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School Bullying and Association with Somatic Complaints in Victimized Children

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Indian Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To examine the relationship between peer victimization and psychosomatic symptoms among school-going children.

Methods

A total of 213 school-going children (Mean = 11.49 y, SD = 1.44) studying in grades 5 to 8 were recruited from 2 schools from a north Indian city. The children were administered the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS), Pre-Adolescent Adjustment Scale (PAAS), and the Children’s Somatization Inventory (CSI). The total score on the somatization inventory and the total number of psychosomatic symptoms endorsed were used as the main outcome measures.

Results

Out of the 213 students, 42.7% were involved in bullying either as victims or as perpetrators. A little more than one-fourth (26.8%) were victims. A consistent positive association between victimization and somatic complaints was found. The most common physical symptoms reported by victims included headache (60.7%), chest pain (35.7%), stomach pain (33.9%), weakness (30.4%), and pain in arms and legs (19.6%). Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that 22.6% of the variance in the total CSI scores was accounted by the total victimization score, self-reported adjustment with school teachers, and academic performance (F = 20.97, P = 0.0001). The total number of functional somatic symptoms were predicted by the total victimization score, academic performance, and age of the child (F = 16.03, P = 0.0001). These variables together predicted 18% of the variance in the total number of symptoms.

Conclusions

Primary health care clinicians and pediatricians need to consider bullying as one of the potential risk factors when they encounter physical symptoms among pediatric patients in their clinical practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    Prahbhjot Malhi & Bhavneet Bharti

Authors
  1. Prahbhjot Malhi
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  2. Bhavneet Bharti
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Contributions

PM and BB designed the study and supervised the data collection. PM analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. BB provided critical inputs. Both the authors approved the final manuscript. BB will act as guarantor for this paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bhavneet Bharti.

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Ethical clearance was taken from the institute ethics committee vide letter no. INT/ IEC/ 2017/174 dated 28.02.2017.

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Malhi, P., Bharti, B. School Bullying and Association with Somatic Complaints in Victimized Children. Indian J Pediatr 88, 962–967 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-020-03620-5

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