Feeling Unsafe at School Among Adolescents in 13 Asian and European Countries: Occurrence and Associated Factors.

Background: Research on perceived school safety has been largely limited to studies conducted in Western countries and there has been a lack of large-scale cross-national studies on the topic. Methods: The present study examined the occurrence of adolescents who felt unsafe at school and the associated factors of perceived school safety in 13 Asian and European countries. The data were based on 21,688 adolescents aged 13-15 (11,028 girls, 10,660 boys) who completed self-administered surveys between 2011 and 2017. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Findings: The number of adolescents who felt unsafe at school varied widely across countries, with a mean occurrence of 31.4% for the total sample: 31.3% for girls, and 31.1% for boys. The findings revealed strong independent associations between feeling unsafe and individual and school-related factors, such as being bullied, emotional and behavioral problems and feeling that teachers did not care. The study also found large variations in perceived school safety between schools in many countries. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need to create safe educational environments for all students, based on positive relationships with teachers and peers. School-based interventions to prevent bullying and promote mental health should be a natural part of school safety promotion.

Victimization by traditional bullying and cyberbullying and the combination of these among adolescents in 13 European and Asian countries.

There has been a lack of studies on bullying in non-western low-income and middle-income countries. This study reported the prevalence of traditional victimization, cybervictimization, and the combination of these, in 13 European and Asian countries, and explored how psychiatric symptoms were associated with victimization. The data for this cross-sectional, school-based study of 21,688 adolescents aged 13-15 were collected from 2011 to 2017. The main outcomes were traditional and cybervictimization obtained from student self-reports. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess psychiatric symptoms. Generalized estimating equation and logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The mean prevalence of any victimization was 28.9%, of traditional victimization only, this was 17.7%, and for cybervictimization only this was 5.1%. Cybervictimization occurred both independently, and in combination with, traditional victimization. The mean prevalence of combined victimization was 6.1%. The mean proportion of those who were cyberbullied only among those who were either cyberbullied only or bullied both traditionally and in cyber was 45.1%. The rates of prevalence varied widely between countries. In the total sample, those who experienced combined victimization, reported the highest internalizing symptoms (girls, OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.22-1.29; boys, OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.25-1.33). The study findings suggest that anti-bullying interventions should include mental health components and target both traditional and cyberbullying. Due to the overlap between these, targeting bullying should primarily focus on how to reduce bullying behavior rather than just focusing on where bullying takes place.

The Global Implications of Bullying and Other Forms of Maltreatment, in the Context of Migratory Trends and Psychiatric Resources.

This article identifies countries with the highest prevalence of bullying and other forms of maltreatment and examines the significance of these epidemiologic findings in the context of migration and availability of mental health resources. The relevance of higher prevalence of bullying and other forms of maltreatment in certain parts of the world has significant public health bearing not only on the nations affected by them but worldwide, because migrants carry with them the effects of victimization. The significant risk of abuse and violence affecting immigrants may be compounded by the effects of polyvictimization.

Antibullying legislation: a public health perspective.

PURPOSE: To determine the extent to which aspects of public health policy have been incorporated into the antibullying statutes enacted in the United States. METHODS: We reviewed all the state laws dealing with school bullying, harassment, and/or intimidation enacted in the United States as of June 2007. These laws were evaluated using an Antibullying Public Health Policy Criteria Index, designed for the purpose of this study. The criteria included presence of a bullying definition, a prohibition of bullying, a statutory recognition of bullying as a public health threat, and a call for prevention programs. As part of that evaluation, laws were examined to ascertain whether they evidenced essential elements of public health concerns and also the extent to which the U.S. school age population was protected by these laws. RESULTS: As of June 2007, 35 states have enacted antibullying legislation that aims to protect the safety of 77% of U.S. students enrolled in public schools. However, only 16 of those states have enacted statutes that incorporate comprehensive basic public health antibullying principles. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need for implementation of school bullying prevention laws. Such laws should clearly define the problem of bullying in schools and its associated health risks, prohibit bullying, require implementation of prevention programs, provide funding for prevention activities, and confer adequate and appropriate jurisdiction.

Morbidities associated with bullying behaviors in adolescents. School based study of American adolescents.

UNLABELLED: To assess the prevalence of bullying behaviors and morbidities, including overweight/obesity and frequent physical and emotional symptoms, and the associations between such morbidities and frequent involvement in bullying behaviors among US adolescents in grades 6 through 10. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study was based on an analysis of US data from the 1998 World Health Organization Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey. The survey provides nationally representative, cross-sectional survey information on 15,686 US students in grades 6 through 10. OUTCOME MEASURES: Involvement in bullying as a victim and/or as a bully; body mass index; and self-reported headaches, stomachaches, backaches, dizziness, irritability, "feeling low", "feeling nervous", and sleeping difficulties. RESULTS: Fifteen per cent of the students were involved in bullying others and/or were victims of bullies at least once a week. The bullying activities took place both at school and elsewhere. Students who suffered from at least one or more frequent physical or emotional symtom, occuring several times a week, were at 2.4 to 3.5 times more likely to be involved in frequent bullying incidents, as compared to students, who did not experience frequent symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirmed that frequent participation in bullying behaviors, as a bully, a victim, or both, was associated with poor health status. The existence of a morbidity spectrum associated with participation in bullying behaviors is important information for pediatric practice and merits further investigation.