The Impact of Bullying and Victimization on Students' Relationships

Abstract

Background: Bullying is antisocial behavior, in which people are willfully and repeatedly hurt. Bullies are perpetrators of this behavior, victims are those who are bullied, and bully/victims are students who both bully others, and are bullied themselves. Bullies, victims, and bully/victims are at risk for psychosomatic health problems. However, few studies have focused on their social health. Purpose: This study explores differences between non-involved students, bullies, victims and bully/victims in self-reported attachment to peers and parents, perceived support from teachers, and belonging to the school, in Flemish secondary schools. Methods: We use data from the Flemish Educational Assessment (FlEA), consisting of 11,872 students in 85 schools. Multivariate analyses of variance (ANOVA) were performed. Results: Non-involved students felt most attached to peers, parents, teachers, and school. Bullies matched the level of parental attachment of the non-involved, and are even more popular among peers. Victims are especially unsuccessful among peers. Bully/victims felt least attached to peers, parents and school, and least supported by teachers. Discussion: Bullies appear to be popular among peers. Victims and bully/victims lack a number of important sources of support. Translation to Health Education Practice: The results of this study endorse peer-group level intervention initiatives. Furthermore, we support whole-school approaches that include all actors-including pupils, parents, and teachers-in combating bullying.