Bullying in Brazilian school children: analysis of the National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE 2012)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the victimization and bullying practice in Brazilian school children, according to data from the National Adolescent School-based Health Survey and to compare the surveys from 2009 and 2012. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with univariate and multivariate analyzes of the following variables: to have been treated badly by colleagues, to have been bullied and to have bullied other children. The following independent variables were analyzed: age, sex, race/color, type of school, maternal education. Prevalence rates were compared between the editions of 2009 and 2012 of the survey. RESULTS: Of all the adolescents analyzed, 27.5% have not been treated well by peers at school, with greater frequency among boys (OR = 1.50), at the age of 15 years (OR = 1.29) and 16 (OR = 1.41), public school students (OR = 2.08), black (OR = 1.18) and whose mothers had less education; 7.2% reported having been bullied, with a greater chance in younger students (13 years old), male (OR = 1.26), black (OR = 1.15) and indigenous (OR = 1.16) and whose mothers had less education; 20.8% reported to have bullied other children, with a greater chance for older students, at the age of 14 (OR = 1.08) and 15 years (OR = 1.18), male (OR = 1.87), black (OR = 1.14) and yellow (OR = 1.15), children of mothers with higher education, private school students. There was an increase of bullying in the Brazilian capitals, from 5.4 to 6.8%, between 2009 and 2012. DISCUSSION: The occurrence of bullying reveals that the Brazilian school context is also becoming a space of reproduction of violence, in which it is crucial to act intersectorally and to articulate social protection networks, aiming to face this issue.OBJETIVO: Descrever a vitimização e a prática de bullying em escolares brasileiros, segundo dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (PeNSE), e comparar a evolução entre as pesquisas de 2009 e 2012. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo transversal com análises univariadas e multivariadas das variáveis: não ser bem tratado, sofrer bullying e praticar bullying. Como variáveis independentes, foram analisadas: idade, sexo, raça/cor, tipo de escola, escolaridade materna. Foram comparadas as prevalências entre as edições da PeNSE de 2009 e 2012. RESULTADOS: Não foram bem tratados pelos colegas na escola 27,5% dos adolescentes, tendo sido maior a frequência entre meninos (OR = 1,50) mais velhos, 15 anos (OR = 1,29) e 16 anos (OR = 1,41), alunos de escolas públicas (OR = 2,08), de raça/cor preta (OR = 1,18) e cujas mães tinham menor escolaridade. Relatam ter sofrido bullying 7,2%, tendo sido a maior chance em alunos mais jovens (13 anos) do sexo masculino (OR = 1,26), da raça/cor preta (OR = 1,15) e indígena (OR = 1,16) e cujas mães apresentaram menor escolaridade. A prática de bullying foi relatada por 20,8% e mostrou maior chance em alunos mais velhos, 14 anos (OR = 1,08) e 15 anos (OR = 1,18), do sexo masculino (OR = 1,87), raça/cor preta (OR = 1,14) e amarela (OR = 1,15), filhos de mães com maior escolaridade e alunos de escola privada. Ocorreu aumento de bullying nas capitais, passando de 5,4 para 6,8% entre 2009 e 2012. DISCUSSÃO: A ocorrência de bullying revela que o contexto escolar brasileiro também tem se tornado um espaço de reprodução da violência, sendo fundamental atuar de forma intersetorial e articulando redes de proteção social, visando seu enfrentamento.