Factors associated with Bullying in College Students / 우울ㆍ조울병

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: School bullying is considered the most common type of bullying, and bullying related to stressful relationships is a significant risk factor for college students' depression and suicide. However, bullying is often overlooked in college students. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of peer victimization in Korean college students and identified factors associated with bullying victimization.METHODS: From the Jeju area, 941 college students were included in this study. The students were divided into two groups according to whether they had experienced bullying. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and health-related conditions, were compared between groups.RESULTS: In total, 82 students (8.7%) reported being bullied by other students. Factors associated with bullying were low socioeconomic status (odds ratio [OR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–3.64), obesity (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.13–4.29), body dissatisfaction (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 2.36–6.50), and depression (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.53–3.85).CONCLUSION: Our findings might have important implications for development of strategies and interventions to prevent bullying among college students.