Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia.
J Med Life. 2024 Jul;17(7):701-709. doi: 10.25122/jml-2024-0020.
Bullying in schools is a serious global health issue that jeopardizes youth and future adult health and negatively impacts academic outcomes. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence, forms, and associated factors of bullying among students aged 7-17 in public schools in Shaqra City, Saudi Arabia, where no prior data existed. A total of 372 students participated, with a median age of 11 years (interquartile range 9-14), of whom 187 were girls. 27 students (12.6%) reported being bullied in the past month, primarily through verbal abuse (89.4%), followed by physical bullying (10.6%). Cyberbullying was prevalent, with all students bullied experiencing it through social media, and some through texting (6 students, 1.6%) or email (3 students, 0.8%). Factors like student and parent age, student sex, school level, class level, nationality, chronic diseases, polygamy, and smartphone ownership were not associated with bullying. Cyberbullying and bullying affected 12.6% of students. Verbal bullying, the most common, occurred in restrooms and halls. Victims were hesitant to discuss their worries with anyone. Bullying incidents both within and outside of schools were more likely to result in positive adult intervention. Bullying among adolescents was attributed to factors such as physical strength and size. The possible reactions of bystander peers to a bullying incident include alerting the school administration and directly intervening independently.
校园欺凌是一个严重的全球健康问题，威胁着青少年和未来成年人的健康，对学业成绩产生负面影响。本横断面研究调查了沙特阿拉伯沙克拉市公立学校中 7-17 岁学生的欺凌发生率、形式和相关因素，此前该市没有相关数据。共有 372 名学生参与，中位数年龄为 11 岁（四分位距 9-14），其中 187 名为女生。27 名学生（12.6%）报告在过去一个月中受到欺凌，主要形式是言语辱骂（89.4%），其次是身体欺凌（10.6%）。网络欺凌普遍存在，所有受欺凌的学生都曾在社交媒体上经历过这种欺凌，有些学生还通过短信（6 名学生，1.6%）或电子邮件（3 名学生，0.8%）经历过这种欺凌。学生和家长年龄、学生性别、学校水平、班级水平、国籍、慢性病、一夫多妻制和智能手机拥有情况等因素与欺凌无关。网络欺凌和欺凌影响了 12.6%的学生。最常见的言语欺凌发生在洗手间和大厅。受害者不愿与任何人讨论他们的担忧。校内和校外的欺凌事件更有可能导致成年人积极干预。青少年之间的欺凌归因于身体力量和体型等因素。旁观者对欺凌事件的可能反应包括向学校管理部门报警和独立直接干预。
