Research Report About

bullying
Backgrounds
The present study retrospectively examined gender differences in bullying and suicidal
behaviour (ideation, plan, and attempts) as well as associations between selected risk factors
and suicidal behaviour among secondary school Filipino students.

Methods
The study used a secondary data set from the GSHS developed by the World Health
Organization, which was conducted in the Philippines in 2011. Participants included 5290
Filipino students (male N = 2279, female N = 2986). A two-tailed Chi-square of independence
was used to test for gender differences and a multivariate logistic regression model explored
statistical associations between risk factors and outcome variables.

Results
Chi-square results suggested that gender differences were statistically significant for being
bulliedwith females showing higher vulnerability to examined risk factors. The logistic regression
model also suggested that adolescents claiming to have no close friends were three to four
times more likely to attempt suicide. Other strong predictors of suicidal behaviours were
loneliness and getting in trouble due to alcohol consumption.

Conclusions
Bullying is an independent yet, not the strongest predictor associated with adolescents’ suicidal
behaviour in the present study. The strongest predictors of Filipino adolescents’ suicidal
behaviours in the 2011 cohort included having no close friends, loneliness, anxiety and getting
in trouble due to alcohol use among both genders. Peer and mental health support programmes
need to be made available and accessible for adolescents in the Philippines. Considering the
increase in suicide rates in 2020/2021 among Filipino young adults due to the Coronavirus
pandemic, it is suggested that preventing suicidal vulnerability in adolescence can hinder this
occurrence later on in the lifetime.Bullying is wrong. It's never ok. It's never cool. It never makes
you look good by doing it. You always have a choice. Be the person that is smart enough and
confident enough to be friends with everyone you meet. By doing so, you're sending the
message that you're self-assured enough not to care what others may think.Bullying is a very
common, complex and potentially damaging form of violence among children and adolescents.
Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior, which involves a real or perceived social
power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time
(therefore, the definition excludes occasional or minor incidents). These actions are purposeful
and intended to hurt or make the victim uncomfortable.[1]

Bullying may manifest itself in many forms. It can be physical, verbal, relational, or cyber; it can
be subtle and elusive. The most common form of bullying both for boys and girls is verbal
bullying such as name-calling. Although bullying is more common in schools, it can occur
anywhere. It often occurs in unstructured areas such as playgrounds, cafeterias, hallways, and
buses. In recent years, cyber-bullying has received increased attention, as electronic devices
have become more common. Bullying through electronic means, although prevalent, ranks third
 Research Report About
bullying
after verbal bullying and physical bullying. In general, bullying is a common type of social
experience that children refer to as “getting picked on.”State and Local Statistics
Follow these links for state and local figures on the following topics:

Bullied on School Property, Grades 9-12

Cyberbullied, Grades 9-12
International Statistics
According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics:

One third of the globe’s youth is bullied; this ranges from as low as 7% in Tajikistan to 74% in
Samoa.
Low socioeconomic status is a main factor in youth bullying within wealthy countries.
Immigrant-born youth in wealthy countries are more likely to be bullied than locally-born youth.

Bullying and Suicide

The relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. The media should avoid
oversimplifying these issues and insinuating or directly stating that bullying can cause suicide.
The facts tell a different story. It is not accurate and potentially dangerous to present bullying as
the “cause” or “reason” for a suicide, or to suggest that suicide is a natural response to bullying.

Research indicates that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection,
exclusion, and despair, as well as depression and anxiety, which can contribute to suicidal
behavior.
The vast majority of young people who are bullied do not become suicidal.
Most young people who die by suicide have multiple risk factors.
For more information on the relationship between bullying and suicide, read “The Relationship
Between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools” from the CDC.

Anti-Bullying Laws
All states have anti-bullying legislation. When bullying is also harassment and happens in the
school context, schools have a legal obligation to respond to it according to federal laws.

Date Last Reviewed September 9, 2021