Personal and social factors which protect against bullying victimization

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of bullying victimization and to analyze personal and social factors influence over this phenomenon in an adolescent population. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional and multicenter study was carried out in 15-18 years old pupils in five secondary schools of Cuenca during the 2015-16 school year. The variables were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and included age, gender, different subscales of the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire and the resilience scale CD-RISC 10. Results: Data were obtained from 844 students (of whom 54% were girls) whose average age was 16.36 years old. The prevalence of bullying victimization was 29,5%. The multivariate analysis for the personal factors showed that being girl, more resilient, having better self-perception and psychological well-being, protect from being victims. Whereas the social factors model indicated that financial resources, parents and peers' relations and school environment do also have a protective effect. Conclusion: Bullying is a complex phenomenon with high prevalence and great social impact. In our work, adolescents' specific characteristics such as resistance capacity and emotional control, as well as the ones related to their social support, are protective factors against bullying. Prevention polices should be multisectoral and multidisciplinary involving the family, school and health environment and social network. Primary care nurses and especially the school nurse could provide greater coordination among the different sectors and join efforts to promote safe environments for our young people.