims than for those without smoking and how to mitigate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being bullied by peers at school is associated with numerous intrapersonal, interpersonal, and health problems. Depression is one of the strongest correlates of victimization and, although it may precede victimization, there is convincing evidence of victimization leading to later depression. Victimization has also been found to be related to sleeping problems, both concurrently and longitudinally. Using structural equation modeling, we tested the hypothesis that the effect of victimization on depression is partly mediated by sleeping difficulties. The mean age of the participants (N = 1717) was 16 years, and they were from 20 schools in seven towns in Southern and South-West Finland. We focused on two types of sleeping problems—insomnia and nightmares—among students who had recently made the transition to secondary education in Finland. We controlled for the effects of sex (girls and others in relation to boys) and school type (high school/vocational school). Besides a significant direct effect of victimization on depression (β =.21, p <.001), there were significant indirect effects via both insomnia (β =.04, p =.008) and nightmares (β =.03, p =.002). The findings suggest that sleeping problems may be indicative of peer victimization, and they are one possible mechanisms via which the effects of victimization on depression unfold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being bullied is a well-recognized trauma for adolescents. Bullying can best be understood through an ecological framework since bullying or being bullied involves risk factors at multiple contextual levels. The purpose of the study was to identify the risk and protective factors that best differentiate groups along with the outcome variable of interest (being bullied) using Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis. The study used the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) data collected from a nationally representative sample of students in grades six through ten during the 2005-2006 school years. This study identified that for adolescents 12 and younger, lower parental support is a critical risk factor associated with bullying and among those 13 to 14 with lower parent support, adolescent with higher academic pressure reported experiencing more bullying. For the older group of adolescents (aged 15 and older), school related factors were identified to increase the risk level of being bullied. There was a critical age (15 years old) for implementing victimization interventions to reduce the damage from being bullied. Service providers working with adolescents aged 14 and less should focus more on family-oriented intervention and those working with adolescents aged 15 and more should offer peer- or school-related interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on school bullying often focuses on the directional path of bullying and/or victimization leading to psychosocial problems, while such one-dimensional views have been shown to be too simplistic. Furthermore, recent research has shown that patterns of bullying at school differ for boys and girls, which makes gender a particularly relevant factor in exploring the causes and consequences of bullying. Therefore, the present study explored the bidirectional, longitudinal associations of bullying and bullying victimization on several psychosocial problems via a longitudinal cross-lagged panel study in 1243 adolescents in the Netherlands, while taking into account potential gender differences. Data were collected in September 2011 and 2012. Results showed that both bullied boys as well as girls reported more conduct problems at follow-up. Both boy and girl bullies reported less pro-social behavior and more peer problems at follow-up, but boys also reported more conduct problems at follow-up, while girls did not. Furthermore, in girls, emotional problems were associated with more victimization at follow-up, while inattention-hyperactivity problems and less pro-social behavior were related to increased chances of being a perpetrator of bully at follow-up. Conversely, in boys, baseline inattention-hyperactivity problems were not associated with being a bully later on, but rather with increased chances of being a bullying victim at later times. These results can help to tailor future anti-bullying interventions at schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to examine prospectively associations between bullying involvement at 14–15 years of age and self-reported general health and psychosocial adjustment in young adulthood, at 26–27 years of age. A large representative sample ( N = 2,464) was recruited and assessed in two counties in Mid-Norway in 1998 ( T 1 ) and 1999/2000 ( T 2 ) when the respondents had a mean age of 13.7 and 14.9, respectively, leading to classification as being bullied, bully-victim, being aggressive toward others or non-involved. Information about general health and psychosocial adjustment was gathered at a follow-up in 2012 ( T 4 ) ( N = 1,266) with a respondent mean age of 27.2. Logistic regression and ANOVA analyses showed that groups involved in bullying of any type in adolescence had increased risk for lower education as young adults compared to those non-involved. The group aggressive toward others also had a higher risk of being unemployed and receiving any kind of social help. Compared with the non-involved, those being bullied and bully-victims had increased risk of poor general health and high levels of pain. Bully-victims and those aggressive toward others during adolescence subsequently had increased risk of tobacco use and lower job functioning than non-involved. Further, those being bullied and aggressive toward others had increased risk of illegal drug use. Relations to live-in spouse/partner were poorer among those being bullied. Involvement in bullying, either as victim or perpetrator, has significant social costs even 12 years after the bullying experience. Accordingly, it will be important to provide early intervention for those involved in bullying in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace bullying (WB) studies focusing on perpetrators are increasing. Many processes, events, circumstances and individual states are being studied to understand and inhibit what causes some employees to become perpetrators. Using a 24-week diary design and drawing on the Conservation of Resources Theory, we investigated how sleep, physical activity (PA), and being bullied predicted perpetration on a within-level. On a between-level, we controlled for a supervisory position, psychological distress and mental illnesses over 38 employees from Spain and Turkey. Their average age was 38.84 years ( SD = 11.75). They were from diverse sectors (15.8% in manufacturing, 15.8% in education, 13.2% in wholesale and retail trade, 13.2% in information and communication, 7.9% in health, 7.9% in other services and 26.3% from other sectors) with diverse professions such as finance manager, psychologist, graphic designer, academic, human resources professional, forensic doctor, IT and Administration head, municipality admin executive, waiter, and sales executives. Data collection was conducted over 24 consecutive work weeks, where only 31 participants were involved in perpetration (final observations = 720). We analyzed the data using multilevel structural equation modeling decomposed into within-and-between-person variance parts. The results indicated that on a within-level, PA as steps taken during the work week and being bullied positively predicted perpetration the same week, while sleep quality did not. By connecting sleep, physical exercise and WB literature, we draw attention to the health condition of perpetrators. Organizations should actively inhibit workplace bullying and be mindful of employees' physical activities at work or commuting to work. Managers should also be attentive to physical fatigue that employees may feel due to their responsibilities in their private lives and allow employees to rest and recuperate to inhibit negative behaviors at work.

