Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Bullying behaviours and psychosocial health: results from a cross-sectional survey among high school students in Istanbul, Turkey

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate bullying behaviours and their associations with health and health risk behaviours. This study involved completion of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) and Youth Self Report (YSR) questionnaires by 3,519 students. Of the students, 59.4% (n = 2,091) were neither bullies/nor victims, 22% (n = 774) victims, 9.4% (n = 331) bully/victims and 9.2% (n = 323) bullies. Generally, students involved in bullying behaviours were more likely to have higher YSR scale scores than students who were not involved in bullying behaviours. Bully/victims had higher scores on the YSR subscales than others. Students involved in bullying behaviours were more likely not to use seat belts, to watch TV ≥ 4 h/day, to be involved in a physical fight, to skip class and to spend time with friends than students who were not involved in bullying behaviours. Bully/victims and bullies were more likely to smoke cigarettes, to drink alcohol, to be drunk, to play computer games and to be sexually active than others. Bully/victims were more likely to have less educated mothers and to have difficulty in talking to both parents than others. Victims were more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status, to have difficulty in talking to opposite gender friends and to have difficulty in making new friends than others. Bullying behaviour is common and associated with other risk behaviours and psychological health problems in Istanbul high school students. Health professionals should be aware of the influence of bullying on health and particularly on bully/victims’ health. There is a strong need for bullying prevention programmes in schools in Turkey.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alikasifoglu M, Erginoz E, Ercan O, Albayrak-Kaymak D, Uysal O, Ilter O (2006) Sexual abuse among female high school students in Istanbul, Turkey. Child Abuse Negl 30:247–255

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bond L, Carlin JB, Thomas L, Rubin K, Patton G (2001) Does bullying cause emotional problems? A prospective study of young teenagers. BMJ 323:480–484

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Craig WM, Pepler DJ (2003) Identifying and targeting risk for involvement in bullying and victimization. Can J Psychiatry 48:577–582

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Currie C, Hurrelmann K, Settertobulte W, Smith R, Todd J (2000) Health and health behaviour among young people. Health behaviour in school-aged children: a WHO cross-national study (HBSC) international report. Health policy for children and adolescents (HEPCA) Series No. 1

  5. Currie C, Roberts C, Morgan A, Smith R, Settertobulte W, Samdal O, Rasmussen-Barnekow V (2004) Young people’s health in context: international report from the HBSC 2001/2002 survey. WHO policy series: health policy for children and adolescents Issue 4. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dake JA, Price JH, Telijohann SK (2003) The nature and extent of bullying at school. J Sch Health 73:173–180

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Due P, Holstein BE, Lynch J, Diderichsen F, Gabhain SN, Scheidt P, Currie C, The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Bullying Working Group (2005) Bullying and symptoms among school-aged children: international comparative cross sectional study in 28 countries. Eur J Public Health 15:128–132

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Erginoz E, Alikasifoglu M, Ercan O, Uysal O, Ercan G, Albayrak Kaymak D, Ilter O (2004) Perceived health status in a Turkish adolescent sample: risk and protective factors. Eur J Pediatr 163:485–494

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Verhulst FC, Achenbach TM, van der Ende J, Erol N, Lambert MC, Leung PWL, Silva MA, Zilber N, Zubrick SR (2003) Comparisons of problems reported by youths from seven countries. Am J Psychiatry 160:1479–1485

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Eslea M, Menesini E, Morita Y, O’Moore M, Mora-Merchan JA, Pereira B, Smith PK (2004) Friendship and loneliness among bullies and victims: data from seven countries. Aggress Behav 30:71–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fekkes M, Pijpers FIM, Verlove-Vanhorick SP (2004) Bullying behavior and associations with psychosomatic complaints and depression in victims. J Pediatr 144:17–22

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Forero R, McLellan L, Rissel C, Bauman A (1999) Bullying behaviour and psychosocial health among school students in New South Wales, Australia: cross sectional survey. BMJ 319:344–348

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gofin R, Palti H, Gordon L (2002) Bullying in Jerusalem schools: victims and perpetrators. Public Health 116:173–178

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Green MB (2005) Reducing violence and aggression in schools. Trauma Violence Abuse 6:236–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Green MB (2006) Bullying in school: a plea for measure of human rights. J Soc Issues 62:63–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hawker DS, Boulton MJ (2000) Twenty years’ research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 41:441–455

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Ivarsson T, Broberg AG, Arvidsson T, Gillberg C (2005) Bullying in adolescence: psychiatric problems in victims and bullies as measured by the Youth Self Report (YSR) and the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS). Nord J Psychiatry 59:365–373

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Juvonen J, Graham S, Schuster MA (2003) Bullying among young adolescents: the strong, the weak, and the troubled. Pediatrics 112:1231–1237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kaltiala-Heino R, Rimpela M, Marttunen M, Rimpela A, Rantanen P (1999) Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey. BMJ 319:348–351

