Citation

Tiiri E, Luntamo T, Mishina K, Sillanmaki L, Brunstein-Klomek A, Sourander A. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1016/j.jaac.2019.03.023

PMID

30951802

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We assessed changes in traditional and cyberbullying victimization, and their associations with mental health, before and after the introduction of a nationwide anti-bullying program in Finnish schools in 2009.

METHOD: This time-trend assessment comprised two methodologically identical cross-sectional survey studies, with 2,061 adolescents in 2008 (response rate 90.2%) and 1,936 in 2014 (91.8%). Their mean age was 14.4 years. They completed questionnaires about traditional and cyberbullying, mental health and perceptions of school safety. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals are presented with 2008 as the reference year.

RESULTS: From 2008 to 2014, traditional victimization decreased from 28.9% to 19.1% (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4-0.7) among boys and from 23.2% to 17.4% (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) among girls. Cyberbullying victimization remained fairly stable at 3.3% and 3.0% (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.2) for boys and at 2.7% and 4.1% (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.9-2.4) for girls. Combined traditional and cyberbullying victimization decreased from 6.1% to 3.9% (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4-0.8) among boys and from 7.5% to 6.7% (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.2) among girls. Those suffering from both traditional and cyberbullying reported the highest mental health problems. Perceived school safety improved among boys, but not girls. Both reported greater efforts by teachers and fellow students to stop bullying.

CONCLUSION: Combined traditional and cyberbullying victimization was an indicator of comorbid mental health problems. Interventions that target both types of bullying, and are integrated with mental health promotion, are needed.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; bullying; mental health; time-trend; victimization