The article discusses a study that examines the relationships between bullying in childhood, and pain symptoms and pain perception in adulthood. Details on the methods of the study, which uses a cross-sectional consecutive sample and a self-report survey methodology, and its results are offered. It concludes that being bullied in childhood is associated with higher reported levels of pain and greater levels of self-reported catastrophic thoughts and feelings about pain.

In 2006, the Finnish Ministry of Education mandated our research group to develop an antibullying program for comprehensive schools. The new program, KiVa, includes both universal and indicated actions to reduce bullying. The present study reports the effects of KiVa on nine different forms of being bullied in a sample of 5,651 fourth to sixth graders from 78 schools (39 intervention, 39 control). The findings showed positive effects on each form of being bullied assessed. After 9 months of intervention, control school students were 1.32— 1.94 times as likely to be bullied as students in intervention schools. A well-designed, research-based program can thus reduce multiple forms of being bullied, and there might be no need to develop specific programs for different forms of bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper examines how young people describe experiences of bullying when participating in an Internet community dedicated to young people experiencing mental health problems. The micro-analytic focus demonstrates how young people construct their identities in relation to their telling about their experiences of being victims of bullying, reporting on two distinct ways that they framed their postings. The posters either disclosed their experiences about bullying in relation to a wider self-presentation of experiences of bullying (bullying being part of their past and a partial reason for their problems), or more straightforwardly asked for help and advice from other participants to find ways of dealing with ongoing bullying. Finally, the paper demonstrates how contributors orient to the Internet community, and calls for more research based on unsolicited naturalistic data for such issues as bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between being bullied and aggressive behavior and self-reported mental health problems among young adolescents. A representative population sample of 2,464 young Norwegian adolescents (50.8% girls) aged 12-15 years was assessed. Being bullied was measured using three items concerning teasing, exclusion, and physical assault. Self-esteem was assessed by Harter's self-perception profile for adolescents. Emotional and behavioral problems were measured by the Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) and the youth self-report (YSR). Aggressive behavior was measured by four items from the YSR. One-tenth of the adolescents reported being bullied, and 5% reported having been aggressive toward others during the past 6 months. More of the students being bullied and students being aggressive toward others reported parental divorce, and they showed higher scores on all YSR subscales and on the MFQ questions, and lower scores on the global self-worth subscale (Harter) than students not being bullied or aggressive. A few differences emerged between the two groups being bullied or being aggressive toward others: those who were aggressive showed higher total YSR scores, higher aggression and delinquency scores, and lower social problems scores, and reported higher scores on the social acceptance subscale (Harter) than bullied students. However, because social problems were demonstrated in both the involved groups, interventions designed to improve social competence and interaction skills should be integrated in antibullying programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Being bullied as a pre-existing factor in suicide among adolescences. • Being bullied contribution to suicide was mediated through psychological pain. • Family togetherness moderated the indirect effect of psychological pain on suicidal ideation. • Peer support moderated the indirect effect of psychological pain on suicidal ideation. School bullying has become a serious social problem that is closely associated with suicidal ideation for bullying victims among adolescents. Suicide is the leading cause of mortality in adolescents in China. Our previous work proposed that the three-dimensional psychological pain, especially pain avoidance, is the robust predictor for suicide. The relationships among being bullied, suicidal ideation, and psychological pain remain unclear. The aim of the present study is to examine whether psychological pain mediates the association between being bullied and suicidal ideation, and whether such mediation is moderated by family togetherness and peer support. Using cluster sampling, 2360 adolescents were recruited from two middle schools and two high schools in China. The adolescents completed questionnaires regarding their being bullied, suicidal ideation, psychological pain, family togetherness, and peer support. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the interactive effects of being bullied, psychological pain, family togetherness, and peer support on suicidal ideation. Of the 2360 participants in the sample, 48 (2.03%) were identified as bullying victims. The association between being bullied and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by psychological pain among middle school students and partially mediated by psychological pain among high school students. Family togetherness moderated the indirect effect of being bullied on suicidal ideation via psychological pain among middle school students, whereas peer support moderated that effect among high school students. Interventions aimed at diminishing the negative effects of being bullied may start by increasing family togetherness or peer support and decreasing individuals' psychological pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The prevalence of depression among high school students was 30.04%. • Bullying victimization is strongly associated with depressive symptoms. • School support act as a moderator effect on the relationship mentioned above. The aims of this study were to: 1) examine the relationship between being bullied and depressive symptoms; 2) explore whether the three mentioned sources of social support moderated this association; and 3) examine gender differences in the moderating effects of social support on bullying-associated depressive symptoms among Chinese high school students. A total of 1252 students were selected from three high schools in Zhenping County of Henan Province in China. The results suggest that bullying victimization is significantly associated with depressive symptoms among high school students. In addition, we found that only school-type social support had a moderating effect on depressive symptoms. Those who had been bullied but who had high levels of school support had lower levels of depressive symptoms than those with less school support. However, moderating effects of this support were only found for girls, not for boys. This study empirically supports that programs aimed at boosting social support for students from teachers and classmates, could help protect high school students from depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School non-attendance is a major social problem in Japan. Many children stop attending school for a variety of reasons. The authors previously reported stress barometer values for healthy Japanese children. In this study, the authors examined the stress barometer values of children with school non-attendance. Methods: The authors measured stress barometer values, that is, urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) and 17-ketosteroid sulfates (17-KS-S) in 65 children (40 girls and 25 boys; 7–15 years of age) with school non-attendance, except for pervasive developmental disorder and mental retardation, who attended the outpatient department of Dokkyo University School of Medicine Hospital, Tochigi, Japan, during the past 4 years. Results: A total of 24 (36.9%) of the 65 children had urinary 17-OHCS values above 2SD, and 14 (21.5%) had urinary 17-OHCS below 2SD. In total, 10 (15.4%) children had urinary 17-KS-S values above 2SD, and four (6.2%) had urinary 17-KS-S below 2SD. Five (7.7%) children had urinary 17-KS-S/17-OHCS values above 2SD, and 10 (15.4%) had urinary 17-KS-S/17-OHCS below 2SD. Conclusion: The stress barometer values appear to be clinically useful for evaluating objectively whether children with school non-attendance have emotional stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global risks of suicidal behaviours (SB) and being bullied as well as their association among adolescents have been poorly understood. We aimed to determine the risks of suicidal ideation (SI), suicide planning (SP), suicide attempt (SA) and being bullied in adolescents and their related associations across gender, countries and different WHO regions., Methods: We examined data from the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS), which recorded health behaviours among adolescents aged 12 to 15 years from 83 countries. We computed prevalence rates of SB and being bullied and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multilevel models were employed to examine the association of being bullied with risks of SI, SP and SA., Results: The overall prevalence of SI was 16·5%, SP 16·5%, SA 16·4%, and being bullied 35·3%. The highest risks of SB and being bullied were in Africa (SI 19·9%, SP 23·2%, SA 20·8%, being bullied 48·0%). Compared to boys, girls had an increased risk for SI (18·2%) and SP (17·3%) but similar risk for SA (16·7%) and being bullied (33·3%). Being bullied was associated with SA (adjusted odds ratio ‒ aOR 2·14, 95%CI 2·06-2·23), more strongly than SI (1·83, 1·78-1·89) and SP (1·70, 1·65-1·76). The strongest association with SA was in the Western Pacific (2·68, 2·45-2·92) and with SI (2·04, 1·74-2·39) and SP (1·81, 1·68-1·95) were in Southeast Asia. There were no gender differences in aOR for SI and SP, but the aOR for SA among boys (2·28, 2·14-2·42) was significantly greater than among girls (2·04, 1·93-2·15), ratio of two odds ratios was 1.12 ( P  = 0.008)., Interpretation: SB and being bullied were common among adolescents worldwide. The findings of gender differences in SB, being bullied and their association could inform the design of prevention programmes to reduce the risks of SI, SP and SA in adolescents worldwide., Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests., (© 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)