Bullying Increased Suicide Risk: Prospective Study of Korean Adolescents

Abstract

This study examines the independent impact of bullying on suicide risk. Bullying was assessed by peer nomination in a prospective study of 1,655 7th and 8th grade Korean students, and suicide by youth self-report. Odds Ratios (ORs) of bullying for suicidal risks were computed, controlling for other suicide risk factors. Victim-Perpetrators and female Victims at baseline showed increased risk for persistent suicidality (OR: 2.4–9.8). Male Incident Victims exhibited increased risk for suicidal behaviors and ideations (OR = 4.4, 3.6). Female Persistent Perpetrators exhibited increased risks for suicidal behaviors; male Incident Perpetrators had increased risk for suicidal ideations (OR = 2.7, 2.3). Baseline-only male Victim-Perpetrators showed increased risk for suicidal ideations. (OR = 6.4). Bullying independently increased suicide risks.

Keywords:

• bullying
• peer nomination
• prospective
• suicide

Financial support for the research came from Health Promotion Grant 2000 from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the Jean Young and Walden W. Shaw Foundation and Children's Brain Research Foundation, Chicago, IL.

We thank Drs. Ira Tager and Stephen Hinshaw for their scholarly input, Drs. Yoon-Ju Kang, Joo-Sun Noh, and Sun Jin Jung for assistance to data collection and the students, parents and teachers without whom this research would not have been possible.

Notes

ND: Not described in the manuscripts, BV: bully-victim, SES: socioeconomic status, BMI: body mass index, SSI: Scale for Suicide Ideation, SIS: Suicidal Intent Scale, VP: victim-perpetrator.⁺: Other statistical analyses were performed instead of computing odds ratios, ^§: bullying experience is limited to the duration of custody.

∗: age in years ± standard deviation.

⁺: Sum of percentage not 100% due to missing data.

SPN: standardized peer nomination Pearson χ² tests were performed to examine sex differences of suicidal behaviors/ideations at baseline and follow-up.

∗: p < 0.05, ∗∗: p < 0.01, ∗∗∗: p < 0.001.

^§: Absence of suicidality over study period is a reference level.

OR: odds ratios were adjusted for school, baseline psychopathology that increases suicidal risks (anxious/depression, conduct problem and aggression) and socio-demographic suicidal risk factors (SES, parental educational level and family structure).

CI: 95% confidence intervals, VP: Victim-Perpetrators, mo: months, wk: weeks.∗: p < 0.05, ∗∗: p < 0.01,∗∗∗: p < 0.001.

Transient Bullying: being a V, P, or VP at the beginning of the study period, but not at follow-up, Persistent Bullying: being a V, P, or VP both at the beginning and the end of the study period, Incident Bullying: not being involved with bullying at the beginning of the study period, but newly becoming a V, P, or VP at follow-up.

OR: odds ratios adjusted for school, suicidality-at-baseline, baseline psychopathology that increases suicidal risks (anxious/depression, conduct problem, and aggression) and socio-demographic suicidal risk factors (SES, parental educational level, and family structure).

CI: 95% confidence intervals, VP: Victim-Perpetrators, mo: months, wk: weeks, n/a: cell size is too small to compute OR.

∗: p < 0.05, ∗∗: p < 0.01, ∗∗∗: p < 0.001.