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kaltiala-Heino R, Rimpela M, Rantanen P, Rimpela A (2000) Bullying at school-an indicator of adolescents at risk for mental disorders. J Adolesc 23:661–674

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kepenekci-Karaman Y, Cinkir S (2006) Bullying among Turkish high school students. Child Abuse Negl 30:193–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kim YS, Koh YJ, Leventhal B (2005) School bullying and suicidal risk in Korean middle school students. Pediatrics 115:357–363

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kristensen SM, Smith PK (2003) The use of coping strategies by Danish children classed as bullies, victims, bully/victims, and not involved, in response to different (hypothetical) types of bullying. Scand J Psychol 44:479–488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kumpulainen K, Rasanen E, Henttonen I, Almqvist F, Kresanov K, Linna SL, Moilanen I, Piha J, Puura K, Tamminen T (1998) Bullying and psychiatric symptoms among elementary school-age children. Child Abuse Negl 22:705–717

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kumpulainen K, Rasanen E, Henttonen I (1999) Children involved in bullying: psychosocial disturbance and the persistence of the involvement. Child Abuse Negl 23:1253–1262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kumpulainen K, Rasanen E (2000) Children involved in bullying at elementary school age: their psychiatric symptoms and deviance in adolescence. Child Abuse Negl 24:1567–1577

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Nansel TR, Overpeck M, Pilla RS, Ruan WJ, Simons-Morton B, Scheidt P (2001) Bullying behaviors among US youth. Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. JAMA 285:2094–2100

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Newman ML, Holden GW, Delville Y (2005) Isolation and the stress of being bullied. J Adolesc 28:343–357

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Olweus D (1994) Bullying at school: basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 35:1171–1190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rigby K (2000) Effects of peer victimization in schools and perceived social support on adolescent well-being. J Adolesc 23:57–68

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rigby K (2003) Consequences of bullying in schools. Can J Psychiatry 48:583–590

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Rivers I, Smith PK (1994) Types of bullying behavior and their correlates. Aggresse Behav 20:359–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Salmivalli C (1999) Participant role approach to school bullying: implication for interventions. J Adolesc 22:453–549

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Salmon G, James A, Smith DM (1998) Bullying in schools: self reported anxiety, depression, and self esteem in secondary school children. BMJ 317:924–925

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Seals D, Young J (2003) Bullying and victimization: prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression. Adolescence 38:735–747

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Stevens V, De Bourdeaudhuj I, Van Oost P (2000) Bullying in Flemish schools: an evaluation of anti-bullying intervention in primary and secondary schools. Br J Educ Psychol 70:195–210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Smith PK, Madsen KC, Moody JC (1999) What causes the age decline in reports of being bullied at school? Towards a developmental analysis of risks of being bullied. Educ Res 41:267–285

    Google Scholar 

  38. Smith PK, Talamelli L, Cowie H, Naylor P, Chauan P (2004) Profiles of non-victims, escaped victims, continuing victims and new victims of school bullying. Br J Educ Psychol 74:565–581

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Sourander A, Helstela L, Helenius H, Piha J (2000) Persistence of bullying from childhood to adolescence-a longitudinal 8-year follow-up study. Child Abuse Negl 24:873–881

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. van der Wal MF (2004) There is bullying and bullying. Eur J Pediatr 164:117–118

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. van der Wal MF, de Wit CAM, Hirasing RA (2005) Psychosocial health among young victims and offenders of direct and indirect bullying. Pediatrics 111:1312–1317

    Google Scholar 

  42. Wolke D, Woods S, Bloomfield L, Karstadt L (2001) Bullying involvement in primary school and common health problems. Arch Dis Child 85:197–201

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Wolke D, Woods S, Stanford K, Schulz H (2001) Bullying and victimization of primary school children in England and Germany: prevalence and school factors. Br J Psychol 92:673–696

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Woods S, White E (2005) The association between bullying behaviour, arousal levels and behaviour problems. J Adolesc 28:381–395

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant from the research fund of the University of Istanbul (BYP-493/07102004, UDP-448/28032005), Erkim İlaç Sn AŞ. and Nova Nordics Saglık Urunleri Tic. Ltd. Sti. This study was presented as a poster at the 8th IAAH World Congress, 11–14 May 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, İstanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mujgan Alikasifoglu

  2. Department of Public Health, İstanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ethem Erginoz

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Adolescent Medicine and Pediatric Endocrinology, İstanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Kocamustafa pasa cad., 34303, Aksaray, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey

    Oya Ercan

  4. Department of Biostatistics, İstanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey

    Omer Uysal

  5. Department of Education, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Deniz Albayrak-Kaymak

Authors
  1. Mujgan Alikasifoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ethem Erginoz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Oya Ercan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Omer Uysal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Deniz Albayrak-Kaymak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oya Ercan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alikasifoglu, M., Erginoz, E., Ercan, O. et al. Bullying behaviours and psychosocial health: results from a cross-sectional survey among high school students in Istanbul, Turkey. Eur J Pediatr 166, 1253–1260 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-006-0411-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-006-0411-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation